Must See and Do. . .Personal Favorites. . .Montreal & Quebec City
 

Will be travelling to Montreal and Quebec City in 10-days with husband and 13-year old daughter. Will spend 2 days in Montreal and 3 in Quebec City. Staying in Old Montreal area and Old Quebec City. . .will have access to car if needed. What are your personal must see and do's for first timers to Quebec. Anxious to hear your input.....thank you! Sites and restaurant recommnedations will be appreciated.

Ride the ferry from Quebec City across the river to Lévis and get ice cream at Les Chocolats Favoris. They have incredible soft serve (flavors included strawberry and maple, both excellent, when I was there) that you can get dipped in THICK chocolate (dark or milk), plus may varieties of hard-packed ice cream and sorbets.

Go to the Citadelle - we went for the first tour when it opened at 9:00 and then stayed for the changing of the guard at 10 and the tour of the Governor General's residence at 11 and enjoyed them all.

Some personal favorites in MOntreal are the Pointe à Callière archeology museum, the Chateau Ramezay Museum (at least visit the garden if you do not tour the house) and the Biosphere ecological museum on Ile Ste-Helene. In addition to wandering around Old Montreal, I would make a point of exploring the Plateau neighborhood and the Mount Royal park and visiting at least one of the big markets.

http://www.fodors.com/community/cana...uebec-city.cfm

This link should take you to my recent short trip report, dew.

I have taken school groups with students about your daughter's age to both Montreal and Quebec City. They are both great French-speaking cities to visit.

In Montreal, the students enjoyed the Biosphere with four habitats, they also went to a Space Camp - you can google for more info about it. Old Montreal is very walkable with many restaurants and shops.

I love Quebec City, especially the older part inside the walls. The students enjoyed a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the Chateau Frontenac which was given in English. Just being inside the old hotel is amazing!

They enjoyed riding the funicular from Lower Town along the St. Lawrence River up to Upper Town - you can climb the steps but it's much more fun to ride. Also we went to the Citadelle on the Plains of Abraham to learn some significant Canadian history.

Just outside the city is Montmorency Falls and Ile D'Orleans if you can travel with a car. Also you could visit a sugar-bush just outside Montreal or Quebec City.

For restaurants in Quebec City, we ate at one on the Grande Allee (sorry can't do accents on my Mac), but I can't recall the name.

Aux Anciens Canadiens is a very historical restaurant that serves traditional Quebecois dishes. You can also have Crepes at a creperie near the Chateau Frontenac.

Enjoy and happy travels!

Merci! to all for all the wonderful tips and suggestions.

dew1990

All good suggestions. The Citadelle in Québec is really worth a visit for the Changing of the Guard. If you go to Aux Anciens Canadiens, go with an appetite and go before 6pm as the prices rise steeply for the evening.

In Montréal, when our children were your daughter's age, they really enjoyed Giorgio's in Old Montréal. It's also a bring your own wine restaurant, although you can also buy it there.

Rue Prince-Arthur a pedestrian zone with and is lots of fun with many Greek brochetteries bring your own wine which you can buy in nearby dépanneurs (convenience stores), buskers and the like. There are also many good bistros and French restaurants on nearby Rue Saint-Denis.

Montreal has two similarly sounding museums, the Biosphere (the old Buckminster Fuller US Pavilion on St. Helen's Island) and the Biodome (the old Olympic Vélodrome beside Olympic Stadium). They are both worth visiting--it's the Biodome, not the Biosphere, which has the four habitats mentioned by timsmom.

If you're looking for a bit of adventure in Montréal, you might try the Saute-Moutons jetboat trip through the Lachine Rapids. They leave from the Old Port.

tt

Two days in Montréal is very short, but here is some suggestions (you will have to choose) :

- Mont-Royal, for the great view. Use the Chemin Olmsted to reach the Chalet. From there, don’t miss the small path in the woods that goes east to reach the Camilien-House belvedere. Along that path, you will have great views of eastern neighbourhoods. You can then use the trails that goes down from the belvedere. You can go in the evening for great night views.

- Vieux-Montréal, for history. For 5 $, you can buy a small walking tour pamphlet at the tourist office (Place Jacques-Cartier). Don’t miss Notre-Dame (the basilica), the Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours chapel (great painting on the ceiling). From Monday to Friday, don’t hesitate to enter the Banque de Montréal and Banque Royale buildings on St-Jacques, they’re real palaces. Pointe-à-Callière museum and the Centre d’histoire de Montréal are interesting, even for a teenager. The Vieux-Port is great for a stroll or just relax.

- Jardin botanique, if you like flowers and plants. It’s really a jewel. Don’t forget the Insectarium. Be warned, the JB is really huge, you can wander there for hours. As suggested, adjacent is the Biodôme, a kind of small zoo. Interesting, if you like animals. However, forget the Olympic Stadium.

- Dowtown, for shopping (if you like). Very lively, even late into the evening. Main shopping street is Sainte-Catherine. Great museums (Beaux-Arts, McCord, etc.). Stay clear of Crescent Street, the worst tourist trap in town.

- Quartier Latin, for bohemian life. Main street is Saint-Denis (between Sherbrooke and René-Lévesque). Lot of students from the Université du Québec.

- Plateau Mont-Royal, to discover Montréal out of the beaten path. One of the greatest neighbourhood and the best place to go for restaurants, bistros or cafés. My favourite streets are Saint-Denis and Mont-Royal (I don’t really appreciate Saint-Laurent, but it’s a matter of taste). Take time to stroll along the quaint little residential streets (Laval, for instance) and along the Square Saint-Louis. And don’t forget to have an ice cream at the “Crèmerie Meu Meu” (Saint-Denis, near Mont-Royal). One of my favourite in town.

- No offense to previous poster, forget Prince-Arthur, a bit of a tourist trap. And never, ever, buy wine at a dépanneur. In fact, “vin de dépanneur” is an expression here meaning “low quality wine”. Always by at an SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec), they’re everywhere.

- If you have time and want to relax, rent a bike for a stroll on the islands (Notre-Dame and Sainte-Hélène). Huge park with great views of the Saint-Laurent and downtown. Go by Jacques-Cartier bridge (there is a bike path). It’s not a (too) difficult climb and the view is breathtaking.

- If you’re a foodie, a visit to the Marché Jean-Talon (www.marche-jean-talon.com) is strongly recommended. There, don’t miss the Marché des saveurs (www.lemarchedessaveurs.com), where you can buy hundreds of products from every regions of Québec. And for ice cream (again !), don't miss the Havre aux glaces.

It think that should be enough for a first visit. ;-)

On the road to Québec, if you like, you may follow the Chemin du Roy (www.lecheminduroy.com) which is the oldest road linking the two cities, instead of only the freeway. It will take more time, but along, you will find very quaint little villages. Most beautiful section is between Trois-Rivières and Québec.

Have a nice trip !

<<No offense to previous poster, forget Prince-Arthur, a bit of a tourist trap. And never, ever, buy wine at a dépanneur. In fact, “vin de dépanneur” is an expression here meaning “low quality wine”. Always by at an SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec), they’re everywhere>>

Well we're not talking haute-cuisine or anything remotely like it on Prince-Arthur ("brochetterie alley), so vin de dépanneur is a perfectly OK. But yes, for a much wider and much better selection, go to the nearest SAQ. There's one on Saint-Laurent close by.

Prince-Arthur may be seen as a tourist trap, but when I lived in Montréal (admittedly a while ago) it was fun to go there on a summer's evening.