Road trip Toronto to Quebec City...(rec's for what to see)

[Joker]

Any Canada peeps or those familiar with travel there that could give me ideas? Dh and I are planning a road trip from where we live in the Midwest to Quebec City and back. We've done a lot of road trips in our time and it's our preferred method so we know what we're getting into as far as driving goes. I've never been to Canada though and dh has only been on the West coast so I'm not sure what we might want to see. 

Right now, I am planning a few nights in Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. I don't want to add too much but I am curious what we might want to make sure and see on the way or even add a night or two somewhere else if it's worth it. We would actually be entering Canada around Windsor so if there's anything before Toronto we're open to that as well. We've been to Niagara Falls on the US side so it's not high on our list this trip. 

We enjoy national parks, museums, history, and any scenery that might be worth a drive. As far as weather, we would probably be going in October so I think it should be mostly nice. 

[Ottakee]

No help on the Canada thing.  If you are coming through Wisconsin, the Milwaukee WI to Muskegon MI ferry might be fun.  

[gardenmom5]

if you're going to Toronto - I would highly recommend Niagra Falls.  Horseshoe falls has the best view from the Canadian side. - you can do the boat tours from either side.  You can just walk back and forth from Canadian to American side - so you don't have to hassle with cars.  You have to see it to comprehend the sheer amount of water going over the falls (we saw them in May.)

[wintermom]

You could easily pop into Ottawa along the route. it's a nice city for tourists. There are the federal Parliament buildings, the Byward Market, Rideau Canal, Gatineau Park, and some very nice museums right in the central area. It's also a lot smaller than TO or Montreal, so it's much less intimidating and easier to drive and park in (and much cheaper to park).

Most people in Ontario avoid Toronto because the traffic and parking are a disaster. Lots of tourists go there, though. There is all the typical stuff there: CN tower, museums, and millions of people. Lots more crime there than anywhere else in Canada. My first time in To 30 years ago, I got to witness a police shoot out. As a 20 something, I thought that was really cool, but as a parent I'd not think so. 😉

Montreal and Quebec City are way more cool, in my opinion. The old cities are beautiful, the restaurants are all amazing, and just walking around the typical Quebecois residential areas is a treat as they are very unique. You won't find anything like them in the world. The bakeries are exceptional, too. 

So I'd say stop in Niagara Falls,  drive on through TO up to Ottawa, then hit the province of Quebec. 😁

Edited January 4, 2020 by wintermom

[MEmama]

 Windsor is a good crossing, far better than Niagara. 

Toronto: Especially if you have kids with you, I recommend going up the CN Tower, where they can jump on the glass floor overlooking the city. On a clear day you can see across the lake to the falls. Kensington market is fun, the downtown waterfront, the Beaches. It’s been years since we’ve been so I don’t have too many specifics but Toronto used to be a regular haunt for us.

Don’t forget to spend a day in Ottawa. The views from the Peace Tower are spectacular, especially in the fall. There’s a terrific children’s museum there too, if you have little ones, and a steam train in Gatineau that would be beautiful in October (at least there used to be). DS used to really enjoy watching the boats in the locks on the river; once when he was 3 or 4  a boater offered for him to hop aboard so he could go through the lock (DH went with him, obvs). Gatineau Park is spectacular if you are looking for nature.

It's been too long for me to think of specifics in Montreal. There are a ton of bike paths now though, which could make a fun way to see the city.

Quebec City: the old town is really the highlight. It’s all beautiful and worth exploring. 

Have a fun road trip! I miss doing that one; we used to do parts of it regularly. 

 

 

 

 

[Arctic Bunny]

I would skip Toronto entirely and cross the border near Ottawa or Montreal. Ottawa and Québec City are where I would concentrate my time, and I would head east of Québec City along the St Lawrence towards La Malbaie region. Word of warning, less and less English as you head east out of Montréal.

[wathe]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

 

Most people in Ontario avoid Toronto because the traffic and parking are a disaster. Lots of tourists go there, though. There is all the typical stuff there: CN tower, museums, and millions of people. Lots more crime there than anywhere else in Canada. My first time in To 30 years ago, I got to witness a police shoot out. As a 20 something, I thought that was really cool, but as a parent I'd not think so. 😉

 

Naaah.  Toronto is a great city to visit and to live in.  The most multicultural city in the world!  OP, if you like ethic cuisine, you can find it in Toronto in spades.   And a multitude of ethnic neighbourhoods for interesting touring and shopping. It's also the city for theatre in Canada -  the biggest shows go from New York directly to Toronto.  "Cats" is on right now.   The National Ballet is great too. 

