NCL Boston to Quebec help with logistics

[mdod]

I was looking at the NCL cruise leaving Boston at 5 PM Fri, Oct 9th and ending in Quebec City 6 AM Fri, Oct 16 and I have to get all the details worked out pretty fast. I thought about flying into Boston Wed night or Thu AM so we could sightsee a little before we sail off but I'm not sure where the port is relative to the airport and places to see. We don't want to mess with a rental car. Can we get around using public transportation? Any suggestions as to what area to look for a hotel? We don't need anything fancy, just clean and safe and accessible.

[GTJ]

In Boston the airport is on one side of the harbor and the cruise terminal is on the other side of the harbor. Both the airport and the cruise terminal are on major public transportation routes and so long as you can handle your own luggage there is no need for a rental car. Use the either the Silver or Blue rapid transit lines into downtown Boston; use the Silver line between downtown Boston and the cruise terminal. See http://www.mbta.com. Hotels in downtown Boston will be most convenient to the airport, cruise terminal, and most tourist sites. But if cost is a concern then you could also consider some other hotels on the outskirts of Boston, but be careful to choose a hotel that is close to a "T" stop. Google Maps can help you look for a hotel and it shows "T" stops (make sure to look for a "T" in a circle--that's for the rapid transit stations--and not the symbol of a train).

 

On the other hand, the transportation in Québec is not so good. While the port is close to the centre of the city--and you'll be be just fine on foot and on public transportation--the airport is some distance out. Theoretically you can use public transportation there, but there's only one bus route (the no. 78) and it only makes two trips to airport early on weekday mornings. See http://www.rtcquebec.ca (French only). Otherwise you're pretty much just left with taxi service.

[mdod]

GTJ: Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know. One way flights out of Quebec City were $360 but we can use our FF miles on a flight out of Montreal so we will spend Fri in QC. Then we'll take the train or bus to Montreal and spend a couple of days there before flying home. Our friend from Vancouver said we should be able to get around Montreal fine without a car. Does that apply to the airport too?

[GTJ]

GTJ: Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know. One way flights out of Quebec City were $360 but we can use our FF miles on a flight out of Montreal so we will spend Fri in QC. Then we'll take the train or bus to Montreal and spend a couple of days there before flying home. Our friend from Vancouver said we should be able to get around Montreal fine without a car. Does that apply to the airport too?

 

Montréal has complete coverage with its public transportation system, so you will not need to worry about either a car rental or a taxi. There are a few trains each day between Québec and Montréal operated by Via Rail Canada, see http://www.viarail.ca, and express buses every hour between the two cities operated by Orléans Express, see http://www.orelansexpress.com. Both companies offer quality service and, on weekdays, carry a good quantity of business travel. If you were to be going directly from Québec to the airport in Montréal both companies could sell you a ticket directly to the airport (Via requires a transfer at its main station in Montréal, Gare Centrale).

 

But if you're staying in Montréal and looking to get to the airport from the City itself, you've a few options. From the main bus station in Montréal, Station Centrale, the bus company La Québécoise operates an express service called L'Aérobus to the airport; there is also complimentary connecting minibus service between the bus station and hotels in downtown Montréal. See http://www.autobus.qc.ca.

 

Using the local transit system, there are two choices. First, use the Métro to the Lionel-Groulx station on the west side of downtown Montréal. Transfer there to the 211 or 221 express bus routes (the 211 operates regularly, the 221 during rush hours only). Get off at the first stop after the bus leaves the expressway, at the Gare Dorval Transit Centre. Transfer once again to the 204 bus route to the airport terminal. See http://www.stm.info.

 

In the alternative, use the commuter train from the Lucien L'Allier terminal in downtown Montréal to Dorval. At the Dorval station transfer to the 204 bus route to the airport terminal. Note that the commuter train does not run very frequently, so be sure to check the schedule. See http://www.amt.qc.ca.

