Toronto and Montreal suggestions

[Loves_Shizuka]

I shall be visiting a friend in late April/May.

I've spent some time in Toronto before, but never been to Montreal or anywhere else in Canada. Main thing: generally, what is the weather like at said time of year? I spent time in TO in January and February two years ago and am scarred for life Is it still pretty cold come mid-April? I've looked in some guide books and they've said it can snow in April?!

Also, suggestions for places to go in both cities please?

Aaaaaaaaaaaand.... Ottawa. Quebec City. Should we?

Merci

[Buzz]

Quebec City is nice. If you have time you should visit. As for TO here are some suggestions:

The Waterfront
Hockey Hall of Fame
St Lawrence Market
Eaton Center Mall
CN Tower
Royal Ontario Museum
Art Gallery of Ontario
The Distillary District
Yorkville
You might also want to take a day and visit Nagara Falls and Nagara On The Lake.

[brisbydog]

Ottawa is warming up a bit, we just had another massive snowfall last week but hopefully that is the last one for a while. The canal is shut for the year though so if you wanted to view the World's Longest Skating Rink that is done until next January.

[Norlite]

Late April / May is usually very nice. Very well could be anywhere from 15 to 21C.

There are, of course no guarantees on Canadian weather though, but as a rule we are well on our way to summer weather by then.

And yes, Quebec City is very worth the trip if you have the time. More so than Montreal IMO. Ottawa is more convenient if you are staying in the Toronto to Montreal corridor and wonderful if you are into museums.

[manhn]

Quebec City is really nice (really really nice) but Montreal is my kind of city. The train ride between the two is fairly affordable and quite nice.

A restaurant suggestion in Montreal: Au Pied de Cochon!

[Jenny]

Eaton Center Mall

Um, Eaton Centre

A restaurant suggestion in Montreal: Au Pied de Cochon!

Yes yes yes! But go hungry, and only if you love meat. Wouldn't hurt to book a session in the gym for the next day

[Artemis@BC]

As for TO here are some suggestions:
The Waterfront
Hockey Hall of Fame
St Lawrence Market
Eaton Center Mall
CN Tower
Royal Ontario Museum
Art Gallery of Ontario
The Distillary District
Yorkville
You might also want to take a day and visit Nagara Falls and Nagara On The Lake.

Good list -- although I find the Distillery District pretentious and artificial. I'd also add:

~ Bata shoe museum (very, very cool, even for non-fashionistas)
~ Centre Island if the weather is even remotely nice (and you can take the underground streetcar from Union Station to close to the ferry terminal, which for some reason I always find extra neato, don't really know why)
~ High Park
~ walking tour through Cabbagetown to see the beautiful houses, and a visit to nearby Riverdale farm
~ Kensington Market (resist all urges to sing the theme song)

Niagara Falls is of course impressive if you can stomach the hordes of tourists. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a very cute and picturesque little town that is touristy in a different way, and shouldn't be too busy at that time of year as it's before the Shaw Festival starts. But the real draw for me is the region in between the two -- and even better, the Vinland region just west of there. There are lots of tour companies that will take you on a day trip to both the Falls and a winery or three.

[CynicElle]

Another "yes, you should" to Quebec City; it's really a beautiful place. Mr. Elle was genuinely depressed to leave it when we headed home after Skate Canada in 2007.

[snoopysnake]

Casa Loma in Toronto is awesome!

[Loves_Shizuka]

WOW, intrigued by all the QC praise; it wasn't really on my radar until last week, someone else suggested I go. I'm going to look into travel from Montreal - any advice? What is the railway system in Canada like?

Additionally, how expensive is Montreal? One thing which took me by surprise last time was how pricey I found TO - and that's after living in London (UK!!) for the last few years! Is Montreal on the same level?

Thanks for all the advice so far I'm so pumped up about going (we've only just decided so it's all very exciting)

[znachki]

I second Artemis' suggestion of the Bata Shoe Museum. Really unique and interesting. I love going to the types of museums that you don't find anywhere else.

[Alixana]

Ditto to Kensington Market in TO, even though it's no longer the goat and chicken selling, ethnic place of my childhood! And the Bata Museum is fun.
For malls, I like Yorkdale vs the Eaton Centre but it's away from downtown.

[Artemis@BC]

WOW, intrigued by all the QC praise; it wasn't really on my radar until last week, someone else suggested I go. I'm going to look into travel from Montreal - any advice? What is the railway system in Canada like?

QC is gorgeous. I haven't been there since my brother's wedding in 1988, but I remember loving it. Despite the palpable anti-Anglo sentiments I sometimes encountered. (Be aware that there is far less English spoken there than in Montreal.)

VIA Rail in Canada is at its most efficient in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridors. Once you get outside of that network it's still pretty good (and more reliable than on my last 2 trips in the UK!), just not nearly as frequent. From Montreal to Quebec City is almost as far as from Toronto to Montreal, so you'll have to factor in travel time if you choose to visit.

[flowerpower]

You can take the VIA Rail train from Montreal (Central Station downtown) to Quebec City in 3 hours or less. Very easy. Don't miss Quebec City - it's one of the most unique and beautiful cities in Canada!

[JasperBoy]

Another vote for Quebec City. I was there for the GPF in 2011 and spent a day taking tours afterward. The city tour covered the ancient and the new. The lower city is compact and charming and we saw it decked out for Christmas. The city and its residents are happy to help tourists and make their visit memorable. Despite it being the depths of winter I enjoyed the countryside tour, especially Montmorency Falls. Stunning! Well worth the trip.