Goin' to Quebec! (locals, post!)

[SiOuxTribe]

I'm going to Quebec with a few friends in late july / early August this year.  I've been before on a French class trip a few years ago.  So I'm here to ask anyone what are some cheap hotels, cool places to go, neat things to do/see, where to save my money and ect. ect.  I'll probably focus on Montreal for a tiny bit then spend a majority of the time in Quebec City (since i enjoyed that more last time).  So, any input to make this a fun trip would be obliged!

Merci Beaucoup!

[Jaimoe]

Have a great time mon ami. Both cities are jewels of North America. The Latin Quarter of Montreal is a lot of fun. So too is the Plateau district. Montreal has tons of character, a fantastic night-life and history coming out of its poutine - you gotta eat poutine.

Old Quebec City is beautiful. Enjoy!

[SiOuxTribe]

The friend of mine thats going told me about poutine tonight, she said something like 'gravy fries'?
I gotta try it!

[wellfleet]

sioux!!!!! former montrealer here, so much to recommend. i miss montreal like i miss my family. montreal is the gorgeous girl next door who will not only kick your ass at scrabble, she'll also cook you a fine meal and shag you stupid...

first off, poutine is God's way of saying "if you're gonna die anyway, do it with cheese curds and gravy." it's a basket of fries topped with cheese curds, the squeakier the better, and brown gravy. you can get them at any La Belle Province franchise, and a really great one at Patati-Patata on St. Denis street.

you will not find cheap hotels in montreal in the summer. it's the absolute height of tourist season (jazz fest, fireworks fest, grand prix, fringe fest, gay pride, just for laughs...) so all hotels will be booked solid with jacked-up prices to boot. if you're gonna go, book a hotel NOW! seriously...

st. denis street is great for bars with lovely terraces where you can drink the evening away and people watch. try st. laurent street (also called "the main" but don't call it that) if you're trendier. if you're looking for a model-y babe, or someplace to dance, it's a good place to start.

cool bars: there are about a million cool places to drink and socialize in montreal and it really depends on your scene. bily kun is a personal fave in the plateau mont-royal district. brutopia is an awesome brew pub and they have this homemade cider that is just delicious. it's also very laid back. blizzarts go-go lounge are funky but very crowded. if you're into quality jazz, check out Upstairs, it's actually in the basement on Mackay street and on any given night you can hear local greats, special guests. they also have a nicely edited menu and wine list. mile end bar, near where i used to work, won a local design award and it's a gorgeous lounge-bar full of beautiful people and sexy music. barfly is your basic, no frills bar but you never know who will be drinking next to you, it's popular with visitng musicians.

speaking of which, try and catch a show in montreal, the crowds are well-known for their awesomeness.

i adore old montreal, the cobblestone streets, the old buildings, city hall. it's a great place to check out some incredible street performers (cirque du soleil got started here) and groove.

sainte-catherine street it a main artery and where you'll find most of the major nudie bars if you're into that sprt of thing. but for quality, go to wanda's and tip well.

i would advise you to steer clear of crescent street if drunken 17 year-olds and poseurs are not your bag. it's way commercial and well... yeah....

and check out the montreal mirror, the alternative weekly, for current entertainment listings to see what's going down when you'll be in town. http://www.montrealmirror.com

and just let loose! i love walking around aimlessly for hours and even if you've lived there forever, there's something new every time.

also, i believe you have ties to the First Nations, you can go down to KAHNAWAKE, a Mohawk Nation rez just south if the island.

let me know how it goes and if you need any more info

[Jaimoe]

I'd recommend trying to find a good bed & breakfast... or  try to get a cheap dorm room at McGill University. Friends of mine have done just that for the upcoming F-1 race.

[SiOuxTribe]

wellfleet you are amazing, that is all i have to say

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

I echo wellfleet's recommendations and add the following:

-Gibby's.  fantastique steak house with a great menu.  very, VERY old building and the bread is incredible.  down in Old Montreal, this place is a gem.  I go there to eat everytime I come.

-Hotel St. Paul.  the rates are fairly reasonable to stay there, and the continental breakfast they offer is out of this world.  amazing level of service, and the place is as post modern as it is chic.  The bar there is amazing, closed it down a few times on my last visit.

wellfleet, help me out here:  there's this incredible pizza place that's on the same street as the only mcDonald's in downtown, and I can't remember the name of it.  I want to say it's on Rue St. Catherine, but I'm not sure.  there's also a fabric/clothing store right next to it that has some amazing bargains on clothes...I came back with these huge wall hangings on my last trip.

oh yeah!  you've got to go to the Underground and check out the endless array of shops at the subway.  amazing!

I love Montreal to pieces....if only I could live there....

[wellfleet]

i'm gonna ditto Gibby's for great steaks. also, if you're a hockey fan, it's a favourite hangout among montreal canadiens players. maybe less so in the off-season...

JC... the only mcdonald's in the downtown proper area is on sainte-catherine, although it did change locations slightly when its lease ran out, moving less than half a block... the manager there used to ref my basketball league... anyway... i can't think of a quality pizza place near it, unless you mean the 99-cent pizza joints... unfortunately, sainte-catherine is a long-ass street and i can't think of a primo pizza spot and i'm ashamed because i am a woman of pizza... doh!

and funny story for you anti-corporation people... the OTHER mcdonald's in downtown montreal was on peel street. it's not there anymore because the workers tried to unionize it, and after battling some pretty hairy scare tactics from mcd's head office's gestapo, the managers just shut the place down. there's an indie movie about this called Maxime & Mcdo about the battle.

[SiOuxTribe]

Awesome! I'll be sure to check all this great stuff out!

I know its cliche, but what are the laws on marijuana?