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Getaways from Montréal · Winter 2026–27

Winter getaways from Montréal

Fifteen ways out of Montréal between December and February, from Bromont's night skiing under an hour away to a morning train into Québec City for Carnaval and four trips across the Vermont and New York borders. Each is sorted by how you get there, with the event worth timing it for, where to stay and one thing to know before you go.

  • 15trips
  • 10by car
  • 5by train
  • Facts checked 24 October 2026

15 winter trips from Montréal, sorted by how you get there: 10 by car and 5 by train. The quickest to reach is Bromont & Sutton, 1 hr away; the longest trip is New York City, 11 hr 5 min. Each one lists the travel time, the dates worth timing it for and where to stay.

At a glance

GetawayFrom MontréalBest forTime it for
Bromont & Sutton 1 hr Ski, Family, Spa January and February for night skiing and glade conditions
Laurentians: Saint-Sauveur & Estérel 1 hr Ski, Spa, Romantic January and February
Mont-Tremblant 1 hr 30 min Ski, Spa, Romantic PwC Tremblant World Cup, 5–6 Dec 2026
North Hatley & Lake Massawippi 1 hr 30 min Spa, Romantic, Food & wine January and February, once the lake is frozen for skating and snowshoeing
Montebello & Kenauk 1 hr 30 min Romantic, Family, Outdoors January and February for skiing, sleigh rides and a frozen landscape
Jay Peak Passport 1 hr 30 min Ski, Family January to March for its snowfall
Lake Placid Passport 2 hr Ski, Outdoors, Romantic FIS Ski Jumping World Cup + Nordic Combined World Cup, 5–7 Feb 2027
Burlington Passport 2 hr City break, Food & wine, Outdoors January and February for skating and Nordic skiing near town
Mauricie 2 hr 5 min Outdoors, Family, Romantic January to early March for cross-country skiing and lake activities
Stowe Passport 3 hr Ski, Romantic, Food & wine Late January for the Stowe Winter Carnival
Ottawa 2 hr 4 min City break, Festival, Spa Winterlude, 29 Jan – 15 Feb 2027
Québec City 3 hr 26 min City break, Festival, Culture Carnaval de Québec, 5–14 Feb 2027
Charlevoix 4 hr 26 min Ski, Spa, Food & wine January to March for skiing at Le Massif
Toronto 5 hr 13 min City break, Food & wine, Culture Late January into February for Winterlicious
New York City Passport 11 hr 5 min City break, Culture, Food & wine NYC Restaurant Week, 19 Jan – 11 Feb 2027

By car 10 trips

1 hr
Photograph · Domaine Château-Bromont
Cantons-de-l'Est, Québec

Bromont & Sutton

Just under an hour by car to Bromont, per Bromont, montagne d'expériencesMont SUTTON lists several inns within 5 km of the mountain; Hôtel Horizon is 1 km from the slopes.

Big-mountain skiing under an hour from Montréal. Bromont lights 90 of its 123 runs for night skiing, so you can leave the city after work and still ski, and Mont Sutton, on the same L'Est GO pass, is the Townships' glade-skiing pick.

Do
  • Night skiing at Bromont 123 runs on seven mountainsides, 90 of them lit for night skiing; the 7-Night pass covers 5 p.m. to closing.
  • Mont Sutton glades Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est highlights Sutton's glade skiing and a geocaching trail you can follow on skis.
  • L'Est GO pass One card for Bromont, Owl's Head, Mont Sutton and Mont Orford, with savings of up to 38 per cent; check the current season's terms.
Stay
  • Hôtel Château-Bromont 166 rooms and suites at the foot of the mountain, with an Amerispa thermal circuit (hammam, steam baths, cold waterfall) and Les 4 Canards restaurant.
  • Hôtel Horizon 24-room mountain-view hotel with an indoor pool, 1 km from Mont Sutton.

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Winter tip If you plan to ski more than a couple of days across the Townships, compare the L'Est GO card against single-mountain tickets before buying.

On Not An Atlas: Five Townships Towns, One Must-Do Each

1 hr
Photograph · Shawn Sirois / Estérel Resort
Laurentides, Québec

Laurentians: Saint-Sauveur & Estérel

About 1 hr by car to Estérel Resort (20 minutes past Saint-Sauveur), per Estérel ResortMont-Tremblant is listed separately.

