My autumn holiday to Canada
Hot on the heels of our summer trip to Canada, we were off again! This time it was the turn of Montreal, Quebec City & Ottawa & what a trip it was. I'd always wanted to see the autumn colours in this part of the world so October made sense to go & experience it for myself.
We travelled with Air Canada & Via Rail on our rail adventure, staying at the iconic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City & the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. All part of the amazing prize I won at the Canada Elite Specialist event in the UK in June - thank you to everyone who made it happen.
Montreal
What did we love?
Mount Royal
We opted for the meandering Olmsted Trail up "the mountain", right in the heart of Montreal. It was beautiful with the colours of the autumn leaves as we slowly made our way up to the viewing point. We rounded a corner to find Beaver Lake, with the surrounding park dotted with groups of people enjoying the sunny Sunday afternoon.
In the summer months, people gather here on Sunday afternoons for what is known as the Tam Tams. Drum circles, music & a festival-like feel draws locals & visitors alike to enjoy the sunny weather & the lively atmosphere.
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
This spectacular church did not disappoint with its gorgeous stained glass windows & intricate stone work. We took a seat in the pews to appreciate the beauty & splendour. It is magnificent irrespective of whether you are a believer or not.
Where did we stay?
We were staying at the unique Auberge Les Bons Matins, a charming bed & breakfast comprised of 3 town houses side by side. We couldn't check in until after 4pm so left our bags & headed off to explore.
Our family suite on the ground floor of the house next to reception was quirky & fun, with colourful art on the walls. A lounge area with an extra bed was separated by an archway from the bedroom. The bathroom was huge, with a hot tub style bath as well as a shower & a back door to a patio.
Where did we eat?
Try the Time Out Food Court. A great lunch option particularly if you all want something different We had fried chicken sandwiches & poutine but there was also cuisine from Thailand, India, Japan, Vietnam & more available
Anything else?
Getting to downtown from the airport was really easy. We took the aptly numbered 747 bus & in about 20 mins we got off a couple of minutes walk from our hotel
Quebec City
What did we love?
Old City
Exploring the old city was a delight:- cobbled streets, inviting cafes, boutiques & galleries along with the obligatory tourist shops. We also walked some of the city walls, this is the only walled city north of Mexico in the Americas.
Terrasse Dufferin Toboggan Slides
Ok, we didn't get to enjoy these as it isn't winter yet but they were setting them up ready for the season. The wooden slides are operational through the winter & riders can travel up to 70mph ending on the terrace itself.They look so much fun - we definitely have to go back to give them a go.
Montmorency Falls
I wanted to visit Montmorency Falls, a short distance from the city so we didn't let the damp weather put us off. We got the public bus from the train station in a little under an hour.
Whilst we didn't have the best of weather, it was definitely worth a visit - the 80m falls are pretty spectacular. We started by walking across the bridge over the top of the falls, visiting a viewing point just below the falls before taking the cable car down to the base. It is possible to follow a path to the base of the falls or up to the bridge but we just took a few photos before getting back into the cable car.
Where did we stay?
We were staying at the iconic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. didn't fancy walking up hill in the pouring rain to our hotel, the A quick taxi ride & we'd arrived - somewhere I'd always hoped to visit one day. The stunning entrance from a courtyard in to the wood panelled grandeur of the lobby felt like something out of a fairy tale.
Our room was huge with 2 double beds, a sofa, a coffee machine & robes & slippers. We'd eaten on the train & it was still very wet outside so we satisfied ourselves with an explore of the hotel before bed. The beds were very comfortable. Our view over the Governors' Garden & the river was lovely.
Place Dufferin offers great views over the terrace which is where we went for breakfast. An extensive buffet selection was available with the cooked to order options of eggs benedict or omelettes. The eggs benedict was lovely as were the delicious pastries, the latte was a bonus too. It was a very relaxed atmosphere & the staff couldn't do enough for us.
We enjoyed the (indoor) hotel pool - it was a great way to unwind & the hot tub was particularly relaxing. Finding a treasure chest of assorted toys was a highlight for our son, its actually the culmination of a quiz (which we didn't discover until later -oops!). The fidget spinner soon became a feature of our holiday & even a talking point in restaurants.
Anything else?
If you are staying at your hotel for at least 2 nights, you may be able to get a 3 day unlimited bus pass for free. Not all hotels offer it but definitely worth checking especially if you want to go to the Falls.
On our final morning, the sun came out & the city although still beautiful in the rain, really came into its own. The Chateau, the autumn colours & the views over the river were everything I hoped they'd be. We'll definitely be back!
Place an enquiry to plan your autumn holiday to Canada
Ottawa
What did we love?
The Parliament
The Parliament's Centre Block is undergoing extensive renovation & modernisation work, due to continue until at least 2031. This means the clock tower, the House of Commons & the Senate, & the amazing looking library are not accessible for the time-being. The House of Commons & the Senate have both moved temporarily elsewhere & you can do free guided tours of both. We did the tour of the Senate housed in the old rail station, it was really interesting - it functions very similarly to the House of Lords in the UK. A tour I also did quite recently so great to compare.
