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I was going to take a Greyhound bus roundtrip from Chicago to Montreal around the fourth week of August (say, the 18th or so) and return around the 27th/28th, but I am starting to think that paying $200-$250 extra for a flight might be worth it, as it would be about 36 hours less of travel time. Any advice on websites to use for flights? I assume that it's best for me to book flights ASAP, but does anyone have evidence to the contrary (say, last-minute deals or something like "bucket tickets")? Also, since there are so many connections between Chicago and Montreal, does anyone know what happens if there is a breakdown somehow (broken bus, late bus, whatever) in catching the following bus? Does Greyhound make sure your itinerary is fulfilled, or might one have to walk away to a hotel, pay out of pocket, and await whichever bus Greyhound can next send?
Not sure what you are paying for Chicago/Montreal on Greyhound but a bit of research may come up with a cheaper deal if you go Chicago to Toronto on GreyHound then Toronto/Montreal on MegaBus
Thanks for the reply. I was able to get a discount on Porter's direct website to save about $200 on a roundtrip ticket! VERY pumped for a trip to Quebec!
I will attempt to do so. I was in Montreal for New Year's in 2007, so it won't be my first time visiting, but I will almost certainly add on Quebec City and other nearby places this time... plus it will be late August weather instead of late December weather! I look forward to using French a lot, though my main reason for traveling is to see a friend.
As per your request, jambo101, here are some thoughts, tips, and observations:
I was verrrrrrrry happy with my time in Quebec. I had already done some exploring of Montreal in 2007-2008, but I got to experience the city in warm weather and do so much more the past week and a half. Despite enjoying Montreal, I found Quebec City to be more elegant, beautiful, generally "French" (and filled with white people), and enchanting, but its size is far from rivaling what Montreal can offer. I greatly enjoyed the Basilique de St.-Anne-de-Beaupre, but the beauty and peace it provided likely correlate to my position as a practicing Catholic. The Montmorency waterfalls were definitely worth visiting, and I appreciated the fact that they weren't hokey in the way Niagara is.
I had two other non-Montreal experiences: a day trip with Wonder Travel to Ottawa/Gatineau (worth the money for the culture and sights packed in) and about 24 hours around Mont Tremblant. While I better understand the province of Quebec as a result of going to Mont Tremblant, I don't think I would love it in the winter since I don't ski, and in the summertime, I don't see much appeal in the village itself. However, my friend and I camped cheaply and were able to take in the wilderness as a break from the city.
As for Montreal itself, I definitely recommend that tourists get a transit pass to complement walking around. La Vitrine was useful for finding last-minute deals on cultural events. I'm glad I got to take in a movie from the film festival. Le Centre d'Histoire de Montreal had some good information and was cheap. L'Oratoire Saint-Joseph is great even if someone just wants to go there for some exercise walking uphill and for taking pictures. I felt closer to the quebecois when I ate a hot chicken from St. Hubert, ordered a Harvey's burger, had some poutine (not a fan of cheese, but tried some off my friend's plate). bought and read a phrasebook about Canadian French, listened to the political debate two Sundays ago, etc. French is only my third language, but I used it throughout my trip and enjoyed learning more about the differences between Canadian French and that spoken in Paris. My overall view of Montreal as a tourist, once excluding the fact that I have a dear friend there, is that it's a great city to enjoy life and be around people who generally behave quite differently from other North Americans. Yes, the differences are truly there when it comes to flirting, mannerisms, ways of approaching others, and so on. Although I would like to take part in some of Montreal's bigger festivals in the future, I don't know if Montreal will ever be a "sights" city for me; I think of it more as a place to practice French and surround oneself with people who have different takes on life.
I may check in on this thread again and, if anyone asks for clarification or perhaps more details, I may write more.
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