The near Laurentians give a full winter weekend an hour from the city: night skiing on 28 lit trails at Sommet Saint-Sauveur, village-to-village Nordic skiing on the Routes Blanches, and lakeside suites with a thermal spa at Estérel.

Do
  • Night skiing at Sommet Saint-Sauveur 28 illuminated trails served by nine lifts.
  • Routes Blanches Inn-to-inn Nordic ski routes of 10 to 20 km a day; the guided eastern route covers 45 km from Val-David to Prévost over three days, with luggage transported.
  • Estérel trails and Lido Thermal 35 km of marked cross-country trails and more than 20 km of snowshoe routes, then the Lido Thermal hot-cold circuit, open daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Stay
  • Estérel Resort 200 suites with fireplaces and kitchenettes on Lake Dupuis, split between the contemporary Évolution and the more romantic Emotion buildings, with the Lido Thermal and an Amerispa centre.
  • Manoir Saint-Sauveur Hotel with more than 250 rooms and suites in Saint-Sauveur village, with a Nordic spa circuit, indoor pools and M Steak Moderne.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Routes Blanches' eastern section is a guided tour with meals and luggage transfer included, so book it as a package rather than piecing together inns.

On Not An Atlas: Club Med Tremblant Is Now Real

1 hr 30 min
Photograph · Tremblant
Laurentides, Québec

Mont-Tremblant

About 90 minutes by car (125 km), per TremblantWithout a car, Tremblant's winter shuttle from Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) is bookable for 17 December 2026 to 4 April 2027 ($95 one way for adults, before tax), and L'Inter des Laurentides runs daily buses between Saint-Jérôme and Mont-Tremblant.

Tremblant is the big ski resort an easy drive from Montréal: 103 trails on four sides and a pedestrian village with skating, dog sledding and après-ski. Add the Scandinave Spa on the Diable River and a weekend splits cleanly between the mountain and a silent thermal circuit.

Time it for PwC Tremblant World Cup 5–6 Dec 2026

Two Women's Giant Slalom World Cup races, on the Saturday and Sunday.

Do
  • Ski Tremblant 103 trails on four sides over 762 acres, with a 645 m (2,116 ft) vertical drop on the South Side and 15 lifts.
  • First Tracks Early lift access from 7:45 a.m. with skiing on designated North Side slopes from 8 a.m., every morning from 19 December 2026 to 21 March 2027; $40 plus tax.
  • Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant Outdoor thermal circuit on the Diable (Devil's) River where silence applies everywhere; walk-ins are accepted, with reservations for priority access.
Stay
  • Fairmont Tremblant Ski-in, ski-out hotel on Chemin de la Chapelle in Mont-Tremblant, with a ski valet counter by the slope access.
  • Hôtel Quintessence Suite hotel on the shore of Lake Tremblant, with wood-burning fireplaces in several suite types, plus the CAA/AAA Four Diamond Restaurant La Quintessence and Spa Sans Sabots.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Scandinave can reach capacity on busy days; book a time slot and check in within 30 minutes of it to keep priority entry.

On Not An Atlas: Club Med Tremblant Is Now Real

1 hr 30 min
Photograph · Manoir Hovey
Cantons-de-l'Est, Québec

North Hatley & Lake Massawippi

About 1 hr 30 min by car to North Hatley, per Manoir HoveyTourisme Cantons-de-l'Est puts the region about an hour's drive from Montréal; North Hatley and Ayer's Cliff take longer.

Two lakeside inns on Lake Massawippi make this the quiet-weekend version of the Townships. Manoir Hovey keeps its spa and heated pool open through winter and has a Michelin-recommended dining room; Ripplecove, also on Lake Massawippi in Ayer's Cliff, turns the frozen lake into its own cross-country, snowshoe and skating ground.

Do
  • Le Spa Manoir Hovey Thermal experiences, treatments and a heated pool kept open through every season, on the shore of Lake Massawippi.
  • Lake Massawippi on skis and skates In winter Ripplecove uses the lake for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating.
  • Owl's Head A Townships ski hill with 50 trails, up from six when it opened in December 1965; it is one of four mountains on the L'Est GO pass.
Stay
  • Manoir Hovey Relais & Châteaux manor at 575 rue Hovey in North Hatley, with 15 rooms, suites and cottages, Le Hatley restaurant (recommended by the MICHELIN Guide) and Le Tap Room bistro.
  • Ripplecove Hôtel & Spa Lakeside hotel at 700 Ripplecove in Ayer's Cliff, with lake-view hot tub, sauna and heated pool, and rooms with balconies over the water.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip For a ski day, Owl's Head is one of four mountains on the L'Est GO pass; check the current season's price before you go.

