Montreal for Christmas??

[luckyduck]

DH and I want to take a trip this holiday season for a 4-5 days. We're from LA and want to stay in North America. We've always wanted to take a trip to Montreal. Anyone tried Montreal for Christmas? Is it freezing??? I'm open to other suggestions of great places too.

[Mrs. M.]

It's absolutely freezing.

However, they have a system of underground tunnels where you can get around in the city without ever stepping foot outside. It's like a giant underground mall. Not the most romantic christmas activity though :D

[houseblend]

It is freezing, but beautiful, too! The underground tunnels definitely help. If you're from LA and want to experience true Christmas weather, I would say Montreal would be a great place to be. Just make sure to bring a heavy winter coat!

[tinkerbelljenny]

I have never been to Montreal but a gorgeous place to go for Christmas is The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. They have skating on the lake, it is all decorated, sleigh rides, caroling, etc. It is so awesome! A second favorite of mine would be Banff.

[Cosmogirl]

Can I chime in I'm from Mtl.

It is cold, but Christmas isn't the coldest time of year. End of January is. (that is when the weahter is around -30 ) And then it is uncomfortably cold. Christmas, sometime is really surprising. Last year was superb, snow, and about -10 degrees (celcius) but the years before, honnestly, at some point we thought we would have a snowless X-mas!!! And the weather wasn't THAT cold. Of course, it is alaways below freezing point, but with a good coat, it is really nice to be out.
Now about the freezing rain, that doesn't always happens...we had ONE big storm a couple of years ago, where we were really stuck in it, but usually, and that is when it happens, it isn't such a big deal. And it last for about 24 hours...

AND X-mas in MTL is magical! There are tons of decorations outside, inside, in the restaurant there are specials menus, you can skate downtown,(they rent the skates btw...)there are tons of activities! You can party until 3 am, you can have some super romantic dinners at really chic restaurants. You can take a sleigh ride near "le vieux port" SO nice!The atmosphere is SO cool! X-mas in MTL is the best for me. I HATE winter, but X-mas in Mtl is the best. I like X_mas in the south, but for a real feel of winter x-mas, you guys are going to love it.

Just wanted to add that you can also check Quebec. It is 2 hours1/2 from Mtl, and it is gorgoeus in winter too!!! Beautiful place!

Welcome into my world!:p

[Sherb]

I would encourage you to go to Quebec City instead of Montreal. My DH and I spent our honeymoon in QC and MOntreal last December and we absolutely LOVED QC and were ehhh on Montreal.

Yes it is cold. One day it was around 10 degrees F or so. But it was bearable for a southern girl used to no snow. I just checked www.wunderground.com and the avg high temp for the week before Christmas is 26 F and the avg low is 13F.

PM me if you want info. All my websites and B&B info is on my home computer.

[luckyduck]

Wow, thank you for all the info. I wasn't sure anyone would have anything to say. I have to admit that we've wanted to visit Montreal since we saw the movie The Score. I know it sounds lame, but the shots in the movie made it look so pretty. I had a feeling Christmas would be a pretty time of the year.
Also, another confession: I'll be almost six months pregnant at Christmas so ice skating is not for me. Sounds nice though. Freezing is probably not for me either, but boy do I want to go.

hapa - Freezing rain sounds terrible, but I adore the idea of old world yet cosmopolitan. We may have to take our chances or just find a fab hotel to hole up in.

Mrs. M and houseblend - I heard about the tunnels, which sound cool, but I would want to peek outside. I wonder if I can borrow a winter coat.

tinkerbell - Everything except for the ice skating sounds wonderful, esp. all the holiday related stuff. I'm not sure I've really ever had a white Christmas.

cosmogirl - Thank you for your input, native girl! Now I really want to go. Do you have any recs for places to stay to be near the action?

Sherb - I will look into QC. Is the weather about the same? I'll have to look at that nifty site you posted. Thank you!

[Sherb]

www.quebecregion.com/e/
and
www.bonjourquebec.com/

are also good travel sites for Quebec and Montreal

Yes the weather was about the same but I found that the sidewalks were much more slippery in Montreal.

[Cosmogirl]

I'm really in a hurry, but just wanted to add something.
Quebec city is REALLY nice, but not as cosmopolitan then Mtl. I love it for the "old "town feeling there is to it. It is not the exact same wheater because it is not as humid as Mtl. But if you look on the thermometer, it will indicate the same...but it will feel hotter.
It really depends on what you want as a feeling. For a more cosmo, Mtl, for a more old city type, Quebec! In MTL you'll find that it is like the big city in the world, Quebec, is IMO something different. Small restaurant, cafe, samll streets, people speak majoritairly french, wheter in Mtl, it is bilingual. But you'll always be able to find someobdy who speak french in Quebec don,t worry!

I do have recommendation, I'll be back with that. You will want to check for a place in the "old Montreal". That is where "the score" was shoot.

And don't worry about the cold temperature, I've had my boy this summer but I was pregoo while winter...no worries there! Freezing ain't a problem!

[Kates]

I second Cosmogirl's comments about Quebec City. DH and I went a few years ago just before Christmas, and it was awesome. The weather wasn't too bad if you are bundled up with a coat and hat. We walked around the city, it was really festive.

We've been back a few times since and have always stayed at this B&B: Relais Charles-Alexandre (http://www.quebecweb.com/rca/introang.html) It's outside the walls of the city, but the walk isn't that far.

The Chateau Frontenac (http://www.fairmont.com/FA/en/CDA/Home/Hotels/AboutHotel/CDHotelHomePage/0,1143,code%25255Ftype%253DMEET%2526property%25255 Fseq%253D100126,00.html) is in the middle of everything and would be my choice, if not for the $$. Expensive in CAD, not so much in USD :)

Old Montreal is really nice too. We've been in the winter and it's nice, a little slushy, but nice. Cobblestone walkways and lots of restaurants. We stayed at the Marriott SpringHill Suites (http://www.springhillmontreal.com/) in Old Montreal.