Montreal (Quebec?) First Time Advice
 

Hi all,

Me and my husband are planning a trip to Montreal in early September. We are thinking of leaving September 1st and have up to a week of vacation time to budget.

A few questions for folks who are familiar with the area.

Is starting the vacation on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend an OK thing to do for Montreal in general?

I was thinking of doing a side trip to Quebec city. From what I've read, buses run every hour from Montreal and take 3 hours to get there. Is 1 day enough time to walk around the city? Is it reasonable to get on a bus early in the morning, walk around, and take a bus back to Montreal? I initially thought of flying into Montreal and flying out of Quebec city (YQB airport) but the flight out of Quebec city costs almost 3 times as much and takes 8 hrs vs 2 hrs to (flying back to NY), so it doesn't make sense.

How much time would you guys budget for Montreal and for this trip in general? Is a week too much time? We are mostly interested in art, food, architecture, and we like big cities (NYC, Chicago, Paris). I also like nature and bird watching but my husband isn't that into it. We can sometimes get bored a little quickly.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Yes, while the Quebec City airport is a modern facility, its international connections are disappointing (so is the lack of rapid transit into the city centre.) The city has plenty of atmosphere and scenery but also lots of attractions, including its pivotal history in North America, so I think a two-night stay would be rewarding. VIA train service is also good; you might bus one direction and train back .

In Montreal you will need to use public transport as its attractions are spread out. Métro | Société de transport de Montréal

Government services and some retail will be closed Labour Day Monday, not Saturday. Some restaurants close Monday anyhow so take note as you plan your dining. To help with that, these related websites helpfully search for neighbourhoods, types of cuisine, etc:

www.restomontreal.com

www.restoquebec.com

A minority of restaurants allow you to bring your own wine (AVV in French) with no corkage fee. Grocery stores sell beer and wine but upscale wine are sold by the SAQ stores operated by the government, along with hard liquor.

You can check the Destinations section of websites such as this one and also search for the city tourism bureaux. They will have lots of links to help you satisfy your interests.