On Not An Atlas: Five Townships Towns, One Must-Do Each · The Townships in Colour: A Fall Weekend Plan

1 hr 30 min
Photograph · Kenauk Nature
Outaouais, Québec

Montebello & Kenauk

About 90 minutes by car, per Kenauk Nature (Tourisme Outaouais says about an hour)Montebello sits roughly halfway between Montréal and Gatineau, so it pairs easily with an Ottawa trip.

Fairmont Le Château Montebello, opened in 1930 and billed as one of the largest log structures in the world, runs a full winter programme on its grounds. Nearby, Kenauk is a 65,000-acre private reserve with year-round chalets on their own lakes, and Parc Oméga's drive-through wildlife park is open every day of the year.

Do
  • Winter at the Château Horse-drawn sleigh rides, curling, skating, snow tubing and more than 15 km of cross-country and snowshoe trails on the property.
  • Snowshoe Kenauk Marked trails from a 1.6 km loop to the 8.5 km Baldy Mountain route; trail access and snowshoe rentals are included for chalet guests.
  • Parc Oméga A 15 km car trail past deer, elk, bison and wild boar, open every day of the year; only the bears are out of sight in winter.
Stay
  • Fairmont Le Château Montebello Red-cedar log château on the Ottawa River, open since 1930, on 300 acres with a spa, indoor pool and more than 40 recreation options.
  • Kenauk Nature Year-round chalets on private lakes and rivers within a 65,000-acre reserve, with meals delivered to the chalet.

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Winter tip Kenauk chalet stays include free trail access and snowshoe rentals, so you only need to bring boots and layers.

1 hr 30 min
Vermont, USA Passport needed

Jay Peak

About 1 hr 30 min by car (137 km), per Jay PeakJay Peak names North Troy/Highwater as the closest crossing, with Richford, Berkshire and Derby Line as alternatives.

A US ski resort 90 minutes from Montréal that courts Canadians: Jay Peak reports 359 inches of annual snowfall, runs Vermont's only aerial tram and accepts Canadian cash at par for several resort purchases. A 60,000 sq. ft. indoor waterpark makes it a family trip as well as a ski trip.

Do
  • Ski Jay Peak 81 trails and nine lifts, including Vermont's only aerial tram, with 359 inches of annual snowfall.
  • Pump House Indoor Waterpark A 60,000 sq. ft. indoor waterpark at Tramside, downstairs from Hotel Jay.
  • Ice Haus Indoor ice arena at Tramside.
Stay
  • Hotel Jay 176 rooms and suites within walking distance of the Aerial Tram, with the waterpark downstairs and The Foundry Pub & Grille.
  • Tram Haus Lodge 57-suite hotel at Tramside.

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Winter tip Jay Peak accepts Canadian cash at par for several resort purchases; ask which ones at check-in. At the border, carry a passport, enhanced driver's licence or NEXUS card.

On Not An Atlas: Vermont Skiing, 90 Minutes From Montréal, at Par

2 hr
Photograph · Mirror Lake Inn
Adirondacks, New York, USA Passport needed

Lake Placid

About 2 hours by car via the Champlain crossing and I-87, per Lake Placid ROOSTRoute: Route 15 south to the Champlain crossing, I-87 south to Exit 34, then Route 9N and Route 86.

Lake Placid is two hours from Montréal and still lets visitors use its Olympic venues. In February, World Cup ski jumping comes to the Olympic Jumping Complex, while Mirror Lake becomes a free skating loop with a toboggan chute at one end, right outside the Mirror Lake Inn.

Time it for FIS Ski Jumping World Cup + Nordic Combined World Cup 5–7 Feb 2027

Three days of women's and men's ski jumping followed by Nordic combined on the HS100 and HS128 hills; schedule to be announced and weather-dependent.

