3 Days in Montreal and Quebec

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Two fast days in Montreal’s core, then a third day out to Quebec City, this is the marquee pairing on the whole Quebec corridor. Be honest with yourself about the distance: it’s roughly 3 hours each way by VIA Rail from Gare Centrale, so a day trip is mostly travel, and an overnight in Quebec City works better if you can spare it. Shorter on time? Our 2-day base itinerary stays in Montreal only; with more days, 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7-day versions add Ottawa, the Eastern Townships, and beyond.

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Day Focus
Day 1 Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Port
Day 2 Mount Royal, downtown, a fast Mile End food stop
Day 3 Quebec City day trip by VIA Rail

Day 1: Old Montreal, fast

Morning

Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), free to wander, and the Notre-Dame Basilica, blue and gold inside, depicting the city’s own founding, about $16 for a daytime visit.

Afternoon

Past the 1847 Bonsecours Market toward the Old Port, keeping the pace up since two of your three days need to cover a lot of ground.

Evening

Dinner near Gare Centrale, tomorrow’s train station. The Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth sits directly above it, a genuinely convenient base for this itinerary.

Day 2: Mount Royal, downtown, and a fast food stop

Morning

Mount Royal and the free Kondiaronk Belvedere lookout.

Afternoon

A quick pass through downtown’s RÉSO underground city, then Mile End for St-Viateur Bagel or Fairmount Bagel.

Evening

Schwartz’s Deli for smoked meat, about $9.75, then an early night, tomorrow starts early for the train.

Day 3: Quebec City by VIA Rail

Morning

Catch an early VIA Rail train from Gare Centrale, about 3 hours to Quebec City, 5 departures run daily. Old Québec, the actual UNESCO World Heritage Site on this corridor (Montreal itself is not one, it’s a UNESCO City of Design), is walkable straight from the station.

Afternoon

Walk the old city’s fortified streets and see Château Frontenac from the boardwalk. Given the roughly 3-hour trip each way, plan your return train before you get absorbed in the old town.

How much should you budget for 3 days in Montreal and Quebec City? Plan on $155-260 CAD a day mid-range in Montreal, plus your VIA Rail fare for the Quebec City leg, before Quebec’s 14.975% sales tax on meals and shopping in both cities.

Evening

Take the return train back to Montreal, arriving late; keep day 4 plans light if you add one.

Getting around and one honest note

YUL airport sits about 20 kilometers from downtown; the REM doesn’t reach it yet, use the STM Bus 747 (about $11.25) or a taxi (about $49.45). Inside Montreal, the STM metro runs $3.75 a ride; VIA Rail from Gare Centrale is the car-free option for Quebec City. Keep an eye on your bag in Old Montreal, the RÉSO, and Berri-UQAM métro, otherwise this whole route is genuinely safe.

If Quebec City’s 3-hour trip feels like a lot for one day, our 4-day version spreads the day trips out further with an Ottawa day added.