January in Montreal and Quebec city
 

We will be staying for three nights in Montreal and three in Quebec City in early January, from the 2nd. We thought of staying in Old Montreal - Rue St Paul; Rue St Francois Xavier area - in one of the places recommended by Fodor. Are there restaurants close by, walkable at night? Close to Metro station etc? Is the waterfront area another possibility or is that shutdown a bit in winter?
We would like to stay in the old part of Quebec City too.. Auberge Place d'Armes? We are happy with a mid range hotel or BnB, don't mind a few stairs but do prefer a quieter place.
Any general suggestions for that time of year would be helpful. Thanks.

I suggest checking a map of the Montreal Metro to judge the convenience of station locations. For instance there is no stop in the middle of the Old Montreal tourist area and the adjacent docks; the closest is Champ des Mars which will require at least a little walking (or, in January, possibly hurdling over snow drifts.) All the restaurant areas are "walkable at night". http://stm.info/en/info/networks/metro
Montreal's tourist atractions, and hotels, are spread out so you can balance the pluses and minuses for any of them. The city copes with winter through long experience and the hospitality inside is plenty warm.
The inner city (inside the ramparts, that is) of Quebec is similar minus the subway. You will be ahead of the craziness of winter carnival. The slogan, as always, is that it is never too cold or too snowy, if you have the right clothes.

Cold, damp, windy, snowy so be prepared with layers, scarves, touques and mitts. There is an aura about old Mont. in the winter, hushed side sreets, muted noises, wonderful icicles and snow hanging from roofs. Loved it all but the damp cold.UGH!!!QC again is an awesome winter location..Remember the key word layers!! I would have been lost with out a large pashima to wrap up in and a cashmere turtle neck under a cardigan. (Any soft wooly sweater will do, or a light fleece.Christmas lights should still be up. Notre Dame is glorious, Chateau Frontenac outstanding even if just to look. Warm up in the huge Casino at the Expo grounds. Crazy fun, 1 cent machine werre winners for us. Have a wonderful time.You can't miss!

Thanks so much for your replies. Coming from sub-tropical Brisbane in north-east Australia I appreciate the advice of layers and the right clothes. We are looking forward to the novelty of a cold Christmas!

With the right attitude and the right clothes, it should be a stellar trip. Give some thought to footwear. Your wellies with thick wool socks would be a good substitue for snow boots on the slushy streets. To warm up, go to the biodome in Montreal and hang out in the rainforest area. If you can find some time to get out of the city to the Laurentians or the Eastern townships, you won't be disappointed.

Old Montreal is very charming in winter. The only drawback might be that it's a bit isolated from the rest of the city since the Metro stop is a hike. This part of Montreal is also similar to Quebec City. Another area to consider would be the Plateau, which I consider the true 'heart' of Montreal, with it's hundreds of cafes, bistros, small shops, and strong French and international flavor. However, with three days you'll be able to sample a good part of the city no matter where you stay. If it's brutally cold, you can always explore the underground malls in the downtown.

Thanks for your help. We may well find some comfort in the biodome rainforest if we are feeling homesick! I had been thinking about the Plateau area for the reasons you gave, Zootsi. There seems to be a range of BnBs or smaller, older hotels in that area too. If you have any suggestions for these that would be great..something close to a Metro. I imagine that a Metro from here would take us to the underground mall area.
Are restaurants, shops etc generally open again from the 2nd January?

There are many excellent restaurants in the Plateau area and many allow you to bring your own wine without a cover charge. Very civilised. You will find the cold temperatures tricky. However, as long as you are well prepared, you will survive. Enjoy.

Here are a few suggestions for places to stay in the Plateau, they are all fairly close to a Merto stop - don't know if they are open in winter.

Auberge de La Fontaine
Pierre & Dominique's B&B
Argoat hotel

Thanks for your suggestions and to everyone else. It will be an adventure! I have borrowed a duck down coat so that will be the start of my survival plans.

Good start, Capara!! Down won't let you down..Be sure to cover ears. And I repeat myself...Layers!!!