Extract of Katie Kelly Bell article
04-26-2018
A vacation that delivers on scenery, old world charm and an international vibe without the jet lag and hefty airfare is right at America’s doorstep: Canada. More precisely, Montreal and Quebec City–where French is the spoken language, but everyone understands English; where the dollar is quite strong and where tourists are welcomed with a singular warmth that defines the friendly Canadian. Why travel to Paris and be subjected to rail strikes, jet lag and ballooning airfares when you can make a short hop to Canada, and for a three-day investment enjoy a truly European feel. This article begins a two-part feature on Montreal and Quebec City—and visiting both cities in one trip is quite doable. In terms of logistics, we scheduled our trip to begin in Montreal (for two days) and then purchased rail tickets for the three-hour journey to Quebec City. The tickets were about $38 a piece and the train was quite comfortable—far nicer than any airplane—and we were deposited in the heart of the city, just a two-minute ride to our hotel.