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Going to Canada for the first time!

Going to Canada for the first time!

Old Apr 24, 2016, 12:00 pm
  #1  
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Going to Canada for the first time!

Hi guys,

This is one of the trips i've been wanting to make in a long time. Somehow travel winds never have taken me to Canuck territory but i am finally making one of the trips i've looked the most to do.

Yesterday i finalized booking my tickets, and i need a little help in terms of recommendations to how many days to stay in each city, desired areas to stay for tourism, and provide affordable recommendations on transportation between each city. Any help, recommendation would be strongly appreciated.

Here is how my Itinerary looks:

July 12: MIA-YYZ
July 26: YYZ-MIA

I suppose that by judging the map, i should go Toronto>>Ottawa>>Montreal>>Quebec City and back. I want to do Toronto,Ottawa,Montreal in that time frame, and probably Quebec City as it seems close to Montreal. Currently i am stuck in the planning as i don't know how many days to allocate to each city, how to transport from one city to the other (with luggage, 2 checked bags at most, probably we will just carry 1 checked bag if recommended). We are 3: Mom,Dad & Me. And good areas to stay in each city that we do not have to walk a lot.

I don't know if it's worth/viable to rent a car in Toronto... and drive myself to these cities, or just buy some Megabus tickets to get from one to the other. I'm skipping Vancouver altogether because of time constraints. I'll visit in another time arranging specially a trip to BC. Right now, i want to do what's closest/easier.

Well, to start planning first i need to establish how many days would be advisable to stay in each place given my travel frame. If any Canadian/ seasoned Canada FTer can provide with tips that would be wonderful.
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Old Apr 24, 2016, 12:41 pm
  #2  
 
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Originally Posted by mvtm
Hi guys,

I suppose that by judging the map, i should go Toronto>>Ottawa>>Montreal>>Quebec City and back.
VIA Rail Canada can get you around. This is their corridor with fast frequent service:

http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our...rio-and-quebec

(Scroll down and click the route you want)
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Old Apr 24, 2016, 10:27 pm
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I'll try to reply with more detail later on, but in the meantime try this thread. The link to the photoblog is pretty good:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canad...ebec-city.html
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 6:07 am
  #4  
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How long do you have for the trip? what time of the year are you coming?

Flying from Toronto to Vancouver is almost twice as long as MIA YYZ. But certainly Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City plus surrounding area is very doable by car.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 5:47 am
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Toronto: Airport to downtown. Driving in Toronto is a zoo. Take the train. New and clean.
Fares have just dropped to increase demand. https://www.upexpress.com
Take a taxi from Union Station to hotel. OR The Royal York Hotel is very close.
Use the subway around the city : ttc.ca . They have day passes.
The train from downtown Toronto to downtown Montreal is an efficient choice.
Unusual choice of accommodation, plain, but usually enjoyed by all:
https://www.saint-joseph.org/en/visit-us/lodging
Montreal to Quebec City and back: Rent a car. It's just easier and in my experience is much cheaper. unless you can arrange for a cheap drop charge in Ottawa. YUL-YOW is 200 km.
Quebec City is a jewel. Just for the historic atmosphere. Allow a disproportionate amount of extra time there. You will remember it. More than any of the other places!
Ottawa...no more than 1 day IMHO.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 9:18 am
  #6  
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Transportation:
Assuming that you're planning on staying in the downtown core and aren't planning to travel out into the more residential/less touristy areas of the city I agree that you should avoid renting a car. There's the UP Express train from the airport to Union station which is the fastest method from the airport into the city, and the train is about 5 hours to Montreal, a train change and then another 2 hours to Quebec city. It would be far less trouble and money than going back to Pearson airport.

Alternatively, Air Canada and Porter airlines fly from the island airport to Montreal, and Porter flies to Quebec city from there as well. Air Canada flies regional jets and Porter flies 70 seat propeller planes, so I would avoid them if I were traveling with a lot of baggage.

Hotels:
Toronto and Montreal have lots of hotel options. When I was last in Quebec City I stayed in the Courtyard by Marriott. What you want to see in Quebec City is the old town which is inside the fortress, so proximity to that is key. Just be warned that it's going to be a lot of walking on cobblestone roads and on a hill.

Sights:
There's a lot to do in Toronto, so without knowing what you'd like to see, I'll just make a list of notable things for you to look into.

