Canada Honeymoon

[lauralu]

I need some help again from anyone who can make some recommendations for me...I have asked before and gotten many good response. We have talked over the east coast, St, Augustine, Amelia island, Maryland, Myrtle beach and now we are seriously considering Canada again...

We would like, a great place to stay. Big, nice poshy room, walking distance to shopping, eateries, siteseeing opportunities, romance. Not crazy busy, overly populated or alot of nightlife. Not wanting to hike, fish, boat ect. Mostly shack up in a great room and have us some great coffee in the morning, shopping and site seeing during the day and great food and a few drinks at night.

We would be flying out of Minneapolis...in June.

Any ideas?

 

[allycat0303]

I am SOOOO biased. I know that it screams of bias but Montreal with few days in Quebec city (not of the least of the reason that I live in Montreal, and go to Quebec city to get away from it all) . Quebec city gives you a few days of european style city, and Montreal is vibrant and alive, (also a lot of sight seeing).

If you do decide to go there, I will give you some hotel choices...it all depends on how much you want to spend....

 

[lauralu]

ye yes I need hotel options.....

I was re-reading my old thread (again)and I got alot of great recommendations to go to Quebec or Montreal

However I need Hotel ideas, We would like to stay under 300 a night

So, fire away!!!!!!! I am ready to google

Keep in mind, quiet and romance....

 

[laurel25]

I second the Montreal idea. If you stay downtown there are so many awesome restaurants and shops that you can walk to and the city has just an awesome vibe to it.

 

[sammyj]

If you''re not looking for too much of a metropolis, I''ll second ally''s suggestion of Quebec City...maybe even Victoria, BC although it can be quite touristy. Another suggestion is Niagara-on-the-Lake if you''re looking for a quaint little town. You can stay at a gorgeous B&B, eat delicious food, and visit some wineries....?

 

[SunShyne83]

Victoria is beautiful ( I live here! )

Tourist season is June through October

 

[Winslet]

One of my closest friends had her honeymoon in Montreal and loooooooooved it! I wish I knew where she and her husband had stayed so I could give you some input but YAY for choosing Canada, an often overlooked - but really quite lovely - honeymoon destination!

 

[pocahontas]

I''m all over Allycat''s suggestion of Montreal with a couple days in Quebec City and I''m not even biased. I live in Toronto and although I love it here, I think Montreal is much more romantic and better suited for a honeymoon.

 

[ilovethiswebsite]

My top Canadian honeymoon suggestions would be:

- Montreal --> make sure you stay in the old port if you really want the old world romantic feel - check out hotel st-paul and st james in the old port. www.hotelstpaul.com or http://www.hotellestjames.com/pages/location.htm
- Quebec City
- Banf/Lake Louise
- BC (sunshine coast or tofino)
- Niagra-on-the-lake (all vineyards)

 

[allycat0303]

Hi Lauralu,

I don''t remember how long your honeymoon will be, but let me know, I''ll give you more suggestions depending on the length.

Well I''m glad you didn''t think it stank of being bias. Are you planning on Quebec and Montreal? Or only 1? I think that Montreal is a more *alive* city, if that makes any sense, and Quebec has a lot more sightseeing. Montreal has a lot of energy, it is also more tourist friendly because their are a lot more english-speaking people. Usually if you go shopping they will greet you in English and French where else Quebec city will not.

I like the Hotel St James slightly better then Hotel Saint Paul, but that''s just personal choice. You would be staying in the Old port area, which has the port, some cobblestone roads lots of french restaurants, and a few streets from Chinatown. You could probably spend a day exploring that area, but my sense is that the old port in Montreal, takes about 1 day, and it''s not shopping for clothes and stuff, more souvenirs, eating, etc.

A pretty traditional (non-expensive french cuisine) relax dining we all like to go to is Steak-frites Saint Paul (if you want to know what we like to eat when we go out in groups.) Also in the old port, they have a few fondue places which are all amazing (we eat there a lot) and a creperie for a light lunch. These are all in the old port.

I also like (because the 20 something crowd hangs around there) the hotel called The W. In the summer we sometimes go for drinks on the roof terrace with friends. It''s a little closer to the heart of the city, if you prefer not to stay in the old port.

If you go shopping, you have a choice of streets, Saint Catherine''s street (lots of people in the summer), and Saint Laurent. For local designers (a little more original) there''s *les cours mont royal* it''s part of the Montreal underground (a lot of the shops connect on Saint Catherine street to spare us the crazy cold. If you want to do the full-shopping experience the way most Montrealers do it, you start at around Bishop and Saint Catherine and walk along Saint Catherine street until the good shops run out. Rudsak (one of my favorite stores...Montreal designer is there, mostly known for their BEAUTIFUL leather/suede coats, and leather bags (I bought 3 of their coats JUST THIS winter just to give you an idea...and it was not cheap, so worth a stop )....but also their clothes begins there, and just keep walking.

