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 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
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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
5 4 3 2 1
 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. Throughout the book, look for:

Finds Special finds—those places only insiders know about

Fun Fact Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips
more fun

Kids Best bets for kids and advice for the whole family

Moments Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of

Overrated Places or experiences not worth your time or money

Tips Insider tips—great ways to save time and money

Value Great values—where to get the best deals

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:

AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard

Frommers.com
Now that you have the guidebook to a great trip, visit our website at www.frommers.com
for travel information on more than 3,000 destinations. With features updated regularly,
we give you instant access to the most current trip-planning information available. At
Frommers.com, you’ll also find the best prices on airfares, accommodations, and car
rentals—and you can even book travel online through our travel booking partners. At
Frommers.com, you’ll also find the following:
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 What’s New in Montréal &
Québec City
M ontréal continues its muscular
recovery from the economic malaise
other Canadians, their welcome for
individual American visitors remains as
and political agitations of the 1990s. warm and generous as ever.
Optimism and prosperity have returned, PLANNING YOUR TRIP Even in
and with them, an era of good feeling the face of a slide against several of the
likely to last well into the future. The world’s major currencies, the U.S. dol-
Canadian dollar has strengthened lar continues to be relatively strong
somewhat against its U.S. counterpart against the Canadian version, making
(although not so much as to diminish Québec an increasingly rare travel bar-
Québec’s desirability as a tourist desti- gain for American travelers.
nation), unemployment is the lowest in While Montréal is one of the easier
many years, and a billion-dollar con- cities to get around by private car, it
struction boom continues. also has an excellent subway system,
One big change for residents was the Métro, which reaches every attrac-
the creation of a new megacity, effec- tion and neighborhood of interest to
tive January 2002. The 28 towns and visitors. Note that the name of the
cities that occupy the Island of Mon- stop formerly known as Ile Ste-Hélène
tréal were merged into a metropolis of is now Parc Jean-Drapeau.
1.8 million inhabitants, making it the
second-largest city in Canada after WHERE TO STAY A perhaps irra-
Toronto. Almost inevitably, a move- tional exuberance has caused a surge in
ment is afoot to reverse the action. hotel construction, notably in the
After 9 years of governance by the historic riverside district known as
avowedly separatist Parti Québecois, Vieux-Montréal (Old Montréal). An
which expended much of its energy unprecedented taste for boutique
attempting to persuade the citizenry to hotels got underway in 2001 with the
separate Québec from the rest of stylish, 48-room Hôtel Place d’Armes,
Canada, the provincial government is 701 Côte de la Place d’Armes (& 888/
now under the power of the federalist 450-1887). Recent additions to the
Liberal party. Separatist sentiment has scene include Hôtel St-Paul, 355 rue
been muffled, at least for the moment, McGill (& 866/380-2202); the Hôtel
and occupies much less daily discussion Le Saint-Sulpice, 48 rue Le Royer
than it used to. The cultural divide (& 877/785-7423); the Hôtel XIXe
between the Francophone majority and siècle, 262 rue St-Jacques (& 877/
Anglophone and Allophone minorities 553-0019); the Hôtel Gault, 447–449
hasn’t melted away, but it certainly rue Ste-Hélène (& 866/904-1616);
has mellowed. And while Quebecers the Hôtel Nelligan, 106 St-Paul ouest
were even more vigorously against the (& 877/788-2040); and the supre-
American-British war in Iraq than mely luxurious Hôtel Le St-James,
2 W H AT ’ S N E W

354 rue St-Jacques ouest (& 866/841- Very different, and also hugely popu-
3111). The largest has 120 rooms, the lar, is Au Pied de Cochon, 536 rue
smallest 30. In an admirable trend, all Duluth est (& 514/281-1116). It
seven are housed in rehabilitated struc- looks like just another storefront
tures dating from the 19th and early eatery, but what they do with such
20th centuries. Most of the boutique damn-the-cholesterol fare as foie gras
hotels also opened restaurants of note, hamburgers and immense slabs of
ranging from competent to superior in pork, lamb, and venison keep it
service and cuisine, notably Le Restau- packed to the walls every night.
rant, at the Saint-Sulpice; and Verses, There have been sushi joints in
at the Nelligan. See chapters 4 and 5 Montréal since the fad hit North
for more details on the hotels and their America 30 years ago, but they were
restaurants. rare. Until now. Feeding a new explo-
In Québec City, a similar but less sion of interest in artfully presented raw
explosive trend has seen a surge of fish is the four-outlet Québec chain,
boutique hotels in recycled buildings Soto. Its Old Montréal location is at
in the Lower Town. One of the first, 500 rue McGill (& 514/864-5115),
the superb Dominion 1912, 126 rue where Japanese chefs hone their excel-
St-Pierre (& 888/833-5253), has lent sushi-making skills.
been extremely successful. The more Not one to sit around counting his
conventional Hôtel Palace Royal, profits, chef-entrepreneur David
775 av. Honoré-Mercier (& 800/567- Macmillan has extended the formula
5276) is a new link in a small family- that made his Buona Notte and Globe
run chain, with a faux-tropical indoor restaurants such hits to newcomer
pool and a good location near the Rosalie, 1232 rue de la Montagne
St-Jean Gate in the old city wall. See (& 514/392-1970). No question,
chapter 12 for details. what appears on the plate is always
WHERE TO DINE Québecois good, but that doesn’t explain how his
were a little slow to open up to the enterprises continue to attract legions
food revolution that swept most of of chic locals, powerbrokers, and visit-
North America in the ’80s and ’90s. ing celebs by the limo-load. Join
Montréal’s better restaurants were them. See chapter 5 for more details
good to excellent, but they were on the dining scene in Montréal.
French, with a few Italian options Culinary changes are less frequent
throw in. That’s changed, with a in smaller Québec City, but one of its
vengeance. Area, 1429 rue Amherst most romantic eateries, Le Saint-
(& 514/890-6691), Le Blanc, 3435 Amour, 48 rue Ste-Ursule (& 418/
bd. St-Laurent (& 514/288-9909), 694-0667), has regained its footing
Chao Phraya, 50 av. Laurier (& 514/ after a couple of years of decline that
272-5339), Leméac, 1045 av. Laurier saw changes in ownership and in the
(& 514/270-0999), are a clutch of kitchen. The main room has been
admirable newcomers. Another excel- expensively redecorated and the wait-
lent newbie is Savannah, 4448 bd. staff trained to a finer edge. Make
St-Laurent (& 514/904-0277), an time for the Voodoo Grill, 575 Grand
airy renovated space on an upper Allée (& 418/647-2000). Geopoliti-
block of The Main. “Southern Fusion” cal references are a little confused,
is what the owner and former chef with a decor of African masks and
calls his divinely tasty food, as much food from around the Pacific Rim, but
inspired by the specialties of the Car- the eats are surprisingly good, and
olina Low Country as the better- assuming you don’t require Bach and
known Creole/Cajun of Louisiana. quietude with your dinner, you’ll
 W H AT ’ S N E W 3

enjoy the energy of the good-looking AFTER DARK Montréal’s racy

young clientele. For this year’s hot-hot- nightlife reputation dates from the
hottest restaurant, get out of the tourist 1920s Great Experiment south of its
district and find your way downtown border. Hearty partiers still pour into
to Yuzu, 438 rue de L’Eglise (& 418/ the city for the season of summer
521-7253). This knockout uses the festivals that celebrate jazz, comedy,
traditions of sushi as a launching pad to and ethnic cultures.
rocket off in directions rarely experi- Although some of Montréal’s newest
enced in North America. Almost as music bars, dance clubs, and otherwise
astonishing, the blokes behind the joint unclassifiable retreats are too hot not to
are only in their mid-twenties. Don’t cool down, an incendiary list of possi-
miss it. See chapter 13. bilities along St-Laurent includes the
Incidentally, new regulations now Upperclub, no. 3519 (& 514/285-
require nonsmoking sections in 4464), Orchid, no. 3556 (& 514/
restaurants throughout the province— 848-6398), B’Bops Vodka Lounge,
no small thing in heavy-puffing no. 3603 (& 514/282-3332), and
Québec. Le Pistol, no. 3723 (& 514/847-222).
SIGHTSEEING Utilizing a variety In the whatizit category is Oasis
of technological tricks and displays, Oxygène, no. 4059 (& 514/284-
the new science centre (Le Centre des 1196), a New Age lounge that serves
Sciences de Montréal), King Edward no alcohol, but offers chair massage
Pier, Vieux-Port, Montréal (& 514/ combined with oxygen inhalation. See
496-4724), intends to enlighten visi- chapter 9 for more details on the Mon-
tors, especially young ones, about sci- tréal nightlife scene.
ence. Its most popular component by On Québec City’s boisterous
far is its IMAX Theater, with powerful Grande Allée, two grungy new bar/
images on a screen at least four stories dance clubs are the Liquid Bar, 580
high. La Ronde Amusement Park, Grande Allée (& 418/524-1367), and
Parc des Iles, Ile Ste-Hélène, Montréal the Living Lounge, 690 Grande Allée
(& 800/797-4537), home to 35 rides (& 418/521-1885). Crowds are in
and the annual international fireworks their late teens and early twenties, and
competition, was teetering on the edge T-shirts and jeans, or the cold-weather
of bankruptcy when it was rescued equivalent, make up the dress code.
in 2001 by the Six Flags empire. For chic adult crowds, Chez Dagob-
Improvements in maintenance and ert, 600 Grande Allée (& 418/522-
attractions are slowly becoming appar- 2645), and Maurice, 575 Grande
ent, with several new thrill rides now Allée (& 418/647-2000), still rule.
in operation. See chapter 6. See chapter 17.
1
The Best of Montréal
& Québec City
T he duality of Canadian life has been called the “Twin Solitudes.” One
Canada, English and Calvinist in origin, tends to be staid, smug, and work-
obsessed. The other, French and Catholic, is more creative, lighthearted, and
inclined to see pleasure as the end purpose of labor. Or so go the stereotypes.
These two peoples live side by side throughout Québec and in the nine
provinces of English Canada, but the blending occurs in particularly intense
fashion in Québec province’s largest city, Montréal. French speakers, known as
Francophones, constitute 66% of the city’s population, while most of the
remaining population speaks English—Anglophones. (The growing number of
residents who have another primary tongue, and speak neither English nor
French, are called Allophones.) Although both groups are decidedly North
American, they are no more alike than Margaret Thatcher and Charles de
Gaulle.
Montréal is a modern city in every regard. Its downtown bristles with sky-
scrapers, but many of them are playful, almost perky, with unexpected shapes
and bright, uncorporate colors. The city above ground is mirrored by another
below, where an entire winter can be avoided in coatless comfort. To the west
and north of downtown are Anglo commercial and residential neighborhoods,
centered around Westmount. To the east and north are Francophone quartiers,
notably Plateau Mont-Royal and Outremont. In between are the many dialects
and skin tones of the immigrant rainbow.
Over the past decade, there was an undeniable impression of decline in Mon-
tréal. A bleak mood prevailed, driven by lingering recession and uncertainty over
the future. After all, it still remained possible that Québec would choose to fling
itself into independence from the rest of Canada. Lately, though, passions have
cooled, in part because the separatist Parti Québécois was defeated in 2003 by
the federalist Liberal Party.
Something else is going on: Ripples of optimism have become waves, spread-
ing through the province and its largest city. The Canadian dollar has been
strengthening against its U.S. counterpart. Unemployment in Québec, long in
double digits, shrank to under 6%, the lowest percentage in more than 2 decades,
and below that of archrival Toronto. In another (perhaps connected) trend, crime
in Montréal (already one of the safest cities in North America), hit a 20-year low
in 2000. Favorable currency exchange and the presence of skilled workers have
made the city a favored site for Hollywood film and TV production. The rash
of “For Rent” and “For Sale” signs that disfigured the city in the 1990s has evap-
orated, replaced by a welcome shortage of store and office space and a billion-
dollar building boom that’s filling up vacant plots all over downtown. The
beloved old hockey arena was converted to a dining and entertainment center
F R O M M E R ’ S FA V O R I T E M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y E X P E R I E N C E S 5

called Forum Pepsi, and La Ronde, a popular amusement park that was experi-
encing a sharp decline that threatened to end in bankruptcy, was saved by its sale
to the Six Flags empire. A new convention center opened in 2002. Somewhat
controversial in its vividly colorful design, it nonetheless is expected to enhance
the city’s desirability as a meeting place.
To be sure, not every project has enjoyed smooth sailing. A plan to build a
downtown baseball stadium collapsed soon after it was proposed, as did a plan
for a new theme park. But those stumbles won’t matter to American visitors, for
whom Montréal already might seem an urban near-paradise. The subway sys-
tem, called the Métro, is modern and swift. Streets are clean and safe. Montréal’s
best restaurants are the equal of their south-of-the-border compatriots in every
way, yet they are as much as 30% to 40% cheaper. And the government gives
visitors back most of the taxes it collects from them.
Québec City is less sophisticated, more conservative, and more French. With
its impressive location above the St. Lawrence River and its virtually unblem-
ished Old Town of 18th- and 19th-century houses, it even looks French. Prob-
ably 95% of its residents speak French, and far fewer are bilingual, as most
Montréalers are. (In the province as a whole, about 81% of citizens are Fran-
cophone.) With that homogeneity and its status as the supposed capital of a
future independent nation, citizens seem to suffer less angst over what might
happen down the road. They are also aware that a critical part of their economy
is based on tourism, and they are far less likely to vent the open hostility that
American visitors not infrequently experience in English Canada.