We noticed a sign to the Chateau Laurier, which is linked by an underground tunnel. Originally its purpose was for distinguished guests to make their way from the train station to the hotel without being seen or going out in the cold. Now, senators who stay in the hotel use it to attend the Senate. We couldn't resist taking a look in our hotel to find the other end. It is of course under guard so you can't just wander in!
As it isn't possible to view the Parliament itself, there is a complimentary immersive experience to give visitors a taste of the grandeur, intricate carved details & stone work & uses of the parliamentary buildings. It is a fun experience comprised of an exhibition & a 360 degree multi-media show. It is a creative & innovative way to keep visitors informed in the meantime.
Top tip: Book your tours of the House of Commons, the Senate & Parliament: The Immersive Experience online before you go. They are free but the availability can be quite limited.
Byward Market
The Byward Market area is the place to go for bars & restaurants. It has got a lively buzzing atmosphere but we were still able to find a table without too much trouble. We ate at Grey's Social Eatery, which had a kids menu & a variety of options. I chose a seared tuna bowl, my husband - the chicken parmesan spaghetti & my son had fried chicken, everyone was happy!
Kiweki Point
On our last day, we walked to the viewing point, Kiweki Point next to the National Gallery of Canada. We loved the sculptures along the public walkway & the city & river views from the viewpoint but didn't have time to explore the gallery itself.
Where did we stay?
Our hotel, the stunning Fairmont Chateau Laurier was a short walk from Rideau station. The heritage of this historic hotel is fascinating, notable previous guests included King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela - and now, me 😂The beds were very comfortable & we all slept well - probably the best nights sleep since we arrived.
We checked in for our two night stay, our room was a standard size but had everything we needed. We noticed we only had 2 robes but we asked for a 3rd & had a kids one in our room by the time we returned to our room.
The art deco salt water pool was a delight, it's approximately 18m long & up to 2.5m deep. Back in the 1930's & 40's you could opt for electrical therapy, but thankfully this is no longer offered - the photo of the apparatus looked scary!
Anything else?
If you want to keep costs down, try Tim Hortons for breakfast. It seems to be the cheapest option by quite some margin & they are everywhere in Canada.
How we travelled
Air Canada
We flew from Heathrow in economy to Montreal courtesy of Air Canada (for my husband & I, we paid for our son's flights). The experience at Heathrow Terminal 2 was the smoothest I think I've ever had at Heathrow - very quick & easy.
We enjoyed our breakfast in the calming environment of the Maple Leaf Lounge. The buffet offered hot & cold breakfast options including waffles & croffles cooked to order. Air Canada First & Business class passengers are entitled to complimentary access to the lounge. Air Canada Economy passengers are able to purchase lounge passes in advance.
Onboard the staff were friendly, helpful & the food was surprisingly good for airline food. As our flight departed at 09:30, we weren't sure which meal we'd get. It turned out to be lunch with another snack just before landing.
On the return, we did have some delays in Ottawa however Air Canada kept us updated by text. There was also a representive in the airport if you wanted to speak to them. The delays meant we received $15 per person for food & drink automatically. Sadly, all the restaurants where we could use this had already closed for the night but we were able to use them in the shop instead. An hour or so in Toronto & we boarded our onward flight.
Again the food onboard was pretty good, I had the mustard chicken & mashed potatoes with a brownie for dessert. I slept pretty much for the duration of the flight which is unusual for me. Breakfast was a slice of delicious lemon raspberry loaf & a yogurt. No hot drinks due to turbulence were served but soft drinks were available instead. The staff were friendly & helpful although were probably a bit tired of saying 'sorry we aren't serving hot drinks' to every person how asked for coffee or tea!
We enjoyed our flights with Air Canada & would be happy to travel with them again.
Via Rail
We travelled business class courtesy of Via Rail. We liked the complimentary drinks in the lounge in Montreal - coffees, teas & cold soft drinks before our train boarded. We had comfy seats for our 3 hour or so journey to Quebec City. We were well looked after with snacks, a 3 course airline style meal - ginger chicken & rice which was more flavoursome than I was expecting. The dessert was apple crumble, sadly lacking custard but was delicious in any case. The choc truffles served with our coffees were lovely too.
On our train to Ottawa, an approx. 6 hr journey, we were served both lunch - yakitori chicken & rice, and dinner - the ginger chicken again. My son loved the choc truffles so much the steward gave him extras (and was even more excited when one of the extras turned out to have 3 truffles instead of 1!). Complimentary drinks were served - both alcoholic & non-alcoholic throughout so we didn't go hungry or thirsty.
I love travelling by train any way & our experience didn't disappoint. I'll definitely be recommending Via Rail & business class in particular. The highlight for me was the 'golden hour', that period of time before sunset when the sunlight hit the tops of the trees really bringing out the best in the autumn colours.
A big thank you to Air Canada, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Via Rail & the Ottawa Tourism board for my amazing prize. Thanks also to Bonjour Quebec for access to Montmorency Falls.
Autumn is such a lovely time to go - we had such a great holiday!
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