Montréal & Québec City 2004 by Herbert Bailey Livesey Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers About the Author Herbert Bailey Livesey has written about travel and food for many publications, including Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, and Playboy. He’s the coauthor of several guidebooks, including Frommer’s Canada, Frommer’s Europe from $70 a Day, and Frommer’s New England. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5744 Copyright © 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys- tem or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for per- mission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317/572-3447, fax 317/572-4447, E-Mail: [email protected]. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 0-7645-4124-2 ISSN 1084-418X Editor: Liz Albertson Production Editor: Donna Wright Cartographer: Elizabeth Puhl Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services Front cover photo: Québec City: Citadel, Changing of the Guard Back cover photo: Montréal: Promenade on Place Jacques Cartier For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 54321 Contents List of Maps vii What’s New in Montréal & Québec City 1 1 The Best of Montréal & Québec City 4 1 Frommer’s Favorite Montréal & The Best of Montréal & Québec City Experiences . .5 Québec City Online . .8 2 Best Hotel Bets . .6 3 Best Dining Bets . .9 2 Planning Your Trip to Montréal & Québec City 13 1 Visitor Information . .13 8 Planning Your Trip Online . .31 2 Entry Requirements & Frommers.com: The Complete Customs . .13 Travel Resource . .32 3 Money . .16 9 The 21st-Century Traveler . .32 The Canadian Dollar, the U.S. Online Traveler’s Toolbox . .34 Dollar & the British Pound . .17 10 Getting There . .35 What to Do If Your Wallet is Flying with Film & Video . .41 Lost or Stolen . .18 11 Packages for the Independent 4 When to Go . .20 Traveler . .42 Montréal & Québec City 12 Escorted General-Interest Calendar of Events . .21 Tours . .43 5 Travel Insurance . .24 13 Tips on Accommodations . .44 6 Health & Safety . .25 14 Recommended Reading . .45 7 Specialized Travel Resources . .26 3 Getting to Know Montréal 46 1 Orientation . .46 2 Getting Around . .54 The Neighborhoods in Brief . .50 Fast Facts: Montréal . .56 4 Where to Stay in Montréal 60 1 Downtown . .61 2 Vieux-Montréal Family-Friendly Hotels . .67 (Old Montréal) . .68 5 Where to Dine in Montréal 73 1 Restaurants by Cuisine . .75 3 Vieux-Montréal 2 Downtown . .77 (Old Montréal) . .82 Family-Friendly Restaurants . .81 4 Plateau Mont-Royal . .88 5 Mile End & Outer Districts . .91 iv CONTENTS March of the Tongue 7 Picnic Fare: Where to Get It, Troopers . .92 Where to Eat It . .97 6 Early-Morning & Late-Night Bites . .95 6 Exploring Montréal 99 Suggested Itineraries . .99 4 Special-Interest Sightseeing . .113 1 The Top Attractions . .100 5 Organized Tours . .115 Long May They Wave . .105 6 Spectator Sports . .117 2 More Attractions . .108 The Great American Pastime 3 Especially for Kids . .112 Goes North . .118 7 Outdoor Activities . .118 7 Montréal Strolls 121 Walking Tour 1: Walking Tour 3: Vieux-Montréal . .121 Plateau Mont-Royal . .133 Walking Tour 2: Walking Tour 4: Downtown . .128 Mont-Royal . .136 8 Montréal Shopping 140 1 The Shopping Scene . .140 2 Shopping from A to Z . .142 9 Montréal After Dark 150 1 The Performing Arts . .151 3 The Bar & Cafe Scene . .159 A Circus Extraordinaire . .153 4 The Gay & Lesbian Scene . .162 2 The Club & Music Scene . .154 5 More Entertainment . .163 10 Side Trips from Montréal 165 1 North into the Laurentians Cantons-de-l’Est: (Laurentides) . .165 Wine Country? . .189 Lodging at Tremblant Resort . .180 Hitting a Sugar Shack Near Dining at Tremblant Resort . .182 Mont-Orford . .192 2 East into Montérégie & Dragonwatch: 4bdrm, eat-in kit, the Cantons-de-l’Est . .183 frpl, lake vu . .195 11 Getting to Know Québec City 199 1 Orientation . .199 2 Getting Around . .203 The Neighborhoods in Brief . .203 Fast Facts: Québec City . .205 CONTENTS v 12 Where to Stay in Québec City 208 1 Haute-Ville (Upper Town) . .209 2 Outside the Walls . .213 Family-Friendly Hotels . .212 3 Basse-Ville (Lower Town) . .215 The Coldest Reception 4 A Country Hotel in the City . .217 in Town . .213 13 Where to Dine in Québec City 218 1 Restaurants by Cuisine . .219 3 On or Near the Grande-Allée . .223 2 Haute-Ville (Upper Town) . .219 4 Basse-Ville (Lower Town) . .224 14 Exploring Québec City 228 Suggested Itineraries . .228 3 Especially for Kids . .237 1 The Top Attractions . .229 4 Organized Tours . .238 Room with a View . .233 5 Spectator Sports . .239 2 More Attractions . .234 6 Outdoor Activities . .239 15 Québec City Strolls 242 Walking Tour 1: Walking Tour 2: The Upper Town . .242 The Lower Town . .249 16 Québec City Shopping 254 1 The Shopping Scene . .254 2 Shopping from A to Z . .255 17 Québec City After Dark 258 1 The Performing Arts . .258 3 The Bar & Cafe Scene . .262 2 The Club & Music Scene . .260 18 Side Trips from Québec City 264 1 Ile d’Orléans . .264 5 Canyon Ste-Anne & 2 Montmorency Falls . .269 Ste-Anne Falls . .273 3 Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré . .270 6 The Charlevoix Region: Baie- St-Paul, La Malbaie & 4 Mont Ste-Anne . .272 St-Siméon . .274 vi CONTENTS Appendix: Montréal & Québec City in Depth 280 1 A Look at French Canada: 3 Cuisine Haute, Cuisine Bas: Now & Then . .280 Smoked Meat, Fiddleheads Dateline . .280 & Caribou . .286 2 The Politics of Language . .285 Index 288 General Index . .288 Accommodations: Québec City Accommodations: Montréal & & Environs Index . .298 Environs Index . .297 Restaurants: Québec City & Restaurants: Montréal & Environs Environs Index . .299 Index . .298 List of Maps Greater Montréal 48 Walking Tour: Mont-Royal 137 Montréal Métro 55 The Laurentians (Laurentides) 167 Where to Stay in Downtown Montérégie & Estrie 185 Montréal 62 Québec City Orientation 200 Where to Dine in Downtown Where to Stay in Québec City 210 Montréal 78 Where to Dine in Where to Dine in Québec City 220 Vieux-Montréal 83 Québec City Attractions 230 Downtown & Vieux-Montréal Attractions 102 Walking Tour: The Upper Town 244 Walking Tour: Vieux-Montréal 123 Walking Tour: The Lower Town 251 Walking Tour: Downtown Montréal 130 Québec City Environs 265 Walking Tour: Plateau Mont-Royal 135 An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Montréal & Québec City 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5744 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirma- tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer’s Canada Montréal & Québec City For Dummies Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (rec- ommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists.