# Montreal versus Quebec?



## Jwerking (Sep 27, 2009)

I have always wanted to visit these two cities and was lucky enough recently to book a 2 BR unit at the Club Vacances Toutes Saisons (#2621) in Quebec for the last week in July 2011.  I read the TUG reviews of resorts both close to Quebec City and close to Montreal.  The reviews seem to clearly indicate that there is alot more to to do in the Quebec timeshares than the Montreal ones.

So should I spend a second week at the same Quebec resort, or go for a timeshare close to Montreal - as we would love to visit the city.  But I must admit that I hate daytrips esp. into urban areas.  It is usually a very long day, very tiring, stressful due to the traffic and not knowing where to go.  Comments would be most appreciated!!!!!

BTW,  I did check the airfares from Wash DC to Quebec and they are extremely costly, much cheaper to fly to Montreal.  Is this always the case?  

Thanks for any help. 

JOyce


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## Linda74 (Sep 27, 2009)

Club Vacances Toutes Saisons is too far from Montreal for visits....I would stay there for the week and do Quebec City and perhaps even take some day trips further up the St. Lawrence.....then I would stay in the heart of Montreal in a hotel and enjoy what the city has to offer...I love both of these cities.....Quebec has a very old world European feel.....and Montreal is more Cosmopolitan........


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## Smooth Air (Sep 27, 2009)

Ditto what Linda has said. I don't know of any timeshares in downtown Montreal. That's not to say that there aren't any. Anybody know?

Smooth Air


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## Ironwood (Sep 27, 2009)

Club Vacances is in Beaupre, just north of Quebec City.  It's some 3 1/2 hrs from Montreal and as Linda74 suggests, just spend the week in the Quebec City area and enjoy what it has to offer.  Make sure you visit lower town Quebec, the Frontenac and take a ride on the funiculaire....you'll discover what it is when you get there.  You are close to Isle d'Orleans, a fairly large rustic island in the St. Lawrence river and it's a great drive through all the quaint towns around the island....it's a must.  Take a drive up to Baie St. Paul about 45 min north, for great views of the St. Lawrence.  The main street has interesting shops and a number of art galleries.  There are no time shares in Montreal proper, but a number of good hotels across the whole spectrum of price and comfort.  You will find Quebec City to be a little slice of Europe in North America.


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## AKE (Sep 28, 2009)

There is more to do in Quebec City from a tourist perspective than in Montreal.


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## aptiva (Sep 28, 2009)

*Just a suggestion*

If you are spending  2 whole weeks in the  Beaupre area. What we might do is take the bus into Montreal for 2-3 days & sight see. Take tours etc. which would give you a birds eye view of the city. Driving in Montreal is hectic unless you are used to big city driving. Also most signage is French. 
We used to spend a day or 2  in Montreal when we had T/S in Magog Que.
By taking the bus into Montreal we  could  enjoy the view of Quebec.

Actually we just flew to Que. City in May for a few days. A nice get away.
Quebec City is wonderful!  as is Montreal, in 2 different ways.
Makes for a memorable vacation.
Marie


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## John Cummings (Sep 29, 2009)

I can't comment on Quebec City but I did spend a summer in 1978 in Montreal. I was on a computer consulting gig at the Steel Plant down the river from Montreal. I stayed in downtown Montreal and really enjoyed it. If I were you, I would certainly make an effort to visit Montreal. It was a great experience and is my favorite city in Canada.


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## Luanne (Sep 29, 2009)

A few years ago we visited both Montreal and Quebec.  We found plenty to do in both cities.


