A local's delight, a tourist's nightmare.
One late rainy Montreal afternoon, my family and I decided to play a little game of "Lava Rain". We started from the Place des Arts and challenged ourselves to stay underground all the way 'til Eaton. We may have cheated and followed employees passing through after work. We got halfway-ish to Place Bonadventure, where we were met with a choice of stairs, a tunnel to a restricted door, and a split level of escalators. I was like F-this and took to the sidewalks. Even with a map, it was confusing figuring out how to get back underground once we made it to the next building. Signage was minimal and not visitor friendly... it makes me wonder why is this on everyone's must-do list? We passed by fellow frustrated tourists wondering where all the action was. For a stretch, it's just tunnel. In other areas, you'll see some budget boutiques, people picking up at the dry cleaners, grabbing a bite in the food courts and stalls. Not much in the kitsch-factor, but a huge utility for locals.
If I lived and worked near here, I'd probably have more of an appreciation for the Underground. For now, I'll stick to Montreal above ground.