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In October 2024, my wife and I went toÌýQuebec City for a weekend getaway to celebrate our anniversary and her birthday.

We stayed at a small boutique hotel inside the historic wall and spent most of the weekend walking Old Quebec — it really does make you think you’re somewhere in Europe.

The restaurants are great, shopping at the original (La Maison) Simons was fun, and taking the ferry over to Levis was a great way to view the Château Frontenac from the St. Lawrence River. A self-guided tour of the Parliament Building of Quebec and over to the Plains of Abraham punctuated our amazing trip.

— Shawn Keba, Caledon

2. A boat trip to Expo 67

Our family summer adventure of 1967 was a special cruise from Port Dover, Ont., to Montreal for Expo 67.

The experience on board was awesome — and the route from Lake Erie to the St. Lawrence River was a test of our expertise in nautical navigation, and leadership by Dad, our captain.Ìý

Attending Expo was awesome. Top of the list? We were introduced to the newest food item in Quebec: poutine, a dish of French fries, cheese curds and brown gravy. It was the best summer cruise, full of happy memories.

— Jane Lindsay, Mississauga

3. An indulgent Charlevoix getaway

In 2007, we took a road trip to the picturesque Charlevoix region. We stayed in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River. We explored the charming towns of Baie-Saint-Paul, Baie-Sainte-Catherine and La Malbaie, visiting local artists, sampling cheeses at fromageries and tasting ice cider for the first time.

A highlight was hiking through the stunning Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie.

The ultimate experience, though, was a whale-watching cruise from Baie-Sainte-Catherine, where we spotted belugas, minkes and even a humpback. Truly unforgettable!

— Judy Castelino, Mississauga

4. A piece of Canada by train

My wife and I were living in Fort Smith, N.W.T., when we made plans to visit our family in Ontario. We drove down the Mackenzie Highway to Edmonton, where we boarded a Canadian Pacific Railway car.

We had a compartment, which provided our own privacy, and had our meals in a dining car. The train stopped at points, giving us the opportunity get some fresh air and stretch. What a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime adventure!Ìý

— Bob and Lois Pilot, Vancouver

5. A northern adventure

For a major change of pace, go to the Arctic! Our flight to Inuvik flew over spectacular territory; our vacation included a drive to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean, crossing the tree line where bears linger on the shoulder looking for berries.

The cuisine is quite non-urban, with a strong Indigenous emphasis. Visiting in spring or autumn is best if you want to avoid 24 hours of night or daylight.

— Bill Eggertson, Almonte, Ont.

6. An affordable jaunt to Newfoundland

In 1977, I had little money but needed a holiday. I flew to St. John’s, N.L.,Ìýplanning to take the bus in stages back to Toronto. I got a ride to Bonavista, the most easterly point I could reach, but they didn’t have a hotel.

The RCMP office offered to put me up in a cell for the night, but a lovely lady came forward with an offer for a room with breakfast the next morning.

As the bus only came through once a week, I hopped on the next one out the following day and continued with my trip. It was a very memorable adventure for me.

— Dale Mayerson, Toronto

7. A romantic ‘road trip’

My girlfriend lives in North Vancouver, and I live in Toronto. We look for any excuse to get together. In 2022, her 60th high school reunion was in Sydney, B.C. ItÌýsounded perfect.Ìý

Getting there on public transitÌýwas interesting: we tookÌýthe SeaBus, the Canada Line, a bus to Swartz Bay, the ferry and another bus to Sydney. It took five hours, but we had so much fun.Ìý

Our hotel was right on the water with Mount Baker visible in the distance. It was a tiring trip but because we are seniors, we were always offered a seat. How Canadian!

— Pierre Toupin,ÌýToronto

8. An Old Montreal family vacation

Our tradition is toÌýtravel to Old Montreal for the Family Day weekend. It’s three hours away from our home, so the ride is manageable and it feels like Europe when we arrive.

We find a hotel that allows our car to stay putÌýas weÌýwalk or subway everywhere.Ìý Ìý

A Montreal pass (the Passeport MTL) allows us to visit three different attractions for $56 per pass. This year, we went to the Montreal Science Centre, Montreal Biodome and the Ferris wheel (La Grande Roue de Montréal). During a snowstorm, we went to the BreWskey Taproom to warm up and play board games.Ìý

— Laura Brown-Bowers, Belleville, Ont.

9. A brush with Santa Claus on the West Coast

On a family road trip to the West CoastÌýfrom our home in Toronto, it felt like all there was to do was look endlessly out of the window.

It was 1980, I was 18 and I had just started dating my first serious boyfriend. Every day, I sat in the back seat earnestly writing love letters. Each night, I practiced my audition piece for music camp at the end of the summer —Ìýmuch to the joy of our fellow motel guests.

One day, my dad stopped at a park well known for its prairie dogs.

While we were getting our lunch from the trunk of our car, a gentleman pulled up in an old truck. He looked like a farmer version of Santa Claus. He had seen my violin in the back and wanted to talk music. He handcrafted his own violins and showed one of them to us, playing it briefly to demonstrate its sound. It had a beautiful rich cherry red stain and I coveted it greatly! He asked if I would play him a tune, but I was much too shy, so instead, he played an impromptu concert of classical and fiddle tunes.Ìý

There we stood, between his truck and our trunk, in the heat of early afternoon, surrounded by prairie dogs popping out of their holes. Even then, I knew this was one of those lovely unplanned moments, a brief communion between place and people that travellers hope to find, but rarely do.Ìý

— Elizabeth Cornish,ÌýHorseshoe Valley, Ont.

10. A family affair in Huntsville

Our daughter married a Toronto boy some years ago. They have a house in midtown, two kids and a lake house in Huntsville.

We visit most years and enjoy the place immensely. The people are terrific.

— Anne and Kevin Bryant, Sydney, Australia

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