Parks: Centre Island, High Park

Shopping: Eaton Centre / The Bay Queen Street are the traditional downtown shopping destinations.
Yorkdale Mall (Yorkdale Station on the subway) is outside downtown but has replaced Eaton Centre as the "best" shopping mall in the City.
Yorkville Neighbourhood is the high end shopping area around Bloor St between Avenue Rd. and Yonge.
Pacific Mall: Pacific Mall is a Asian styled mall in Chinatown North. It's unique in the City.
St. Lawrence Market, and Kensington Market

Attractions:
The Zoo currently has baby Pandas and a baby Polar bear but is quite far outside the city.
CN Tower: The highest observation deck in the city
Ripleys Aquarium
Rogers Centre/Skydome: The stadium where the Blue Jays Baseball team plays. There are also regular stadium behind the scene tours when it's not a game day.
Royal Ontario Museum: The major Science, Art and History Museum. While you're there a Chihuly Glass installation will have just opened. Unfortunately, you're just missing the end of the Friday Night Live season.
Ontario Science Centre: A hands-on Science Museum located in a more Northern part of the city.
Aga Khan Museum: A Museum near the Science Centre focusing on Muslim Art.

Food:
Toronto is very ethnically diverse and so there's pretty much food of every ethnicity available, as well as celebrity chef restaurants. I recommend looking at blogto.com to narrow down restaurant recommendations.

That's everything useful that I could think of off the top of my head. I hope it's useful in directing your planning.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 9:22 am
  #7  
 
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I must say, all these places are great. Toronto being a big American-style city, you will find very many familiar places and will find it easy to navigate. But to get a feel of being somewhere different, I'd concentrate on visiting Qubec, Montral and Ottawa, in that order. You will get more for your money - and time.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 10:04 am
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by mvtm
Hi guys,

This is one of the trips i've been wanting to make in a long time. Somehow travel winds never have taken me to Canuck territory but i am finally making one of the trips i've looked the most to do.

Yesterday i finalized booking my tickets, and i need a little help in terms of recommendations to how many days to stay in each city, desired areas to stay for tourism, and provide affordable recommendations on transportation between each city. Any help, recommendation would be strongly appreciated.

Here is how my Itinerary looks:

July 12: MIA-YYZ
July 26: YYZ-MIA

I suppose that by judging the map, i should go Toronto>>Ottawa>>Montreal>>Quebec City and back. I want to do Toronto,Ottawa,Montreal in that time frame, and probably Quebec City as it seems close to Montreal. Currently i am stuck in the planning as i don't know how many days to allocate to each city, how to transport from one city to the other (with luggage, 2 checked bags at most, probably we will just carry 1 checked bag if recommended). We are 3: Mom,Dad & Me. And good areas to stay in each city that we do not have to walk a lot.

I don't know if it's worth/viable to rent a car in Toronto... and drive myself to these cities, or just buy some Megabus tickets to get from one to the other. I'm skipping Vancouver altogether because of time constraints. I'll visit in another time arranging specially a trip to BC. Right now, i want to do what's closest/easier.

Well, to start planning first i need to establish how many days would be advisable to stay in each place given my travel frame. If any Canadian/ seasoned Canada FTer can provide with tips that would be wonderful.
I live in TO and have visited these cities many times with visiting family and friends. You have enough time to visit all 4 cities.
Starting with TO. Have you visited Niagara falls? If not, add this to your trip. It is 1.5hrs drive from TO. You can also overnight in Niagara but visit on a weekday as during the summer months it is very busy and expensive on weekends. Stay in a hotel on Fallsview Blvd and get a room with a view of teh falls - my preference is the Embassy suites or Marriott. Lots to do in TO and recommendations include a harbor cruise, theatre (second best after NY), Jays game if into sports, ROM musuem and a host of other stuff. Stay downtown if you can as you should be able to walk to most places. Decent public transport too. Most summer weekends there are major events downtown so you can choose to attend or skip. 3-5 days including Niagara.
TO to Montreal or Ottawa is around 5-6 hrs drive. Or take the coach or train. Not much to see on the drive other than flat fields so the objective is to get there quickly. I will leave the where to stay ond what do do to Montreal natives.
Ottawa is 2 hrs from Montreal. Plenty of bus options if you do not want to drive. Stay within walking distance of parliament which you should visit along with the Byward market and museums, etc. You might need 2 days max. Book your parliament tour in advance as there can be a delay during the summer months.
I love Quebec city. Closest thing to Paris without going to Paris. Stay in the old walled city and may favourite hotel is the Fairmont with a view of the river. Walk the cobbestone city, eat on the patios, visit the falls and the cathedral.
Welcome to Canada. You will have a great time.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 12:57 pm
  #9  
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Wow guys thanks!! What a knowledge and great great tips i have stumbled with all of your delicate advice

Plans have progressed A LOT since i started the thread, and ever since i have added Mt Tremblant to also my places to visit. The schedule will look like this: Toronto-Niagara Falls-Thousands Islands-Ottawa-Mt Tremblant-Quebec-Montreal.

Upon arriving from Miami will stay the first 5 days exploring Toronto, while we wait for our tour to commence. I found an amazing tour booked through my tour operator in my country that will take us to all of these places, with all airport/hotel transfers included, transfer to each city, spanish speaking tour guide, hotel, breakfasts, boat trips in Niagara and Thousand Islands included along some other tix in Quebec and Montreal. They will take us to most major landmarks along free days to explore. Stays at Toronto,Ottawa, Mt Tremblant,Quebec and Montreal.

Bought the Toronto CityPass for the 3 of us and sent the booklets to our home. We will spend between the 12 and 17 in Toronto before starting the tour. So lots of time to explore. From the 18 to the 26 will be on a tour visiting all of these places. I guess in a particular van as the tour is custom arranged to us, so the stress on how to get between each cities, if to rent a car, where to park ... go train or take the bus is gone. We are also not limited in luggage and baggage handlers are included. The 26, last day we will take a YUL-YYZ flight on WestJet that i already purchased and connect later YYZ-MIA. I will stay for another month vacationing at Miami and then return in September to Caracas.

So far i don't have the first 6 nights in Toronto, these are on my own dime. I am looking in the $150ish range tops per night, for the 6 orphan nights , but i find myself liking hotels in the $150-200ish range. Either way, what i have done is contact the tour operator to see if they can find us a preferred rate, in the same hotel where the tour starts, so we don't have to be changing hotels and moving around. The predefined hotel for the tour start would be the Chelsea hotel at Toronto. I don't really mind about the hotels, as the price was good and while location is good,everything is great. How is that area?

Well all in all, this is so far what i have.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 4:08 pm
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[QUOTE=mvtm;26538547]Wow guys thanks!! What a knowledge and great great tips i have stumbled with all of your delicate advice

Plans have progressed A LOT since i started the thread, and ever since i have added Mt Tremblant to also my places to visit. The schedule will look like this: Toronto-Niagara Falls-Thousands Islands-Ottawa-Mt Tremblant-Quebec-Montreal.

Upon arriving from Miami will stay the first 5 days exploring Toronto, while we wait for our tour to commence. I found an amazing tour booked through my tour operator in my country that will take us to all of these places, with all airport/hotel transfers included, transfer to each city, spanish speaking tour guide, hotel, breakfasts, boat trips in Niagara and Thousand Islands included along some other tix in Quebec and Montreal. They will take us to most major landmarks along free days to explore. Stays at Toronto,Ottawa, Mt Tremblant,Quebec and Montreal.

Bought the Toronto CityPass for the 3 of us and sent the booklets to our home. We will spend between the 12 and 17 in Toronto before starting the tour. So lots of time to explore. From the 18 to the 26 will be on a tour visiting all of these places. I guess in a particular van as the tour is custom arranged to us, so the stress on how to get between each cities, if to rent a car, where to park ... go train or take the bus is gone. We are also not limited in luggage and baggage handlers are included. The 26, last day we will take a YUL-YYZ flight on WestJet that i already purchased and connect later YYZ-MIA. I will stay for another month vacationing at Miami and then return in September to Caracas.

So far i don't have the first 6 nights in Toronto, these are on my own dime. I am looking in the $150ish range tops per night, for the 6 orphan nights , but i find myself liking hotels in the $150-200ish range. Either way, what i have done is contact the tour operator to see if they can find us a preferred rate, in the same hotel where the tour starts, so we don't have to be changing hotels and moving around. The predefined hotel for the tour start would be the Chelsea hotel at Toronto. I don't really mind about the hotels, as the price was good and while location is good,everything is great. How is that area?

Well all in all, this is so far what i have.[/QUOT

it is a good hotel and near a upscale area with a mall next door. Centrally located.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 4:16 pm
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Originally Posted by mvtm
The predefined hotel for the tour start would be the Chelsea hotel at Toronto. I don't really mind about the hotels, as the price was good and while location is good,everything is great. How is that area?
The Chelsea location is fine. The area in general is not spectacular but it's not bad. Directly north of the hotel is a building called Aura - fun fact; it's currently the tallest residential building in Canada. A few hundred metres away is Queen's Park which is the legislative building for the province of Ontario. You can take tours there - worth checking out.

5 days in Toronto is a fair bit of time. You should figure out a few places to see then use the TTC website to work out how to get there via public transit. Your alternatives will be Uber, taxis or renting a car.

Do go to the islands though probably best not to go on Saturday or Sunday as they'll be very crowded especially if the weather is nice. I too recommend Pacific Mall and the Aga Khan Museum. The restaurant at Aga Khan is pretty good for lunch. Do try the food court in Pacific Mall (upstairs); it's small but the food is good at all of the stalls.

