Montreal and Quebec City

Absolutely, take a trip over to Quebec City since you'll be close by (the Via trains go there too, if you don't want to drive for some reason). The old walled city can be seen in one to two full days, and there are many side trips (easier done with a car) if you wanted to spend more time in the area. Lodging and parking will be quite pricy, but you can stay outside the city walls in regular, nice neighborhoods full of restaurants, cafes, etc. Isle d'Orleans is really lovely too and within driving distance. Just like Montreal, summer time is also a busy time in Quebec City and there are lots of things going on. Expect lots of crowds and you'll feel them, since the town is much more compact (there are two actually - the lower town and upper town, both worth seeing). Check out the visitor site for anything of interest. I don't have kids so I cannot comment on what would interest pre-teen boys.
http://www.quebecregion.com/en/

I have to ask...how does a car work with a home exchange? Do people really lend their guests their car, along with access to the house? What about insurance and liability issues? Do you just hope for the best?

I'm not sure, I haven't done it yet! But I have a lot of friends who do it. This exchange is actually for my friend's house... usually your insurance covers another driver of your car if they are borrowing it. My insurance specifically says it has to be for under 60 days. And then yes, you hope for the best I think! :)

Ok thanks!
Kim

I think you'll find a car to be a pain within Montreal and Quebec City, especially the latter. It will sit parked somewhere. The subway in Montreal is great and very easy to use (in general, you can walk everywhere), and all of Quebec City is highly walkable. But getting to out-of-the-way places is really fun with a car. Outside of Quebec City, there are lots of outdoor things to do, including seeing some lovely waterfalls (Montmorency Falls).

A car in Montreal won't be that much of a problem. Gazillions of us have cars and use them every day. Parking in the city can be a royal pain but it is not impossible, and the car will be useful for small trips to the mountains in the north and in the Eastern Townships. If your home exchange is in the city and not in the suburbs, public transportation (bus/metro) will get you anywhere you want to go on the island of Montreal. ViaRail to Quebec City would be a good idea, though the drive there from Montreal is interesting. Hope you have a lovely time.

We will (hopefully) be staying outside in a suburb, but our plan is just to drive to the last metro stop and then use pubic transport to get into and around Montreal. A little more time than just driving, but seems easier to not deal with a car... I hate dealing with cars on vacation, but the pull of the free lodging has won me over!

Any tips for Montreal!? Let me have them!
Thanks!
Kim

"Any tips for Montreal?"

What are your interests? What do you like to do in a strange city? What do the boys find fun?

By the way, driving into the city from the 'burbs can be tricky these days. There is road and bridge construction everywhere, Ask your exchange hosts for detailed instructions on how to get to, and park at, the nearest metro or bus stop. This morning I had to drive from the western part of Montreal to a suburb where I used to live and from which I used to commute. It took 45 minutes to drive what used to take 20. The detours are interminable and confusing.

Eeek, good to know! I am worried about parking near the metro station... we may have to drive all the way in?

Looks like there are some fun water, beach, boat type things that the boys will like... and so many festivals! They just like walking around and snacking. Science center? Biodome? Good places for (flat) biking?

In Montreal with 2 boys that age, I would take them on the jet boating on the Lachine Rapids. We did it in our 30s and had a great time (they suit you up in an effort to not get too wet - but you will come off that boat with wet clothing, so aim for a sunny day so you dry off quickly once you are back on land, or do it later in the day when you think you might go directly back to your home afterwards.)

Driving up to Quebec City overnight is totally worth it! We did exactly the same thing on a home exchange just outside Montreal a few years back. It is such a beautiful city overlooking the river. Probably the cleanest city I've ever been in...really good food, just enough to see in two days, and very walkable. The fort overlooking the river might be great for your boys...

