AngelaS

My H & I are planning a trip for late Sept. We're thinking of flying into Burlington, VT, spend a few days there, then drive up to Montreal or Quebec. We're torn between which to pick. We're looking for sighseeing, good food, maybe a little history. This is our last trip before we have our first child so we're looking for something special, but also don't want to blow the bank account.

We could do both, but we're trying to weigh our options. What is there to see/do there? Also, is it costly to visit either city? Thanks!

Daniel_Williams

Hi AngelaS,

Both have equivalent amount of sightseeing, good food and history. Both are special, fascinating places and unlike anywhere else in North America (or for that matter, the world). Prices I would say are pretty comparable; I would say that neither are expensive next to New York or Vancouver or Boston or Paris, but might seem expensive compared to Wichita, Kansas or Edmundston, New Brunswick.

You won't go wrong either way, but think: do you want a bigger, more multicultural city (Montreal) or a smaller city with an Old World European feel (Quebec)? Montreal's a few hours closer to Burlington if that influences your decision.

Things to do (MONTREAL): wander through Vieux Montreal, Notre Dame Basilica, climb la Montagne, Biosphere, cycle along Lachine Rapids, explore Plateau neighbourhood, meander through the Botanical Gardens, Jean Talon/Atwater markets

(QUEBEC CITY): explore the Haute Ville/Basse Ville, take funicular, ferry to Levis, walk through Plaines d'Abraham or Parc Bois de Coulonge, check out les Chutes de Montmorency

And many more things... get a Montreal/Quebec City guidebook to see what appeals to you most.

Enjoy! Daniel

tovarich

We did the major cities of Ontario and Quebec in 2008.Both are interesting but,as Belgians, we prefer Quebec.When you have a hotel in the old city (Manoir de l'esplanade)you dont need your car and you can easily walk to all the sites.One of the finest hotels we had during our tour was Le dauphin in Montreal.Lovely room,computer included and breakfast.Paul

maryanntex

I just got back from Montreal and Quebec City (and Ottawa, too). I much preferred Quebec City to Montreal. It is very different from anywhere else in the western hemisphere, and much easier to get around in than Montreal.

There are lots of cute hotels in Quebec City. We stayed in Chateau de Pierre in the old city (upper city) and thought it was a great location, and also very quiet--and not expensive. The proprietors were super nice. We loved it.

Choosing Montreal or Quebec City also might depend on where you currently live. If you don't live in a big city, and would like some big city shopping or museum experiences, for example, Montreal might be preferable.

kkukura

I went to both cities last summer with my two children. We liked both places. I liked that in Montreal we could ride bikes, go to parks, explore the city by walking and subway, making it so easy to get around. We stayed in the Plateau area and we really liked the "feel" of it. Quebec City, on the other hand, had such a quaint feel to it that grabbed us. But, it also was very crowded and seemed more touristy to us at times. I could live in Monteal, but would not want to live in Quebec City. All that being said both cities are wonderful. It just depends on what you are looking for and want to do.

AngelaS

Thanks for the insight. We have just over a week and are debating on how to split our time between Vermont & Canada. We live just north of Chicago & frequently go there so we're familiar w/ big city sights. We're thinking of possibly doing both - maybe 2 nights in Montreal & 3-4 in Quebec City..

Daniel_Williams

With 5-6 nights, you definitely can enjoy both, so your plan seems very reasonable to me. From my perspective, while Chicago reminds me a lot of Toronto in layout & ambience, Chicago and Montreal strike me as quite different cities in feel.