Day Trippers and Beyond

If you are coming from Australia and you want to see what the east coast of North America has to offer, there are lots of options nearby. Here are a few suggestions:

Quebec City
Only two hours away from Montreal, Quebec city is a charming, very European and very romantic town. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage travel destination, Quebec city is celebrating 400 years in 2008. Cobble stone streets, beautiful architecture and the only walled city in North America make this a charming place to spend some time. There are also some beautiful places nearby in the Charelvoix region. Chez Hubert looks like a lovely bed and breakfast in the old town.

The Gaspesie
If you have some time and don't mind doing some driving, I would recommend renting a car and taking a drive past Quebec city and all the way to the Gaspe. You can go to the Saguenay fjord, do some whale watching, camp in some national parks or stay in lovely inns along the way. To do it properly you would need about a week.

Eastern Townships
The eastern townships are a region southwest of Montreal on the boarder with the USA. If you decide to go to Vermont it might be nice to visit some of the picturesque towns along the way. The European settlers in this area were mostly Scottish and Irish, so it has a much more English country type feel than the rest of Quebec. It is known for towns such as Sutton, Knowlton and Dunham.

Laurentians
This is the region where the wedding is located. Known for its downhill skiing in winter, it is a really beautiful area full of mountains and lakes. There is plenty of really nice camping in the region as well as charming towns such as Val David.

New York City
I don't think this town needs much explanation. All you need to know is that it is a seven hour drive away. Alternately you can take a rather beautiful but wearying train journey from Montreal's Gare Centrale that is about 10 hours or there is always the stinky old bus! Air Canada sometimes has specials on flights.

Vermont
Burlington is a really charming Vermont University town about a two hour drive south of Montreal. There are many lovely places to visit in Vermont - from rolling hills, to antique shops, to country inns. The link I have put under Vermont also has lots of info on all of New England: New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. My father and stepmother love this Vermont inn: Blueberry Hill. Another beautiful place to visit, is Shelburne Farms, a national historic landmark and educational centre on Lake Champlain only a day trip away from Montreal.