Hi, everyone,
I am looking for suggestions for 5 - 6 day trip to Montreal and Quebec. What I want help specifically with is:
- Where to stay? Few years back I stayed at B&B Hotel Quartier Latin on Rue Saint Denis. Is it still a good place to stay? We're not exactly student types (a bit older, actually), so it is mandatory to have hot working shower, clean sheets and internet connection.
- Where to go? So far I plan the obvious Notre Dame, Biosphere, Old Port of Montreal. My wife isn't exactly a museum type, so something more exciting would be better.
- We plan to go to Quebec, as far as I remember - it's about two hours driving up north. What's the most scenic route to get there? On one of the routes I happen to be driven a long while ago I remember seeing a beautiful waterfall that I was told is actually higher than Niagara falls I'd like to make a stop there.
- What to see in Quebec? How long should we plan to spend in there? Last time I've been there we had a single day (came in the morning, left late afternoon) and were confined to the old part of the city. While I definitely want to go there - what else should we see?
- We plan on driving from NYC - what are gas prices in Montreal/Quebec? How do they compare to NY?
- How is the pricing in Montreal for eating in restaurants? Last time I was there we ate right on Saint Denis (new place every day), average prices were in the vicinity of 40 - 60 CAD for a dinner for two. What does it cost now?

I'd appreciate any other pointers for the itinerary. Right now we plan on going July 1st - July 6th, i.e. in two weeks.

PS. My wife doesn't have a US passport, only a certificate of citizenship. Does she have to get the passport or can she go with certificate?

Hi,
I can recommend Chateau Versailles in Montreal - it is a gorgeous, quiet boutique hotel on Sherbrook Street. The rooms were furnished beautifully, the bathroom spacious and the breakfasts hearty! I can't remember if there was internet access, but I do recall seeing a computer off the main lobby for guests to use.

http://www.chateauversaillesmontreal.com/

Enjoy your trip!

One of the nicest hotels we stayed at during our 2008 tour was Hotel le dauphin in the rue de Bleury.Beautiful rooms complete with computer and internet connexion. You can park your car o, the corner opposite the hotel.For Quebec we stayed in the Manoir de l'esplanade just inside the walls of the old town.Great. The waterfall you mentioned is the Chute Montmorency about 7 KM to the north of Quebec.Very nice.
For food in Montreal you'll find a lot of restaurants on the Place Jacques Cartier.
You'll need at least 2 d

2 days per town. There are many restaurants in the old town.

I'll try and answer some of these:
First, I must let you know your time frame is right in the heart of the Montreal Jazz Fest, one of the world's largest music festivals. If you like music, you will be in nirvana, with lots of free outdoor music throughout the downtown. Have you reserved your room yet? Getting a room during this festival can be difficult and pricey.
B&B Hotel Quartier Latin is in an ok area, not the worst, close to both the plateau and the downtown. The one drawback - it's a very lively area, so you may get some street noise. If you want something more sedate, there are some very nice b&b's above Sherbrooke near Sq. St Louis, Laval, St. Hubert, etc.
You have a good short list of places to go. Also explore the Plateau - St. Denis, St. Laurent, Mt. Royal. Lots and lots of small shops and interesting restaurants, many are byob.
If you do any bicycling, Montreal is one of the best cities anywhere for biking with miles of protected bike lanes, which are shown on the Montreal tourist map. Bikes can easily be rented throughout the city. Also don't miss the huge outdoor food and flower markets - Jean Talon near Little Italy, and Atwater near the Lachine Canal.
The huge waterfall outside of Quebec City is Montmorency Falls. It's right on the highway. I would think 2 nights in Quebec City would be good. The Old City is by far the most interesting part of Quebec City.
Definitely gas up before the border - gas prices are much higher in Canada.
A medium priced dinner in Montreal will run between $15-$22 before wine. We love the byob places up on Duluth.
I'm not sure about needing a passport or not as we always bring ours.

<<PS. My wife doesn't have a US passport, only a certificate of citizenship. Does she have to get the passport or can she go with certificate?>>

The key here is not entering Canada, but returning to the US. A certificate of citizenship is accepted for entry into Canada. US requirements are stricter, although there are alternatives to a passport for land crossings.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...D%3D/p/0/c/283

What state are you from? If you are from NY (or MI or WA or VT) and have an Enhanced Driver's License that meets Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requirements, you will not need a passport or passport card.

Otherwise, your wife either has to make an appointment at a passport agency and apply for a passport or passport card in person there (see http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...ncies_913.html for a list of locations) or you will have to postpone your trip.

Expedited service to get a passport (by the mail-in process) is taking 2-3 weeks right now, and regular service is taking 4-6 weeks. http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...sing_1740.html