In downtown Toronto there's the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hockey may or may not be your cup of tea but if you're interested in the game, a visit to the museum is worthwhile. Even if you're not into hockey, do go to Brookfield Place which is the building the Hall of Fame is in. You should admire the Galleria - it's worth seeing. The Marche restaurant is a nice place for a casual lunch or dinner, though it can get expensive if you don't watch out.

Hard to get to without a car - the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. It's a centre devoted to the study of the Hindu faith. Like I said, hard to get there without a car and that's a shame because it's so worth seeing the architecture. The main hall upstairs is beyond stunning; it's so breathtakingly beautiful.

I assume your tour of Ottawa will include Parliament Hill. The tour of the building is free so make sure you get in there. I like just walking around the Hill too; not many people go to the back but I like to go. Across the bridge you'll find the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization). That's a really good one to go to. Back in Ottawa you should walk through the Byward Market and try taking a tour of Rideau Hall which is the official residence of the Governor General. (The GG is the official representative of Her Majesty the Queen who is Head of State for Canada.)

Oops - gotta go now. Will try to drop this thread and post more later on.

Last edited by RCyyz; Apr 26, 2016 at 4:54 pm
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 4:58 pm
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One quick add - in Ottawa you can visit the mint. Sadly they don't really print money here anymore - that's all done in Winnipeg. But the Ottawa mint is where it all started and I think they still make the dies here.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 5:56 pm
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This might not be of interest, depending on where your interests lie, but if you were to rent a car while in Toronto, you could head about 2 hours north to "cottage country" in Muskoka. If you like nature and wanted to see some beautiful countryside, you could stay in Huntsville at Deerhurst Resort and do some sightseeing, then do the cross country route through Algonquin Park to Ottawa. Way more interesting than the 400 and QEW

Of course, I'm partial to the area - relatives and a cottage on Lake of Bays.
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Old Apr 26, 2016, 6:16 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by RCyyz
I assume your tour of Ottawa will include Parliament Hill. The tour of the building is free so make sure you get in there. I like just walking around the Hill too; not many people go to the back but I like to go. Across the bridge you'll find the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization). That's a really good one to go to. Back in Ottawa you should walk through the Byward Market and try taking a tour of Rideau Hall which is the official residence of the Governor General. (The GG is the official representative of Her Majesty the Queen who is Head of State for Canada.)

Oops - gotta go now. Will try to drop this thread and post more later on.
Yes, yes of course i'm going to Parliament Hill, i would die if not. I love that building and it's like the #1 thing to do there.

So far of my Ottawa list i have:

1 Change of guard Parliament Hill (Free tour- arrive early morning)
- Peace Tower

2. Try the BeaverTails

3. Canada Museum of History

4. Stroll the Rideau Canal
- Climb into the Chateau Laurier

And if i have time, maybe add mint? and Rideau Hall! Yes, i agree with you i would love the Canadian Museum of History, in fact i checked a few that are in Ottawa and the one i liked the best to go was that one. From Toronto i'll like the AGO too, seems more enticing to me even than the ROM, but of course i'll do both. I'm female and i'm not really into seeing a Hockey Hall of fame museum... really.. it's not my cup of tea, i think i will skip that one but thanks.

Thanks so much for the tips.

If i stay at the Chelsea (i will know this week), what are some good places to eat nearby the hotel? Also, i forgot what you guys recommend me for the Toronto metro passes? Can i get a good value public transportation ticket or day passes are best?

What other areas are better than Chelsea? I heard a lot about Yonge,Yorkeville and everything with Y is supposed to be trendy. I'm not looking exactly for expensive things but do like to a broader panorama about Toronto different neighborhoods and/or areas.

Originally Posted by vernonc
it is a good hotel and near a upscale area with a mall next door. Centrally located.
That's nice to hear, location for me is prime.

Originally Posted by weblet
This might not be of interest, depending on where your interests lie, but if you were to rent a car while in Toronto, you could head about 2 hours north to "cottage country" in Muskoka. If you like nature ...
Sadly i don't think i'll be able to add an extra excursion 2 hours away, frankly i'm happy with all the things i must do at Toronto. I like nature... but my parents not so much. They are in their 70 and 80's and they have never been nature or animal fans, but thanks!!

Originally Posted by weblet
...more interesting than the 400 and QEW
What's QEW and 400?

I will post more details as soon as i have them. I'm taking notes of all your recommendations for a better trip experience.
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Old Apr 27, 2016, 4:42 am
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Originally Posted by mvtm
What's QEW and 400?
Haha, the highways to Niagara Falls and east to Montreal

Oh, and get some fresh Ontario peaches while there, they should be coming in. Yum!
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