Montreal: 8 Day Trips Worth Taking
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Montreal sits at the hub of the Quebec-City rail corridor, which is the whole reason it works as a base rather than just a destination. Three of the eight trips below run on VIA Rail straight out of Gare Centrale downtown; the rest need a car or an organized tour. None of them are reachable by the city’s STM metro or bus network, so plan the logistics before you plan the sightseeing. For the full city-plus-day-trip picture, our Montreal, Canada guide covers the base itself.
Quebec City: the marquee pairing, overnight-better
Old Québec is the actual UNESCO World Heritage Site in this story (Montreal holds a UNESCO City of Design title instead, a different program). VIA Rail runs 5 times a day from Gare Centrale, about 3 hours each way, and driving takes roughly the same. Book the earliest departure if you’re doing this as a true day trip, since you’re looking at 4-5 hours in Old Québec once the travel is accounted for. If your schedule has any flexibility, one night in Quebec City turns a rushed look at the Château Frontenac into an actual visit.
Ottawa: the day trip that genuinely works
About 2 hours by VIA Rail or 2h20 by car, Ottawa is Canada’s capital and the easiest long day trip on this list. Parliament Hill and the national museums fill a full day without the time pressure Quebec City carries. Book VIA Rail ahead for the earliest morning departure and the last reasonable evening return.
Eastern Townships: the true day trip, wine and foliage
One to two hours southeast by car (this one needs a car, it’s not on the rail network), the Eastern Townships are wine country: Magog on Lake Memphremagog, the villages of Bromont and Sutton, and the Balnea spa if you want a slower pace. Fall foliage season is the best window to go.
Laurentians and Mont-Tremblant: ski village or lake day
About 90 minutes north by car, Mont-Tremblant works as a day trip or an overnight. Skiing in winter, hiking and lake time the rest of the year. If you’ve already had a few travel-heavy days, this is the easiest one to convert into an overnight stay.
Trois-Rivières: the overlooked stop on the Quebec City line
About 90 minutes northeast, and directly on the same VIA Rail corridor as Quebec City. Worth a day on its own, or a stop if you’re already heading further up the line.
Montebello and Parc Omega: the wildlife-park day
About 2 hours west by car, this is the wildlife-park option. The Fairmont Château Montebello sits right there if a day trip turns into an overnight.
Montérégie and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: the closest true day trip
Only 40-45 minutes out, and the easiest to do without an early start. Apple orchards and cider country, best timed for early fall.
Sugar shacks: spring-only, worth building a day around
Cabane à sucre feasts run 45-60 minutes out, but only from late February through April. Outside that window they’re not an option, so check the calendar before you plan a trip around one.
Getting there without a car
VIA Rail from Gare Centrale covers Quebec City, Ottawa, and Trois-Rivières, all on the same corridor, and it’s the only car-free option on this list. Everything else, the Eastern Townships, the Laurentians, Montebello, Montérégie, and the sugar shacks, needs a rental car or a tour operator. Factor Quebec’s 14.975% sales tax into any meal or ticket cost along the way.
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For a day-by-day plan that puts these trips in order, start with our 2-day itinerary or go straight to the 7-day version if you want most of this list in one trip.