Planning a Trip

The province of Québec is immense: It's physically the largest province in the second-largest country in the world (after Russia); covers an area more than three times the size of France; and stretches from the northern borders of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire up almost to the Arctic Circle.

That said, most of the region's population lives in the stretch just immediately north of the U.S. border. Its major cities and towns, including Montréal and Québec City, are in this band of land, with the greater Montréal metropolitan area home to nearly half of the province's population. Québec City lies just 263km (163 miles) northeast of Montréal, commanding a stunning location on the rim of a promontory overlooking the St. Lawrence River, which is at its narrowest here. Most of the province's developed resort and scenic areas lie within a 3-hour drive of either city.

Visitor Information

The main tourist center for visitors in downtown Montréal is the large Infotouriste Centre, at 1255 rue Peel (tel. 877/266-5687 or 514/873-2015; Métro: Peel). It's open daily, and the bilingual staff can provide suggestions for accommodations, dining, car rentals, and attractions.

In Vieux-Montréal, there's a teeny Tourist Welcome Office at 174 rue Notre-Dame est, at the corner of Place Jacques-Cartier (Métro: Champ-de-Mars). It's open daily from April 1 to November 15, and closed otherwise except for big events such as Nuit Blanche in February. It has brochures, maps, and a helpful staff.

The city of Montréal maintains a terrific website at www.tourisme-montreal.org, which also includes an "insider" blog packed with great tips and up-to-the-minute suggestions.

The terrific website www.tourisme-montreal.org offers a broad range of information for Montréal visitors, while www.quebecregion.com serves Québec City travelers. The equally good www.bonjourquebec.com is run by the province of Québec's tourism department and covers the entire province.

In Montréal, the main tourist center in downtown is the large Infotouriste Centre, 1255 rue Peel (tel. 877/266-5687 or 514/873-2015; Métro: Peel). It's open daily, and the bilingual staff can provide suggestions for accommodations, dining, car rentals, and attractions. In Vieux-Montréal, there's a small Tourist Information Office at 174 rue Notre-Dame est, at the corner of Place Jacques-Cartier (Métro: Champ-de-Mars). It's open April to May 10am to 6pm daily, June to September 9am to 7pm, and October to mid-November 9am to 5pm; it's closed in winter, but open during Montréal High Lights Festival in February.

In Québec City, there's a tourist office in Upper Town, across from the Château Frontenac and directly on Place d'Armes. It's full French name is Centre Infotouriste de Québec, 12 rue Ste-Anne (tel. 877/266-5687; www.bonjourquebec.com), and it's open daily from mid-June to mid-August 9am to 7pm, and from 9am to 5pm the rest of the year. It has brochures, a lodging reservation service, a currency-exchange office, and information about tours by foot, bus, or boat.

The travel blog A Key in the Door (www.akeyinthedoor.com) offers an insider's perspective on international travel and is written by Herbert Bailey Livesey, who authored Frommer's Montréal & Québec City for over a decade.