Québec City, Québec: Best Day Trip Ever!

Have you ever visited a city that was so mesmerizing that you knew you would return? Well, that's how I felt when I arrived in Québec  City, Québec. Earlier this summer, I took a 4-day trip to Québec  the French speaking province in Canada. I spent two days in Montréal {Read Here} and spent my third day in Québec City. Montréal is a busy, tourist-filled city compared to Québec City, which is a quaint, calm and peaceful town.

Québec City is only a two-hour drive from Montréal (a special thanks to my cousin Sierra for letting me borrow her car). I took a quick glance through my travel guide book and set out to begin my day. The thing about day trips is that you should not over plan them. You just don't have enough time to do so.

 

 I spent the entire day in Old Québec City

 In front of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac 

  

William Van Horne, General Manager of Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, began building the hotel as the ideal stopover for travelers. It is now a luxury hotel (they no longer allow tours, but I was able to get a sneak peek inside). 

I strolled down the board walk, listened to live music and enjoyed the calmness. 

One thing I noticed was that all the signs and directions were in French. Compared to Montréal where the signs was in both English and French.

I also learned some history about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham also known as the Battle of Québec. In a nutshell, this was a pivotal battle between the British Army and the French Army. So if you ever wondered why Québec is the only French speaking province in Canada, (like I did), it's because they lost this battle in Québec City. The British allowed Québec City to maintain their French culture. However, the rest of Canada was theirs.

The highlight of my day trip was this mouthwatering meal and the glass of French red wine to go with it!

 

French dessert: Profiterole (cream puff)

What's the best day trip you've ever had? 

Bonjour Montréal

If you haven't been to Paris, France, trust me you want to make it there at least once in your lifetime. As much as I can't wait to return to Europe (my last visit was June 2007), I know it can be quite expensive. No worries.....I found an alternative! Earlier this June, I took a quick trip to  Montréal, Québec (Canadian province) for my birthday weekend. I've been there before in 2009 to visit my cousin Sierra, during the middle of winter (never doing that again) and it’s a completely different experience during the summer.

Getting There

My trip started off a little shaky with some engine problems on the plane, resulting in everyone on-board switching to a new plane. First thing first, traveling to Montréal from New York City or from the east coast period is drastically cheaper. My round-trip plane ticket was approximately $370, still kind of pricey, but it’s the better option when compared to a 10-hour Amtrak ride or the 6-hour drive. A plane ticket to Europe can cost you anywhere from $700 USD to $1,000 USD during peak-season; then you have to factor housing accommodations, food, activities and nightlife. Your trip can easily head in the $2,000 to $2,500 range if you're coming from the U.S.

The Whispering Ladies 

Walking Tour of Old Montréal

As soon as you enter Québec, you’ll hear French language. "Bonjour Mademoiselle" is what I heard. I responded back with my well-rehearsed "Bonjour, Comment ça va?”, which means “Good day, how is it going?” That's as far as my French goes. I can't give you anymore than that. I enjoyed the walking tour around Old Montréal courtesy of Tourisme Montréal and would recommend you do the same. Cobblestone paved road and cathedrals could be found every few blocks (including the cathedral where singer Celine Dion was married). Old Montréal is the epitome of a small French town with most of their old buildings still standing. Make sure to take a stroll down the Old Port.  

Our tour guide was AMAZING!

There was a bike tour going on that weekend

Old Montréal in 1805

Old Montréal Now

Practicing my French

This is where Celine Dion was married

The chapel behind the cathedral 

Subway time!

Old Port

Sunday Funday!

Housing Accommodations

Instead of staying in a traditional hotel I went for something more spacious and cost effective. Read about my Airbnb experience in Montréal. {Click Here}  

Local Eateries

I went grocery shopping the first day, so I could cook on this trip instead of eating out the entire time. One evening, I made a stop at Boris Bistro, which was a great idea for outdoor seating. The crème brûlée was amazing here! For something more causal, I indulged in a very tasty crepe at Creperie Chez Suzette that Sunday afternoon. Both restaurants are located in Old Montréal.

Creperie Chez Suzette

The dish Poutine is very popular

  

Nightlife

Montréal nightlife was pretty calm, if you ask me. However, I'm from Miami, FL and currently live in New York City so I may not be the best person to comment on this. My cousin and I stopped by the W Hotel, which was very chic with a mature crowd. We made a second stop, on Crescent Street which has a strip of pubs and dive bars.

My cousin Sierra in the LBD

Additional Activities

• Montréal Biodome (recommended if you have children)
• Olympic Stadium (the 1976 Summer Olympics were held here) 
• Visit to Mount Royal (great view of the city)
• Palais des congès de Montréal (convention center)
• St. Joseph's Oratory

Biodome

Convention Center

Thank you Tourisme Montréal 
www.tourisme-montreal.org

Have you been to Montréal before? What was your experience?
Leave a comment

Airbnb vs Hotels

When I travel I try to reduce my expenses as much as possible. However, as I mature I realize that my tolerance for amenities and comfort is very important to me. Gone are the days where I'm sleeping on a couch or staying in a double room with nine girls that's really meant for two. I am tooooo old for that! Last month, I took a weekend trip to Montréal & Québec City, Canada for my 20 something birthday.

When it was time to book housing accommodations my beau and I searched many different hotels but they were all a bit pricey once we factored in other travel necessities like flights and food. I was a guest of Tourism Montréal so the walking tour and other attractions we enjoyed were not a factor. Before, I got too flustered about searching for a hotel Airbnb was suggested to me by my beau. I never heard of Airbnb until this year, so I was a bit suspicious. Below is an excerpt from their website:

Airbnb at a glance

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 33,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions. 

Long story short, I LOVE Airbnb! I really recommend renting out an apartment, condo, house or boat using Airbnb instead of the typical hotel to add a different dynamic to your upcoming Summer travels. Our luxury condo located in Old Montréal was astounding! Everything from the glass shower door with the ceiling shower head to the balcony was breathtaking. Our host answered all questions we inquired about and was not shady at all (something I was very concerned about). 

We also saved a lot of money by grocery shopping and cooking instead of eating out every day. Staying in this condo made our trip even more enjoyable. Having the living room, spacious bedroom and open dining room area allowed us not to feel so cramped, which tends to happen in hotel rooms.

Breakfast!!!!

I felt like I was showering in the rain...ceiling shower heads are AMAZING!

Relaxing on the balcony 

Loved the art work and overall feel of the condo

Nice gym....too bad we never used it. lol

Click here to learn more about Airbnb. Read about their deposit agreements, cancellation policies and of course the reviews! 

*Photo credit: Airbnb website

Have you ever used Airbnb? Would you?