1 week too short for Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City?
 

Hi
1 week too short for all of the above?
Which to leave out?
We like pretty scenery, beautiful old buildings, charm, pretty natural surroundings.
Thanks,
Linda

The 3 in a week could easily be done, but you will be on the road a lot.You might want to just do Quebec Ciy and Montreal.
If you like pretty scenery, and beautiful old buildings, Quebec City is as good as it gets. Also, the countryside outside Quebec City is very scenic, such as the Ile Orleans, Montmorency falls, and the small villages along the St. Laurent. Montreal, which is one of my favorite cities anywhere, is not particularly scenic, but is so great for walking and exploring with it's interesting neighborhoods, outdoor cafes, tranquil parks, etc. If you like beautiful surroundings, don't miss the Botanical Gardens - they are truly world class.

You can use up the better part of a day travelling between the various combinations of cities.

Unless you are a big fan of early Fench Canadian history, leave Quebec City for another day. There are old buildings, good restaurants, horse-drawn carriages, and a river in Montreal, too.

Ottawa adds everything imporant that goes with being the capital city of a great country, plus a swack of museums guaranteed to be of interest to people who don't even like museums. Plus, across the river, you get the Gatineau Hills, which are as nice as being north of Quebec City.

So, QC plus Montreal is two fo the same; Montreal and Ottawa are two quite different places.

BAK

One week is not too short for all three, although you could easily spend an interesting week in each place.

As I mentioned in my reply to your other post, with a week, you could spend two days in Ottawa, three in Montréal and two in Québec.

You wouldn't be on the road that much either. Ottawa is 2 hours and Québec 3 hours from Montréal downtown to downtown, either by train or car.

Each city is very different from the others. As zootsi points out, you won't get much in the way of scenery and pretty surroundings in Montréal, but it certainly has its other attractions. If that's your goal, then spend two days in Montréal and three in Québec, taking a day to explore the surrounding area such as the Ile d'Orléans. Ottawa is a nice blend of the urban and the natural (the canal, its three rivers, Gatineau Park etc.).

Just returned from an extended Fourth of July weekend in Quebec City and Montreal. We absolutely LOVED Quebec City! We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac (their "One Great Summer" promotion of $199 USD per night/$229 CAD was really affordable, and paying with American Express gave us a $50 food and beverage credit at the hotel). I would highly recommend staying in Upper or Lower Town as opposed to staying at one the large hotels like the Loews and Hilton. The cobblestone streets of the old city are quaint, with lots of outdoor cafes, neat shops, horse and carriage rides, street performers, and antique shops. The flowers outside EVERY hotel, shop, and restaurant were absolutely beautiful. I must have taken 6 rolls of film in just 3 days! In Montreal, we stayed in the old city at the Hotel Place d'Armes (fabulous!), but I wasn't as enamored with Montreal as I was with QC (as a previous poster said, Montreal isn't particularly scenic/picturesque). There was a lot of car/foot/bus traffic during the day, which thinned noticeably in the evening, making strolling around later in the day much more pleasant. I found the food to be much more affordable in Montreal than Quebec City. I saw a lot of revitalization efforts going on in Vieux-Montreal, and might visit again in a few years to see the improvements/additions. But I will definitely return to QC, even though it is a 9-hour drive (each way) from my home.

In short I would drop ottawa and it's a toss up between Montreal and Quebec. I leaning towards Old Quebec is amazing.

Thanks to all!
Linda

If you do go to Ottawa in the summer/fall, I'd recommend spending a few hours at the Mackenzie King Estate, about 15 minutes outside Ottawa. Beautiful gardens, trails and great tea room! :-)

Thanks!
Linda