...another fun thing to do is drive out to Mont Tremblant for the day. Even though it's a ski resort there is a lot going on in summer. You can take the gondola up to the top of the runs and hike around. They have a great alpine slide and other outdoor activities your kids would like. The village at the ski area has lots of shops and restaurants. The area is really pretty with many lakes - we saw tons of bears when we were there. There are a couple of short hikes in the region that lead to waterfalls.

Kim, I don't know, obviously, which suburb your exchange house is located in, but if perchance it is on the West Island , there are commuter trains and buses that work well (or so I am told) so ask your exchange host about this. You could, of course, drive into the city but parking is pretty expensive, and as I said, it seems sometimes as if the whole city is a construction site these days and it makes it hard to get from A to B even when you know all the alternate routes. One huge construction site that I can see in the distance from my window won't be finished until 2020 ... that's the scope of some of the work being done.

Taking a side trip to Quebec City will certainly be worth it. In fact, I'd consider staying there two nights -- not just one. How you get there is up to you, but I'd much rather take the train. The car will, in my opinion, be more trouble than worth once you get there.

Yes, Mrs EB, you can top up your parking fee at any pay station in the city. It is convenient. I believe there is an app for smart phones so that you don't even have to seek a pay station (which are on every block, by the way). I'm not an app person so this info is just hearsay.

Thanks for the info! We will definitely be going to Quebec City, and I think Mont Tremblant as well. I suppose we will work out the parking... I live in San Francisco and everyone says it's impossible to park here as well, but it;s not... sometimes expensive of not easy, but doable. We have 3 people to split the cost, so I figure we will be ok. We are staying out in Terrebonne (hopefully)... I really want to just drive to the end line of one of the metros, but I am not sure we will be able to find parking there...

Kim

I suggest doing some further research on Montreal street parking, especially the "meters" which in many locations are now electronic readers that are hardly as simple as slugging a few loonies (coins, in translation) into a slot. If you insist on driving on the main island you should study the various traffic lights which have some distinctive and perhaps unfamiliar characteristics. A green arrow for instance may mean a couple of things, perhaps prohibiting a right turn at the intersection until a full green circle is showing. The suburb where you stay may be different.
If you catch my drift, my experience over many years strongly supports minimizing chauffeuring yourself around the city core. Norma is right that thousands do it every day (I've been in the DeCarie Expressway when every single one of them was stalled at an interchange) so only you can balance convenience and mobility against peace of mind.
Wikipedia is useful about the Metro subway system including fares: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro

Oh, for Pete's sake!, The green arrows are confusing? If it is a straight ahead green arrow you can proceed straight ahead, but you cannot turn left or right. If it us a left turning arrow you can turn left. If it is a right turning arrow you can turn right. A red light means stop! A yellow light means " hurry up".

Thanks all!

One more question for the locals... we may now have found an exchange in Lachine - which looks like it has the commuter train within walking distance! When I look on the AMT website I don't quite understand... looks like there may be a ticket called TRAM which would include the metro? Do you still have to use one ticket per trip, or is there some kind of daily or weekly pass that includes the commuter train?

Also, train tickets between montreal and quebec city look pricey - s there any way to score them cheaper? We could drive but the train seems more fun! :)

Thanks!!!
Kim

Kim, I like the idea of Lachine rather than Terrebonne. It is closer to the city, much closer, and while I know nothing about ATM trains, your exchange family will surely help you. Check out also the STM (Societe de .Transport de Montreal) website for bus service, as well.

The train fares with ViaRail depend on the day of the week of your travel and it seems the cheapest fare is US$25 approx. one way, which certainly makes it expensive for a family. There are buses also to Quebec, cheaper than the train, but personally, I would drive. I used ViaRail to Toronto last year and got a really helpful and pleasant agent on the phone who gave good advice and info, so you could do the same when you are in Montreal.

Go to Vieux-Montreal and wander along the waterfront for things for kids to do. Definitely visit Quebec City and stay a few nights in the old center. The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré about 30 minutes east of QC is also worth a visit.

We're re going in April for a similar trip. What is the wifi coverage in Quebec?