liesel

Hello Everyone!

My sister and I have decided to visit Montreal and Quebec City for our annual sister trip this year. We are planning to visit the 1st week of October. We fly into Montreal on Wednesday and depart on Sunday so we only have 3.5 days. We could probably add on another day leaving on Tuesday instead of Wednesday giving us 4.5 days, depending on the time needed to explore both areas.

A little about us: We tend to explore areas pretty quickly. We love to learn about the history of areas, dive into the culture, and enjoy (and take lots of photos) of the beautiful architecture of new places. We love adventure and charming places. We really aren't into Art (paintings). We love to travel to Europe but this time decided to change it up and go North to Canada.

We've just started our research and from what we've read so far, Quebec City 'can' be seen in 1 day. For those of you very familiar with Montreal and Quebec City, does this ring true? Our plan is to train from Montreal to Quebec City.

Since we are in the early stages of research and I know there is nothing worse than someone posting on here asking for lots of advice without having done any research on their own, I'm going to only ask for those of you who love Montreal and Quebec City - what are the MUST SEE PLACES?

Thank you so much for your help! Once we've done more thorough research, we will be back with more questions.

zootsi

The old section of Quebec City is fairly small, and I would think 2 nights would be enough, unless you rent a car and do excursions to places like Ille de Orleans and Montmorency Falls.
Montreal is much bigger, and you could easily spend 4-5 days exploring it's varied neighborhoods. If you search back on tis site you'll find a wealth of info on both cities. Here are a few Montreal 'must sees' in a nutshell:
Old Montreal & waterfront, Notre Dame, Botanical Gardens, Plateau neighborhood shops & cafes, Museum of Fine Arts, Jean Talon and or Atwater Markets.
Contact the Quebec tourist bureau (bonjourquebec.com), and request a free tourist guide book for each of these cities - very useful little books.

liesel

Thank you zootsi for your response! I've sent away for the free tourist guide books! I forgot to mention in my original post that shopping is also important on our trips (a completely different experience without husbands and children - lol), so was happy to read about the Plateau neighborhood shops you mentioned in your post!

liesel

We weren't planning on renting a car (taking train from Montreal to QC), but after reading so many posts regarding Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre Cathedral, Montmorency Falls and Orleans Island, I'm wondering if it maybe worth renting a car for the day while in QC? Must we rent a car or is there maybe a train/bus that will take you to visit these places from QC?

almcd

As an occasional visitor to Montreal when I visit my daughter, I agree with all that zootsi says. If you are fit and would like a walk to burn off some of the calories that you will eat in the city, consider going up Mount Royal on Sunday morning.It is one of those Montreal must-dos. Jean Talon market is a superb experience on a Saturday morning. The Metro will get you there. Quebec farmers are the most productive ones in the world and you will be astonished at the quality of produce there. French is the predominant language but don't let that deter you.
Many of the restaurants in Montreal allow you to bring your own wine without a corkage charge, and this helps to keep costs down. However, eating out there is a wonderful experience. Enjoy!

zootsi

Montreal has lots of shopping. Here's a rundown:
St Catherine St - this is the main drag for conventional shopping. Big departmnt stores, all kinds of shops. There is also a huge complex of undeground malls in this neighborhood.
Mt Royal (plateau) - All kinds of small, funky shops.
St. Denis (plateau) - possibly the liviest street in the city. Shops, big stores, cafes, bars, etc. The area where Duluth intersects St Denis is the BYOB restaurant neighborhood.
Laurier (near Mt Royal) - the upscale shopping area - pricey little shops.
St Hubert (up near Jean Talon) - several blocks of inexpensive stores - shoes, clothes, housewares, etc.
Realize that due to the high taxes, you probably won't score any great deals, but there's plenty to see.

Vttraveler

I would try to take the 4.5 days if you want to visit both cities. I agree with others that you should plan to spend more time in Montreal

Some personal favorites in Montreal are the Pointe-à-Callière archeology museum and the historic Chateau Remezay.

In Quebec City, walking the city walls and along the Dufferin Terrace with beautiful views of the Saint Lawrence River would be a "must see."

Can't help you with shopping--I am shopping impaired.