Montreal Weekend for Under $200: A Real Student Budget
Montreal is about three hours from Kingston, and it might be the best value weekend trip you can take as a Queen's student. The problem is rarely the money. It is finding people who want to go on the same weekend, with the same budget. That part is our job. This post is about the money.
All prices below are estimates in CAD based on typical fares and listings we found in November 2026. Prices change daily, so check before you book.
The budget at a glance
Getting there and back (Megabus, Kingston to Montreal return): about $60 to $90
2 nights in a hostel dorm bed (about $35 to $40 a night): about $70 to $80
Food (bagels, poutine, one sit-down dinner, groceries): about $45 to $60
Going out (free Igloofête on Saturday afternoon, or one Igloofest night): $0 to $50
Total: about $175 to $280
The honest version: you stay under $200 if you take the bus, book a dorm bed, and pick free events. Add a train ticket and a festival night and you are closer to $250. Both are a great weekend.
Getting there: bus or train?
Bus (Megabus): the cheapest option. Buses leave from the Kingston bus terminal on John Counter Blvd and take about 3.5 hours. Early tickets can be very cheap, last-minute ones are not, so book at least two to three weeks ahead.
Train (VIA Rail): faster, about 2 hours 45 minutes, and more comfortable, but usually more expensive. If you are 18 to 25, check VIA's youth fares before you pay full price.
Crew tip: if your crew books together, you sit together. Three hours goes fast when you are already planning where to eat.
Where to stay
A dorm bed in a downtown or Old Montreal hostel is the budget move. Look for places close to a metro station and with breakfast included, which saves you $10 to $15 a day. In a crew of 3 or 4, compare the dorm price with a private hostel room or a small rental split four ways. Sometimes the private room wins.
What to do in January (lots of it is free)
Igloofest runs from January 14 to February 6, 2027 at the Old Port, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It is an outdoor electronic music festival, so wear your warmest layers.
Igloofête is the free daytime part on Saturday afternoons. Same vibe, no ticket.
Old Montreal at night, when the streets and lights look like a postcard.
Mount Royal lookout for the classic skyline photo. Free, about 30 minutes uphill.
Bagels at 2 a.m. Montreal bagel shops are a rite of passage.
How to make it under $200
Book the bus early, not the train late.
Pick a hostel with free breakfast.
Plan one paid thing, not five.
Split groceries and snacks with your crew.
Go with people. A shared room, shared food and shared rides are the biggest savings, and the trip is simply more fun.
Don't do Montreal alone
Your friends said maybe. That is fine. TripCrew matches Queen's students into small crews of 2 to 4 for the same trip and the same budget, and you meet for coffee in Kingston before you go. Join the Montreal crew here: it takes 2 minutes.
Comments