And Toronto does NOT have worse crime than the rest of the country.  It's way down low on the violent crime severity index when compared to other Canadian cities***, and safer than most US cities.  Downtown is very walkable, and busy day and night - unlike many US cities,  loads of Torontonians actually live in the heart of the city.  I lived right downtown for 15 years, roamed around on foot at night (often alone), and nothing bad ever happened.  Public transit is excellent and affordable.  Downtown is very walkable.

I do agree that traffic is bad.

When are you planning your trip?  Things to do will vary with the seasons.

***ETA the list is alphabetical, and is sortable by severity by year.  Toronto is below the national average.  Western Canadian cities have the most violent crime, by far.

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by wathe

[Katy]

If you're going the first half of February, Winterlude is fun: https://www.ottawatourism.ca/ottawa-insider/winterlude/

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, wathe said:

Naaah.  Toronto is a great city to visit and to live in.  The most multicultural city in the world!  OP, if you like ethic cuisine, you can find it in Toronto in spades.   And a multitude of ethnic neighbourhoods for interesting touring and shopping. It's also the city for theatre in Canada -  the biggest shows go from New York directly to Toronto.  "Cats" is on right now.   The National Ballet is great too. 

And Toronto does NOT have worse crime than the rest of the country.  It's way down low on the violent crime severity index when compared to other Canadian cities***, and safer than most US cities.  Downtown is very walkable, and busy day and night - unlike many US cities,  loads of Torontonians actually live in the heart of the city.  I lived right downtown for 15 years, roamed around on foot at night (often alone), and nothing bad ever happened.  Public transit is excellent and affordable.  Downtown is very walkable.

I do agree that traffic is bad.

When are you planning your trip?  Things to do will vary with the seasons.

***ETA the list is alphabetical, and is sortable by severity by year.  Toronto is below the national average.  Western Canadian cities have the most violent crime, by far.

 

Spoken like a true Torontonian! 😉  

Psst: Don's listen to her. Go to Ottawa!!!!

[wintermom]

55 minutes ago, parent said:

When are you going?  I would try to fit in a hockey game.

If you can get tickets to a Canadiennes game that would be really fun. (pass on the Toronto Maple Leafs, though) That person from TO will likely try to hit me now. 😂

[Joker]

Sorry I posted and ran! We ended up busier today than I thought.

To answer a few questions - We are planning to go in the fall, either September or October, so both dc will be away at college. This is a trip just for dh and I! We definitely want to hit Montreal and Quebec City the most. I figured Toronto would be another place we might want to see? We've done NYC and Chicago each a few times though and I'm not sure if Toronto will offer anything different. Also, the only sport we're interested in enough to go see an actual game is soccer so I don't think we would be that interested in catching a hockey game. 

Is Kingston / 1000 Islands worth a stop or overnight? It might work out as a good place to stop to break up our driving day. 

Also, does anyone have any experience with Via Rail trains? I'm getting a bit concerned because I keep coming across people saying cars in Montreal and Quebec City might be a real pain to deal with. I don't really like the idea of a train though because we really like to keep our own schedule, but maybe just for Montreal and Quebec City it wouldn't be too bad.       Nevermind about the train. As I started researching it more, I hated the idea of it more and more. We'll just drive and hope the car isn't a bother. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Joker

[wathe]

Do you mean taking the train to get to Montreal and Q.C.? 

Via Rail provides very good service , with multiple trains daily running between Toronto and Montreal.   First class ("Via One") isn't much more expensive than regular fare if you book ahead, and it's very nice - reserved seating, no waiting in line, lovely waiting lounge, fancy food and wine served en route.  Union Station in Toronto is a beautiful historic building.  I take the Via from Toronto to Ottawa several times a year.  I don't know what service to Q.C is like, but I would imagine it's good.  I know trains run all the way from Windsor to Q.C., but I don't know how often.