Do
  • Mirror Lake When conditions allow, the town clears a skating lane of about two miles around the lake; snowshoeing and cross-country skiing start from the shore, and two dog-sled operators work the lake.
  • Lake Placid Toboggan Chute A metal chute onto the frozen lake by the public beach; with dog sledding, it is one of the few paid activities on Mirror Lake.
  • Olympic Jumping Complex Skyride A gondola to the base of the jumps, then a glass elevator to the sky deck of the 128 m jump, included in the Legacy Sites Passport.
Stay
  • Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa Small Luxury Hotels of the World member on Mirror Lake with a Four Diamond award, a Michelin One Key (2024), a spa with float and salt therapy, and its own lakeside rinks.
  • The Whiteface Lodge Suites in the style of the Adirondacks' historic Great Camps, a short walk from the village, with a spa named among Condé Nast Traveler's top 100 in North America.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip You cross at Champlain on I-87. CBP accepts a valid passport, an enhanced driver's licence or a NEXUS card from Canadian citizens at land crossings.

2 hr
Photograph · Hotel Vermont
Vermont, USA Passport needed

Burlington

About 2 hours by car, per Hello BurlingtonStowe's von Trapp trails are about 45 minutes from Burlington, so the two combine easily.

Burlington is an American city break two hours from Montréal: a lakefront downtown with two hotels a few doors apart on Cherry Street, one of them opened in July 2026. Cross-country trails, outdoor rinks and night skiing at Bolton Valley are all within a short drive.

Do
  • Cross-country skiing close to town Hotel Vermont lists The Intervale about five minutes away, Catamount Outdoor Family Center about 20 minutes and Sleepy Hollow about 30 minutes.
  • Outdoor skating Battery Park is a few minutes' walk from Hotel Vermont; Calahan/South Park and Roosevelt Park are about 10 minutes away.
  • Night skiing at Bolton Valley Hotel Vermont's local tip for night skiing near Burlington.
Stay
  • Hotel Vermont Harbour-side hotel at 41 Cherry Street with cross-country ski packages and live music.
  • The Harborvale 161-room Autograph Collection hotel at 25 Cherry Street on the Lake Champlain waterfront, opened July 2026, with an indoor pool.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Hotel Vermont's outdoor Ice Bar ran on 27 and 28 February in 2026; watch for 2027 dates. At the border, carry a passport, enhanced driver's licence or NEXUS card.

2 hr 5 min
Photograph · Sophie Deschamps / Parks Canada
Mauricie, Québec

Mauricie

Just over 2 hours by car to La Mauricie National Park, per Parks CanadaTake Highway 40 East and Highway 55 North; the park's winter base is the Rivière-à-la-Pêche pavilion off exit 226. Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, home to both lodges below, is in the same region.

Mauricie is the outfitter-lodge version of winter: lakeside lodges, one built of 250-year-old white pine, with dog sledding, snowmobiling and skating on the doorstep, and a national park with more than 50 km of groomed ski trails and heritage lodges you can sleep in.

Do
  • La Mauricie National Park More than 50 km of classic and skate-ski trails and more than 50 km of winter hiking trails, with oTENTik tents and the heritage Wabenaki-Andrew lodges for overnight stays.
  • Dog sledding and snowmobiling Both lodges below run winter programmes that include dog sleds, snowmobiles, skating and snowshoeing.
  • GEOS Spa Sacacomie Day access to the hotel's GEOS Spa is $80 per person, with massage packages on top.
Stay
  • Hôtel Sacacomie 106-room log hotel built from white pine more than 250 years old, on Lac Sacacomie with more than 50 km² of private land and 65 km of marked trails.
  • Auberge du Lac-à-l'Eau-Claire 151-room inn on its namesake lake in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, built in 1993 on a former anglers' outfitter, with a wellness centre and winter activities on site.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Book national-park oTENTiks and the heritage lodges through Parks Canada's reservation site, not the lodges.

3 hr
Photograph · von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort
Vermont, USA Passport needed

Stowe

About 3 hours by car, per Go StoweBurlington International Airport is about 45 minutes away, per Topnotch Resort.

Stowe is the classic Vermont ski town and an easy three-hour drive. Beyond the slopes, the von Trapp family's lodge runs what it calls the first cross-country ski centre in the country, with more than 60 km of groomed trails on 2,500 acres, and the village holds an ice-carving Winter Carnival every January.

