Where to go
Montreal and Quebec City
Montreal is bilingual, festival-driven and has a food and music scene out of proportion to its size. Quebec City, three hours away, has the only walled colonial centre in North America, a UNESCO site. Together, five to six days, and the easiest introduction to the country from Europe.
Toronto and Niagara
The largest city, genuinely multicultural, with strong museums and a lakefront. Niagara Falls is ninety minutes away and worth the day despite the surrounding commerce. Base for the Ontario lakes and for crossing into the United States.
The Rocky Mountains
Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway between them — one of the great mountain roads. Calgary is the gateway. Summer for hiking, winter for skiing; July and August are crowded and must be booked months ahead.
Vancouver and British Columbia
A city between mountains and ocean, with Vancouver Island, Tofino and the whale-watching beyond. The mildest climate in the country and the wettest winter. A week at least.
The Saint Lawrence and Tadoussac
Downstream from Quebec City, one of the world's best whale-watching areas: resident belugas year-round, rorquals and occasionally blue whales from May to October. The Saguenay fjord completes the trip.
The Atlantic provinces
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland: fishing villages, cliffs, icebergs in spring and a distinct culture. Far less visited than the west at comparable quality.
Building the itinerary
- Three stops a week, no more. Every move costs half a day at minimum, often a whole one, and you see nothing of a place where you sleep one night.
- Alternate the pace. A dense city, then two quiet days: that is what makes travelling as a couple sustainable, especially if one of you lives there and works.
- Keep a buffer day before the flight home, in the departure city. Domestic transport delays are the leading cause of missed flights.
- Ask the person who lives there what they want to show you. Guidebook itineraries and the places that matter to them rarely overlap — and the second list is the better one.
Two reflexes that change a trip
Distances deceive. On a map two points look close; on the ground, road conditions, checkpoints and terrain double or triple the time. Plan fewer stops and more time at each.
Ask before photographing anyone, and never insist. Official buildings, soldiers, airports and bridges are best avoided almost everywhere — the most banal and most avoidable source of trouble.