We plan on visiting Montreal with our two boys, ages 8 and 12, in August. Any suggestions regarding where to stay, what to do, and where to eat? Also, would it be a good idea to go on to Quebec City, or would it be very similar? (My husband and I have been to Quebec City and loved it, but have never been to Montreal.) Thanks!

If they were my kids, I'd rather have four days in Montreal than two days there and two half-days on the road, and one day in Quebec City.<BR><BR>But if my trip was longer and I could have four days in Montreal and at least a day in Quebec City, I'd go to both.<BR><BR>In Montreal, the boys will like the Insectariuum, they'll like hot bagels fresh from a bakery (there are several) and they'll get a kick out of Schwartz's Hebrew Deli on St. Laurent Blvd.<BR><BR>The Old Montreal / Port area is a lot like Quebec City. The rest of Montreal is more modern, still very interesting, with a big mountain in the middle that includes a giant park.<BR><BR>I think QC is a one-trick pony worth a day, once a decade. Montreeal is worth a week each year, year after year, even for kids.<BR>BAK<BR><BR>BAK

I agree, Montreal has more to offer for kids than Quebec City.<BR><BR>Things to do with kids in Montreal:<BR><BR>- Biodome: indoor zoo<BR>- Insectarium: creepy crawlers <BR>- Old Port Esplanade: IMAX theatre, Science Museum, bike & inline skates rentals<BR>- Planetarium (Peel & St-Jacques)<BR>- Saute-moutons: jetboat ride on Lachine Rapids (departs from Old Port)<BR>- La Ronde: Six Flags amusement park<BR>- Canadiens Hockey Club gift shop: at Molson Center.<BR><BR>Places to eat with kids:<BR>- Hard Rock Caf&eacute;: the one in Montreal is rather nicely done (Crescent St.)<BR>- R&ocirc;tisserie St-Hubert: Montreal-style BBQ chicken (at Old Windsor Station)<BR>- Moe's: Gourmet Deli (rue de la Montagne)<BR>- Nickel's: 1950's diner (several locations)<BR><BR>Hope this helps<BR><BR><BR>

When in Montreal our children like staying at the Queen Elizabeth, because it has a great location in the heart of the city, and you can easily move around the "underground city"--go from one building to another, one shopping plaza/food court to another, without going outdoors. For some reason children are fascinated by this. The Queen E is connected directly to Place Ville Marie and Central Station, both of which have excellent food courts. I recommend Central Station for great breakfasts, not expensive. However, you could easily choose another downtown hotel--the Omni is nice, the Vogue is chic-fancy, the Delta on President-Kennedy is reasonably priced. You can take the Metro (which is in itself another interesting experience for kids) to the Biodome/Insectarium/Botanical Gardens at the Pie IX stop. Go to the Vieux Port, where there is a fantastic maze on one of the piers, as well as a great museum of the city's history--actually interesting for kids--Musee de la Calliere. At the hotel or at the Vieux Port you can get info brochures on another great activity, a rafting trip down the Lachine Rapids. Easy to get to, because a bus picks you up right from downtown. Plastic ponchos are given out to everyone. The kids will adore this. You can rent bikes in the Vieux Port. If it is possible to drag your boys into a museum, the Canadian Centre for Architecture is outstanding and beautiful, on boul. Rene Levesque, a 5-min. cab ride from the center of downtown. If you can get them through the door, they might learn something here. I agree that fresh-baked Montreal bagels are a must. My kids think ice cream cones from Laura Secord shops are the best. They also need to try Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches. In the evening, rue Prince-Arthur, near the corner of St-Laurent, is turned into a pedestrian mall, with plenty of nice, inexpensive, fun restaurants and a great street scene. My kids also enjoy Movenpick (one of the Swiss chain) in Place Ville Marie, where each person can choose a different style of food. There is also the Old Fort on Ile Ste-Helene, built in the time of Champlain, which has tours in summer. I forget the name of one great attraction for kids, which is built into an old movie theater on rue Ste-Catherine, right across from Place Ville Marie, which has a virtual experience space ride, a rock-climbing wall, and various games. There is a lot more to keep you busy in Montreal than in Quebec, though Quebec is lovely in summer.

One place the others didn't say much about in Montreal that I think would be fun for kids are Ile Notre Dame/Ile Ste. Helene (Parc Jean Drapeau, metro: Jean Drapeau). Not only is there the la Ronde amusement park, but also there's a great interactive museum in the buckminsterfullerene-shaped Biosphere (not the same as the Biodome, which is by the Olympic Stadium): lots of buttons to press to learn about water conservation and protecting the Saint Lawrence River Valley. Education made fun. I even enjoyed it . <BR>Paddleboating, canoeing, rollerblading and bicycling canals/paths are available in Parc Jean Drapeau. All in all, the park is a pleasant place to stroll, with some lovely, well-kept, free gardens, nice lakes, a great view of the river crossing the bridge from Ile Notre Dame and even a man-made pay-per-use beach.

Wow - thank you for all of the terrific and very specific suggestions. If we can do half of them, what a fantastic vacation we'll have. I'm still a little confused about where to stay in Montreal, though. My husband thinks the Vieux-Montreal area would be preferable, but the hotels there do not seem to cater to kids.

In Montreal, try the Bonaventure Hilton. It is directly connected to the underground which is a lot of fun for kids and is walking distance to Vieux Montreal. The hotel has a rooftop pool which is also very neat.

Do not stay at one of the charming little Old Montreal hotels with kids. They will not appreciate the lovely antique surroundings, it is a pain to constantly tell kids to keep their voices down in a small, quiet hotel, and they would much prefer a hotel with a nice pool, such as the Bonaventure, which anyway is walking distance to Old Mtl attractions, also a quick underground walk to shopping, indoor ice skating rinks, etc. Or the Queen E, which is almost across the street from the Bonaventure. I second the recommendation for eating at Moe's, which is a fun deli restaurant in the unique style of Montreal. Also agree with the Chicken Bar-B-Q idea; another Montreal specialty, cheap and popular with kids.