Do
  • von Trapp Nordic trails More than 60 km of groomed Nordic trails across the resort's 2,500 acres, with soup and hot chocolate at the Slayton Pasture Cabin.
  • Sleigh rides at Topnotch Topnotch runs sleigh rides through the countryside when the snow flies, and rents downhill and Nordic gear through Mountain Ops.
  • Stowe Winter Carnival Professional ice carvers work through the village every year in late January, with a demonstration day and a competition day; 2027 dates not yet posted.
Stay
  • von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort Austrian-inspired lodge on 2,600 acres with 96 rooms and suites in the main lodge, villas and guest houses, a spa, indoor pool and von Trapp Brewing; a Historic Hotels of America member since December 2024.
  • Topnotch Resort Resort a few minutes from Stowe Mountain Resort with an award-winning spa, indoor and outdoor pools and a concierge who arranges mountain transfers.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Topnotch warns that lift tickets and rentals often sell out on peak weekends and holidays, so buy them online with the room. At the border, carry a passport, enhanced driver's licence or NEXUS card.

On Not An Atlas: Vermont Skiing, 90 Minutes From Montréal, at Par

By train 5 trips

2 hr 4 min
Photograph · Nordik Spa-Nature / Ottawa Tourism
National Capital Region, Ontario

Ottawa

About 2 hr 4 min by VIA Rail, Montréal to Ottawa (VIA average; the fastest listed trip is 2 hr)VIA lists 35 Montréal to Ottawa departures a week over a 185 km route; Ottawa station is on Tremblay Road, 4 km from downtown, with O-Train and city bus connections.

Two hours on the train puts you beside the Rideau Canal Skateway, which the NCC calls the world's largest skating rink at 7.8 km. Winterlude spreads across Ottawa and Gatineau in late January and February, and Nordik Spa-Nature is about 10 minutes north of downtown in Chelsea, so skating, a festival and a spa day fit into one weekend.

Time it for Winterlude 29 Jan – 15 Feb 2027

The 49th edition of Canadian Heritage's winter festival in Canada's Capital Region, with main sites at Confederation Park in Ottawa and Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau.

Do
  • Rideau Canal Skateway A free 7.8 km skate on the UNESCO-listed canal, open 24 hours a day when ice allows, usually January to early March.
  • Winterlude sites The Crystal Garden in Confederation Park and Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau; admission to the sites is free, with some paid events.
  • Nordik Spa-Nature Hot and cold pools, saunas and Källa, a salt-water floating pool, in Chelsea near Gatineau Park, about 10 minutes north of downtown Ottawa.
Stay
  • Fairmont Château Laurier At 1 Rideau Street between the ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal locks, with an indoor art deco pool and Relax Luxe Spa.
  • Le Germain Hotel Ottawa Boutique hotel at 30 Daly Avenue, connected to the Ottawa Art Gallery, with Norca restaurant and a 2026 MICHELIN Guide selection.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Skateway season depends on the weather, so check the NCC's Skateway page the day before travelling and keep Winterlude's free sites as the backup.

On Not An Atlas: Remembrance Day 2026: Where Canada Closes · Air Canada and United Add Summer 2027 Routes

3 hr 26 min
Photograph · Audet Photo / Carnaval de Québec
Capitale-Nationale, Québec

Québec City

About 3 hr 26 min by VIA Rail, Montréal to Québec (VIA average; the fastest listed trip is 3 hr 11 min)VIA lists 34 Montréal to Québec departures a week on the 270 km route; train 22 leaves Montréal at 8:36 a.m. and arrives at 11:47 a.m.

Old Québec in snow is the classic winter weekend from Montréal, and the train makes it car-free. Carnaval de Québec brings an ice palace, night parades and the ice canoe race in February, the Dufferin Terrace slide has run beside the Château Frontenac since 1884, and the Hôtel de Glace at Valcartier is rebuilt from ice every winter.

Time it for Carnaval de Québec 5–14 Feb 2027

Québec City's winter carnival, with an ice palace, night parades, ice and snow sculptures and an ice canoe race, centred inside the old city walls.

