Montreal and Quebec City '99 : The Complete Guide with Walking Tours and Country Day Trips

by Fodor's

• ISBN13: 9780679001614
• ISBN10: 0679001611
• Edition: Map
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Fodor's

Summary

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. Walking tours of Montreal and Quebec City, with visits to historic neighborhoods, museums, parks, and churches Great shops for fashions, jewelry, art, antiques, and crafts Side trips to the Laurentians, Ile d'Orleans, and Charlevoix Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Grand hotels, historic landmarks, chic modern high-rises, and romantic inns and B&Bs in the city and countryside Smart French restaurants, stylish bistros, ethnic eateries from Asian to Greek, and cozy Quebecois cafes Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 29 pages of maps, 9 vacation itineraries, and more Important contacts Smart travel tips Fodor's Choice What's Where Pleasures & Pastimes Festivals French vocabulary and menu guide Reprinted fromFodor's Canada'98

Table of Contents

Table of contents= On the Road with Fodor's About Our Writers:Each year the Gold Guides are written and updated by more than 500 resident writers

Connections How to Use This Book:Describes organization, icons, and other key information

Don't Forget to Write:Tells you how to get in touch with our editors

The Gold Guide Smart Travel Tips A to Z:An easy-to-use section divided alphabetically by topic

Under each listing you'll find tips and information that will help you accomplish what you need to in Montréal and Québec City

You'll also find addresses and telephone numbers of organizations and companies that offer destination-related services and detailed information and publications

Destination: Montréal and Québec City:Helps get you in the mood for your trip

Francophones in the New World New and Noteworthy:Cues you in on trends and happenings

What's Where:Gets you oriented

Pleasures and Pastimes:Describes the activities and sights that make BLURPY unique

Fodor's Choice:Showcases our top picks from special restaurants and one-of-a-kind accommodations to out-of-the-ordinary sights and activities

Let them inspire you! Festivals and Seasonal Events:Alerts you to special events you'll want to seek out

Montréal Exploring Montréal

Dining Lodging Nightlife and the Arts Outdoor Activities and Sports

Shopping Montréal A to Z Québec City

Exploring Québec City Dining Lodging Nightlife and the Arts Outdoor

Activities and Sports Shopping Side Trips from Québec City Québec City A to Z Province of Québec

The Laurentians, the Eastern Townships, Charlevoix, the Gaspé Peninsula

The Laurentians

The Eastern Townships Charlevoix

The Gaspé Peninsula Québec City A to Z French Vocabulary Menu Guide

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

This excerpt, from the Pleasures and Pastimes section, gives you a taste of what Montréal and Québec City have to offer and the sights and scenes that make them a great place to visit.


Dining

Canadian fine dining really began in Québec, where eating out in a good restaurant with a good bottle of wine has long been a traditional part of life. Montréal can claim many superb restaurants that serve both classic and innovative French cuisine. The city's varied population has also made it rich in ethnic restaurants from delis to Asian eateries. Québec City has a narrower range of choices, but good French and Québécois fare are available, and some fine new restaurants have opened recently. In the countryside a number of inns, including some in the Eastern Townships, provide food that can compete with any served in the cities for freshness and creativity. Hearty meat pies, pa[cx]tés, and creative uses of maple syrup are traditional specialties throughout the province. When you're in Québec, do as the locals do and order the table d'ho[ac]te, a several-course package deal that is often cheaper and may give you a chance to sample some special dishes.


French Heritage

To visit Québec is to encounter more than 450 years of French civilization in North America. The well-preserved streets of Vieux-Montréal and the Upper and Lower Towns of Québec City hold centuries-old buildings filled with history. Churches such as the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Québec in Québec City, the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal in Montréal, and the Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré tell part of the story. Excellent museums, including the Musée d'Archéologie Pointe-à-Callière in Montréal and the Musée de la Civilisation and the Musée de Québec in Québec City, add further insight. But history is alive in Québec: in the language, the people, and the arts. Whether you're sitting in a café, walking through a beautiful botanical garden, or just strolling the city streets at night, you'll enter a different culture.


The Great Outdoors

Most Canadians live in towns and cities within 325 km (200 mi) of the American border, but the country has a splendid backyard to play in. Even major cities like Montréal and Québec City are just a few hours drive from a wilderness full of rivers, lakes, and mountains, and lovely rural areas are even closer. It's easy to combine a visit to Québec's cities with a side trip to the countryside. The Laurentian Mountains, with the revitalized Mont-Tremblant ski resort, are just an hour north of Montréal, and the hills and lakes of the bucolic Eastern Townships lie to the city's southeast. The Ile d'Orléans, just 15 minutes from Québec City, embodies the traditional lifestyle of rural Québec and is well worth exploring. The lovely villages, mountains, and waterfalls of the Charlevoix stretch along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River from Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré to the Saguenay River.


Shopping

Distinctively Canadian items include furs and fashions from Montréal, wood carvings from rural Québec, and antiques (the best are in Montréal). The weak Canadian dollar has made shopping even more appealing.


Antiques -- On the whole, prices for antiques are lower in Canada than in the United States. Shops along Montréal's rue Sherbrooke Ouest stock everything from ancient maps to fine crystal; stores along rue Notre-Dame Ouest and rue Amherst sell antiques from Napoléonic-period furniture to 1950s bric-a-brac.


Maple Syrup -- Eastern Canada is famous for its sugar maples. The trees are tapped in early spring, and the sap is collected in buckets to be boiled into maple syrup. This natural confection is sold all year. You can also buy maple taffy, candy, and even liqueur. Avoid the tourist shops and department stores; for the best prices, stop at farm stands and markets.


Native Canadian Art -- Interest has grown in the highly collectible art and sculpture of the Inuit, usually rendered in soapstone. For the best price and a guarantee of authenticity, purchase Inuit and other native crafts in the province where they originate. Many styles are now attributed to certain tribes and are mass-produced for sale in galleries and shops miles away from their regions of origin. At the very top galleries you can be assured of getting pieces done by individual artists, though the prices will be higher than in the provinces of origin. The Canadian government has registered the symbol of an igloo as a mark of a work's authenticity. Be sure this Canadian government sticker or tag is attached before you make your purchase.

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Excerpted from Montreal and Quebec City '99: The Complete Guide with Walking Tours and Country Day Trips by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.