Help needed - Montreal/QC/Toronto Itinerary
 

Just started planning a 2- week day holiday to Montreal, Quebec City, Tadoussac & Toronto with kids aged 16 and 12. Dates are mid-July. We like a mix of the outdoors/history/good food or can just sit in a park and watch the world go by!

Am quite keen to stay a few nights at the Reserve Faunique Laurentides (is it the same as Jacques Cartier National Parc?) to hike/canoe/fish/watch black bears.

1) Montreal (3N) - Somehow undecided between apartment/suites at Le Square Phillips or Springhills by Marriott or Lofts des Vieux (no lift though). We are happy to walk and take public transport. Any preferences?

2) QC (2-3N) - Want to stay in the Old Town. Port Royal or Hotel Champlain? Or should we airbnb it?

3) Toronto (3N) - not yet looked at and so any pointers will be good. Might stay one night in the Muskoka with friends. If not, would a trip to Parc d'Oka/Omega be worthwhile and doable?

4) La Malbaie (2N). Any preferences for village/town choices hereabouts? Will drive to Tadoussac (Route 362) and back (2 hours each way). Will that give us enough time for whale watching/Saguenay Fjords and stops to "smell the roses"? Do I need to book the Zodiac tour in advance?

5) Camp Mercier (?) at Jacque Cartier (2-3N). or is there another favourite of the Fodorites in the region? Have been recommended Mont Tremblant and the Algonquin though I think they are much longer drives from the city.

Option A: Montreal --QC--Camp Mercier--La Malbaie-- Montreal
Option B: Montreal -- La Malbaie --Camp Mercier--QC--Montreal

I have been using rome2rio to estimate distances/times this time and hope its accurate.

We land in Montreal, fly out of Toronto. The plan is to pick up/drop off car at Montreal and take the train to Toronto. Or can train it up to QC and then pick up a car returning it to QC or Montreal city.

Please advise. Much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I'll start with your last question: Driving in Montreal is wretched, and so is parking. Use public transport if possible. Google for the Metro subway site. If you want to get into the countryside, sure, rent a car for a day. Plenty of trains/buses/planes connect the cities but a long-distance drive can be scenic too. But the approaches to all three urban centres can be very congested.
Second point: Oka is an hour's drive from downtown Montreal, not Toronto, and you would need a car. Great beach, but too swampy for much trekking.
Third point: Watch black bears? Stay as far away from bears of any sort as possible.