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## amanven (Sep 29, 2009)

You might also consider flying into Montreal (for the cost savings).  Spend your first couple of days in Montreal then take the VIA passenger train from Montreal to Quebec City.  You can either return home from Quebec City or go back to Montreal by train to fly out. Traffic in Montreal can be a real hassle.  The train ride will take about the same amount of time as the drive but is much less stressful and you can catch some of the Quebec scenery along the way.

http://www.viarail.ca/en


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## Luanne (Sep 29, 2009)

amanven said:


> You might also consider flying into Montreal (for the cost savings).  Spend your first couple of days in Montreal then take the VIA passenger train from Montreal to Quebec City.  You can either return home from Quebec City or go back to Montreal by train to fly out. Traffic in Montreal can be a real hassle.  The train ride will take about the same amount of time as the drive but is much less stressful and you can catch some of the Quebec scenery along the way.
> 
> http://www.viarail.ca/en



The train is wonderful.  We took the train from NYC to Montreal, spent one night, then took the train to Quebec.  Stayed there a couple of nights, then took the train back to Montreal and spent a few nights there.  We flew home out of Montreal.  We didn't rent a car, and didn't need one.


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## stmartinfan (Sep 30, 2009)

We did a non-timeshare vacation in Montreal and Quebec and enjoyed both cities.  Because of cost we flew in and out of Montreal, and rented a car to drive to and from Quebec.  The drive was easy and we had no problem driving back from Montreal the day of our return flight.  We loved staying in the center of Montreal and just walking or using public transit to get around.  I think doing that plus spending time doing Quebec and the region around it would be a great combination.  We did a boat ride in Montreal that was fun, the hop on/off city tour, visited a museum and just spent time wondering around.  Quebec was wonderful, of course.  Because of the compact nature of the old town area, it's very easy to explore on foot.


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## helen (Sep 30, 2009)

We have been to both Quebec and Montreal.  Both cities are wonderful to visit.  I would look for a hotel to stay in.  The timeshares are too far away.  The drive to Montreal from the Washington, DC area is approximately 11 hours.  You could stop in Albany on the way up and on the the way back, to break up the trip.  Years ago, we spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Albany to break up the driving.  Driving might be cheaper than flying.  Someone mentioned the signage.  On our last couple trips, we used our GPS.  If you use a GPS, you won't have to worry about the signage.  Someone told us about Les Immeubles Charlevois as a a rental company from which you could rent an apartment for a week.  We have not used it; therefore, I cannot recommend it.  I plan to look into it before my next trip.  It sounds like it might be a good alternative to timeshares or hotels for the Quebec area.


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## vanclan (Oct 3, 2009)

*HIghly Recommend*

We stayed at Club Vacances Toutes Saisons for a week in September 2008.  there is SO much to do in the area that a week was really not enough!  The consiege at the resort is excellent and will really help you plan your in the area.  We bought the Auto Tour Cd's and did a tour of Isle D'Orleans, spent time at Montmorency Falls, and did some day trips east.  We didn't get as far east as we wanted to...you can even go whale watching on a day tour. Depending on your interests downtown Quebec can often take more than one day too.  Be sure and take the walking tour...it's well worth it.   There isn't quite as much to do at the resort but the area really makes up for it.  You can book portions of a week at the resort so I'd do a bit more than a week there and then spend a couple of days in Montreal...maybe in a hotel.  If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.


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## grest (Oct 4, 2009)

I love both these cities (and as an aside, Champlain, who founded Quebec and after whom the lake is named, is my direct ancestor).. I agree with what others have said:  spend the week at Vacances Toutes Saisons, then head to Montreal to experience the cosmopolitan french flavor there.  You may find yourself visiting both places again!
Connie


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## vanclan (Oct 4, 2009)

*Review*

Here is a link to a review I posted after our stay at this resort
http://tiny.cc/hsbGr
More recent reviews are very similar and one states that they stayed 1 week but could have easily stayed two in order to see all that is in the area.


