Options? Quebec City to Montreal? what to do...

[Blue and Green]

Traveling with Mr. Blue, who is in a wheelchair for distances/crowded areas, I am wanting to get from Quebec City to Montreal for our already booked flight home. We were thinking about taking a Princess excursion from Quebec City that allows for a few hours "on your own" in Montreal before taking you to the airport. However, our flight is not until the next day (the day after the excursion). AND , because we were busy traveling elsewhere and I forgot to book the excursion before we left :rolleyes:, that excursion is now waitlisted.

 

I don't really want to do ViaRail because it is hard for me to juggle the wheelchair with 2 large suitcases and 2 carry-on bags. The ViaRail option that allows checked luggage is later in the day, which doesn't make a lot of sense for us--by the time we would arrive at our downtown Montreal hotel, most of the day would be over.

 

So should we book a simple Princess transfer to the airport, then when we arrive take a taxi from the airport to a downtown hotel, drop our bags, and then take time to explore? We would then take a taxi back to the airport the next day? Will Princess allow us to book an early transfer on Friday if we are not scheduled to fly out until Saturday afternoon?

 

I contacted a couple of private drivers as an option, but a one-way Quebec City to Montreal seemed quite pricey.

 

I am also considering renting a car, just for the drive and returning it as soon as we arrive in Montreal. This is quite an economical option, but is it an easy drive (for someone who doesn't speak French)? Would getting to the car rental pick-up and drop-off be a hassle?

 

Are there other options, or information I am missing?

[martincath]

I think you've covered all your options (well, there's also bus as a possibility, but that would be even more hassle than the train with luggage and wheelchair so if you discounted the train, bus isn't worth thinking about....)

 

Rental car driving sounds like the easiest thing for you. The only difficulties are unfamiliarity with street names in the urban parts and to a lesser extent the older city infrastructure leading to odd angles, nooks & crannies compared to a more modern grid layout. The French vs. English thing is a very, very minor factor.

 

Highway driving the signs are almost identical to the US, with junction numbers based on distance, that you won't have any problems. If you have a GPS you can bring with you, or buy a Canadian data package for your phone to navigate, you'll be good. Otherwise, just printing Google map directions works - you'll know where you are renting from and returning the car to so the directions can be easily checked in advance.

 

Otherwise yes, a transfer to Montreal airport then a cab to your hotel would also be very simple (and fixed rate cab means known expenses). Princess might restrict the earliest transfer to their own pax with the earliest flights booked through them, but they'd lose profit if they refused to let you book a transfer - don't tell them when your flight is, or lie and say you have a mid-afternoon flight the same day;-)

 

I wager that transfer would be significantly more expensive than your car rental though, and only you know how much you are willing to pay for that extra convenience.

[em-sk]

 

I am also considering renting a car, just for the drive and returning it as soon as we arrive in Montreal. This is quite an economical option, but is it an easy drive (for someone who doesn't speak French)? Would getting to the car rental pick-up and drop-off be a hassle?

 

Are there other options, or information I am missing?

 

If I was doing the rental car I would keep the car the extra data and drop it off at the airport when you catch your flight. What you save by dropping the car off early you spend on the cost of a transfer and the extra inconvenience.

 

Highways in Quebec and not much different than other parts of north America.

 

Keep in mind

- West is Ouest

- East is est

- North is Nord

- South is Sud

 

GPS will take care of the rest.