marlene76

I'm planning on staying 3 nights in Quebec City and 3 in Montreal in early October and have 3-4 days open. Having spent some time last year in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Stowe, I'm hoping there are beautiful places for nature that is just as nice or better than VT and NH to drive around for photography and hikes.

zootsi

The countryside just outside Montreal is quite flat and agricultural, not as good for foliage as new england. It is fun for bicycling and wine tasting however. As you head further east in Quebec, the land becomes more mountainous, similar to Vermont, great for hiking and foliage. Magog is a picturesque lakeside town surrounded by mountains. The countryside outside Quebec City is also picturesque and good for foliage, but not as mountainous unless you drive northeast along the St. Lawrence.

laverendrye

The Eastern Townships (the area mentioned by zoos) and the Laurentians to the north of Montreal are gorgeous in the fall. A day trip to either is an easy excursion, but an overnight trip is even better. The fall season there is certainly the equal of that in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Similarly, the Ile d'Orléans, Beaupré and Charlevoix regions outside Quebec City are beautiful at all times of the year, but especially in fall. Baie Saint Paul and La Malbaie are picturesque towns and the coastal road at Les Eboulements is stunning.

This article might help:

http://news.nationalpost.com/life/tr..._lsa=3b49-d243

Denise_Leres

Quebec City is simply beautiful and serene. I would certainly suggest venturing there for a fall foliage trip and while there be sure to hit this breathtaking spot! quebeccity101.com Montmorency Falls Park

marlene76

Thank you this is very helpful.

Any recommendations for how many nights we should stay in Quebec City and Montreal? Does 3 and 3 sound good? We are not big nightlife people and usually like to get away from the city while on vacation but the photos of these two cities look amazing. We enjoy jazz and blues, casual dining, theatre, art galleries and some shopping.

Also if you were to choose a hotel in a stunning area in the mountains or towns to celebrate an anniversary under $300 where would it be? Not big on B&B's.

cdnyul

It does not have to either Quebec or New England, it could be both.

One of our favorite fall drives is to cross into the US at Champlain and drive parallel to the border towards Montgomery and Jay Peak.

Mountain Road between Montgomery and Montgomery Center has some of the best colors in New England, with numerous covered bridges along the way. Our favorite is the Old Creamery bridge.

We usually end up sending the night back in Canada the Auberge and Spa West Brome. Nice location, excellent restaurant.

Some of the best foliage can be found on the Island of Montreal and the surrounding area. In the western part there is Cap St Jacques Park, and the town of Seneville and Ste Anne de Bellevue. The campus of John Abbott College is beautiful in the fall, on its grounds is a small aviation museum staffed with enthusiastic volunteers and aircraft restores.

Another option would be to take a drive to Hudson, take the ferry to Oka, drive through Oka Provincial Park, to Laval sur le Lac and the Ile Bizard ferry back on to the Island of Montreal.

(Hudson attractions are the Finnegans Flea Market and the Willow Inn, the Inn will be shutting down in November after 65 years in business)

North of Montreal, towards the Laurentians, (if you can stomach driving through areas where Quebec developers had access to the most corrupt politicians in the most corrupt province in Canada) and you can get your hands on a couple of bikes, in Morin Heights is the Aerobic Corridor, a 60 km bike path (cross country trails in the winter) making its way through some beautiful scenery and forest.

zootsi

Montreal is considerably larger than Quebec City. 3 nights in Montreal is just barely enough, 3 nights in Quebec City might be too much, unless you are doing day trips to Montmorency falls and I'le d'orleans. I would do 3 nights in Montreal, then a few nights in the eastern townships. 2 nights in Quebec City, then several nights in the Charlevoix area.

eliztravels2

The US dollar will go a long way in Canada these days. Come and enjoy!

Vttraveler

I agree with zootsi about time division.

If you go to the Eastern Townships for foliage I recommend stopping at the Abbaye St. Benoit Du Lac on the western shore of Lake Memphrémagog. It's a stunning location and they have an apple orchard and make good cheese.