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## pgnewarkboy (Oct 4, 2009)

*Just got back*

Funny you should ask this question.  We just got back from a 10 day vacation in Quebec.  We spent 3 days in Montreal and 7 in Mt. St. Anne outside of Quebec city.  In Montreal we stayed in a great B&B in the old part of town which is the primary tourist area.  We had a great time with lots to do and see.  The restaurants are great.  We then drove to outside of Quebec City to Mt. St. Anne which is a ski resort area in winter.  It was no more then one-half hour into the city on any given day and we drove in 4 days.  Quebec city and Mt. St. Anne offer unique experiences.  We stayed at a timeshare we found through II called "Condorama" in II but that is not the real name.  We stayed in a 4 bedroom townhome that was right near the ski slopes.  Fall had arrived and the colors were great.  We had a great time in Quebec City and the area of our timeshare.  I highly recommend visiting both cities on the same trip.  We could go back to both places and do things we couldn't get to on this trip.


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## northpole (Oct 30, 2009)

Someone mentione the VIA rail, it's a great way to get in between cities, as it takes you from downtown to downtown.  If you do decide to stay in Quebec City for the whole two weeks, you could easily hop on the train and spend a day in Montreal - take the first train in the morning, it'll take you right downtown Montreal, spend the day in Montreal, and take the last train back to Quebec City in the evening.  It'll be a long day, but the train is very relaxing and usually half empty.  The seating is nothing like on a plane, the seats are wide with lots of leg room, it's quite comfortable.


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## bday1126 (May 28, 2011)

*Quebec timeshare*



Jwerking said:


> I have always wanted to visit these two cities and was lucky enough recently to book a 2 BR unit at the Club Vacances Toutes Saisons (#2621) in Quebec for the last week in July 2011.  I read the TUG reviews of resorts both close to Quebec City and close to Montreal.  The reviews seem to clearly indicate that there is alot more to to do in the Quebec timeshares than the Montreal ones.
> 
> So should I spend a second week at the same Quebec resort, or go for a timeshare close to Montreal - as we would love to visit the city.  But I must admit that I hate daytrips esp. into urban areas.  It is usually a very long day, very tiring, stressful due to the traffic and not knowing where to go.  Comments would be most appreciated!!!!!
> 
> ...



My wife and I just spent 3 days and two nights at this resort. Yes I would recommend this resort to anyone visiting the Quebec city area. The location of the resort is approx 1 1/2 miles from the Mt. St. Anne ski area from which you can take a chair lift to the top and get a great view of the area. There were patches of snow on the slopes during our visit May 24-26. Nearby on the way to Quebec City you will pass the St. Anne Basilica which is a beautiful church with its interior paintings and statues along with its history. As you continue your drive to QC you will pass the Mt. Morency waterfall which is30 meters higher than Niagra falls. There is a cable car to the top with a restuarant and many hiking trails around the falls as well as stairs to the bottom. On to QC park outside the walled city for cheaper rates. We found a parking garage that charged $15.00 for 3-10 hours parking. It was a short walk to the entrance to the old city.
As for the timeshare it was comfortable enough for our stay. We had a 2 bedoom which had a balcony and table and chairs. There is a restuarant and lounge on site as well as tennis courts and swimming pool. The unit was quiet and furnishings comfortable with all the appliances that one would need. The only draw back was they do not have elevators to the units and  and one must climb one or two flights of stairs to reach your unit if on the 2nd or 3rd level. The office was very helpful in answering questions on area activities.
My only problem was the charge at check out for resort administration charges. RCI week $29.00. Rci pts exchange goes by number of days and size unit. We were charged $54. for a 2 bedroom for 2 nights. Same charge for up to 5 nights.
Montreal is a 2 1/2 hour drive so I would suggest that you look into a TS closer to Montreal. We are curently staying  the Geo Morency in St. Hippolyte which is situated on a lake. This resort is comfortable as well having a restuarant,pool, and other outdoor activities. Grocery store 10 minutes away. The resort is half way between Montreal and the large ski resort area of Mont Treblaunt. Both within an hours drive. So if you are looking for a TS near Montreal I would recommend this resort.
If you think gas prices are high at home wait until you get here. The best we could find was $5.40/gal. The gas staion signs look good 1.29 but that is per liter.
Hope this helps you out with your vacation plans.
Jim


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