Old Town Romance vs City Energy
Quebec City's charm is concentrated. Walk through the gates of the Upper Town and you leave cars and chain stores behind for cobbled streets, cannons on the ramparts and church spires. Dufferin Terrace, the boardwalk below the Château Frontenac, looks out over the river to Lévis. At sunset it is the most romantic spot in either city. In winter, snow falls under glowing streetlamps and Petit-Champlain is strung with lights.
Montreal spreads out. Old Montreal has its own stone lanes, Notre-Dame Basilica and the Old Port, but most of the city's life happens in the neighborhoods beyond. Mornings start with a croissant from a corner bakery. Afternoons drift through markets and parks. Evenings stretch into long dinners. The city has the cafe culture of a European capital with a casual streak.
Quebec City feels like a destination you step into. Montreal feels like a city you get to live in for a few days.
Flights and Getting Between Them
Montreal is easier to reach. Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) has nonstops from a long list of US cities, including New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. East Coast flights take around an hour and a half. A taxi downtown takes about 30 minutes. The 747 express bus runs around the clock.
Quebec City Jean Lesage International (YQB) is about 20 minutes by taxi from the old town. It has a handful of US nonstops, mostly from hubs such as Newark, Chicago and Washington, plus seasonal routes. Many couples fly into Montreal instead and continue by VIA Rail, which takes about three and a half hours, or drive in about three hours. From Boston, driving to Quebec City takes roughly six to seven hours.
Neither city needs a car. Montreal has a clean metro, BIXI bikes and an underground network for winter. Quebec City is best on foot, though it is steep. Rent a car only for day trips. Bring your passport for either.
Where to Sleep
In Quebec City, stay inside or just outside the walls so you can walk everywhere. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is the classic choice, with rooms often from around $350 a night (approximate). Ask for a river view to wake up to ships on the St. Lawrence. Auberge Saint-Antoine in the Lower Town pairs modern rooms with old stone walls and artifacts found on site. Small inns in historic houses in the Upper Town sometimes have fireplaces. Saint-Roch, below the cliffs, offers better value and a younger feel.
In Montreal, Old Montreal is the romantic base. Hotel Le St-James is a former bank with an ornate lobby. Hôtel William Gray has a rooftop terrace over Place Jacques-Cartier. The Ritz-Carlton Montreal on Sherbrooke Street is the classic grand hotel, often from around $600 a night (approximate). Boutique hotels generally run roughly $250 to $500 a night in summer. The Plateau and Mile End suit couples who want a residential feel.
In July and August, book a room with air conditioning in either city.
Eating and Drinking
Montreal is the bigger food city. Eat wood-fired bagels from St-Viateur or Fairmount in Mile End, smoked meat on rye at Schwartz's and poutine late at night. Then work through the small, loud bistros that made the city's name. Many neighborhood restaurants are bring-your-own-wine, marked Apportez votre vin, which keeps the bill down. Graze Jean-Talon Market for a cheese and cider picnic.
Quebec City eats very well too, with French technique and local ingredients like maple, game and farm cheese. Try poutine where it was born in rural Quebec, along with tourtière, a spiced meat pie. On Île d'Orléans, taste ice cider made from frozen apples. In March and April, head to a sugar shack in the countryside for maple-glazed ham and hot taffy poured onto snow.
Tip 15 to 20 percent in both cities. A simple bonjour before switching to English goes a long way. Book your first dinner before you arrive.
Seasons and Festivals
Both cities shine from June through early October. Montreal's summer brings temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, patios on nearly every street and a packed calendar, including the jazz festival in late June and early July. Hotel prices climb then. They climb again on the Formula 1 weekend in June. Quebec City's Festival d'été fills the city with music in July.
Late September and early October bring red maples to Mount Royal and to Île d'Orléans. It is a lovely time in both and often cheaper than midsummer.
Winter is properly cold in both, often well below freezing. Quebec City makes the most of it with the Carnaval de Québec for about two and a half weeks between late January and mid-February, plus the Hôtel de Glace outside town from about January to March. Montreal has Montréal en Lumière in February and Christmas markets in December, with Nordic spas for warming up.
Skip April and November in both, when the weather is gray and slushy.
Days Out for Two
In Quebec City, ride the funicular down to Petit-Champlain, one of the oldest commercial streets in North America. Take the ferry across to Lévis and back for the best skyline view, especially at night. Drive about 15 minutes to Montmorency Falls, which drop about 275 feet. Cross the suspension bridge over the top. Spend a day on Île d'Orléans tasting cider and cheese at farm stands.
In Montreal, walk or bike up Mount Royal to watch the city light up from the Kondiaronk lookout. Spend an afternoon at Bota Bota, a spa built on a converted ferry in the Old Port, moving between saunas and outdoor pools. See the AURA light show inside Notre-Dame Basilica. Rent BIXI bikes along the Lachine Canal. Catch a free outdoor concert in festival season.
Montreal gives two different travelers more to split between, such as a museum morning for one and a canal ride for the other. Quebec City is better for doing everything together at a slower pace.
Cost and Comfort
Both are good value compared with a European city break. The exchange rate often helps US travelers. Quebec City is usually a little cheaper day to day, with smaller inns and Saint-Roch hotels at friendly prices. The Château Frontenac is the splurge. Montreal has more range, from rentals in the Plateau to grand hotels downtown. Its BYOB bistros can make great dinners surprisingly affordable. All prices are approximate.
Comfort is about two things: hills and cold. Quebec City's Upper and Lower towns are linked by steep streets, stairways and the funicular, so it can be tiring if stairs are hard for either of you. Wear comfortable shoes, since some streets get slippery in winter. In cold months, both of you need insulated boots with grip, a warm parka, a hat and gloves. Temperatures can drop below zero Fahrenheit.
Use a credit card without foreign transaction fees. Both cities are generally safe for visitors with normal city precautions.
One Trip, Two Cities
This is one of the easiest two-city honeymoons in North America. Fly into Montreal, spend three nights eating your way through Old Montreal, Mile End and Little Italy, then take the VIA Rail train about three and a half hours to Quebec City for three or four nights. Fly home from Quebec City or return to Montreal.
Save Quebec City for the end. After the energy of Montreal, the walled town makes a calm, romantic finale. A dinner looking over the St. Lawrence makes a fitting last night.
With a rental car, add a stop. Charlevoix, northeast of Quebec City, has river views and country inns. Mont-Tremblant in the Laurentians is about two hours from Montreal. In winter, pair Montreal's spas with Quebec City's Carnival or a night at the ice hotel.
A week split between the two gives you the best of French Canada without a single long flight.