Do
  • Dufferin Terrace Toboggan Slide A slide built in 1884 beside the Château Frontenac, open December to March, with up to four riders per toboggan.
  • Hôtel de Glace An ice hotel rebuilt each winter since 2001 from 3,000 blocks of ice at Village Vacances Valcartier, open for visits and overnight stays from 4 January to 13 March 2027; Unitours runs a shuttle from Old Québec.
  • Dinner at the Hôtel de Glace A three-course Boreal-inspired dinner in the ice hotel's snow vaults by the Château Frontenac's culinary team, Thursday to Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with a chartered shuttle from Old Québec; it returns in January 2027.
Stay
  • Fairmont Le Château Frontenac The 610-room castle hotel in Old Québec overlooking the St. Lawrence, with four restaurants including the Champlain and Bar 1608, Moment Spa and a pool.
  • Auberge Saint-Antoine Relais & Châteaux hotel at 8 rue Saint-Antoine overlooking the St. Lawrence, with Bar Artefact and an expansion of 25 rooms and suites due by mid-2027.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip The Hôtel de Glace dinner runs only three nights a week and the Château Frontenac recommends booking, so reserve it when you book the train, especially for Carnaval weekends.

On Not An Atlas: Air Canada and United Add Summer 2027 Routes · Globus and Cosmos Tell Clients to Unpack

4 hr 26 min
Photograph · Le Massif de Charlevoix / Tourisme Charlevoix
Charlevoix, Québec

Charlevoix

About 4 hr 30 min: 3 hr 26 min by VIA Rail to Québec, then about an hour by car (VIA average plus Tourisme Charlevoix)Le Massif says its chalets are about 1 hr 30 min from Québec City; you will want a rental car or hotel transfer from Québec.

Charlevoix is skiing with the St. Lawrence below you: Le Massif has 770 m of vertical, the most east of the Canadian Rockies by its own account. Baie-Saint-Paul adds a farm-estate hotel with a Nordic spa, and La Malbaie has the grand Manoir Richelieu, so it works as a slower add-on to a Québec City weekend.

Do
  • Le Massif de Charlevoix 770 m of vertical over 53 trails and glades (406 acres), plus more than 15 km of alpine touring and off-piste terrain.
  • Spa Nordique Le Germain Outdoor Nordic spa at Le Germain Charlevoix in Baie-Saint-Paul.
  • La Vallée des Glaces Snowshoeing, Nordic skiing and skating in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie national park, the last day of Tourisme Charlevoix's winter itinerary.
Stay
  • Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa Rooms across several farm buildings in Baie-Saint-Paul, an 8,000 m² kitchen garden, Highland cattle, the Spa Nordique and two restaurants, Les Labours and Le Bercail.
  • Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu 405-room hotel at 181 rue Richelieu in La Malbaie, between mountains and the St. Lawrence, with Moment Spa, the casino next door and winter snowshoeing, skating, ice fishing and via ferrata.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Tourisme Charlevoix's four-day winter itinerary skis Le Massif first, then moves from Baie-Saint-Paul to La Malbaie along the St. Lawrence Route (about 44 km) on day three.

5 hr 13 min
Photograph · Destination Toronto
Ontario

Toronto

About 5 hr 13 min by VIA Rail (VIA average; the fastest listed trip is 4 hr 56 min)VIA lists 40 departures a week on the 538 km route, arriving at Union Station, across Front Street from the Fairmont Royal York.

A city weekend that starts and ends downtown by train. Winterlicious brings three-course prix fixe menus at more than 200 restaurants in the dead of winter, and skating at Nathan Phillips Square under the TORONTO sign is the classic outing.

Do
  • Winterlicious Three-course prix fixe menus at more than 200 Toronto restaurants; the City has not yet announced the 2027 dates.
  • Skating at Nathan Phillips Square The City Hall rink is open November to March, with skate rentals at the pavilion and the three-metre TORONTO sign alongside.
  • The Bentway skate trail A 220 m figure-eight trail under the Gardiner Expressway; last season ran 20 December to 8 March, and 2026-27 dates are not yet posted.
Stay
  • Fairmont Royal York Landmark hotel since 1929 at 100 Front Street West, directly across from Union Station, with REIGN, the Library Bar and a pool.
  • Shangri-La Toronto 202 rooms and suites on University Avenue, rated five stars by Forbes Travel Guide, with bosk, Mott 32 and the Miraj Hammam Spa.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip The Royal York is across the street from Union Station, so you can check in without a cab after the train.

On Not An Atlas: Toronto Gets Its Only Nonstop to Mumbai · The AGO Hangs Its Frames Empty

11 hr 5 min
Photograph · Brittany Petronella / NYC Tourism + Conventions
New York, USA Passport needed

New York City

11 hr 5 min on Amtrak's Adirondack, Montréal to Penn Station (train 68 leaves at 11:10 a.m.)Air Canada flies Montréal-Trudeau to LaGuardia, and YUL offers US preclearance, so you clear US customs before boarding.

