Should I stay or should I go?
 

My husband and I are planning a winter vacation for our family. In the winter our girls will be 8 and 1. We are from Florida so we are tired of the beach/summer vacation. With our first child we always held back on going to very far away places for vacation and now that she is older and does well on trips, WE HAVE ANOTHER YOUNGSTER! So we decided we are not waiting any longer (I think).

I visited Quebec and Montreal when I was young in the summer and remember it fondly. Now we want to go in the winter. So please tell me if this is a good idea? I can tell you that my 8 year old as long as she is in a hotel she is happy. My little one has done well on trips to the Keys and to Orlando and stuff like that. Does great at restaurants and even church.

We are thinking 3 nights in Montreal and 2 in Quebec. Or should we just do one city? I thought of traveling on train from one to another city.

I am sorry if I am being indecisive right now but my thoughts are all over the place.
Any moms out there that have done this sort of trip?

I am not a mom but I have been to Montreal at Christmas time. I think your daughter will love it. But, it will be very cold. In addition, we noticed that they did not plow all sidewalks so I think it might be somewhat difficult to push a stroller around.
But, if you can deal with cold and snow, it is beautiful in the winter. Your daughter would love to go sledding or tubing in the park. Plus, there are plenty of museums to warm up in.

I have not done it but I have heard that the train trip from Montreal to Quebec is beautiful! I am sure your duaghter would love it.

I'm 55. A grandmother. When my kids were coming up, I felt the same as you - safer to stay home.
However, I urge you to live your life and not hold back due to the baby ( within reason ).
If your husband is willing to help you with the kids while traveling, go for it!

I just returned from HI with my youngest DS in which I did a number of things I'd always ( or never )dreamed I'd do.
We hiked, snorkeled, night dived, kayaked and rode ATV's and horses. Of all those, I'd only ever snorkeled a few times & was on a horse once as a child.

I can't tell you how many babies and children I saw traveling with their families in HI. It seemed to be working for them.

Montreal and Quebec are very cold and very snowy in winter. You say you're from Florida--do you have winter gear for everybody? Are you sure you won't mind going out in frigid temps? Have you been in cold temps and snow before? These may seem like dumb questions, and I don't mean to condescend, but I have relatives from Florida who think cold would be nothing but fun, mainly because they've never been in it. My SIL has never seen snow. If you know what you're getting into, Montreal is a lovely city, and I'm sure those with more experience there will help with specifics. I was there ages ago in the winter and remember beautiful churches, the funky hostel we stayed in, and how much it snowed every night.

If this will be the first trip for the 1-year-old you don't know how she'll feel and behave. I wouldn't make the first trip a winter trip. Maybe you can take her somewhere with a weather similar to home.

It doesn't have to be a beach vacation. Go leaf-peeping to see the fall colors of New England. Visit a national park like Yosemite.

If you still choose to take her on a winter vacation, keep in mind, sitting in a stroller, she will feel cold more then the older child being on her feet. You will need winter clothes - woolen socks, mittens, hats.

Water or milk in the baby bottle may freeze and will not be available immediately when the baby asks for a drink. Coming from outside, you'll need to undress her fast or she'll start sweating and whine. She may or may not like to get dressed even if you tell her you'll go for a walk.

My kids loved to be outside but hated to be dressed up to 3 year old. We lived in Russia, so it was a problem in winter.

I took the younger one to Montreal when he was 16. He played in the snow a little, then said, mom, I forgot, the snow can be so cold, it hurts. I advise you to wait till your baby will be able to tell you if she feels cold.

In no way I want to discourage you from travel. I started taking my boys on short trips since they were 8 months old. Just pick the destination and the climate wisely, that's all.

I woldn;t do Monteal and Quebec for a winter vacation with a child still in a stroller - and 2 kids not used to winter cold. Why not go in the early fall - for leaf peeping - it sould seem to be much more enjoyable for everyone. (Windchills below zero are hard enough on adults - but esp on little ones - and you would have to get everyone heavy duty winter gear.)

