East Coast/Toronto

[Blendedmumof4]

We (large family of 6) are heading to Canada for 16 days in August. The second half of our holiday we will spend with my brother and his family south of Toronto. As we have done most of the Toronto landmarks I was hoping to visit Montreal or surrounding area for the first part but not sure what/where the best place to stay is and then onwards travel between Montreal and Toronto area. We will definitely be hiring a car for the second week with my brother and could hire for the entirety of the trip. So if anyone has travelled between the two cities and knows of any gems along the route let me know! Or alternatives I haven't thought of. Our children are 16, 12, 12 and 6, used to travelling and outdoor lifestyle.

In Montreal, I would suggest staying in the Plateau. It’s quite central and has a great atmosphere, plus lots of green spaces and great restaurants. The Old Port/Vieux Port is lovely too. If you’re looking for things to see outside of MTL, Quebec City may be a bit far but it’s a beautiful city and very unique in Canada. Mont Tremblant is great for hikes.

I normally take the train from Montreal to Toronto, it’s a nice journey. Flying is sometimes cheaper and you land in Mississauga at Pearson Airport rather than downtown Toronto, if that’s closer to your brother. It’s an ok drive, but you’d likely pay more to drop off the rental in Toronto, unless you’d be travelling back to Montreal for your return flight?

Quebec City is a beautiful city and rather unusual in Canada. You can take the train between Montreal and Quebec City easily. A day or two would be enough.

If you are driving from Montreal to Toronto area, I would 100% recommend stopping for a few nights in Prince Edward County. Pretty much halfway between the two, gorgeous in the summer, really chilled vibe. We have stayed in Picton twice, which is the biggest town, but there are other quaint little towns also. A visit to Sandbanks Provincial Park would be good if you enjoy the beach - gorgeous white sand on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is wine country, so there are many family friendly wineries, micro breweries, etc. Lots of gorgeous roadside food stalls, ice creameries, cycling routes. Love it!!

This sounds like a great place for us, thanks for the suggestion. I had heard the PE county was lovely but good to have some exact recommendations ☺️

It will be a case of figuring out whether the cost of hiring and dropping to 2 different centres is more or less expensive than the train or internal flights! Thanks 😊