Quebec City or Montreal
 

If you could go to either Q.C or Montreal (family of 4 w/ two teenagers from U.S.A. who have not been to either place) for 3-4 nights which location would you recommend and why.

Also, we would be going in August, 2008.

In August 2008, I would definitely choose Québec. It's the 400th anniversary of the founding and there will be many special events and festivities.

http://monquebec2008.sympatico.msn.c...amp;lang=en-ca

I really respect the last answer, and that the author has a special and unique reason as to why.

In general terms, with the timing aside (and with particular consideration of the two teenagers), I would go to Montreal.

I had so much fun just walking around Montreal for blocks and blocks, in all sorts of different neighborhoods, being mesmerized by the French signage and the 'foreign' feel to so much of it.

Montreal is on an island, and is quite flat, and that gives teenagers more room to play with when seeking activities. QC is hilly, and smaller, and it may not take more than a day or two to run out of things to do IN the area where you are staying.

QC is clearly more "French", but Montreal is such that the language barrier will never really be present. Walk through a coffee shop in Mtl and you'll be disappointed at how many are conversing in english.

I've been to each for the time period you cite, and I recall one spot in QC where I wouldn't have been able to converse with anyone had there not been a girl of college age very happy to have someone with whom she could practice conversational english.

QC is certainly more unique but Montreal is probably more of an experience that the teens can draw from in the future.

Good reasons cited above in favor of Quebec City & Montreal. I enjoy both cities very much. Cld you spend 2 nights in each city?

Based upon the responses, a couple of days in each city may be the better course of action.

I agree that 2 nights in either city would be ideal. Quebec City would be really different from the USA and while Montreal is also different, it's also a larger, cosmopolitan city with a certain coolness factor that teenagers would certainly pick up on... with alternative subcultures, a vibrant music/cafe culture scene, shopping and such. Montreal has a lot of students so it's very much a young person's city.

Does going to both (confirm) that you would be driving, or no?

If you are driving, I want to put in a vote for taking a slight detour along the way... and instead of traveling the #40 highway between Trois Rivieres and QC, take the smaller, more scenic highway #138 which runs parallel to #40 but through the small towns between the St. Lawrence River and the big highway.

A favorite sight for me there was the elaborate churches in every town! I'm not even religious, but I was really impressed.

At any point, you could grow tired of that sightseeing and return to the faster freeway to pick-up the pace.

Hi mrt

Doing both cities would be very easy to do. Don't hesitate to take the train instead of driving as Via Rail has great hours of operation between the two cities.

Your teenagers will surely prefer Montreal but you and wife will love Québec city. Everyone wins!

Now, if you can only afford 1 city time-wise, I would go with Québec. You can always visit Montreal at a later date but the 400th anniversary and all the related events are only for 2008...

and wheather-wise, Québec will be much cooler and much less humid than Montreal..