Wesse

I'm a 38 year old man from Amsterdam. In the last week of september I'm planning a citytrip (solo traveler) to Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto for 5-6 days (7-8 with flying-days included). My interests are (modern) architecture, history and popular music. I have a hundred question, but the main ones are: Which city is the safest for solo travelers and which one should I choose (based on my interests).

Any help is *very* welcome!

LJ

If safety is your overwhelming concern, you can breathe a sigh of relief right now. You are fine in any of those 3 cities.

Toronto would give you the widest range of options to exercise your taste in popular music: it has a huge music scene. (Check out Wholenotes Magazine http://www.thewholenote.com/wholenote/index.html)

The architecture for all three is relatively modern, but once again, probably more interesting modern architecture in TO just because it is larger than the other two cities, though Vancouverites will disagree as it also has much to offer.

Montreal has the charm of Old Montreal for history buffs, esp for those that speak French, but TO can offer more museums and historical homes/reconstructions than the other two with Black Creek Village, Casa Loma.

Hope you have as good a time as I did in your home city many years ago!

pavfec

Based on your interests, I would say Montreal. My husband and I lived there for more than 5 years and I'd say there's definitely much more architecture and history there than in Vancouver and Toronto. It's also a great music city.

I think it's a safe city for a solo traveller, but I'll let others chime in on that.

I know that KLM has direct flights between Amsterdam and Montreal, or you could connect through London (BA/Zoom) or Paris (Air France/Corsair/Transat).

Vorkuta

Let me make the whole thing harder for you by casting my vote for Vancouver (where I have lived for 21 years).

Clearly the three of us who have answered so far think that Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver would all suit your interests. I would add that in addition to a robust architectural history (Victorian/Edwardian, modernist and post-modernist) Vancouver is beautifully situated (geographically), can easily be explored on foot or public transit, has direct connections with Amsterdam via KLM, and (as a woman who is often out and about alone) I have always felt safe here. Not to say that bad things can't happen here - they can happen anywhere - but Vancouver feels about as safe as it can get.

One factor against Vancouver may simply be jetlag. You'll be here for just a few days and there is a nine-hour time difference. I myself would need about five days to get over that difference but of course you may be more adaptable.

Maybe you can post some of your other questions and that will help to decide the matter. I have to say that I haven't visited Montreal or Toronto for more than twenty years, so don't feel able to compare the three cities. I can really only write about Vancouver.

SusanInToronto

I live in Toronto, but often work in Montreal and my family live in the lower mainland of BC, so I've also spent a fair amount of time in Vancouver. As previous poster said, jet lag might be an issue if you go to Vancouver, but all 3 would be good choices. Definitely safety would not be an issue in any of the cities.

Wesse

Thanks all! One vote for each city,.. So Toronto is more lively with a good music scene and modern architecture. Montreal is smaller (maybe close to European cities?) and has more histoy and charm. And Vancouver seems great but much, much further away

Is visiting both Montreal and Toronto an option (perhaps adding 1 or 2 days)?

laverendrye

I think you have summarized the choices well. I'd be inclined to save Vancouver for another visit when you can stay longer and include a few places outside the city (e.g. Victoria).

Visiting Montreal and Toronto certainly is an option with the time you have--a day or two extra wouldn't hurt, however. It's 4 1/2 hours between the two by train.

While Montreal has some interesting modern architecture such as the Olympic Stadium, and Habitat 67 (now 40 yrs old) I think Toronto now has the edge. Although they are not yet finished, you can get a look at the Gehry addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Libeskind diamond at the Royal Ontario Museum for two examples. Here's a good summary on Toronto architecture.

http://www.where.ca/toronto/article_...ting_id~95.htm

In Montreal you will want to visit the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the new Grande Bibliotheque, and the Metro, among other attractions. The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History at Pointe-à-Callière should not be missed.


Enjoy your visit.