1 Frommer’s Favorite Montréal & Québec City Experiences

MONTREAL the renowned Montréal Jazz Festi-
• Exploring Vieux-Montréal. The val. See chapter 9, “Montréal
old city is filled with old-world After Dark,” and p. 23.
flavor. Wander Place Jacques- • Savoring French and Interna-
Cartier, the most engaging of the tional Cuisine. Experience all of
old city’s squares; explore muse- French cuisine’s permutations—
ums and the stunning architecture traditional, haute, bistro, original
of the churches; and stroll along Québecois. Also sample the city’s
the revitalized waterfront. See Cal-Asian hybrids and the legion
chapter 6, “Exploring Montréal,” of ethnic restaurants representing
and the walking tour of Vieux- dozens of foreign cuisines, notably
Montréal in chapter 7. Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese,
• Feasting on Table d’Hôte Spe- Greek, Polish, and Indian. See
cials. Indulge in three or four chapter 5, “Where to Dine in
courses for a fixed price that is Montréal.”
only slightly more than the cost of • Shopping. Browse the shops of
an a la carte main course alone. world-class domestic designers,
Most full-service restaurants offer from the up-and-coming to the
the table d’hôte, if only at midday. well established; search for Inuit
See chapter 5, “Where to Dine in (Eskimo) sculptures of the highest
Montréal.” order (with prices to match); and
• Listening to Jazz. Downtown, take in the dozens of eclectic
Old Town, the Latin Quarter, all antiques shops along rue Notre-
over, this is a favorite pastime of Dame between rue Guy and rue
locals and visitors alike, especially Atwater. See chapter 8, “Montréal
in late June and early July during Shopping.”
6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY

QUEBEC CITY Grande-Allée—a quality-of-life

• Admiring the Skyline from the invention the French and their
Lévis Ferry. The ferry provides Québecois brethren have per-
quite a view for very little money, fected. See chapter 13, “Where to
and passengers can stay on board Dine in Québec City.”
and come right back without dis- • Relaxing in Battlefields Park
embarking. See p. 237. (Parc des Champs-de-Bataille).
• Discovering the Blossoming This park is beautifully situated,
Lower Town. All but abandoned overlooking the St. Lawrence
to shipping and grimy industry, River, and is particularly lively on
the old riverside neighborhood is weekends, when families and
being reborn, with antiques shops, lovers come here to picnic and
bistros, and boutique hotels filling play. See p. 233.
its rehabilitated 18th- and 19th- • Strolling and Lounging on the
century buildings. See chapter 14, Terrasse Dufferin. Captivating
“Exploring Québec City,” and the Québec City is at its best here,
walking tour of the Lower Town in with the copper-spired Château
chapter 15, “Québec City Strolls.” Frontenac rearing up behind, the
• Lingering at an Outdoor Cafe. Lower Town below, and ferries,
Tables are set out at place freighters, and pleasure craft mov-
d’Armes, in the Quartier du ing on the broad, silvered river.
Petit-Champlain, and along the See p. 237.

2 Best Hotel Bets

MONTREAL • Best for a Romantic Getaway:
• Best Historic Hotel: No contest. With ancient cut-stone walls, swags
The Ritz-Carlton Montréal, 1228 of velvet and brocade, and tilting
rue Sherbrooke ouest (& 800/ floors that Benjamin Franklin once
363-0366 or 514/842-4212), has trod upon, as well as a baronial din-
been around since 1913, giving it a ing room and a breakfast nook
half-century lead on the closest under a peaked glass roof, La Mai-
competition. See p. 65. son Pierre du Calvet, 405 rue
• Best for Business Travelers: A Bonsecours (& 866/544-1725 or
closer call, with several worthy 514/282-1725), provokes memo-
candidates, but Fairmont The ries of lovers’ hotels by the Seine.
Queen Elizabeth, 900 bd. René- See p. 71.
Lévesque ouest (& 800/441-1414 • Best Old Boutique Hotel: Not
or 514/861-3511), gets the nod really that old, Hôtel Le Germain,
for its central location atop the 2050 rue Mansfield (& 877/333-
railroad station, concierge floors, 2050 or 514/849-2050), brought a
fully equipped health club, and needed jolt of panache to the too-
excellent bus connections to the often stodgy corps of downtown
airport. See p. 61. business hotels, and helped inspire
• Best New Luxury Hotel Down- a boomlet in small, stylish hotels in
town: The nearby Omni, Ritz, Vieux-Montréal. See p. 65.
and Vogue are challenged by the • Best New Boutique Hotels
first Canadian branch of a perva- (Posh Category): In Old Mon-
sive chain, the Sofitel, 1155 rue tréal, the Hôtel Le St-James, 355
Sherbrooke (& 877/285-9001 or rue St-Jacques (& 866/841-3111
514/285-9000), which matches its or 514/841-3111) raises the bar to
rivals in every detail. See p. 65.
 B E S T H OT E L B E T S 7

an almost impossibly high level, budget category (as low as

with a superbly sybaritic spa and C$120/US$85 for a double) at
gorgeous grand hall, but the the Holiday Inn Montréal-Mid-
Hôtel Nelligan, 106 rue St-Paul town, 420 rue Sherbrooke ouest
ouest (& 877/788-2040 or 514/ (& 800/387-3042 or 514/842-
788-2040) counters with a great 6111). See p. 67.
full-service restaurant and roof- • Best B&B: Located in a 1723
top terrace. See p. 68 for Hôtel Le house in Vieux-Montréal, Auberge
St-James and p. 70 for Hôtel Nel- Les Passants du Sans Soucy, 171
ligan. rue St-Paul ouest (& 514/842-
• Best New Boutique Hotels (Min- 2634), is more upscale and stylish
imalist Category): Also in Old than most of its peers, and
Montréal, Hôtel St-Paul, 355 rue it’s located near the top restaurants
McGill (& 866/380-2202 or 514/ and clubs in the old town. See
380-2222), softens its austere lines p. 72.
with fur throws, while the eagerly • Best Service: It’s tough to choose
anticipated Hôtel Gault, at 449 among the troops at the Hôtel Le
rue Ste-Hélène (& 866/904-1616 St-James (see “Best Lobby for Pre-
or 514/904-1616) leaves its raw tending That You’re Rich,” above),
concrete walls uncovered and uses the Ritz-Carlton Montréal (see
furniture that was startlingly mod- “Best Historic Hotel,” above), and
ern in the 1950s. See p. 70 for the Hôtel Inter-Continental
Hôtel St-Paul and p. 68 for Hôtel Montréal, 360 rue St-Antoine
Gault. ouest (at Bleury; & 800/361-3600
• Best Lobby for Pretending That or 514/987-9900). All three teams
You’re Rich: A tie—the woody, display an almost equal amount of
hushed Ritz-Carlton Montréal grace and care when it comes to
(see “Best Historic Hotel,” above) tending to their guests. See p. 68,
exudes old money, while the new p. 65, and p. 69 for each hotel,
Hôtel Le St-James (see “Best New respectively.
Boutique Hotels [Posh Category],” • Best Location: Airport buses
above), caters to the cellphone and leave regularly from the front door
international tailored-clothing set. of Fairmont The Queen Eliza-
See p. 65 for the Ritz-Carlton beth (see “Best for Business Trav-
Montréal and p. 68 for Hôtel Le elers,” above). The main railroad
St-James. station is just a couple of levels
• Best for Families: The Delta down in the hotel elevator, and
Montréal, 475 avenue du Presi- most of the major corporate
dent-Kennedy (& 877/286-1986 buildings are accessible through
or 514/286-1986), keeps the kids the corridors of the underground
blissfully waterlogged with two city. See p. 61.
pools—one inside, one outside. • Best Health Club: Hôtel Omni
The young ones can also be placed Mont-Royal, 1050 rue Sherbrooke
under watchful eyes in the play ouest (& 514/284-1110), lays on
center, giving their parents a aerobics classes with instructors,
break. See p. 67. free weights and weight machines
• Best Moderately Priced Hotel: and Exercycles, as well as saunas, a
True, there are no surprises here, steam room, whirlpools, and mas-
but the service is attentive, and the sages to recover from the workout.
cheapest rooms dip into the See p. 64. Fairmont The Queen
8 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY

Elizabeth (see “Best Location”, QUEBEC CITY

above), is a close second. See • Best Historic Hotel: Fairmont Le
p. 61. Château Frontenac, 1 rue des Car-
• Best Hotel Pool: Most of the big rières (& 800/828-7447 or 418/
downtown hotels have heated 692-3861), is more than a century
pools, but at the Hilton Montréal old. It was one of the first hotels
Bonaventure, 1 place Bonaven- built to serve railroad passengers
ture (& 800/267-2575 or 514/ and to encourage tourism at a time
878-2332), you can slip into the when most people stayed close to
pool indoors and stroke into the home—and it still rewards a visit.
outdoors without leaving the See p. 209.
water, even in January. See p. 64. • Best for Business Travelers: A tie.
• Best Views: With 32 stories, the Both the Hilton Québec, 1100
Hôtel Omni Mont-Royal (see bd. René-Lévesque est (& 800/
“Best Health Club,” above) has 447-2411 or 418/647-6508), and
some of the loftiest rooms, with the Delta Québec, 690 bd. René-
some of the most panoramic Lévesque est (& 888/884-7777
views, in town. See p. 64. in Canada, 800/333-3333 from

The Best of Montréal & Québec City Online

You can find lots of information on Montréal and Québec City on the
Internet. Here are a few of our favorite planning and general infor-
mation sites.
• Bonjour Québec (www.tourisme.gouv.qc.ca), the official site of the
government of the Province of Québec, endeavors to be a compre-
hensive information bank about all things Québec, and nearly suc-
ceeds. You’ll find information on upcoming events and ongoing
attractions, and you can search for hotels and reserve online.
• Bonjour à la Montréal (www.tourisme-montreal.org), another offi-
cial tourism site, constitutes a first source that hits the highlights
rather than delves at depth. Click the “traveler” box for a directory
of attractions, guided tours, entertainment, accommodations, and
restaurants. Be sure to scope the “Sweet Deals” on lodging and
activities from October to May.
• Montréal Online (www.montrealonline.com) is a site packed with
festival schedules, a slew of theater and dance reviews, interactive
music listings, a bar guide, and movie listings. Can’t decide? Let the
site’s condensed “The Very Best of Montréal” section guide you.
• Hour (www.hour.ca) is a Montréal culture magazine that highlights
local happenings. Read entertainingly grumpy and often profane
takes on current events from several columnists, as well as regularly
updated restaurant and film reviews.
• Québec (www.quebecregion.com) is sponsored by the Greater
Québec Area Tourism and Convention Bureau and is full of infor-
mation about Québec City’s accommodations, attractions, sports,
shopping, dining, history, and culture.
 BEST DINING BETS 9

elsewhere, or 418/647-1717), Basse-Ville. It is especially fash-

have as central locations as can be ionable among the younger busi-
found, with good fitness centers ness set. See p. 216.
and executive floors with con- • Best Location: Where else? For
cierges and business services. See tourists, nothing can beat Fair-
p. 213. mont Le Château Frontenac (see
• Best for a Romantic Getaway: “Best Historic Hotel,” above) for
It’s hard to beat curling up with a proximity to all the sights. In fact,
glass of wine beside the fire in the the Château is one of the sights.
country-chic great room of the See p. 209.
Auberge Saint-Antoine, 10 rue • Best Health Club and Pool: At the
St-Antoine (& 888/692-2211 or Delta Québec (see “Best for Busi-
418/692-2211). See p. 215. ness Travelers,” above), weights,
• Best Boutique Hotel: The sleek Exercycles, and a workout room
Dominion 1912, 126 rue Saint- with instructors, as well as a
Pierre (& 888/833-5253 or 418/ whirlpool and sauna, will help you
692-2224), infuses a pre–World ease out the kinks. Slip into the
War I building with modernist heated pool inside and swim out
design, continuing a trend in to the open air. See p. 213.
designer hotels and inns in the

3 Best Dining Bets

For a discussion of dining in Québec, labels, carefully arranged not
see “Cuisine Haute, Cuisine Bas: simply by such broad regional cat-
Smoked Meat, Fiddleheads & Cari- egories as Bordeaux and Burgundy,
bou,” in the appendix. but by appellation. Prices run
well into three figures, but more
MONTREAL moderately priced bottles are also
• Best Spot for a Business Lunch: available. See p. 77.
Café de Paris, at the Ritz-Carlton, • Best Decor: With its exposed brick
1228 rue Sherbrooke ouest, at rue and stone walls, ceiling-high shelves
Drummond (& 514/842-4212), of wine behind the handsomely
won’t disappoint, at least in its turned-out center bar, and candle
deluxe setting and polished serv- flames flickering in the breezes
ice. See p. 65. through the big open windows
• Best Spot for a Celebration: No along the front and side, Modavie,
need to rake in stacks of chips at 1 rue St-Paul ouest in Vieux-Mon-
the gambling tables in the casino to tréal (& 514/287-9582), pleases
join the festive crowd at Nuances, the eye at every turn. See p. 85.
1 av. du Casino (& 514/392- • Best Value: At lunch, the all-you-
2708), the gracious multi-starred can-eat Indian buffet at Le Taj,
temple de cuisine on the top floor of 2077 rue Stanley, near rue Sher-
the casino. You’ll get superb serv- brooke (& 514/845-9015), is a
ice, astonishing food, and spectac- wonder. At dinner, even the expen-
ular views of the skyline to boot. sive four-course table d’hôte at Le
See p. 93. Bourlingueur, 363 St-François-
• Best Wine List: Les Halles, 1450 Xavier, near rue St-Paul (& 514/
rue Crescent, between rue Ste- 845-3646), comes in under C$16
Catherine and boulevard de (US$11). See p. 80 for Le Taj and
Maisonneuve (& 514/844-2328), p. 87 for Le Bourlingueur.
has a selection of more than 400
10 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY

• Best for Kids: On the assumption tastes best when preparations are
that a kid who doesn’t like pizza is simplest. Grills are paramount at
as rare as fish feathers, get over to Milos, 5357 av. du Parc (& 514/
Pizzédélic, on The Main at 3509 272-3522), and the fish is mere
bd. St-Laurent, near rue Sher- hours from the sea. See p. 91.
brooke (& 514/282-6784). They • Best Pizza: The name says it all:
have all manner of toppings, from Pizzédélic (see “Best for Kids,”
the utterly conventional to just above), where they do anything
short of odd, and pastas, too—all from same-old, same-old tomato
to be eaten while looking out at the and cheese to cutting-edge designer
street, or while enjoying the open concoctions with unlikely toppings
terrace in the back. See p. 91. like snails. See p. 91.
• Best Traditional French Cuisine: • Best Desserts: With patisseries on
Les Halles (see “Best Wine List,” every other corner, indulging in
above) has best illustrated the glo- creamy, gooey, blissfully caloric
ries of French cuisine for more sweets doesn’t require a difficult
than a quarter century with judi- search. But along boulevard
cious evolution in its cookery St-Laurent, make the effort to seek
rather than wrenching overhauls. out heavenly Kilo, 5206 bd.
See p. 77. St-Laurent, between rue Maguire
• Best Italian Cuisine: Super-chic and rue Fairmount (& 514/277-
Buona Notte, 3518 bd. St-Lau- 5039). They also have a branch
rent, near rue Sherbrooke (& 514/ at 1495 rue Ste-Catherine est
848-0644), may look as if it’s (& 514/596-3933). See p. 96.
more concerned with being a place • Best Late-Night Dining: Plateau
to be seen than with what it sends Mont-Royal’s most Parisian bistro,
out of the kitchen, but the pastas, L’Express, 3927 rue St-Denis,
focaccias, and risottos rival the at Rue Roy (& 514/845-5333),
occasional celebrity sightings. See doesn’t need a sign out front,
p. 89. because it stays full nightly until
• Best Mexican Cuisine: There’s a 3am (Sun only until 2am). Simple
party every night at Casa de but toothsome recipes prepared
Matéo, 440 rue St-François- with the freshest ingredients keep
Xavier, near rue St-Paul (& 514/ the night owls coming. See p. 90.
844-7448), starting with the bird- • Best Outdoor Dining: Serious
bath-sized margaritas and dancing food isn’t the lure at Le Jardin
on through fried cactus, ceviche, Nelson, 407 place Jacques-Cartier
and fish Veracruz. The infectious (& 514/861-5731). Music—clas-
enthusiasm of the staff is often sical or jazz—is what draws the
heightened by live mariachi music. crowds, who partake of sweet or
See p. 84. savory crepes or very good pizzas
• Best Thai Cuisine: Chao Phraya, under the crabapple tree in the
50 av. Laurier ouest, near bd. garden. See p. 87.
St-Laurent (& 514/272-5339), • Best People-Watching: Any of a
purveys examples of a most com- dozen cafes along St-Denis will fit
plex Asian cooking style at good this bill, especially on weekends,
value in a sophisticated setting that when the Plateau Mont-Royal
eschews snarling gold temple dogs. boulevard comes alive. But Café
See p. 94. Cherrier, 3635 rue St-Denis, at
• Best Seafood: Fish is the mainstay rue Cherrier (& 514/843-4308),
of Greek cooking, and it often might be the most fun, if you can
 BEST DINING BETS 11

find a seat on the wraparound ter- partner Christine Lamarche keep

race. See p. 96. Toqué!, 3842 rue St-Denis, near
• Best Afternoon Tea: Gentility rue Roy (& 514/499-2084), in a
and correctness prevail at the Café league of its own. It’s postmodern,
de Paris in the Ritz-Carlton (see it’s postnouvelle, it’s dazzling!
“Best Spot for a Business Lunch,” Nipping at their heels, though, is
above), where high tea is sub- Nuances (see “Best Spot for a Cel-
limely reassuring at any time of ebration,” above). See p. 88 for
year, but best in spring and sum- Toqué! and p. 93 for Nuances.
mer, when service moves outdoors
next to the duck pond. See p. 65. QUEBEC CITY
• Best Brunch: Crepes with multi- • Best Spot for a Romantic Din-
tudes of fillings make for Frenchi- ner: Stars above, tables illumi-
fied brunches at Le Jardin Nelson nated by the flicker of candlelight,
(see “Best Outdoor Dining”, unobtrusive service, and even the
above), which are served in the gar- name, Le Saint-Amour, 48 rue
den, inside, or on the terrace facing Ste-Ursule (& 418/694-0667),
place Jacques-Cartier. See p. 87. bespeak romance. See p. 222.
• Best Smoked Meat: It’ll only • Best View: Revolving rooftop
throw another log on the local bat- restaurants rarely dish out food
tle for the title of “best smoked as elevated as their lofty venues.
meat,” which has blazed for at least L’Astral in the Loews Le Con-
a century, but Chez Schwartz corde hotel, 1225 cours du
Charcuterie Hébraïque de Mon- Général-de Montcalm (& 418/
tréal on The Main at 3895 bd. 647-2222) is an exception. The
St-Laurent, north of rue Prince- food here is above average and
Arthur (& 514/842-4813), serves the cost is entirely reasonable. See
up the definitive version of this p. 224.
untransplantable deli treat. See • Best Bistro: In a city that special-
p. 91. izes in the informal bistro tradi-
• Best Fast Food: Where else but tion, L’Echaudé, 73 rue Sault-au-
Chez Better, 160 rue Notre-Dame, Matelot, near rue St-Paul (& 418/
near place Jacques-Cartier (& 514/ 692-1299), is a star. Classic dishes
861-2617), where sausages and are all in place, from confit de
schnitzels dominate the menu, canard to steak frites. The dining
washed down with any of dozens of terrace is on a pedestrian-only
foreign beers. See p. 86. street. See p. 226.
• Best New Restaurant: The young • Best New Restaurant By Far:
chef at Area, 1429 rue Amherst, Yuzu, 438 rue de L’Eglise (& 418/
near rue Ste-Catherine (& 514/ 521-7253) is getting everyone’s
890-6691), made waves with his attention with a kitchen that
updated bistro food and huge experiments with original presen-
portions, and still does. But this tations of sushi and other Japanese
year’s other candidate has to be cuisine. Very hot. See p. 225.
Savannah, 4448 bd. St-Laurent • Best Restaurant (No Argu-
(& 514/904-0277), which offers ments!): Laurie Raphaël, 117 rue
an updated version of Southern Dalhousie (& 418/692-4555), is
American cookery. See p. 90 and named for the owners’ children, a
93. choice that isn’t lost on those din-
• Best Restaurant, Period: Ever- ers who devote great care to things
questing Normand Laprise and they hold important—family,
12 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY

friends, and the tables around • Best Pizza: For conventional and
which they gather. See p. 225. unusual toppings on crispy-thin
• Best Rockin’ Hot Spot With crusts that work better with a knife
Good Food: You don’t have to be and fork than fingers, hit Les
young, gorgeous, and hip to get Frères de la Côte, 1190 rue St-Jean
into the Voodoo Grill, 575 (& 418/692-5445). See p. 222.
Grande-Allée (& 418/647-2000), • Best People-Watching: Le Marie-
but there seems to be a lot of self- Clarisse’s (see “Best Seafood,”
selection going on. As part of a above) few outdoor tables—
complex that includes two bars and perched above the main pedes-
the Maurice disco, the noise level is trian intersection of Quartier du
brutal and the pace frantic, making Petit-Champlain—monopolize an
the surprisingly good food all the unsurpassed observation point. See
more remarkable. See p. 224. p. 226.
• Best Seafood: The owner of Le • Best Place to Take a Teenager:
Marie-Clarisse, 12 rue du Petit- Tasty pizzas and inventive pastas
Champlain (& 418/692-0857), coupled with a thumping stereo
selects all the just-off-the-boat and the noise level of a 20-lane
seafood served at his comfortable bowling alley make Les Frères de
bistro at the bottom of Breakneck la Côte (see “Best Pizza,” above) a
Stairs. There’s a fireplace inside logical choice for parents with
and a terrace outside. See p. 226. teens. See p. 222.
 2
Planning Your Trip to
Montréal & Québec City
M ontréal and Québec City have a stronger foreign flavor than other cities in
Canada, and the first language of most residents is French. But once you decide
to go, pulling together information on ways to get there, border formalities,
exchanging money, climate, lodging possibilities, and related details is almost as
easy as getting from Illinois to Florida. The information below and in the “Fast
Facts” sections in chapters 3 and 11 should help speed the process along.

1 Visitor Information
Québec tourism authorities produce Floor, New York, NY 10020-2201
volumes of detailed and highly useful (& 212/397-0200).
publications, and they’re easy to obtain In the U.K.: Délégation du
by mail, by phone, or in person. To Québec, 59 Pall Mall, London SW1Y
contact Tourisme Québec, write C.P. 5JH, England (& 071/930-8314);
979, Montréal, Québec H3C 2W3, High Commission of Canada, Canada
call & 877/266-5687, info@tourisme. House, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar
gouv.qc.ca, or visit their website at Square, London SW1Y 5BJ, England
www.bonjourquebec.com. (& 071/258-6600).
The Québec government maintains Besides these offices outside
a number of offices in the United Québec, the province has a large office
States and abroad, which can provide in Montréal (see contact information
specific tourism information about above), and there are convenient
the province: regional offices in Montréal and
In the U.S.: Délégation du Québec City as well. See “Visitor
Québec, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, 26th Information,” in chapters 3 and 11 for
more details on the regional offices.

2 Entry Requirements & Customs

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS U.S. State Department at http://
For information on how to get a pass- travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html.
port, see “Obtaining a Passport” at the U.S. citizens or permanent resi-
end of this section—the websites dents of the United States require nei-
listed provide downloadable passport ther passports nor visas but will need
applications as well as the current fees some proof of citizenship, such as a
for processing passport applications. birth certificate, plus a photo ID, to
For an up-to-date country-by-country enter Canada and to reenter the
listing of passport requirements United States. A passport is the logical
around the world, go to the “Foreign and preferred document, even though
Entry Requirement” web page of the it isn’t specifically required. Permanent
14 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

Tips Passport Savvy

Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing
normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (espe-
cially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry,
you’ll pay a higher processing fee. When traveling, safeguard your pass-
port in an inconspicuous, inaccessible place like a money belt and keep a
copy of the critical pages with your passport number in a separate place.
If you lose your passport, visit the nearest consulate of your native coun-
try as soon as possible for a replacement.

U.S. residents who are not citizens by mail, you can download passport
must have their Alien Registration applications from the U.S. State
Cards (Green Cards) with them. If Department website at http://travel.
you plan to drive into Canada, be sure state.gov. For general information,
to have your car’s registration handy as call the National Passport Agency
well. (& 202/647-0518). To find your
An important point for teenage regional passport office, either check
travelers: All persons under 19 require the U.S. State Department website or
a letter from a parent or guardian call the National Passport Informa-
granting them permission to travel to tion Center (& 900/225-5674); the
Canada. The letter must state the trav- fee is 55¢ per minute for automated
eler’s name and the duration of the information and $1.50 per minute for
trip. It is also essential that teenagers operator-assisted calls.
carry proof of identity with photo. For Residents of the United King-
Otherwise, the letter from Mom and dom To pick up an application for a
Dad is useless at the border. standard 10-year passport (5-year
An important point for parents: If passport for children under 16), visit
you are divorced, separated, or travel- your nearest passport office, major
ing without your spouse and are post office, or travel agency or contact
bringing your children to Canada, the United Kingdom Passport Ser-
bring a document, preferably nota- vice at & 0870/521-0410 or search
rized, certifying the permission of the its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.
other spouse or proof of legal custody.
Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, For Residents of Ireland You can
the United Kingdom, and Ireland apply for a 10-year passport at the
need only carry a valid passport. Citi- Passport Office, Setanta Centre,
zens of many other countries must Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (& 01/
have visas, applied for well in advance 671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh).
at their nearest Canadian embassy or Those under age 18 and over 65 must
consulate. Questions can be addressed apply for a €12 3-year passport. You
to the Canadian Immigration Divi- can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork
sion, place du Portage, 140 Prome- (& 021/272-525) or at most main
nade du Portage, Phase 4, Hull, post offices.
Québec K1A 1L1 (& 819/994-2424; For Residents of Australia You can
www.cic.gc.ca). pick up an application from your local
post office or any branch of Passports
O B TA I N I N G A PA S S P O R T Australia, but you must schedule an
For Residents of the United States interview at the passport office to
Whether you’re applying in person or
 E N T RY R E Q U I R E M E N T S & C U S TO M S 15

present your application materials. For more detailed information con-

Call the Australian Passport Infor- cerning Customs regulations, write to
mation Service at & 131-232, or the Canada Customs Office, 400
visit the government website at www. place d’Youville, 2nd floor, Montréal,
passports.gov.au. PQ H2Y 2C2 (& 514/283-2949 or
For Residents of New Zealand You 514/283-2959), or check out the cus-
can pick up a passport application toms website at www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca.
at any New Zealand Passports Office A car that is driven into Canada can
or download it from their website. stay for up to a year, but it must leave
Contact the Passports Office at with the owner or a duty will be
& 0800/225-050 in New Zealand levied. The possession or use of a radar
or 04/474-8100, or log on to www. detector is prohibited, whether or not
passports.govt.nz. it is connected. Police officers can con-
fiscate it and fine the owner C$500 to
CUSTOMS C$1,000 (US$357–US$714).
W H AT YO U C A N B R I N G
INTO CANADA W H AT YO U C A N TA K E
Regulations are flexible in most HOME FROM CANADA
respects, but visitors can expect at least Returning U.S. citizens who have been
a probing question or two at the bor- away for at least 48 hours are allowed to
der or airport. Normal baggage and bring back, once every 30 days, $800
personal possessions should be no worth of merchandise duty-free. You’ll
problem, but tobacco and alcoholic be charged a flat rate of 4% duty on the
beverages face limitations. Individuals next $1,000 worth of purchases. Be
18 years or over are only allowed to sure to have your receipts handy. On
bring in 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes, and mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is $200.
400 grams of loose tobacco. In addi- With some exceptions, you cannot
tion, an Imperial quart (just over a bring fresh fruits and vegetables into
liter) of wine or liquor may be brought the United States. For specifics on what
in, or a curiously generous case (24 you can bring back, download the
cans) of beer, assuming the bearer is at invaluable free pamphlet Know Before
or over the minimum drinking age in You Go online at www.customs.gov.
Québec, which is 18. (Click on “Travel,” and then click on
Pets with proper vaccination “Know Before You Go Online
records may be admitted, but inquire Brochure.”) Or contact the U.S. Cus-
in advance about necessary procedures toms Service, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave.
at one of the Délégation du Québec NW, Washington, DC 20229 (& 877/
offices listed above and see “Pets” in 287-8867).
“Fast Facts: Montréal,” in chapter 3. U.K. citizens returning from a non-
Talk to U.S. Customs (see below) EU country have a customs allowance
about bringing pets back home. of: 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 250
There are strict regulations regard- grams of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of
ing the import of plants, food prod- still table wine; 1 liter of spirits or
ucts, and firearms. Hunters with valid strong liqueurs (over 22% volume); 2
licenses can bring in some gear, but liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine
handguns and fully automatic fire- or other liqueurs; 60cc (ml) perfume;
arms are prohibited. Fishing tackle 250cc (ml) of toilet water; and £145
poses no problem as long as the proper worth of all other goods, including
nonresident license is obtained before gifts and souvenirs. People under 17
casting a lure. cannot have the tobacco or alcohol
16 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