Other random restaurants we love around here:

-Moshes (it''s about 100$ a steak though. I''ve never eaten there, but it''s really popular)
-Helene de Champlain (traditional french food, but for a good price, this is on the island http://www.helenedechamplain.com/main.html) so you would have to take a taxi, but I like the food there, and the atmosphere is relaxed for french food.
- Mikado (suishi on Saint Denis owned by my ex-BIL, but really the best suishi in Montreal) http://www.mikadomontreal.com/ (try Nu, scorpion and Don Juan rolls)
-And well we are known for the smoked meat, so you should have a smoked meat! If you do end up shopping on Saint Catherine''s street, on the way, there''s a restaurant called Reubens. I am a big smoked meat fiend, and I''ve eaten this a lot. Schwartz is usually voted #1 but I find Ruebens better (my fiance agrees).
-breakfast, we are really big on breakfast here! Traditional Quebec breakfast, the chain that started it all is Cora there are a lot of them all around so you just need to ask(good food, omelets are amazing as well as their crepes, my favoirite fruit one is Avril 99 but it is HUGE.) my personal favorite breakfast place is Eggspectations though http://www.eggspectation.ca/ this is in the area of Saint Catherine''s street (a few streets by foot)

Random places I visit once a year (yes, once a year, because I a freak)

-Biodome of Montreal (if you like animals,p enguins are really cute)

-Oratoire Saint Joseph (http://www.saint-joseph.org/) it''s a basilique. Huge, beautiful and gives you a sense of
Quebec''s very strong religious history. It''s on the list of historical sites in Canada, and the dome is the 3rd largest in the world behind saint peter''s basilica and one in the US. It''s on Mount Royal though, which is in Montreal, but a little traveling. Granted by subway it''s really nothing (maybe 8 minutes from downtown). It''s a whole experience though, unlike the other basiliques in Montreal, has extensive gardens, a beautiful of the city, etc.The oratoire is right beside the University of Montreal which is where I go to school. (Random)

-However, if you are in the old port and don''t want to travel to see the oratoire, pop into the Basilique Notre Dame (where Celine Dion got married) or if you stay downtown Queen Mary of the World (it''s got the apostles on top, very distinctive, you''ll see it on your way to go shopping). It will take 10 minutes, and it''s a huge part of French Canadian History.

-To Mount royal at the top, in the middle of the night, there''s a lookout space where you can see the entire city. On a warm summer night (better if you have a car) my fiance and I go and sit there and talk for hours.

Oh my gosh, I wrote so much. Well I hope you end up visiting! And let me know. I am always wondering what people think of the city.

 

[havernell]

The Chateau Frontenac Hotel in Quebec City sounds like it would fit the bill for you. Such a gorgeous place! Here''s the weblink: http://www.fairmont.com/Frontenac/

 

[lauralu]

ooooooooooooooooooo I am in LOve! I am so hoping we can do this...Canada looks amazing..

All of your suggestions look just awesome!

Oh Ally, thank you for the itinerary, I am making copies of what you wrote. We will have 10 days to honeymoon. We may even end up waiting to go until September as hubby2be has vacation starting in September. If we go in June, it''s unpaid and we would have to shorten our honeymoon.

I am so torn though. It is more romantic to fly off right after you get married. However, logically I know it makes way more sense for us to wait. Our wedding is June 14th.


Winstlet...if you talk with your friend! Ask her where they stayed please!

Sammie I am checking out Niagara-on-the-Lake. Wineries would be so much fun as well!! I don''t think we will have enough time for it all..

All this information is making me so excited to go! All the pictures and descriptions make it all look so lovely and romantic.

We have time to plan........just need to figure out where to start and go from there......

Thank everyone

 

[allycat0303]

Lauralu,

You're welcome! Honestly, I think you can do all 3 if you have ten days. I've driven down to Quebec for a 2 day weekend, it's a about 2 hours and 20 minute drive from Montreal (straight highway). I would do 2 nights in Quebec, 3 nights in Montreal, drive to Niagra on the lake, (it's about 6 hours from Montreal I believe) and then do 3 nights in Niagara. Living here, I think it is completely reasonable, and it allows you to not get too bored with one thing.

It's a shame you don't want to do any relaxing, hiking, there's a beautiful place 2 hours from Montreal which is gorgeous, in the Laurentien mountains (I consider more of a spa) All meals included, with nice walking. I went and did 4-wheel there, and TRUST me I am not a roughing it kind of girl. They have french cuisine included in the package. Stayed there this summer, and LOVED it. (It's my idea of roughing it. This is as close to camping as I get...we rented a condo for 2 days there, and it was beautiful, relaxing.

http://www.lactaureau.com/en/index.jsp