mattydale

I am planning a trip to Montreal for the first time in late May. I hope to take a daytrip to Quebec as well. I had planned on renting a car for the day to do this, but it occurred to me I could save money by taking a train. How long is the trip by car vs by train, and is one preferable to another for this trip? For that matter, is driving in Montreal or QC particularly difficult? Thanks in advance.

mist

Hi,<BR><BR>The trip by car from Montreal to Quebec City will take you 3 hours each way. <BR>Although driving in Montreal and Quebec City is not &quot;difficult&quot;, I think that Montreal is better viewed by walking and by taking the metro when the places you want to visit are to far. Parking in Montreal and in Quebec City is expensive and hard to find.<BR><BR>I don't know how long the train ride would be from Montreal to Quebec and return and you might want to check out Via Rail's website for rates and schedules. You could also check out the rates and schedules for the busses which would be cheaper I'm sure.

djkbooks

For about the same price as round trip train fare, you can take the Grayline one-day excursion. There's excellent commentary, they drive around to all the major sights, and there's plenty of time for exploring the upper and lower towns on your own, do a little shopping, have a leisurely lunch. <BR><BR>See www.grayline.com - you can book with the concierge at your hotel when you arrive (and after checking the weather forecast). Don't opt for hotel pick-up, though, as you'll just have to get up earlier to spend an hour driving from hotel to hotel. The departure is within walking distance of all the downtown hotels.

mattydale

Great, thanks for your responses, that's quite helpful.

LouisP

The Orleans bus is very comfortable. Takes about 2 3/4 hours. Leaves every hour, on the hour in each direction. Costs about $60 return. Gare du Palais station in Quebec City is close to Old Town. Montreal bus station is at Berri UQAM Metro station.