allowance. For more information, can bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars,

contact HM Customs & Excise at or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture
& 0845/010-9000 (from outside the of all three if their combined weight
U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult doesn’t exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of
their website at www.hmce.gov.uk. wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of
The duty-free allowance in Aus- liquor. New Zealand currency does
tralia is A$400 or, for those under 18, not carry import or export restric-
A$200. Citizens can bring in 250 cig- tions. Fill out a certificate of export,
arettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, listing the valuables you are taking out
and 1,125 milliliters of alcohol. If of the country; that way, you can
you’re returning with valuables you bring them back without paying duty.
already own, such as foreign-made Most questions are answered in a free
cameras, you should file form B263. A pamphlet available at New Zealand
helpful brochure available from Aus- consulates and Customs offices: New
tralian consulates or Customs offices is Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers,
Know Before You Go. For more infor- Notice no. 4. For more information,
mation, call the Australian Customs contact New Zealand Customs, The
Service at & 1300/363-263, or log Customhouse, 17–21 Whitmore St.,
on to www.customs.gov.au. Box 2218, Wellington (& 04/473-
The duty-free allowance for New 6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.
Zealand is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 govt.nz).

3 Money
CURRENCY are roughly on par with those in the
Canadian money comes in graduated U.S., the difference is real, not imagi-
denominations of dollars and cents. nary. Prices in this book, unless other-
Although the Canadian dollar has wise indicated, are given in both
been gathering strength of late, the Canadian and U.S. dollars.
exchange rate is still good for Ameri- Visitors can bring in or take out any
cans, because the Canadian dollar is amount of money they wish, but if
worth about 71¢ in U.S. currency, U.S. citizens import or export sums of
give or take a couple of points’ daily US$5,000 or more, a report of the
variation. This is the exchange rate transaction must be filed with U.S.
used to convert prices in this book. Customs.
Put another way, one U.S. dollar buys Aside from the $2 coin, Canadian
about C$1.40 in Canadian money. coins are similar to their American
This means that U.S. dollars gain sub- counterparts: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢. Bills—
stantially more spending power the $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100—are all
moment they are changed for local the same size but have different colors,
currency (a return, for example, of depending on the denomination. The
approximately C$490 Canadian for gold-colored $1 coin (called a “loonie”
every US$350). And because prices by Canadians because of the depiction

Tips Small Change

When you change money, ask for some small bills or loose change. Petty
cash will come in handy for tipping and public transportation. Consider
keeping the change separate from your larger bills, so that it’s readily
accessible and you’ll be less of a target for theft.
 MONEY 17

Thanks.
The Canadian Dollar, the U.S. Dollar & the British Pound
For U.S. Readers The rate of exchange used to calculate the dollar values
given in this book was US$1 = approximately C$1.40 (or C$1 = US71¢).
For British Readers The rate of exchange used to calculate the pound values
in the accompanying table was £1 = approximately C$2.25 (or C$1 = 44p)
C$ US$ UK£ C$ US$ UK£
.10 .07 .04 35.00 23.45 15.55
.25 .18 .11 40.00 28.57 17.78
.50 .35 .22 45.00 32.14 20.00
1.00 .71 .44 50.00 35.71 22.22
2.00 1.43 .88 55.00 39.29 24.44
3.00 2.14 1.33 60.00 42.86 26.67
4.00 2.85 1.77 65.00 46.43 28.89
5.00 3.57 2.22 70.00 50.00 31.11
6.00 4.29 2.66 75.00 53.57 33.33
7.00 5.00 3.11 80.00 57.14 35.56
8.00 5.71 3.55 85.00 60.71 37.78
9.00 6.43 4.00 90.00 64.29 40.00
10.00 7.14 4.44 95.00 67.86 42.22
15.00 10.71 6.67 100.00 71.43 44.44
20.00 14.29 8.89 150.00 107.14 66.67
25.00 17.86 11.11 200.00 142.86 88.89
30.00 21.43 13.33 250.00 178.57 111.11

of a loon on one side) has replaced the It’s a good idea to exchange at least
$1 bill. A $2 coin, with a bronze cen- some money—just enough to cover
ter surrounded by a nickel disk, is airport incidentals and transportation
meant to replace the old $2 bill, which to your hotel—before you leave home,
is still occasionally found in circula- so you can avoid lines at airport ATMs.
tion. (The $2 coin is sometimes called You can exchange money at your local
a “twonie,” a reference to the next- American Express or Thomas Cook
smaller coin.) French speakers some- office or at some banks. If you’re far
times refer to a dollar as a “piastre.” away from a bank with currency-
Many stores accept U.S. dollars, exchange services, American Express
often posting a sign to that effect and offers travelers checks and foreign
giving the percentage “exchange” rate currency at www.americanexpress.com
they offer. Usually, that amount is less or & 800/807-6233, though this car-
than what banks offer, but sometimes ries a $15 order fee and additional
it is more favorable because many shipping costs.
establishments are eager to attract
U.S. tourist dollars. As a rule, though, ATMS
it’s more advantageous to change The easiest and best way to get cash
money and traveler’s checks at a bank, away from home is from an ATM. As
and better still to obtain cash at ATMs ubiquitous in Québec as in the United
or use credit cards (see below). States, ATMs are found in most of the
18 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

What to Do If Your Wallet is Lost or Stolen

Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover
your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police
precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report
number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emer-
gency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be
able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency
credit card in a day or two. Visa’s Canadian emergency number is & 800/
847-2911. American Express cardholders should call & 301/214-8228 col-
lect. MasterCard holders should call & 800/307-7309. For other credit
cards, call the toll-free number directory at & 800/555-1212 and ask for
your card company.
If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and
American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you
via Western Union (& 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).
Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wal-
let, especially if you’ve lost your driver’s license along with your cash and
credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately;
placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for
criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are
Equifax (& 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (& 888/397-
3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (& 800/680-7289; www.
transunion.com). Finally, if you’ve lost all forms of photo ID call your air-
line and explain the situation; they might allow you to board the plane
if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the
police report you’ve filed.

same places, outside or inside bank banks impose a fee every time a card is
branches, but also increasingly at used at a different bank’s ATM, and
other locations, including the that fee can be higher for international
province’s new casinos. Look for signs transactions (up to $5 or more) than for
reading GUICHET ATOMATIQUE or domestic ones (where they’re rarely
SERVICES ATOMATISES. more than $1.50). On top of this, the
The Cirrus (& 800/424-7787; bank from which you withdraw cash
www.mastercard.com) and PLUS may charge its own fee. For interna-
(& 800/843-7587; www.visa.com) tional withdrawal fees, ask your bank.
networks span the globe; look at the You can also get cash advances on
back of your bank card to see which your credit card at an ATM. Keep in
network you’re on, then call or check mind that credit card companies try to
online for ATM locations at your desti- protect themselves from theft by limit-
nation. Be sure you know your personal ing the funds someone can withdraw
identification number (PIN) before you outside their home country, so call your
leave home and be sure to find out your credit card company before you leave
daily withdrawal limit before you home to let them know that you’ll be
depart. Also keep in mind that many using your card in a different place.
 MONEY 19

TRAVELER’S CHECKS Visa offers traveler’s checks at

Traveler’s checks are something of an Citibank locations nationwide, as well
anachronism from the days before the as at several other banks. The service
ATM made cash accessible at any charge ranges between 1.5% and 2%;
time. Traveler’s checks used to be the checks come in denominations of $20,
only sound alternative to traveling $50, $100, $500, and $1,000. Call
with dangerously large amounts of & 800/732-1322 for information.
cash. They were as reliable as currency, AAA members can obtain Visa checks
but, unlike cash, could be replaced if without a fee at most AAA offices or
lost or stolen. by calling & 866/339-3378. Master-
These days, traveler’s checks are less Card also offers traveler’s checks. Call
necessary because most cities have & 800/223-9920 for a location near
24-hour ATMs that allow you to you.
withdraw small amounts of cash as Foreign currency traveler’s checks
needed. However, keep in mind that are useful if you’re traveling to one
you will likely be charged an ATM country, or to the euro zone; they’re
withdrawal fee if the bank is not your accepted at locations such as bed-and-
own, so if you’re withdrawing money breakfasts where dollar checks may
every day, you might be better off with not be, and they minimize the amount
traveler’s checks—provided that you of math you have to do at your desti-
don’t mind showing identification nation. American Express offers
every time you want to cash one. checks in Australian dollars, Canadian
You can get traveler’s checks at dollars, British pounds, euros, and
almost any bank. American Express Japanese yen. Visa checks come in
offers denominations of $20, $50, Australian, Canadian, British and
$100, $500, and (for cardholders Euro versions; MasterCard offers
only) $1,000. You’ll pay a service those four plus yen and South African
charge ranging from 1% to 4%. You rands.
can also get American Express trav- If you choose to carry traveler’s
eler’s checks over the phone by calling checks, be sure to keep a record of
& 800/221-7282; Amex gold and their serial numbers separate from
platinum cardholders who use this your checks in the event that they are
number are exempt from the 1% fee. stolen or lost. You’ll get a refund faster
AAA members can obtain checks if you know the numbers.
without a fee at most AAA offices.

Tips Dear Visa: I’m Off to Québec!

Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any
impending trip abroad so that they don’t become suspicious when the
card is used numerous times in a foreign destination and your charges are
blocked. Even if you don’t call your credit card company in advance, you
can call always the card’s toll-free emergency number (see “What to Do If
Your Wallet is Lost or Stolen,” earlier in this chapter) if a charge is
refused—a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps
the most important lesson is to carry more than one card on your trip; if
one card doesn’t work for any number of reasons, you’ll have a backup
card just in case.
20 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

CREDIT CARDS ATMs, provided you know your PIN.

Credit cards are accepted as widely in If you’ve forgotten yours, or didn’t
Québec as in the United States. Visa even know you had one, call the num-
and MasterCard dominate the market, ber on the back of your credit card
followed by the American Express and ask the bank to send it to you. It
card, Diners Club, and its Canadian usually takes 5 to 7 business days,
cousin, enRoute. The Discover and though some banks will provide the
Carte Blanche cards fall well behind number over the phone if you tell
the others in usage. Charge slips are them your mother’s maiden name or
written up in Canadian dollars, and some other personal information.
card companies convert the amount to Your credit card company will likely
U.S. dollars when they credit the charge a commission (1% or 2%) on
transaction to your account. every foreign purchase you make, but
Credit cards are safe way to carry don’t sweat this small stuff; for most
money. They provide a convenient purchases, you’ll still get the best deal
record of all your expenses, and they with credit cards when you factor in
generally offer good exchange rates. things like ATM fees and higher trav-
You can also withdraw cash advances eler’s check exchange rates.
from your credit cards at banks or

4 When to Go
High season is late May through early inland resorts of the Laurentides and
September, when hotels are most the Cantons-de-l’Est. Intense but usu-
likely to be full and charge their high- ally brief heat waves mark July and
est rates. Even then, though, weekends early August, but temperatures rarely
are cheaper and package plans reduce remain oppressive in the evening.
the bite, so advance planning has its Autumn (Sept and Oct) is as short
rewards. The period from Christmas and changeable as spring, with warm
to New Year’s is also busy (and more days and cool or chilly nights. Cana-
expensive), as are the days given to dian maples blaze with color for
winter festivals in both Montréal and weeks. Winter brings dependable
Québec City. snows for skiing in the Laurentides,
the Cantons-de-l’Est, and Charlevoix.
CLIMATE After a sleigh ride or a ski run in Parc
Temperatures are usually a few degrees Mont-Royal, Montréal’s underground
lower in Québec City than in Mon- city is a climate-controlled blessing.
tréal. Spring, short but sweet, arrives Mid-February is the time for Québec
around the middle of May. Summer City’s robust Carnaval d’Hiver (Win-
(mid-June through mid-Sept) tends to ter Carnival). Snow and slush are
be humid in Montréal, Québec City, more-or-less constantly present from
and other communities along the St. November to March.
Lawrence River, and drier at the
Montréal’s Average Monthly Temperatures
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
High (°F) 21 25 34 52 65 74 78 77 70 56 43 26
(°C) –6 –4 1 11 18 23 26 25 21 13 6 –3
Low (°F) 8 12 23 37 48 57 62 60 53 43 32 15
(°C) –13 –11 –5 –3 9 14 17 16 12 6 0 –9
 MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 21

Québec City’s Average Monthly Temperatures

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
High (°F) 19 21 32 46 60 70 76 74 65 52 39 23
(°C) –7 –6 0 8 16 21 24 23 18 11 4 –5
Low (°F) 5 8 19 32 43 53 57 56 48 37 28 12
(°C) –15 –13 –7 0 6 12 14 13 9 3 –2 –11