I can only answer based on what we did - and our kids are now 25 and 21. Go , Do it Now, Don't Wait, Travel ALL you want, winter, summer, spring, fall climates, cold, wet , sunny, rainy, humid - our kids have done it all since they were both too young to remember and they are both so flexible in traveling and now are world travelers themselves - they are adaptable and more so b/c, I think, they were used to traveling and being adaptable at a young age -

do all climate. so if you need to buy warmer items for a cold climate, today it is even easier than it was 20 yrs ago for me - go to REI or EMS type store, they sell Marmot and their own brands now that are thin, thin, thin and warm, warm, warm and you buy it in layers - shells that a fleece vest zips into, that type of thing so they can maybe use the layers other places during the year, or look at 2nd hand stores or consignment.

our best memories and favorite travel albums we still go through many holidays together -
travel now and together - it's pricelss :)

What do you remember fondly as a child in Montreal and Quebec? If you are like me, you remember how exotic it was hearing people speak French. The Citadel in Quebec seemed like a mysterious castle to me. I liked walking around the small streets in the old city.

However, your 1 year old does not care where s/he is as long as it is with you. You say the 8 year old loves being in a hotel - probably the lobby, restaurant, pool, little toiletries, etc. How is your 1 year old going to feel being bundled up and having the cold air hit his/her face? How is the 8 year old going to feel being dragged into the cold away from the fun of the hotel?

The old city and the Citadel will likely be not nearly as exotic if you are freezing.

While I agree with escargot that you should travel, travel, travel with your kids, this might not be the best choice.

Also think about ease of air travel. I like non-stop flights with kids - fewer things can go wrong and most tolerate a flight fairly well, as long as you don't then drag them onto another flight. If it is winter you crave, try some part of New England that is a non-stop flight from Florida.

If you came to Boston I would suggest you take them skating on the Frog Pond on the Boston Common. There are several snow "hills" within 30 minutes of downtown Boston at which you can rent snowboards or skis or go snow tubing and the kids will feel like they are in the Alps. You could show them what an ocean with waves looks like in the winter with ice on the rocks.

As for me, living north of Boston, I will be happy to take a winter vacation in your state - I hate the cold!

We have been to Boston, Maine, MV, and Vermont in the fall before we had children and enjoyed it very much. We wanted to try something new. Do you think that New Engalnd is going to be that significantly less cold in Jan?

re: weather - yes, according to weather.com average lows/highs for Boston in January are 22/36 and for Quebec city they are 0/18.

There is a huge difference in air feel between 0 and 22, especially if there is hope temp will go above freezing during the day.

I live in Northern Illinois and am a grandfather of 5. I definitely recommend that you travel with the young ones if/when you can.

No disrespect to any location, but you should travel to destinations during optimal times - your memories were of Canada during the summer; your New England trips were in the Fall.

Winter is brutal for adults, not to mention for kids. Travel can be hazardous up North in the winter. Your precious few days could be spoiled by flight delays or cancellations. Sitting in an airport for 5-6 hours or more will sour anyone. Been there, done that.

If you are caught in a snowstorm, sounds like your 8-yr-old won't mind staying in the hotel, but ....

Once took my wife to see the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for her b-day in late December. Cleveland was hit by a snowstorm that weekend and we were stuck at the Hall for hours.

Have you considered Phoenix/Tucson or Texas? Went to Williamsburg w/o kids in December and it was very chilly, but off-season prices were good. Lots of options in this country. Whatever you choose, I hope you have a nice time.

Not a mom but I live in Montreal and although its great to see the city in Winter (it really is beautiful!) its definetly very cold, especially for young children! But then again if you know that already, think you'll be ok with it, and that you're kids will handle it ok, why not?
It also depends on which month in winter you're looking at...December around Christmas is not that cold but it generally only snows right before the 25th so if you want to catch the city all white you could come between Christmas and New Years or the first week of january...it'd probably be like -10 C (which is like 10F or something)...not bad but I am used to it! For younger kids it still involves bundling up! At the end of January/begining february Quebec has the "Carnaval du Québec" for kids and adults (www.carnaval.qc.ca)which is really fun but hotels books up quick. It also involves more bundling up though as February is much colder. If you really want "the winter experience" Montreal and Quebec are great! A winter exprience generally includes being cold most of the time ...so if you're really worried about the weather it may be better though to hold onto this idea until the youngest is old enough to have fun in the snow too and think about coming instead in the spring...also a beautiful time to visit..you could see the Cirque du Soleil in may/june for the world premieres of their new shows ...great for kids and adults... stroll the old port...see the churches and museums...Quebec city is also very beautiful in spring...