Help get us outta here!

April 20, 2009 6:56 PM

I'm looking for travel destinations within a day's drive of Montreal.

I'm sure a similar question has been asked before, but my needs are specific...

My wife and I live in Montreal. We wanted to go on a short vacation (2-4) days in New York City, but that's a bit too expensive for us. Can you recommend another fun town/city to go to?

We've ruled out for various reasons:
Toronto
Ottawa
Boston
Chicago

We're looking to hang out, walk around, shop, hike, go to museums, whatever.

This place would ideally be within a half-day's or so commute (we can rent
a car or take bus/train).

My questions:
1) One place we're thinking of visiting is Hudson, New York. Can anyone recommend this place?
2) What are some alternatives? To give you an idea, we really liked Burlington, Vermont.

Cheap hotel tips appreciated.

Thanks!

posted by blisterpack to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

I loved Quebec City, and the train ride is beautiful.
posted by jschu at 7:01 PM on April 20 [2 favorites]

New Haven has great museums. Portsmouth, NH, is fun for a day (go to the Friendly Toast!).

I know nothing about Hudson, but the Dia:Beacon museum, 70 miles south, is awesome. Storm King sculpture park is across the river from there, also.

You could take the Metro-North into NYC for a day from Hudson or New Haven.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 7:10 PM on April 20

Seconding Quebec City. Would recommend avoiding the Amtrak Adirondack route from Montreal to NYC, unless you like 18-hour stops on the track and broken bathrooms.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:17 PM on April 20

I recommend the Laurentians! I proposed a few places to visit in this thread.
Ski season is pretty much over and hiking/kayaking hasn't started yet though, so it depend on the date of your trip. But there's great hiking, nice bike trails (both flat and moutains), tons of b&b... In the summer there are quite a few art exhibitions including the world famous 1001 pots in Val-David.
posted by ddaavviidd at 7:20 PM on April 20

Why not visit Nantucket? It's about 6 hours drive from Montreal, has a wonderful history, a world class whaling museum, great restaurants and shopping, and is peaceful before summer. Take the ferry out and you can walk to a B&B from the dock.
posted by birdwatcher at 7:23 PM on April 20

If you're taking this vacation in July, Joliette (seriously) is a fun place to be during the Festival de Lanaudière if you're at all into classical music. The town is pretty, and there's a lot to see in the area.
posted by OLechat at 7:57 PM on April 20

Thirding Quebec City. Stay in the old part near the Grande Allée and you won't be disappointed.
posted by furtive at 7:57 PM on April 20

Fourthing (!) Quebec City. Went there a couple of years ago for a conference and it was magical!
posted by futureisunwritten at 9:12 PM on April 20

How about Portland, Maine? The Old Port is a fun area to walk around, there's lots of cool little shops and great restaurants, plus you can head to the beach or hike nearby.
posted by saturngirl at 9:54 PM on April 20 [1 favorite]

Seconding Portland, Maine. Or perhaps the Finger Lakes Region of NY? Wonderful hiking, lots of wineries, great restaurants. Ithaca has a very nice art museum. I lived there for a while and we took a short weekend trip up to Montreal, so I know the drive isn't bad.
posted by munichmaiden at 2:06 AM on April 21 [1 favorite]

Yes, Portland, Maine. It's a little less than 5 hours' drive. Is it this weekend? The weather is supposed to be nice. It's pre-season so hotels shouldn't be too bad.
posted by miss tea at 4:53 AM on April 21 [1 favorite]

I'll second both Portsmouth, NH and Portland, ME. They're close to one another so you could easily enjoy the best of both.
posted by Quizicalcoatl at 5:21 AM on April 21

Anywhere in Vermont is a good bet for something low key. If you're going this summer, Cape Cod is nice and it's driveable.
posted by Simon Barclay at 6:25 AM on April 21

Portland, Maine has a nice art museum, a choice of sandy beach or rocky coast, lighthouses, islands to visit by ferry, and great restaurants. Shopping and walking in the Old Port is fun. If you do visit, MeFi meetups are fun.
posted by theora55 at 7:45 AM on April 21

Wow, thanks for the suggestions so far! More, more!
posted by blisterpack at 8:03 AM on April 21

Another vote for Quebec City. Or the Berkshires.
posted by billtron at 9:19 AM on April 21

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Portland, Maine it shall be. We'll keep your other suggestions in mind for future trips.
posted by blisterpack at 6:25 PM on April 23