Via won't be useful within the city - it's strictly a between city/across the country train service. 

Toronto Public Transit system (TTC) is really good, with  a very efficient subway system, buses, and a comprehensive electric street car service.

The Greater Toronto Area has a good commuter train service (GO transit), good for if you need to get out to the suburbs without a car.  Some of the Go lines run all day, others just during commuter hours.

Montreal subway system is good too, but it's been years since I've used it, so my info is not up to date.

 

ETA - the route of your trip is totally doable all by train, and would be enjoyable that way, I think.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by wathe

[Arctic Bunny]

3 hours ago, Joker said:

Sorry I posted and ran! We ended up busier today than I thought.

To answer a few questions - We are planning to go in the fall, either September or October, so both dc will be away at college. This is a trip just for dh and I! We definitely want to hit Montreal and Quebec City the most. I figured Toronto would be another place we might want to see? We've done NYC and Chicago each a few times though and I'm not sure if Toronto will offer anything different. Also, the only sport we're interested in enough to go see an actual game is soccer so I don't think we would be that interested in catching a hockey game. 

Is Kingston / 1000 Islands worth a stop or overnight? It might work out as a good place to stop to break up our driving day. 

Also, does anyone have any experience with Via Rail trains? I'm getting a bit concerned because I keep coming across people saying cars in Montreal and Quebec City might be a real pain to deal with. I don't really like the idea of a train though because we really like to keep our own schedule, but maybe just for Montreal and Quebec City it wouldn't be too bad.       Nevermind about the train. As I started researching it more, I hated the idea of it more and more. We'll just drive and hope the car isn't a bother. 

If you are city people, maybe you want to go to Toronto. Personally, I can’t think of anything you couldn’t see in any other city. It feels like even people who work there can’t wait to leave.... but I’m not a city person. Where there is history and culture and atmosphere in Québec City.... well, I don’t feel the same about Toronto. I would avoid the whole GTA if possible.

Also, when calculating driving times, don’t forget that Ontario’s highways are a 90 kph limit. And have a look at GRA’s traffic.

[MEmama]

Well we love Toronto. We are city people. 🙂

It has changed a lot, though, and we haven’t been in quite some years. We started visiting regularly some 25+ years ago; it was small and sweet, but as years went on it’s grown incredibly. We had an opportunity to live there but turned it down because of high housing costs and commute times. Neither of which affect a tourist, of course.

As in all places, there’s tons to do that is different than other places. It has a totally different vibe than either NYC or Chicago. 
 

We also like Kingston/1000 islands. Kingston is a college town. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way though. IIRC they make sense if you are crossing near Waterville. 

Traffic in Toronto is no fun, but if you’ve driven through other cities it’s no big deal. Do stick to the speed limits and make sure you’re aware of toll roads (we once took the wrong highway and had an enormous unexpected bill sent to us—oops!). The rest of the drive shouldn’t be hard, especially if you know French or have good Navi through Quebec. Montreal can be a little hairy if you can’t read the signs. 😉 Quebec City is very small and easy to navigate, just park once and walk everywhere.

[wathe]

13 hours ago, arctic_bunny said:

I

Also, when calculating driving times, don’t forget that Ontario’s highways are a 90 kph limit. And have a look at GRA’s traffic.

???  No.  Major highways/freeways in the GTA all have speed limits of 100 kph - 400, 401, 403, QEW, 407, Gardner, DVP - all 100 kph.  Rural two lane highways in southern Ontario are mostly 80 kph.  (Northern 2 lane highways are 90 kph - but this is not where the OP is going).  The 401 is 100kph from Cambridge all the way to the Quebec border - where it changes names and remains a 100 kph limit.  I thinks it's also 100kph further west, but haven't been that way in years.

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by wathe

[wathe]

Don't let them turn you off Toronto!  It's worth a visit, and there is plenty of culture.   Great Museums - the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario.  The Toronto Zoo is world class.  World class symphony orchestra.   Professional sports teams in the NBA, NHL, CFL and soccer.  Amazing diversity.  September is the Toronto International Film Festival .  Toronto will feel more familiar than Montreal or Quebec - less old and everything in english, but that doesn't mean it's not worth visiting!

Montreal and Quebec will have a more European feel, and feel more foreign - 500 year old architecture in the old towns, and everything in french. 