Wesse

This is clearing things up for me. Thanks for all the links and suggestions. The "wholenote" website seems very useful! My schedule so far:
Day 1: Flight Amsterdam to Montreal
Day 2-4: Montreal
Day 5: Train to Toronto
Day 6-8: Toronto
Day 9: Flight ??? to Amsterdam

With a retour ticket I'd have to go back to Montreal. Flying back from Toronto seems much more convenient, but two single tickets is a lot more expensive. Any suggestions on this are welcome. Thanks for all the great help.

icithecat

You are looking for a ticket that in English is called 'open jawed.' Many airlines alow you to book into one city and out of another.

For architecture and contrast, I prefer Montreal. In this city you can photograph a 200 year old church reflected in a glass skyscraper.

pavfec

If you do a search on a travel website for open jaw or multi-destination, you can fly Amsterdam to Montreal and then Toronto to Amsterdam. (My husband and I flew from Montreal to Berlin, then Amsterdam to Montreal last year and it cost the same as a return ticket).

I think it's a good plan you have there!

Wesse

I've checked the KLM website and found the open jawed option somewhere in the back of the FAQ pages(?!?). And I've read some more about these two cities on the other travel websites. They all talk about the "relaxing atmosphere" in Montreal and "low blood pressure" in Toronto. Sounds good to me!

I've also discovered that a daytrip to Niagara Falls from Toronto is possible. Is it worth the time or is it just a lot of splashing water? It seems very touristic to me (with guided tours etc) and I'm more interested in cities and urban culture... Is it a must-see?

pavfec

It's very possible to do a day trip to Niagara Falls from Toronto. I was there recently (mind you, I grew up in that area) and I found it very touristy. The Falls are quite a sight, but the city of Niagara Falls itself is very kitsch.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, on the other hand, is a beautiful town known for its wineries. There are many in the area and you can even do tastings. If there was a trip combining Niagara Falls and NOTL, I would recommend that.

toedtoes

I like the idea of doing Toronto and Montreal. A day trip to Niagara Falls is definitely doable and the falls are spectacular, but I don't think they would be a "must see" for this trip. The falls area is very touristy and there isn't a lot of architectural or musical interest. As for the history, there's a lot there, but I don't think any of it beats what you'll find in Toronto or Montreal. I would suggest keeping the 3 Toronto days in the city - you'll have plenty to see and do.

Then you can plan a second trip in the future to see Niagara Falls and other areas.

Icithecat - which church is that? I take a similar photo in Ottawa every visit and would love to add one of Montreal to my "collection" of reflection photos.

kodi

I liek your plan.It sounds good. I hope you can find an open jaws flight out of Toronto.

YOu can easily take a day trip to Niagara Falls if it appeals to you. It really is spectacular. YOu don't have to take a tour. Just find transportation there at the best price and you can wander around on your own.
Niagara on The Lake is a quaint town, but being male you might not be that interested in it. IT's alot of shops.
Stick to seeing the Falls and wandering around that area.
But as others have said, if you are interested in the big cities, Niagara is not a must do, but certainly popular with tourists. Many things there are very touristy, but the falls themselves are wonderful to see.

JQReports

toedtoes,

I think icithecat is referring to Christ Church Cathedral. Here's a link to the construction of building behind the church, and the underground mall beneath the church.

http://montreal.anglican.org/cathedral/

The La Cathedrale office building is one of my favourite modern buildings in Montreal. The pink tinted windows mimic the weather and reflect the mood of the city.

JQ

toedtoes

Thanks JQ. I'll add it to my list of "photo ops".

KathyNZ

I'm meeting up with a friend from Amsterdam next month - she is flying KLM into Toronto but then straight up to Ottawa and flying out of Toronto thus the return ticket. KLM should give you a good deal into Montreal or via Toronto which may be the cheaper option.
Toronto is my pick out of your three options altho' I enjoy them all, it seems to have more variety to me. And you should take the train to Niagara, it is a must see, of course it's touristy but it's a wonderful place, I will be there also for the fourth time. Put up a search for 'what's on' in the cities and any music festivals should show up which may decide it for you.
Have a nice time