HOLIDAYS whisky and sweet red wine. Perhaps

In Québec province, the important its presence explains the eagerness
public holidays are New Year’s Day (Jan with which certain Québecois par-
1); Good Friday and Easter Monday ticipate in the canoe race across the
(late Mar or Apr); Victoria Day (May treacherous ice floes of the St.
24 or nearest Mon); St-Jean-Baptiste Lawrence.
Day, Québec’s “national” day (June Much of the Carnival is held in
24); Canada Day (July 1); Labour Day front of the Parliament Building—
(first Mon in Sept); Canadian Thanks- just outside the walls to the Old
giving Day (second Mon in Oct); City—in early February. Hotel
Remembrance Day (Nov 11); and reservations must be made far in
Christmas (Dec 25 and 26). advance. Scheduled events are free.
Call & 418/626-3716 or visit
http://boutique.carnaval.qc.ca for
MONTREAL & QUEBEC details. Dates in 2004 are January
CITY CALENDAR OF 30 through February 15.
EVENTS La Fête des Neiges (Snow Festival),
From June to September, only a serious mis- Montréal. Montréal’s answer to
adventure in planning might allow visitors to
miss a celebration of some sort in Montréal
Québec City’s Winter Carnival fea-
and Québec City. If something’s not going on tures outdoor events such as harness
in one city, it’s bound to be happening in the racing, barrel jumping, racing beds
other, and it’s easy to get from one to the on ice, canoe races, snowshoeing,
other. skating, and cross-country skiing.
February The less athletically inclined can
Carnaval de Québec (formerly cheer from the sidelines and then
Carnaval d’Hiver), Québec City. inspect the snow and ice sculptures.
Usually Québec is courtly and dig- The event, held during the first
nified, but all that is cast aside when 2 weeks of February, takes place
the symbolic snowman called Bon- mostly on Ile Notre-Dame, in the
homme (Good Fellow) comes on to Port and Vieux-Montréal, and in
the scene to preside over these 15 Parc Maisonneuve. Call & 514/
days of merriment in early February 872-4537 or visit www.fetedes
every year. During the event, more neiges.com for details. Dates in 2004
than a million revelers descend are January 24 through February 8.
upon the city, eddying around the Festival Montréal en Lumière.
monumental ice palace and ice Filling a hole in the yearly schedule,
sculptures and attending a full the self-dubbed City of Festivals has
schedule of concerts, dances, and created this “High Lights” celebra-
parades. The mood is heightened tion. It brings together a somewhat
by the availability of plastic trum- disparate collection of creative and
pets and canes filled with a concoc- performing events, from nearly 200
tion called “Caribou,” the principal culinary competitions and special
ingredients of which are cheap museum exhibitions to multimedia
22 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

light shows and classical and pop Festival Mondial de la Bière,

concerts by international musical Montréal. Yes, brew fans, this is a
greats. Call & 888/477-9955 or see 5-day festival devoted to your
www.montrealhighlights.com for favorite beverage. From world
more information. Dates in 2004 brands to boutique microbreweries,
are February 19 to February 29. over 70 companies showcase over
May/June 250 brands of their pride-and-joys,
Festival de Théâtre des Amériques, employing workshops, cooking
Montréal. This festival presents two demos, musical performances, and,
weeks of contemporary theater of course, pub food and tastings,
works from artists throughout the tastings, tastings of the featured
Americas, many on the cutting edge hoppy tipple. For info and tickets,
of creativity. Performances are held call & 514/722-9640 or check
at theaters throughout the city. Call www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca.
& 514/842-0704 or see www.fta. Early June.
qc.ca for details. Late May to early Mosaïcultures Internationales
June. Call for exact dates. Montréal. This fragrant horticul-
Montréal Museums Day. On this tural event has gardeners and floral
day museums are free for all visitors, designers from up to 50 countries
and free shuttle buses carry visitors and cities creating (sometimes large)
to most of them. Call the tourism three-dimensional floral sculptures
office (& 877/266-5687) for and carpets for prizes in several cat-
details. Last Sunday in May. egories. The Vieux-Port (Old Port)
is the venue. Call & 514/868-2003
Montréal Bike Fest. Early in June, or check www.mosaiculture.ca. Late
more than 45,000 enthusiasts con- June to early October.
verge on Montréal to participate in a
variety of cycling competitions, Jean-Baptiste Day. Honoring
including a nocturnal bike ride, a Saint John the Baptist, the patron
26km (16-mile) outing for up to saint of French Canadians, this fête
10,000 children, and the grueling nationale is marked by more festivi-
Tour de l’Ile, a day-long 66km (41- ties and far more enthusiasm
mile) race around the rim of the throughout Québec province than
island before more than 120,000 Canada Day on July 1. It’s Québec’s
spectators. The Tour de l’Ile, which “national” holiday. In the past, its
began in 1984, attracts 30,000 par- hallmark parade had been marred
ticipants, almost as many of them by considerable drunkenness and
women as men. Call & 800/567- vandalism in both Montréal and
8356 for details. First week in June. Québec City. A couple of years ago,
in a successful effort to control such
Saint-Ambroise Montréal Fringe problems in Montréal, the parade
Festival. In performance spaces was held along the streets of Vieux-
clustered along or near bd. St-Lau- Montréal on the night of June 23,
rent, about 70 theater groups per- the day before the actual holiday.
form in highly esoteric productions Call & 418/849-2560 or log on to
that often defy classification. As in www.cfn.org for details. June 24.
all such endeavors, satisfaction can-
not be guaranteed, but then, tickets Le Mondial SAQ (International
are only C$10 and you may find a Fireworks Competition), Mon-
gem. Call & 514/849-3378 or tréal. The open-air theater in La
check www.montrealfringe.ca. Ten Ronde amusement park on Ile Ste-
days starting in mid-June. Hélène is the best place to view this
 MONTRÉAL & QUÉBEC CITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 23

fireworks extravaganza, although and related events fill the days and
fireworks can be enjoyed from evenings. Call & 888/992-5200 or
almost any point overlooking the 418/529-5200 for details or check
river. Tickets to the show also pro- www.infofestival.com. Ten days in
vide entrance to the amusement mid-July.
park. Kids, needless to say, love the Festival International Nuits
whole explosive business. The 30- d’Afrique, Montréal. This World
minute shows are staged by compa- Beat musical event showcases nearly
nies from several countries. Because 300 musicians from the Caribbean,
parking is limited, it’s best to use the Americas, and Africa. Perfor-
the Métro. Call & 514/397-2000 mances take place in Club Soda,
or visit www.lemondialsaq.com/en/ Club Balattou, and Place Berri. Call
for details. Saturdays in late June, & 514/499-3462 or check out
Sundays in July. www.festnuitafric.com for details.
July Ten days in mid-July.
Festival International de Jazz de Festival Juste pour Rire (Just for
Montréal. Montréal has a long tra- Laughs Festival), Montréal. This
dition in jazz, and this enormously celebration strives to do for humor
successful festival has been celebrat- what the more famous jazz festival
ing America’s art form since 1979. has done for that musical form.
Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Comics perform in many venues,
Dizzie Gillespie have been among some free, some not. Both Francoph-
the many headliners in past years, one and Anglophone comics, jug-
but it costs money to hear stars of glers, and other funny acts from
such magnitude. Fortunately, hun- many countries participate. It’s held
dreds of other concerts are free, and along rue St-Denis and elsewhere in
are often presented on the streets the Latin Quarter. Call & 888/244-
and plazas of the city. You can see 3155 or 514/790-4242 for details or
(and hear) events along rue check www.hahaha.com. Ten days in
Ste-Catherine and rue Jeanne- mid-July.
Mance. For information and tick-
ets, call & 800/361-4595 or 514/ Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec,
790-1245 or visit www.montreal Québec City. The capital has its
jazzfest.com. Late June to early July. own fireworks festival, overlapping
Call or visit the site for exact dates. the one in Montréal, and using the
highly scenic Montmorency Falls as
Festival d’Eté (Summer Festival), its setting. Five pyrotechnical teams
Québec City. The largest cultural are invited from as many different
event in the French-speaking world, countries in this international com-
or so its managers say, this festival petition. Their explosive displays
has attracted artists from Africa, are coordinated with appropriate
Asia, Europe, and North America music, as in Montréal. Call & 888/
since it began in 1967. There are 934-3473 or 418/692-3736 or
more than 500 events showcasing check www.quebecfireworks.com.
theater, music, and dance, with Wednesdays and Saturdays in late
1,000 performers from 20 countries. July to mid-August.
Over one million people come to
August
watch and listen. Jazz and folk com-
bos perform free in an open-air the- Les Medievales de Québec
ater next to City Hall; visiting dance (Québec Medieval Festival),
and folklore troupes put on shows; Québec City. Hundreds of actors,
and concerts, theatrical productions,
24 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

artists, entertainers, and other partic- September

ipants from Europe, Canada, and the Fall Foliage. The maple trees blaze
United States converge on Québec with color and a walk in the parks
City in period dress to re-create daily and squares of Montréal and
scenes from 5 centuries ago. This is Québec City is a refreshing tonic.
giant costume party, with people It’s a perfect time for a drive in the
playing knights, troubadours, and Laurentides or Cantons-de-L’Est
ladies-in-waiting. Parades, jousting (near Montréal) and Ile d’Orléans
tournaments, recitals of ancient or up into Charlevoix from Québec
music, and the Grand Cavalcade (La City. Mid- to late September.
Grande Chevauchée), featuring hun- October
dreds of costumed equestrians, are Festival International de la Nou-
just a few highlights. Fireworks are velle Danse, Montréal. This
the one modern touch during this 12-day showcase, held every 2 years
5-day festival. Come in medieval (in odd years), invites troupes and
attire if you wish. Held in Québec choreographers from Canada, the
City only in odd-numbered years. United States, and Europe to
(In even-numbered years, its sister various performance spaces. Call
event, the Festival des Remparts, & 514/287-1423 for details. Early
takes place in Dinan, France.) Held October.
in the streets and public grounds of
Old Québec. Call & 418/692-1993 Festival du Nouveau Cinéma,
for details. Early to mid-August. Montréal. Screenings of new and
experimental films ignite contro-
Festival des Films du Monde versy, and forums are held on the
(World Film Festival), Montréal. latest trends in film and video.
This festival has been international Events take place at halls and cine-
film event since 1976. Some 500 mas throughout the city. Call
indoor and outdoor screenings take & 514/843-4725 for details. Ten
place over 12 days, including 200 days in mid-October.
feature films from more than 50
December/January
countries, drawing the usual
throngs of directors, stars, and Christmas/New Year’s, Québec
wannabes. It isn’t as gaudy or City. Celebrating the holidays a la
as media-heavy as Cannes, but it’s Française is a particular treat in
taken almost as seriously. Various Québec City, with its streets banked
movie theaters play host. Call with snow and almost every ancient
building sporting wreaths and dec-
& 514/848-3883 or check www. orated fir trees.
ffm-montreal.org for details. Late
August to early September.

5 Travel Insurance
Check your existing insurance policies TRIP-CANCELLATION INSUR-
and credit card coverage before you ANCE Trip-cancellation insurance
buy travel insurance. You may already helps you get your money back if you
be covered for canceled tickets, lost have to back out of a trip, if you have
luggage, or medical expenses. The cost to go home early, or if your travel
of travel insurance varies widely, supplier goes bankrupt. Allowed rea-
depending on the cost and length of sons for cancellation can range from
your trip, your age, health, and the sickness to natural disasters to the State
type of trip you’re taking. Department declaring your destination
 H E A LT H & S A F E T Y 25

unsafe for travel. (Insurers usually won’t require additional medical insurance,
cover vague fears, though, as many try MEDEX International (& 800/
travelers discovered who tried to cancel 527-0218 or 410/453-6300; www.
their trips in Oct 2001 because they medexassist.com) or Travel Assis-
were wary of flying.) In this unstable tance International (& 800/821-
world, trip-cancellation insurance is a 2828; www.travelassistance.com; for
good buy if you’re getting tickets well general information on services, call
in advance—who knows what the state the company’s Worldwide Assistance
of the world, or of your airline, will be Services, Inc., at 800/777-8710).
in nine months? Insurance policy LOST-LUGGAGE INSURANCE
details vary, so read the fine print—and On domestic flights, checked baggage
especially make sure that your airline or is covered up to $2,500 per ticketed
cruise line is on the list of carriers passenger. On international flights
covered in case of bankruptcy. For (including U.S. portions of interna-
information, contact one of the follow- tional trips), baggage is limited to
ing insurers: Access America (& 866/ approximately $9.07 per pound, up to
807-3982; www.accessamerica.com); approximately $635 per checked bag.
Travel Guard International (& 800/ If you plan to check items more valu-
826-4919; www.travelguard.com); able than the standard liability, see if
Travel Insured International (& 800/ your valuables are covered by your
243-3174; www.travelinsured.com); homeowner’s policy, get baggage
and Travelex Insurance Services insurance as part of your comprehen-
(& 888/457-4602; www.travelex- sive travel-insurance package, or buy
insurance.com). Travel Guard’s “BagTrak” product.
MEDICAL INSURANCE Most Don’t buy insurance at the airport, as
health insurance policies cover you if it’s usually overpriced. Be sure to take
you get sick away from home—but any valuables or irreplaceable items
check, particularly if you’re insured by with you in your carry-on luggage, as
an HMO. With the exception of cer- many valuables (including books,
tain HMOs and Medicare/Medicaid, money and electronics) aren’t covered
your medical insurance should cover by airline policies.
medical treatment—even hospital If your luggage is lost, immediately
care—abroad. However, medical file a lost-luggage claim at the airport,
treatment in Canada isn’t free for for- detailing the luggage contents. For
eigners, and hospitals make you pay most airlines, you must report
your bills up front. They’ll send you a delayed, damaged, or lost baggage
refund after you’ve returned home and within 4 hours of arrival. The airlines
filed the necessary paperwork. And in are required to deliver luggage, once
a worst-case scenario, there’s the high found, directly to your house or desti-
cost of emergency evacuation. If you nation free of charge.