[wathe]

OP, what sort of things interest you?  Museums?  Shopping?  Historical buildings?  Nature?  Fancy Restaurants?

[wintermom]

On 1/3/2020 at 7:45 PM, Joker said:

Any Canada peeps or those familiar with travel there that could give me ideas? Dh and I are planning a road trip from where we live in the Midwest to Quebec City and back. We've done a lot of road trips in our time and it's our preferred method so we know what we're getting into as far as driving goes. I've never been to Canada though and dh has only been on the West coast so I'm not sure what we might want to see. 

Right now, I am planning a few nights in Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. I don't want to add too much but I am curious what we might want to make sure and see on the way or even add a night or two somewhere else if it's worth it. We would actually be entering Canada around Windsor so if there's anything before Toronto we're open to that as well. We've been to Niagara Falls on the US side so it's not high on our list this trip. 

We enjoy national parks, museums, history, and any scenery that might be worth a drive. As far as weather, we would probably be going in October so I think it should be mostly nice. 

The Niagara region is beautiful. Lots of vineyards, wine tasting, orchards (not so much in the fall, though). Strattford is famous for their  Shakespeare festival, and it's a gorgeous town - swans on the water, very picturesque.  If you are interested in some unique history, the Underground Railway stopped in southwest Ontario, so you could look up some museums related to that - as well as the War of 1812.

Keep in mind that the fall is THE time for unbelievable foliage colours. Truly breathtaking due to the maples, IMO. Reds, oranges, yellows of all shades and intensities. You need to go toward Ottawa and into Quebec for that. Just north of Montreal via highway 15 are several small towns nestled in hilly/mountainous region. Saint Sauveur is my favourite as it was our honeymoon destination. It's got restaurants, horse-drawn carriages, art galleries and hiking. You can drive right up to the resort of Mont-Tremblant for hiking, mountain biking, and ski lifts open all year round. 

If you do go to Ottawa, you can cross over the Ottawa River into the province of Quebec (by bridge or by ferry), drive along the north side of the river to Montebello (a very beautiful wooden hotel), and go up to Mont-Tremblant from there. You'd avoid all the big highway traffic and see some gorgeous scenery. It would be very unique and certainly not the same-old route as most people go because they've never heard of it.

Sept - October are the most beautiful and mild months to travel in this region, by the way. And there are far fewer insects and tourists. You should have a great time!

And don't worry at all about the language barrier in Quebec. There will be mostly French signage because of their local laws, however people do speak English. And if you want to try to speak French (if that's something you'd enjoy and can do) they will certainly appreciate your attempts. You may find the local vocabulary and dialects a little different than the French you learned, though. The world's best poutine is found in Quebec, and try the Montreal Smoked Meat for sure!

Edited January 5, 2020 by wintermom

[MEmama]

43 minutes ago, wathe said:

Don't let them turn you off Toronto!  It's worth a visit, and there is plenty of culture.   Great Museums - the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario.  The Toronto Zoo is world class.  World class symphony orchestra.   Professional sports teams in the NBA, NHL, CFL and soccer.  Amazing diversity.  September is the Toronto International Film Festival .  Toronto will feel more familiar than Montreal or Quebec - less old and everything in english, but that doesn't mean it's not worth visiting!

Montreal and Quebec will have a more European feel, and feel more foreign - 500 year old architecture in the old towns, and everything in french. 

I actually didn’t think Quebec City felt European at all ; to me it was unmistakeable Canadian, and very much like Halifax (except the language, which isn’t an issue in the old city anyway). I have to admit after the hype I was a little disappointed. I mean, it’s a beautiful small city, but definitely not European in its vibe. I thought it felt Canadian through and through.

[wintermom]

4 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I actually didn’t think Quebec City felt European at all ; to me it was unmistakeable Canadian, and very much like Halifax (except the language, which isn’t an issue in the old city anyway). I have to admit after the hype I was a little disappointed. I mean, it’s a beautiful small city, but definitely not European in its vibe. I thought it felt Canadian through and through.

The Quebec language, the food, the culture, the clothing and style of dress, the churches and the houses are all much more similar to Europe than most everywhere else in Canada. Try living with a Quebec family before you decide it's exactly like the rest of Canada. It surely is not.

