This is our first family vacation and first time the wife will have been out of the country (I’ve left the States a couple of times, but only to shit-hole places).
Anywho, it’s exciting! Any advice? What are the places to avoid because they’re sketchy or tourist traps?
What I’m into: History, military in particular.
Wife: She likes pretty landscapes and colorful trees. Coffee.
Daughter: Being a three year old.
We’ll be staying not far from downtown. So I’m hoping to park our car at the place and not move it often. Although we are planning a daytrip to Quebec City, which I’m excited about.
We’ll be in country for slightly less than a week.
Montréal is lovely. If you like history I recommend the Pointe-à-Callière, an archaeology museum with a neat basement with the excavations of historic buildings that used to be on the site. I thought it was very well done, and it has a high viewpoint where you get a good view of the city. I also did a walking tour around the old city which I remember enjoying, unfortunately I can’t remember who I did it through.
Skip the The Montréal Tower and the surrounding Olympic Park. I found it awkward to get to by car, with nothing much interesting around it, and a bit of a tourist trap. Tacky 70s architecture, IMHO.
I only had a day and a half, as this a quick excursion in a trip that was mostly for New York and Vermont. Québec City looks amazing, I wish I had a chance to visit.
If your wife likes pretty landscapes and colorful trees, and you’re planning to head toward Quebec City, I recommend Montmorency Falls Park, in Ste. Anne de Beaupre (just outside Quebec City). Nice, picturesque hiking trails.
If, like most three-year-olds, your daughter likes zoos, the BioDome (in the Olympic Park complex) is a winner.
Montreal has lots of great restaurants, including Toque, Garde Manger, Joe Beef and Pied du Cochon. Or just go to Schwartz’s for smoked meat (Montreal’s pastrami, but better) or St. Viateur bagel.
Quebec City is better for military history. Old Montreal is pretty. Montreal gets some good jazz and comedy. The leaves around Montreal might be changing colour now.
Are any of those restaurants known for their poutine? Surely poutine must prevail as the utmost priority when visiting that great city.
A big draw for both Montreal and Quebec is the fact that they’re old cities and a mesh of French and English influences. I’ve heard it said several times that they feel like European cities.
Montreal:
How does your wife feel about strip clubs? : )
Old Montreal, Mount Royal and the Montreal science centre are good spots to visit.
Quebec city:
Walk around Old Quebec (within the fortified walls) and the plains of Abraham. Also, visit the Citadel and the Musée de la civilisation.
As for restaurants, if you pay for mine, I’ll show you places to get great french fries, shish beef and ice cream for pretty cheap.
Do not go to any restaurant that plays up Irishness; They’re overpriced tourist traps.
For autumn colours, the usual peak in the Montréal area is slightly before Halloween. Around Québec (city), which is a bit colder, I guess it would be right now.