New York's slow season is its best value: Restaurant Week's prix-fixe menus, the 2-for-1 Broadway Week offer and free skating in Bryant Park all land in January and February. The Adirondack takes a full day on the train; the flight is the fast option.

Time it for NYC Restaurant Week 19 Jan – 11 Feb 2027

Two-course lunches and three-course dinners at $30, $45 or $60; reservations open 6 January 2027. Dates as posted on NYC Tourism + Conventions' restaurant sign-up page.

Do
  • The Rink at Bryant Park A 17,000 sq. ft. rink with free admission (rentals extra), open 28 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • NYC Broadway Week Buy two or more tickets and each is 50 per cent off; returns in winter 2027, with dates posted about two weeks before it starts.
  • New York City Ballet winter season Listed by NYC Tourism + Conventions for 19 January to 28 February 2027.
Stay
  • The Whitby Hotel Firmdale's Kit Kemp-designed hotel at 18 West 56th Street, two blocks from Central Park, built around a pewter-topped bar.
  • The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel Downtown hotel in a 19th-century landmark built around a nine-storey atrium.

Map by Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never decides what we write.

Winter tip Flying, you clear US customs at Montréal-Trudeau before boarding and can use CBP's Mobile Passport Control app to speed it up; bring a valid passport.

On Not An Atlas: Royal Sonesta Crowns Its Youngest Guests · Hutton Brickyards Hires a Farm-Resort Veteran

The season

The winter calendar

The dates that make a winter trip, as the organisers have announced them. Events still waiting on 2027 dates are listed with their trip, not here.

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

  • 5–14 Feb 2027Carnaval de QuébecQuébec City
  • 5–7 Feb 2027FIS Ski Jumping World Cup + Nordic Combined World CupLake Placid

Montréal's CSSDM schools close for the holidays from 21 December 2026, and the CSSDM semaine de relâche runs 1 to 5 March 2027; other centres de services scolaires set their own week. Trains, Tremblant lodging and spa bookings go early around both. School holidays in Québec →

Questions

Quick answers

What is the best winter weekend getaway from Montréal?

For skiing without a long drive, Bromont is just under an hour away and Mont-Tremblant about 90 minutes. For a spa weekend, Lake Massawippi in the Eastern Townships and Estérel in the Laurentians are 60 to 90 minutes away. Without a car, Ottawa is about two hours by VIA Rail and Québec City about three and a half.

What are the best winter getaways from Montréal across the US border?

Jay Peak is about 90 minutes away, and Burlington and Lake Placid about two hours each; Stowe is about three hours. Canadian citizens can cross by land with a valid passport, an enhanced driver's licence or a NEXUS card.

When are Carnaval de Québec and Winterlude in 2027?

Carnaval de Québec runs 5 to 14 February 2027. Winterlude runs 29 January to 15 February 2027 in Ottawa and Gatineau. The Hôtel de Glace at Valcartier is scheduled to open 4 January to 13 March 2027.

Can I get to Mont-Tremblant from Montréal without a car?

Yes. Tremblant lists a winter shuttle from Montréal-Trudeau airport (YUL), bookable for 17 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, at $95 one way for adults before tax. L'Inter des Laurentides also runs buses between Saint-Jérôme and Mont-Tremblant.

What are the best winter getaways from Montréal by car?

The closest are Bromont & Sutton (1 hr), Laurentians: Saint-Sauveur & Estérel (1 hr), Mont-Tremblant (1 hr 30 min), North Hatley & Lake Massawippi (1 hr 30 min). Times are the tourism boards' own figures from downtown in normal conditions; allow more in snow.

Where can you go from Montréal by train in winter?

By train: Ottawa (2 hr 4 min), Québec City (3 hr 26 min), Charlevoix (4 hr 26 min), Toronto (5 hr 13 min). Rail skips winter driving entirely; book early for school-holiday weeks, when trains sell out.

Do I need a passport for these trips?

Only for the US picks: Lake Placid, Stowe, Burlington, Jay Peak, New York City. Canadians need a passport or NEXUS card to fly to the US; by land, a passport or NEXUS card also works. Everything else on this list is in Canada.

Sources (101)

Checked 24 October 2026. Dates change: confirm with the event or hotel before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us via our corrections policy.

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