[wathe]

40 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I actually didn’t think Quebec City felt European at all ; to me it was unmistakeable Canadian, and very much like Halifax (except the language, which isn’t an issue in the old city anyway). I have to admit after the hype I was a little disappointed. I mean, it’s a beautiful small city, but definitely not European in its vibe. I thought it felt Canadian through and through.

It's all relative - relative to Toronto 🙂

[MEmama]

18 minutes ago, wintermom said:

The Quebec language, the food, the culture, the clothing and style of dress, the churches and the houses are all much more similar to Europe than most everywhere else in Canada. Try living with a Quebec family before you decide it's exactly like the rest of Canada. It surely is not.

Lol. I meant the city, not the province.
We kept thinking we were in Halifax! The architecture and city layout felt so familiar.

It's definitely not a knock. It's obviously beautiful. And of course urban areas are always different than the countryside, that’s true everywhere. I didn’t say it’s exactly like the rest of Canada, which wouldn’t make any sense since Canada is as diverse as the US; but yes, it it does have a distinctly Canadian feel, which makes sense it is Canadian. 🙂 

[MEmama]

3 minutes ago, wathe said:

It's all relative - relative to Toronto 🙂

Well yes of course Quebec City feels different from Toronto. But both are definitely Canadian cities through and through. 👍

[wathe]

2 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Lol. I meant the city, not the province.
We kept thinking we were in Halifax! The architecture and city layout felt so familiar.

It's definitely not a knock. It's obviously beautiful. And of course urban areas are always different than the countryside, that’s true everywhere. I didn’t say it’s exactly like the rest of Canada, which wouldn’t make any sense since Canada is as diverse as the US; but yes, it it does have a distinctly Canadian feel, which makes sense it is Canadian. 🙂 

You are right of course, Montreal and Quebec City are definitely not France - they are their own kind of Canadian.  And Halifax has similarly old architecture and history.

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

Well yes of course Quebec City feels different from Toronto. But both are definitely Canadian cities through and through. 👍

Well, it's complicated actually. If you dig a little under the exterior you are seeing from outside, you would see that the province of Quebec does not celebrate Canada Day, rather St-Jean-Baptiste day on June 24th, and very many Quebecois will identify as coming from Quebec rather than Canada when asked to identify their nationality.  It's very true. Quebec functions under a different legal system than the rest of Canada, as well as it holds a certain number of seat in the House of Parliament irregardless of the population anywhere in the country.

So while you think you see some similarities in stone and structure, it's not even stone made from the same nation of builders (British vs French). And many Quebecois would be pretty darn insulted that you implied it was. They have fought for centuries for their unique culture and language. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by wintermom

[Lucy the Valiant]

Chiming in to ask all you Canadian specialists - Montreal? What's the best way to spend 2-3 days in late spring / early summer? (No kids, just mom & dad. <3)

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

Well, it's complicated actually. If you dig a little under the exterior you are seeing from outside, you would see that the province of Quebec does not celebrate Canada Day, rather St-Jean-Baptiste day on June 24th, and very many Quebecois will identify as coming from Quebec rather than Canada when asked to identify their nationality.  It's very true. Quebec functions under a different legal system than the rest of Canada, as well as it holds a certain number of seat in the House of Parliament irregardless of the population anywhere in the country.

So while you think you see some similarities in stone and structure, it's not even stone made from the same nation of builders (British vs French). And many Quebecois would be pretty darn insulted that you implied it was. They have fought for centuries for their unique culture and language. 

I’m well versed in the history.  No worries. 😉

 

 

[Arctic Bunny]

18 minutes ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Chiming in to ask all you Canadian specialists - Montreal? What's the best way to spend 2-3 days in late spring / early summer? (No kids, just mom & dad. <3)

Old Montreal and excellent food?

[wintermom]

1 hour ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

Chiming in to ask all you Canadian specialists - Montreal? What's the best way to spend 2-3 days in late spring / early summer? (No kids, just mom & dad. <3)

Food, shopping, entertainment (there's a jazz festival in late spring), Saint-Jean-Baptiste day (June 24th), cycling (you can rent them at various locations around the core), explore Old Montreal, Biodome, biosphere, botanical gardens, look-out over the city from up on Mount Royal.