<span title="Connecticut-Montreal-Quebec-Connecticut">Connecticut-Montreal-Queb...</span> in December, by car or train?

Question

Hi guys,

I was wondering if you guys can help me to decide. I'm planning to have a vacation to Canada this winter. I'll be travelling with my brother (only 2 of us). I'm kinda confused, so should i drive or take a train. Gas price, parking fee, public transportation during in Canada, safety driving, and budget are my consideration. For information, i'll spend 2 nights in Montreal, and 2 nights in Quebec.

I would really appreciate your help, and please provide the links for further information (ex. train, public transportation, motel, etc)

Thanks a lot.

Answer 1

The method you shoose should depend on if you plan to stay in the city, or want to hit the skihills outside of town. If you are staying in the towns, then train is a great way to go since you will not pay for downtown parking, gas, and worry about clearing the frost or snow from the windows and getting stuck in an occasional 4-6&quot; snowstorm.

But if you want to go to ski at Bromont, or up in the Laurentians, or at Mont Sainte Anne near Quebec City, odds are you need your car or a rental.

Amtrak offers service to Montreal, but there are no direct routes from Hartford or New Haven that I could find. You would have to set up an itinerary with Amtrak to get here to Montreal.

Once in Montreal, you do not need a car. The subway system is reliable and fast to get you to just about all four corners of the city. Plus we have an underground tunnel system that gives you access to much of the downtown core without ever having to step outside. They offer weekly bus/subway passes, as well as special tourist passes.

Likewise, Quebec City is accessible by VIA Rail train from the same depot where your Amtrak train would pull into, or by a Voyageur-Greyhound bus. But they do not have a subway, only buses once you get to Quebec City. Still, most of the things you want to see are centralized there anyway, or reachable by a guided tourbus.

Winter in Montreal is pretty much the same as driving in Hartford or any northern US city. The roads are salted, and as long as you have good all-season radials or winter tires, driving should not be an issue, especially in December, since January is usually the time when all the big snowfalls show up.

Gas prices in Quebec have reached $1.50 a litre (Yep...that&#039;s $6.00 per US gallon!) so it will cost you a pretty penny for the fuel. But there is good news. Montreal is only an hour from the New York border, so if you fill up before crossing, you should get the better prices there. Quebec City is about a three hour drive in winter from Montreal, so one tank can probably get you there and back. And keep in mind that gas prices tend to drop down more in winter. (It won&#039;t go below $4/gallon, but still cheaper than summer prices.

Hope this helps you. If you have specific questions about Montreal (restaurants, hotels, etc) just email me.