6 Health & Safety

STAYING HEALTHY G E N E R A L AVA I L A B I L I T Y O F
As of this writing, not a single case H E A LT H C A R E
of SARS has been reported in Québec, Canada has a state-run health system. It
and the Toronto area in neighboring is suffering a number of problems,
Ontario has been declared free of the including a nurse shortage, over-
disease by the World Health Organi- crowded emergency rooms, and budg-
zation. etary difficulties. With ever longer waits
26 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

even for essential treatments, many alert doctors to your condition and
Québecois now cross the border to give them access to your records
enter U.S. hospitals. That said, Québec through Medic Alert’s 24-hour hot
hospitals are modern and decently line.
equipped, and staffs are well-trained. Pack prescription medications in
your carry-on luggage, and carry pre-
W H AT T O D O I F YO U G E T
scription medications in their original
S I C K A W AY F R O M H O M E
containers, with pharmacy labels—
No shots are required upon entering otherwise they won’t make it through
Québec. Familiar over-the-counter airport security. Don’t forget an extra
medicines are widely available. If there pair of contact lenses or prescription
is a possibility you will run out of pre- glasses. Carry the generic name of pre-
scribed medicines during your visit, scription medicines, in case a local
take along a prescription from your pharmacist is unfamiliar with the
doctor. Prescription drugs are usually brand name.
cheaper in Canada than in the U.S. Contact the International Associa-
In many cases, your existing health tion for Medical Assistance to Travel-
plan will provide the coverage you ers (IAMAT) (& 716/754-4883 or
need. But double-check; you may 416/652-0137; www.iamat.org) for
want to buy travel medical insurance tips on travel and health concerns in
instead. (See the section on insurance, the countries you’re visiting, and lists of
earlier.) Bring your insurance ID card English-speaking doctors. The United
with you when you travel. States Centers for Disease Control
If you suffer from a chronic illness, and Prevention (& 800/311-3435;
consult your doctor before your www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date
departure. For conditions like information on necessary vaccines and
epilepsy, diabetes, or heart problems, health hazards by region or country. If
wear a Medic Alert Identification you get sick, consider asking your hotel
Tag & 800/825-3785; www.medic concierge to recommend a local doc-
alert.org), which will immediately tor—even his or her own.

7 Specialized Travel Resources

TRAVELERS WITH Accèss Tourisme. It lists hundreds of
DISABILITIES accessible hotels, restaurants, theaters,
Most disabilities shouldn’t stop any- and museums. The price is C$15
one from traveling. There are more (US$11) from Kéroul, 4545 av. Pierre
options and resources out there than de Coubertin, P.O. Box 1000, Station
ever before. M, Montréal, Québec H1V 3R2
Québec regulations regarding acces- (& 514/252-3104; www.keroul.qc.
sibility for wheelchairs are similar to ca). When calling to make an airline
those in the United States, including reservation or talking with a travel
curb cuts, entrance ramps, designated agent, inquire where a wheelchair will
parking spaces, and specially equipped be stowed on the plane or train, or con-
bathrooms. However, access to the firm that a Seeing Eye dog or hearing
restaurants and inns housed in 18th- dog may accompany you. Remember
and 19th-century buildings, especially that special meals can be pre-ordered
in Québec City, is often difficult or when making airline reservations.
impossible. Many travel agencies offer cus-
Advice for travelers with physical tomized tours and itineraries for travel-
limitations is provided in a brochure, ers with disabilities. Flying Wheels
 S P E C I A L I Z E D T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S 27

Travel (& 507/451-5005; www.flying Papineau, where there are numerous

wheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours meeting spots, shops, bars, and clubs.
and cruises that emphasize sports and Useful telephone services are the Gay
private tours in minivans with lifts. Line (& 514/866-5090 or 888/505-
Accessible Journeys (& 800/846- 1010 outside the 514 area code),
4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disability which describes current events and
travel.com) caters specifically to slow activities in English, daily from 7 to
walkers and wheelchair travelers and 10pm. Try to visit Montréal during
their families and friends. the annual Diver/Cité, the Gay & Les-
Organizations that offer assistance to bian Pride Festival; it takes place in
disabled travelers include the Moss- late July to early August, with a
Rehab Hospital (www.mossresource parade, concerts, parties, and art
net.org), which provides a library of shows (& 514/285-4011). During
accessible-travel resources online; the the second week of October in Mon-
Society for Accessible Travel and Hos- tréal, the Black & Blue Festival is
pitality (& 212/447-7284; www.sath. 7 days of gay benefit parties at various
org; annual membership fees: $45 locations throughout the city (& 514/
adults, $30 seniors and students), which 875-7026). Two websites that may
offers a wealth of travel resources for all prove useful are www.gaywired.com
types of disabilities and informed rec- and www.fugues.com. The latter is a
ommendations on destinations, access leisure guide to gay life in Montréal
guides, travel agents, tour operators, and other Québec cities; you can find
vehicle rentals, and companion services; the printed version in bars and hotels
and the American Foundation for the in and around the Village. Additional
Blind (& 800/232-5463; www.afb. information is available at The Village
org), which provides information on Tourist Information Centre at 1260
traveling with Seeing Eye dogs. rue Ste-Catherine est opposite the
For more information specifically Bleury métro station (& 514/522-
targeted to travelers with disabilities, 1885; www.infovillagegai.com).
the community website iCan (www. The gay community in Québec City
icanonline.net/channels/travel/index. is relatively small, centered in the
cfm) has destination guides and several Upper Town just outside the city walls,
regular columns on accessible travel. near Porte Saint-Jean. At the end
Also check out the quarterly magazine of August, a 5-day gay festival, Fête
Emerging Horizons ($15 per year, Arc-en-Ciel, is held in the city. Call
$20 outside the U.S.; www.emerging & 418/264-3365 for information.
horizons.com); Twin Peaks Press The International Gay & Lesbian
(& 360/694-2462; http://disability Travel Association (IGLTA) (& 800/
bookshop.virtualave.net/blist84.htm), 448-8550 or 954/776-2626; www.
offering travel-related books for travel- iglta.org) is the trade association for
ers with special needs; and Open the gay and lesbian travel industry,
World Magazine, published by the and offers an online directory of gay
Society for Accessible Travel and Hos- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses;
pitality (see above; subscription: go to their website and click on
$18/year, $35 outside the U.S.). “Members.”
Many agencies offer tours and
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELERS travel itineraries specifically for gay
In Montréal, gay and lesbian travelers and lesbian travelers. Above and
head straight to the Gay Village, lying Beyond Tours (& 800/397-2681;
primarily along rue Ste-Catherine www.abovebeyondtours.com) is the
est between rue St-Hubert and rue
28 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

exclusive gay and lesbian tour operator other attractions, as well as discounted
for United Airlines. Now, Voyager fares on public transportation. Carry
(& 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager. proof of age to obtain discounts.
com) is a well-known San Francisco– Members of AARP (formerly
based gay-owned and -operated travel known as the American Association of
service. Olivia Cruises & Resorts Retired Persons), 601 E St. NW, Wash-
(& 800/631-6277 or 510/655-0364; ington, DC 20049 (& 800/424-3410
www.olivia.com) charters entire or 202/434-2277; www.aarp.org), get
resorts and ships for exclusive lesbian discounts on hotels, airfares, and car
vacations and offers smaller group rentals. AARP offers members a wide
experiences for both gay and lesbian range of benefits, including a magazine
travelers. and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over
The following travel guides are 50 can join.
available at most travel bookstores and Many reliable agencies and organiza-
gay and lesbian bookstores, or you can tions target the 50-plus market. Elder-
order them from Giovanni’s Room hostel (& 877/426-8056; www.elder
bookstore, 1145 Pine St., Philadel- hostel.org) arranges study programs for
phia, PA 19107 (& 215/923-2960; those ages 55 and over (and a spouse or
www.giovannisroom.com): Out and companion of any age) in the U.S. and
About (& 800/929-2268 or 415/ in more than 80 countries around the
644-8044; www.outandabout.com), world. Most courses last 5 to 7 days in
which offers guidebooks and a the U.S. (2–4 weeks abroad), and many
newsletter 10 times a year packed with include airfare, accommodations in
solid information on the global gay university dormitories or modest
and lesbian scene; Spartacus Interna- inns, meals, and tuition. ElderTreks
tional Gay Guide and Odysseus, (& 800/741-7956; www.eldertreks.
both good, annual English-language com) offers small-group tours to off-
guidebooks focused on gay men; the the-beaten-path or adventure-travel
Damron guides, with separate, annual locations, restricted to travelers 50 and
books for gay men and lesbians; and older.
Gay Travel A to Z: The World of Recommended publications offer-
Gay & Lesbian Travel Options at ing travel resources and discounts for
Your Fingertips, by Marianne Ferrari seniors include: the quarterly magazine
(Ferrari Publications; Box 35575, Travel 50 & Beyond (www.travel
Phoenix, AZ 85069), a very good gay 50andbeyond.com); Travel Unlim-
and lesbian guidebook series. ited: Uncommon Adventures for the
Mature Traveler (Avalon); 101 Tips
SENIOR TRAVEL for Mature Travelers, available from
Mention the fact that you’re a senior Grand Circle Travel (& 800/221-
when you make your travel reserva- 2610 or 617/350-7500; www.gct.
tions. Although most of the major com); The 50+ Traveler’s Guidebook
U.S. airlines have canceled their senior (St. Martin’s Press); and Unbelievably
discount and coupon book programs, Good Deals and Great Adventures
many hotels still offer discounts for That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless
seniors. Amtrak, which has a daily You’re Over 50 (McGraw-Hill).
train between New York and Montréal,
offers a 15% discount on some fares on FAMILY TRAVEL
the U.S. segment of the route. In If you have enough trouble getting
Québec, people over the age of 65 and, your kids out of the house in the morn-
often, 62 or 60, qualify for reduced ing, dragging them thousands of miles
admission to theaters, museums, and away may seem like an insurmountable
 S P E C I A L I Z E D T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S 29

challenge. But family travel can be WOMEN TRAVELERS

immensely rewarding, giving you new Montréal and Québec City are among
ways of seeing the world through the safest cities in North America, so
smaller pairs of eyes. only the basic urban cautions about
Montréal and Québec City offer an dark streets and care in giving out
abundance of family-oriented activi- hotel room numbers need be observed.
ties, many of them outdoors, even in Women Welcome Women World
winter. Dogsledding, watersports, Wide (5W) (& 203/259-7832 in the
river cruises, and frequent festivals and U.S.; www.womenwelcomewomen.
fireworks displays are among the fam- org.uk) works to foster international
ily-friendly attractions. The walls and friendships by enabling women of dif-
fortifications of Québec City are fod- ferent countries to visit one another
der for imagining the days of knights (men can come along on the trips;
and princesses, and both cities have they just can’t join the club). It’s a big,
horse-drawn sightseeing carriages, a active organization, with more than
sure-fire hit with most youngsters. 3,500 members from all walks of life
Many museums make special efforts in some 70 countries.
to address children’s interests and Check out the website Journey-
enthusiasms. For more details, see the woman (www.journeywoman.com), a
“Especially for Kids” sections in chap- lively travel resource, with “GirlTalk
ters 6 and 14. For family-friendly Guides” to destinations like New
lodgings in Montréal see p. 67; for York, Hong Kong, and Toronto and a
family-friendly lodgings in Québec free e-mail newsletter; or the travel
City, see p. 212. For family-friendly guide Safety and Security for
restaurants in Montréal see p. 81; for a Women Who Travel, by Sheila Swan
family-friendly restaurant in Québec Laufer and Peter Laufer (Travelers’
City, see p. 222. Tales, Inc.), offering commonsense
Familyhostel (& 800/733-9753; advice and tips on safe travel.
www.learn.unh.edu/familyhostel) takes
the whole family, including kids ages 8 STUDENT TRAVELERS
to 15, on moderately priced domestic Many of the tips that apply to single
and international learning vacations. travelers (see the next section) apply to
Lectures, fields trips, and sightseeing students (who may or may not be
are guided by a team of academics. traveling solo). Always carry a univer-
You can find good family-oriented sity or similar ID card to obtain the
vacation advice on the Internet from many available discounts, especially at
sites like the Family Travel Network museums, theaters, and other attrac-
(www.familytravelnetwork.com); tions. Both Montréal and Québec
Traveling Internationally with Your City have their designated Latin
Kids (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a Quarters, centrally located university
comprehensive site offering sound areas filled with students.
advice for long-distance and interna- To save money on lodging, consider
tional travel with children; and Family the YMCA or the YWCA in Montréal
Travel Files (www.thefamilytravelfiles. and hostels in Québec City. For infor-
com), which offers an online magazine mation about hostels in Québec and
and a directory of off-the-beaten-path the rest of Canada, contact Hostelling
tours and tour operators for families. International, 400-205 Catherine St.,
How to Take Great Trips with Your Ottawa, ON K2P 1C3 9 (& 613/
Kids from The Harvard Common Press 237-7884; www.hihostels.ca).
is full of good general advice that can If you’re planning to travel outside
apply to travel anywhere. the U.S., you’d be wise to arm yourself
30 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

with an International Student Iden- breakfast and might end up going out
tity Card (ISIC), which offers sub- to explore or dine together. Prices are
stantial savings on rail passes, plane often (but not always) lower than
tickets, and entrance fees. It also pro- those at hotels, many of which charge
vides you with basic health and life the same rate for a room whether it’s
insurance and a 24-hour help line. occupied by one or two people.
The card is available for $22 from Guided walking tours are another
STA Travel (& 800/781-4040, and if excellent way to explore the city and
you’re not in North America there’s enjoy a couple of hours of social inter-
probably a local number in your coun- action at the same time.
try; www.statravel.com), the biggest Many people prefer traveling alone,
student travel agency in the world. If and for independent travelers, solo
you’re no longer a student but are still journeys offer infinite opportunities to
under 26, you can get an Interna- make friends and meet locals. Unfor-
tional Youth Travel Card (IYTC) for tunately, if you like resorts, tours, or
the same price from the same people, cruises, you’re likely to get hit with a
which entitles you to some discounts “single supplement” to the base price.
(but not on museum admissions). Single travelers can avoid these supple-
(Note: In 2002, STA Travel bought ments, of course, by agreeing to room
competitors Council Travel and with other single travelers on the trip.
USIT Campus after they went bank- An even better idea is to find a com-
rupt. They are still operating some patible roommate before you go from
offices under the Council name, but one of the many roommate locator
they are owned by STA.) agencies.
Travel CUTS (& 800/667-2887 or Travel Companion Exchange
416/614-2887; www.travelcuts.com) (TCE) (& 631/454-0880; www.travel
offers similar services for both Canadi- companions.com) is one of the nation’s
ans and U.S. residents. Irish students oldest roommate finders for single trav-
should turn to USIT (& 01/602-1600; elers. Register with them and find a
www.usitnow.ie) travel mate who will split the cost of the
room with you and be around as little,
SINGLE TRAVELERS or as often, as you like during the day.
Two problems crop up most often for Travel Buddies Singles Travel Club
solo travelers: added costs and feelings (& 800/998-9099; www.travelbuddies
of isolation, especially on Friday and worldwide.com), based in Canada, runs
Saturday nights, when everyone else small, intimate, single-friendly group
seems to be out and about in numbers trips and will match you with a room-
divisible by two. Check the sections in mate free of charge and save you the
this book on popular local bars (see cost of single supplements. Travel
chapters 9 and 17), for possibilities for Chums (& 212/787-2621; www.
meeting locals and engaging in some travelchums.com) is an Internet-only
lively conversation. Jazz and folk travel-companion matching service
music spots, especially those that with elements of an online personals-
charge no cover—and most in Mon- type site, hosted by the respected New
tréal and Québec City do not—are York–based Shaw Guides travel service.
also fertile ground for meeting and The Single Gourmet Club (www.
chatting with Québecois. singlegourmet.com/chapters.html) is an
Bed-and-breakfast inns are often a international social, dining, and travel
good choice for meeting people, and club for singles of all ages, with offices
both Montréal and Québec City have in 21 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
them. Guests come together over
 P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P O N L I N E 31

