Escorted & Package Tours

Packages are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of many Sunday newspapers. Or check ads in national travel magazines such as Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation. Many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility and they can be a great way to make new friends. On the downside, the tours can be jampacked with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure.

If an escorted tour appeals to you, Tauck World Discovery (tel. 800/468-2825; www.tauck.com) offers a 10-day capital cities tour that includes Montréal, Québec City, Ottawa, and Toronto. Tours are offered May through October, providing the opportunity to view fall foliage in both countries.

Before you invest in a package deal or an escorted tour, ask a few important questions. Always check the cancellation policy. Ask about the accommodations choices and prices for each, then look up the hotels' reviews in a Frommer's guide and check their rates online for your specific dates of travel. For escorted tours, request a complete schedule, ask about the size and demographics of the group, and discuss what is included in the price (transportation, meals, tips, airport transfers). Finally, look for hidden expenses: Ask whether airport departure fees and taxes, for example, are included in the total cost (they rarely are).

Cruising to Montréal & Québec City -- Cruises from New York and New England up the St. Lawrence River to Montréal and Québec City are popular, especially from June through the foliage season. Among the lines offering cruises, which are usually 6 to 12 days long, are Crystal Cruises (tel. 888/722-0021; www.crystalcruises.com), Holland America (tel. 877/SAIL-HAL; www.hollandamerica.com), Norwegian (tel. 866/234-0292; www.ncl.com), Princess (tel. 800/PRINCESS; www.princess.com), and Seabourn (tel. 800/929-9391; www.seabourn.com).

Special-Interest Trips

Foodies have a number of options to cook with some of the top chefs in the Québec province during a trip. In the Laurentians, about 67km (42 miles) north of Montréal, chef and owner Anne Desjardins of the well-regarded L'Eau à la Bouche (tel. 888/828-2991; www.leaualabouche.com) offers a package that includes 2 days working alongside her in the kitchen, 1 night at the hotel, dinner, breakfast, and a kitchen vest, for C$525 (US$457/£226).

In Québec City, the famed restaurant Laurie Raphaël (tel. 418/692-4555; www.laurieraphael.com) underwent major renovation a few years ago that not only spiffed up its space but added a fancy public kitchen. Chef/owner Daniel Vézina gives cooking classes here on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons for C$150 (US$130/£64). The cost includes the meal that he cooks. Also in Québec City, Les Artistes de la Table (tel. 418/694-1056; www.lesartistesdelatable.com) offers 3- to 4-hour custom cooking classes in the first floor of a gorgeous neoclassical building from 1850. Serious cooks will want to walk by just to peek at the kitchen through the vast windows. Cost is about C$100 (US$87/£43) per person.

Bike touring is wildly popular and well-accommodated. In the summer of 2007, the Québec province inaugurated the new Route verte (Green Route), a 4,000km (2,485-mile) bike network. Many hotels and restaurants along the route put special focus on the nutritional, safety, and equipment needs of cyclists.

EcoTours are offered in the gorgeous Charlevoix region just an hour north of Québec City. Charlevoix was designated a protected UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1988 and is subject to balanced development and cross-disciplinary research into conservation. Katabatik (tel. 800/453-4850 or 418/665-2332; www.katabatik.ca), based in La Malbaie, offers ecotouring that combines kayaking with information about the life of the capes and bays of the St-Lawrence estuary.

If you've got a car, the route des vins wine route 103km (64 miles) southeast of Montréal is pleasant vineyard tour.