 

One more note. If you ride on the Orléans Express bus to Montréal, just before the bus crosses the river into the city it makes a stop in suburban Longueuil. This stop is in the middle of a very large transit centre, serving the Yellow Métro line, and adjacent to the Sandman Hotel. Sometimes I have found good rates at the Sandman, and while it has excellent transportation connections to the city, do be forewarned that there is very little surrounding the hotel in terms of restaurants, etc.

[mdod]

GTJ: Thanks agin. Since you've been so generous, can I ask if we need to get advance reservations for the train or bus? We would be going from QC to Montreal on Sat Oct 17. It would be nice if we could be flexible on the trip to Montreal so we can spend more time in QC if we want to. We would be flying out on Monday so we'd have at least part of Sat and all day Sun in Montreal.

 

I'll keep the Sandman hotel in mind. We typically head out first thing in the morning and come back at bedtime so I don't really care about nearby activities as long as it's convenient.

[LindaKE]

We're on that cruise! If you decide to go, come over to the roll call and let us know.

[jp2001]

You don't need a reservation for the bus, just show up 60 minutes before departure to ensure a seat (usually, 30 minutes is plenty of time).

 

For the train, a reservation is recommended but you can often get a seat at the last minute too (but not guaranteed and they may not have seat togheter available). You could make a reservation and change it or cancel it on the day-of as long as they have seats available.

[monicajay]

JM2C,

 

I would not bother trying to get to the airport from Montreal downtown using public transport. It can take an ion. Use the service from downtown.

 

http://www.admtl.com/passager/acces_et_stationnement/_aerobus.aspx

 

The local bus might be fine for some young backpackers but if you can afford a cruise you don't need to be shlepping your suitcases on the city bus.

 

Of course you could also take a cab or an airport limo.;)

[mdod]

Thanks for all the tips. I'll check out the airport transportation. My husband just got final word on a business trip that we have to work around and I think I've just about got the basics worked out so I hope to be booking the cruise shortly. I'll be sure to check out the roll call when I do.

[GTJ]

GTJ: Thanks agin. Since you've been so generous, can I ask if we need to get advance reservations for the train or bus? We would be going from QC to Montreal on Sat Oct 17. It would be nice if we could be flexible on the trip to Montreal so we can spend more time in QC if we want to. We would be flying out on Monday so we'd have at least part of Sat and all day Sun in Montreal.

 

I'll keep the Sandman hotel in mind. We typically head out first thing in the morning and come back at bedtime so I don't really care about nearby activities as long as it's convenient.

 

I think others have answered the essence of your inquiry. To get the best rates on the train you'll want to reserve ahead of time. However, you'll have much more flexibility and no need to book ahead on the bus. Many people find the train more comfortable than the bus so you'll have to balance this trade-off (but I do offer my opinion that Orléans Express is the best regular route bus company in all of Canada, and competes very well in service quality with Concord Coach Lines here in the United States).

 

It was suggested elsewhere here that it takes a long time to use public transportation to the airport and that the route is best suited for the backpack crowd. I disagree in part with this assessment. Most of the trip is quite quick. The Métro is fast, and the express bus operates frequently and uses the autoroute, going non-stop just as fast as other motorized traffic. The biggest inconvenience is the transfer at Dorval. The 204 route just does not operate very frequently, about every 30 minutes. While the backpack crowd will use this route, so does everyone else that I know who lives or visits Montreal. It is quite a bit cheaper (and I would suggest that many people travel by cruise ship because it is a cheap way to travel). Nonetheless, the L'Aérobus service operated by La Québécoise will be quicker and more convenient.

[mdod]

GTJ (or anyone else) still folowing this thread. I just did a search on the Sandman Hotel and everyone was $123/night except 1800Hotels at $88 or $85 /night. They list the room as 1x1 or 2 beds ($85) and 1x1 bed ($88). Does anybody know what that means? I can't find an explanation on their site. The request shows 1 room, 2 adults so I assume it wouldn't be one single size bed. The other sites specify the bed types (K, 2 Q , etc).