Membership costs $75 for the first year, tour. (It’s been updated for 2003.) Or
$50 to renew. turn to the Travel Alone and Love It
For more information, check out website (www.travelaloneandloveit.
Eleanor Berman’s Traveling Solo: com), designed by former flight atten-
Advice and Ideas for More Than 250 dant Sharon Wingler, the author of
Great Vacations (Globe Pequot), a the book of the same name. Her site is
guide with advice on traveling alone, full of tips for single travelers.
whether on your own or on a group

8 Planning Your Trip Online

SURFING FOR AIRFARES Great last-minute deals are avail-
The “big three” online travel agencies, able through free weekly e-mail services
Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, and provided directly by the airlines. Most
Orbitz.com sell most of the air tickets of these are announced on Tuesday or
bought on the Internet. (Canadian Wednesday and must be purchased
travelers should try expedia.ca and online. Most are only valid for travel
Travelocity.ca; U.K. residents can go that weekend, but some (such as
for expedia.co.uk and opodo.co.uk.) Southwest’s) can be booked weeks or
Each has different business deals with months in advance. Sign up for weekly
the airlines and may offer different e-mail alerts at airline websites or check
fares on the same flights, so it’s wise to mega-sites that compile comprehensive
shop around. Expedia and Travelocity lists of last-minute specials, such as
will also send you e-mail notification Smarter Living (smarterliving.com).
when a cheap fare becomes available For last-minute trips, site59.com in
to your favorite destination. Of the the U.S. and lastminute.com in
smaller travel agency websites, Side- Europe often have better deals than the
Step (www.sidestep.com) has gotten major-label sites.
the best reviews from Frommer’s If you’re willing to give up some
authors. It’s a browser add-on that control over your flight details, use an
purports to “search 140 sites at once,” opaque fare service like Priceline
but in reality only beats competitors’ (www.priceline.com; www.priceline.
fares as often as other sites do. co.uk for Europeans) or Hotwire
Also remember to check airline (www.hotwire.com). Both offer rock-
websites, especially those for low-fare bottom prices in exchange for travel on
carriers such as Southwest, JetBlue, a “mystery airline” at a mysterious time
AirTran, WestJet, or Ryanair, whose of day, often with a mysterious change
fares are often misreported or simply of planes enroute. The mystery airlines
missing from travel agency websites. are all major, well-known carriers—
Even with major airlines, you can and the possibility of being sent from
often shave a few bucks from a fare by Philadelphia to Chicago via Tampa is
booking directly through the airline remote; the airlines’ routing computers
and avoiding a travel agency’s transac- have gotten a lot better than they used
tion fee. But you’ll get these discounts to be. But your chances of getting a
only by booking online: Most airlines 6am or 11pm flight are pretty high.
now offer online-only fares that even Hotwire tells you flight prices before
their phone agents know nothing you buy; Priceline usually has better
about. For the websites of airlines that deals than Hotwire, but you have to
fly to and from your destination, go to play their “name our price” game. If
“Getting There,” later in this chapter. you’re new at this, the helpful folks at
32 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource

For an excellent travel-planning resource, we highly recommend
Frommers.com (www.frommers.com). We’re a little biased, of course,
but we guarantee that you’ll find the travel tips, reviews, monthly vaca-
tion giveaways, and online-booking capabilities indispensable. Among
the special features are our popular Message Boards, where Frommer’s
readers post queries and share advice (sometimes our authors even show
up to answer questions); Frommers.com Newsletter, for the latest travel
bargains and insider travel secrets; and Frommer’s Destinations Section,
where you’ll get expert travel tips, hotel and dining recommendations,
and advice on the sights to see for more than 3,000 destinations around
the globe. When your research is done, the Online Reservations System
(www.frommers.com/book_a_trip) takes you to Frommer’s preferred
online partners for booking your vacation at affordable prices.

BiddingForTravel (www.biddingfor Priceline and Hotwire are even bet-

travel.com) do a good job of demysti- ter for hotels than for airfares; with
fying Priceline’s prices. Priceline and both, you’re allowed to pick the neigh-
Hotwire are great for flights within borhood and quality level of your
North America and between the U.S. hotel before offering up your money.
and Europe. But for flights to other Priceline’s hotel product even covers
parts of the world, consolidators will Europe and Asia, though it’s much
almost always beat their fares. better at getting five-star lodging
For much more about airfares and for three-star prices than at finding
savvy air-travel tips and advice, pick anything at the bottom of the scale.
up a copy of Frommer’s Fly Safe, Fly Note: Hotwire overrates its hotels by
Smart (Wiley Publishing, Inc.). one star—what Hotwire calls a four-
star is a three-star anywhere else.
SURFING FOR HOTELS
Canada has a great online B&B net- SURFING FOR RENTAL CARS
work at www.bbcanada.com. Of the For booking rental cars online, the
“big three” hotel-booking sites, Expe- best deals are usually found at rental-
dia may be the best choice, thanks to car company websites, although all
its long list of special deals. Travelocity the major online travel agencies also
runs a close second. Hotel specialist offer rental-car reservations services.
sites hotels.com and hoteldiscounts. Priceline and Hotwire work well for
com are also reliable. An excellent free rental cars, too; the only “mystery” is
program, TravelAxe (www.travelaxe. which major rental company you get,
net), can help you search multiple hotel and for most travelers the difference
sites at once, even ones you may never between Hertz, Avis, and Budget is
have heard of. negligible.
9 The 21st-Century Traveler
INTERNET ACCESS AWAY Internet on the road. Of course, using
FROM HOME your own laptop—or even a PDA
Travelers have any number of ways to (personal digital assistant) or elec-
check their e-mail and access the tronic organizer with a modem—gives
 T H E 2 1 S T- C E N T U R Y T R A V E L E R 33

you the most flexibility. But even if If you need to access files on your
you don’t have a computer, you can office computer, look into a service
still access your e-mail and even your called GoToMyPC (www.gotomypc.
office computer from cybercafes. com). The service provides a web-based
interface for you to access and manipu-
W I T H O U T YO U R O W N
late a distant PC from anywhere—even
COMPUTER
a cybercafe—provided your “target”
It’s hard nowadays to find a city that PC is on and has an always-on connec-
doesn’t have a few cybercafes. Although tion to the Internet (such as with Road
there’s no definitive directory for cyber- Runner cable). The service offers top-
cafes—these are independent busi- quality security, but if you’re worried
nesses, after all—two places to start about hackers, use your own laptop
looking are at www.cybercaptive.com rather than a cybercafe to access the
and www.netcafeguide.com. GoToMyPC system.
Aside from formal cybercafes, most
public libraries across the world offer W I T H YO U R O W N
Internet access free or for a small COMPUTER
charge. Hotels that cater to business Major Internet Service Providers (ISP)
travelers often have in-room dataports have local access numbers around the
and business centers, but the charges world, allowing you to go online by
can be exorbitant. Also, most youth simply placing a local call. Check your
hostels nowadays have at least one ISP’s website or call its toll-free num-
computer where you can access the ber and ask how you can use your cur-
Internet. Some of Québec’s post offices rent account away from home, and
have computers for customer use. how much it will cost.
Most major airports now have Inter- If you’re traveling outside the reach
net kiosks scattered throughout their of your ISP, the iPass network has dial-
gates. These kiosks, which you’ll also up numbers in most of the world’s
see in shopping malls, hotel lobbies, countries. You’ll have to sign up with
and tourist information offices around an iPass provider, who will then tell you
the world, give you basic web access for how to set up your computer for your
a per-minute fee that’s usually higher destination(s). For a list of iPass
than cybercafe prices. The kiosks’ providers, go to www.ipass.com and
clunkiness and high price means they click on “Reseller Locator.” Under
should be avoided whenever possible. “Select a Country” pick the country
To retrieve your e-mail, ask your that you’re coming from, and under
Internet Service Provider (ISP) if it “Who is this service for?” pick “Indi-
has a web-based interface tied to your vidual.” One solid provider is i2roam
existing e-mail account. If your ISP (www.i2roam.com; & 866/811-6209
doesn’t have such an interface, you can or 920/235-0475).
use the free mail2web service (www. Wherever you go, bring a connec-
mail2web.com) to view and reply to tion kit of the right power (110–120
your home e-mail. For more flexibil- volts AC [60 cycles] in Canada) and
ity, you may want to open a free, web- phone adapters, a spare phone cord,
based e-mail account with Yahoo! and a spare Ethernet network cable.
Mail (mail.yahoo.com). (Microsoft’s Most business-class hotels through-
Hotmail is another popular option, out the world offer dataports for lap-
but Hotmail has severe spam prob- top modems, and a few thousand
lems.) Your home ISP may be able to hotels in the U.S. and Europe now
forward your e-mail to the web-based offer high-speed Internet access using
account automatically. an Ethernet network cable. You’ll have
34 C H A P T E R 2 . P L A N N I N G YO U R T R I P TO M O N T R É A L & Q U É B E C C I T Y

to bring your own cables either way, so explorations at www.personaltelco.net/

call your hotel in advance to find out index.cgi/WirelessCommunities.
what the options are.
If you have an 802.11b/Wi-fi card USING A CELLPHONE IN
for your computer, several commercial CANADA
companies have made wireless service If your cellphone is on a GSM system,
available in airports, hotel lobbies and and you have a world-capable phone
coffee shops, primarily in the U.S. such as many (but not all) Sony Erics-
Boingo (www.boingo.com) and Way- son, Motorola, or Samsung models,
port (www.wayport.com) have set up you can make and receive calls across
networks in airports and high-class civilized areas on much of the globe,
hotel lobbies. IPass providers (see from Andorra to Uganda. Just call
above) also give you access to a few your wireless operator and ask for
hundred wireless hotel lobby setups. “international roaming” to be acti-
Best of all, you don’t need to be staying vated on your account. Unfortunately,
at the Four Seasons to use the hotel’s per-minute charges can be high.
network; just set yourself up on a nice World-phone owners can bring
couch in the lobby. Unfortunately, the down their per-minute charges with a
companies’ pricing policies are byzan- bit of trickery. Call up your cellular
tine, with a variety of monthly, per- operator and say you’ll be going abroad
connection, and per-minute plans. for several months and want to
Community-minded individuals “unlock” your phone to use it with a
have also set up free wireless networks local provider. Usually, they’ll oblige.
in major cities. These networks are Then, in your destination country,
spotty, but you get what you (don’t) pay pick up a cheap, prepaid phone chip at
for. Each network has a home page a mobile phone store and slip it into
explaining how to set up your computer your phone. (Show your phone to the
for their particular system; start your salesperson, as not all phones work on

Online Traveler’s Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips
easier. Following is a selection of online tools to bookmark and use.
• Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), for locations of Plus ATMs
worldwide, or MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com), for
locations of Cirrus ATMs worldwide.
• Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com). Learn basic
terms in more than 70 languages and click on any underlined phrase
to hear what it sounds like.
• Intellicast (www.intellicast.com) and Weather.com (www.weather.
com). Gives weather forecasts for all 50 states and for cities around
the world.
• Mapquest (www.mapquest.com). This best of the mapping sites lets
you choose a specific address or destination, and in seconds, it will
return a map and detailed directions.
• Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc). See what your dollar
or pound is worth in more than 100 other countries.
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
grembiuli, molto carini, di seta, di surah, scozzesi o a disegno turco:
dopo quindici anni, li smette. Nei giorni di ricevimento, ella non è
sempre nel salone, ma vi apparisce e sparisce; serve il the, se non vi
è una sorella grande; non fa conversazione, non si mescola ai
gruppi, va via presto. A quell'età, la giovanetta va raramente a
teatro, salvo a quello di musica; in qualche concerto; in nessun ballo
ufficiale; in nessun ballo di cerimonia; non balla, se non quando si
fanno quattro salti, in campagna. Tutto in lei deve essere semplice,
gentile, grazioso, ma non lezioso, ma non civettuolo: se ha molta
gaiezza, bene, ma deve moderarla: se ha dello spirito, lo lasci
maturare, è meglio, se ne servirà meglio più tardi. Infine, deve
prepararsi a essere signorina, imparando a esser cortese, piacevole,
giustamente colta, con qualche arte coltivata particolarmente,
imparando ciò, ma non facendone sfoggio, se non più tardi,
abbastanza più tardi.
 III.
A SEDICI ANNI.

A questa età, si è già signorina e se la educazione, in generale, è

finita, bisogna continuare a occuparsi di musica, di disegno, di lingue
straniere, di bei lavori donneschi; tutte cose che rendono piacevole,
piacevolissima, anche una signorina non bella e non ricca. A sedici
anni, è inteso che non si va ancora nel mondo, ufficialmente: ma si
possono già frequentare molto concerti, teatri di musica, qualche
serata bianca al teatro di prosa, qualche piccola soirée intima. Di
sera, la signorina di sedici anni deve preferire sempre il bianco,
vestito rotondo, senza strascico, aperto, un poco, intorno al collo e
con guanti molto lunghi, che raggiungono le maniche corte; molta
semplicità e molta grazia, in questa toilette: le altre tinte, rosa,
azzurro, crema, debbono essere sempre pallide e non guarnite
vistosamente. Di mattina la signorina veste di lana nera, di lana
grigia, di lana azzurro cupo, mai di colori vistosi, come si usa fra noi:
porta sempre una mantellina o, preferibilmente, una giacchetta dal
bel taglio, e non va in vitino, come si usa da noi. Di gioielli ne può
portare qualche po' di più della giovanetta quattordicenne: qualche
bella collana, una bella broche, una bella châtelaine, non ricche, ma
eleganti, le sono permesse. La signorina a sedici anni può portare la
veletta; preferibilmente bianca. Nel salone di sua madre, in visita,
altrove, la signorina serba un contegno semplice, nè malinconico,
perchè sarebbe ridicolo, nè altiero, perchè sarebbe odioso, nè troppo
allegro, perchè sarebbe sconveniente. Sia naturale! Presentata alle
signore, deve fare una riverenza e aspettare che le diano la mano,
per dare la sua: se le presentano un signore o un giovanotto, un bel
saluto col capo, la mano, mai. In generale, la signorina non dà mai
la mano ai giovanotti, salvo stretta parentela, antica familiarità,
antica conoscenza. Non balla mai, nelle soirées intime, con chi non
le è stato presentato: se la padrona di casa le presenta qualcuno,
ella balla con lui, ma, dopo, deve immediatamente presentare
questo giovane ai suoi genitori o a chi l'accompagna: trattandosi di
serate intime, grandi inconvenienti, in queste presentazioni, non
possono accadere. La signorina bacia sempre la mano ai nonni, alle
zie, alle cugine di maggiore età, alla madrina, ai sacerdoti: agli zii,
non è necessario. Non bacia mai le amiche nella strada; mai, in casa,
se vi sono estranei e specialmente uomini, presenti. Dà sempre del
lei agli uomini, vecchi e giovani: alle signore di grande rispetto,
anche il lei. Del tu solo, come uomini, ai fratelli e nipoti. Infine, il
riserbo unito all'amabilità e alla buona grazia, ecco quello che deve
essere il contegno di una signorina, a sedici anni, in pubblico e in
privato.
 IV.
A DICIOTTO ANNI.

È questa l'età in cui una signorina è presentata in società, può

partecipare a feste di battesimo, di matrimonio, balli ufficiali e balli di
Corte: ma è anche bene, per la sua serietà, di non andare ogni sera
in giro. Dai diciotto anni in poi, una signorina deve badare
moltissimo al suo contegno, in pubblico: contegno riservato, ma
grazioso: contegno gentile, ma non famigliare: conversazione vivace,
— se è vivace — ma non eccessiva: allegria moderata, non
musoneria: giusta serietà e non posa di tristezza. Con gli uomini
molta grazia, ma non civetteria; molta finezza, ma non disputa di
spirito; molto garbo, con una leggera tinta di freddezza. A diciotto
anni, una signorina non chiama per nome, come uomini, se non i
fratelli, e un poco i cugini, se vi è stata assieme nell'infanzia: chiama
tutti gli altri per cognome e dà loro del lei. Non balla mai troppo con
lo stesso cavaliere e se ne vuol rifiutare qualcuno, deve avere l'arte
di saperlo fare; non si deve allontanare nelle altre sale, al buffet,
sulle terrazze, lontana dagli occhi di chi l'accompagna: non deve
preferire sempre lo stesso cavaliere, nel cotillon. La sua toilette al
ballo sarà molto giovanile, leggera, con un décolleté non troppo
esagerato, anzi modesto, con lunghi guanti bianchi: mantello di lana
bianca, con ricami, con un po' di pelliccia, preferibilmente di
mongolia, bianca. A teatro, la signorina prende posto, sempre nel
mezzo, quando vi sono due signore; non adopera mai l'occhialino, o
pochissimo, per fissare i palchi, mai per fissare le poltrone: ascolta la
musica attentamente; non chiacchiera; non fa rumore; non si volta
indietro, quando arriva qualche visita: non cambia posto: si
disinteressa del ballo. In salone, ricevendo visite, la signorina aiuta
costantemente sua madre o sua sorella maggiore, o fa gli onori, fa
sedere le signore, conversa con quelle che sono sole, negli angoli,
offre il the, i dolci, passa di persona in persona e accompagna chi va
via, sin al secondo salotto. Facendo visita, con la madre o con altri,
ella fa un poco la parte muta, salvo se trova altre signorine. In
società, se la signorina sa cantare, sonare, recitar bene, solo allora si
può produrre; se no, fa ridere. E quando sa far bene questo, si
produca senza farsi troppo pregare e non s'inebbrii degli applausi; se
sa sonar bene, si rassegni amabilmente, talvolta a fare da
accompagnatrice e a sonare dei ballabili. E si rammenti, in generale,
la signorina di diciotto anni, che, nel mondo, si riesce più con la
naturalezza corretta dell'educazione, che con qualunque artificio, più
con la semplicità gentile che con altre seduzioni, e più con la
modestia, che con l'alterigia. Riescire nel mondo, per una signorina,
che significa? Maritarsi, maritarsi, in nome di Dio!
 V.
LA VECCHIA ZITELLA.

E anche questo stato, che fa orrore a tante donne, può avere le sue
dolcezze! Tutto sta ad elevarsi sovra il rammarico di non aver trovato
marito, ed avere molto spirito e molto cuore, per poter godere tutti i
vantaggi che dà lo stato di vecchia zitella. E così, dai quarant'anni in
poi — giacchè calcoliamo da questo limite, lo stato di vecchia zitella
— si può uscire sola; viaggiare sola; vivere sola, con qualche fedele
persona familiare; ricevere sola: tutto ciò, senza che nessuno vi trovi
a ridire. Viceversa, una vecchia zitella può farsi accompagnare, per la
via, in un teatro, in un ritrovo, da un amico di casa; può fare delle
conversazioni, con uomini di spirito e simpatici, anche a lungo; può
ballare quanto vuole e con chi vuole; può, magari, filare, flirtare
sentimentalmente, al solo scopo di passare un'ora graziosa: e tutto
ciò senza essere criticata. Oh la vecchia zitellanza, diciamo così, ha i
suoi beneficii! Si può andare, venire, discorrere, scrivere, partire,
ritornare, senza dare troppi conti, a nessuno: si può amministrare la
propria sostanza, grande o piccola, come si vuole, senza tutele e
senza osservazioni: si può fare del bene, come si desidera: ci si può
dedicare a qualche lavoro d'arte, di pensiero, senza ostacoli: si può
consacrare la propria vita a l'amore dei nipoti, o alla beneficenza, o
alla religione, senza le critiche del pubblico. Una vecchia zitella può
vestirsi come le pare, purchè rispetti il suo stato e la sua età; può
ricevere delle visite quando vuole, naturalmente nei limiti del
rispetto; può avere delle carte da visita, può mettere il suo
monogramma sulla carrozza, se l'ha, può mettere i gioielli di sua
madre, se gliene ha lasciati; può, infine, godere di una onesta libertà
di azione, di cui non godono punto, nè la signorina a diciotto anni,
nè quella a venticinque, nè quella a trentacinque. La vecchia zitella si
rammenti, sempre, che gli uomini sono disposti, nella loro vanità, a
trovarla sempre ridicola: ella faccia in modo da avere tanta serietà,
tanto spirito e tanta disinvoltura, da far loro rimangiare la voglia di
burlarsi di lei. Non caschi nell'errore di proteggere gli amori altrui, di
diventar una marieuse: resti in una linea di semplicità e di distacco,
a proposito di amore e di matrimonio. Si crei delle buone affezioni,
delle care amicizie, delle devozioni sicure, intorno a sè; sia benevola,
indulgente, gaia, savia, buona consigliera, fedele amica: e la sua vita
sarà dolce. Maritarsi è bene, ma è anche male: non maritarsi, è
male, ma è anche bene.

FINE.
 INDICE

Pag.
Avvertenza v
Grande vincolo 1
I. Il fidanzamento 3
II. Richiesta di nozze 5
III. Il fidanzato spadroneggia 8
IV. Diritti e doveri del fidanzato 10
V. Il corredo 13
VI. Il corredo di biancheria 15
VII. Padrino di matrimonio 18
VIII. Doveri del padrino 20
IX. Testimoni 23
X. Le donne testimoni 25
XI. Nozze civili 28
XII. Ci si veste diversamente! 30
XIII. Nozze religiose 32
XIV. L'ora stupida 35
XV. Nozze religiose: L'uso moderno 37
XVI. Luncheon 40
XVII. Viaggio di nozze 42
XVIII. Partecipazioni 45
XIX. Visite di nozze 47

L'unione mondana 51
I. Presentazioni e visite 53
II. Giorni, giorni! 55
III. Il giorno: gli obblighi 58
 IV. Che si offre il «giorno» 60
V. Quando? a quale ora? 62
VI. Un'ora, ogni giorno? 65
VII. La nuova usanza 67

Lieta mensa 71
I. Invito a pranzo 73
II. Grandi pranzi 75
III. Pranzo di mezza cerimonia 77
IV. «Menu» di una colazione 80
V. Intermezzo: antipasto 82
VI. Il «menu» di un pranzo 84
VII. Nuovo «menu» di pranzo 86

Festa da ballo 89
I. Festa da ballo 91
II. Festa da ballo: gli inviti 93
III. Festa da ballo: gli obblighi 95
IV. Festa da ballo: il trattamento 97
V. Questioni mondane: le fanciulle nei balli 100
VI. Segue: le fanciulle nei balli 102
VII. Segue: le fanciulle nei balli 104

Piccolo intermezzo 107

Si cambia casa: nuovi vicini 109

I legami dello spirito. I Sacramenti 111

I. Festa di battesimo 113
II. Madrina di battesimo 115
III. Padrino di battesimo 117
IV. Cresima 120
V. Padrino di cresima 122
VI. Madrina di cresima 124
Nelle case del Re. Prammatica di Corte 127
I. Presentazioni a Corte 129
II. Altre presentazioni a Corte 132
III. Lettere, suppliche, dediche alla Regina 134
IV. Ballo di Corte 137
V. Garden party a Corte 140
Avvertenza 143

Fuori di qui 145

I. L'educazione in viaggio 147
II. Ancora l'educazione in viaggio 149
III. Di estate, qui e fuori 151
IV. Andar via: la valigia della signora 154
V. Andar via: la valigia del padrone 156
VI. La villeggiatura: perchè ci si va? 158
VII. La villeggiatura: quello che si spende 161
VIII. In villeggiatura: poichè ci si deve
andare.... 163
IX. Il caldo: i due metodi 166
X. Il caldo: il secondo metodo 168
XI. La villeggiatura: i lavori donneschi 170
XII. Si balla più che mai, in estate 172
XIII. Saper vivere: ritorno dalla villeggiatura 174

Intermezzo: possono, debbono fumare le donne? 177

La sigaretta: le donne, possono debbono
fumare? 179

Fra Natale e Capo d'Anno 183

I. Doni, doni, doni 185
II. Il dono: a chi si deve donare? 187
III. Il dono: quel che si deve donare 189
 IV. Idea per i doni di Natale e Capo d'Anno 192
V. Ciò che si regala a innamorate, a
fidanzate 194
VI. Doni da farsi agli uomini 197
VII. Christmas card (biglietto di augurio) 199
VIII. Carta da visita 201
IX. Visite di Natale e Capo d'Anno 203
X. Fine d'anno 205

Altro intermezzo: L'educazione in chiesa 209

In chiesa 211

La nota dolente 215

I. Il lutto 217
II. Durata del lutto 219
III. Il lutto: come bisogna vestirsi 221
IV. Il lutto: condoglianze, visite, eccetera 224
V. Il lutto: uomini, bimbi, persone famigliari 226

Per voi, care fanciulle 229

I. Per la convenienza 231
II. Da tredici a quindici anni 233
III. A sedici anni 235
IV. A diciotto anni 238
V. La vecchia zitella 240
 Opere di MATILDE SERAO
(edizioni Treves).

La ballerina, romanzo L. 8 —
Suor Giovanna della Croce,
romanzo 8—
Parla una donna. Diario feminile di
guerra (maggio 1915-marzo
1916) 8—
Ella non rispose, romanzo 8—
La vita è così lunga!, novelle 5—
Evviva la vita!, romanzo 8—
Dopo il perdono, romanzo 8—
Nel paese di Gesù. Ricordi di un
viaggio in Palestina 8—
Il paese di cuccagna, romanzo
napoletano 8—
Ricordando «Neera», conferenza 2—
Preghiere. Elegante edizione
stampata in rosso e nero 7 50
Addio, amore!, romanzo 8—
Castigo, romanzo 7—
Saper vivere, norme di buona
creanza 8—

in preparazione:

«Mors tua...», romanzo.

L'ebbrezza, il servaggio e la morte,
romanzo.
 Nota del Trascrittore

Ortografia e punteggiatura originali sono state

mantenute, correggendo senza annotazione minimi errori
tipografici.
Copertina elaborata dal trascrittore e posta nel pubblico
dominio.
 *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SAPER VIVERE:
NORME DI BUONA CREANZA ***

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