Having grown up in Kolkata, India, trips to enjoy snow were a serious effort – unlike here in California. So, when a friend invited me to tag along on a quick trip to snowy Quebec, Canada, to experience their German-style Christmas Markets, I jumped at the chance.

 

Everything about this Trains, Planes, and Automobiles trip went perfectly, thanks to a couple of this magazine’s partners. Fiona Hamilton Travel took care of the many details, including flights to Quebec City and then home from Montreal – with great seats and amazing service, I might add. Fiona also secured the perfect boutique-style hotels in each city, placing us right in the middle of the busiest areas. And after three days in Quebec City, Fiona arranged seats in the Business Class car of Via Rail for a comfortable, breakfast-included, three-hour ride to Montreal. I can’t say enough about the details she arranged and how she checked in on us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going smoothly. It was – and we truly appreciated everything she did, including suggesting tours and excursions in each city (although we opted to simply wander and enjoy hidden gems and unique discoveries).

 

The other magazine partner who handled the “automobiles” part of our sequel added the perfect touch to traveling to and from LAX. I mean, who enjoys getting up in the middle of the night – much less driving to LAX, parking, and taking a shuttle to your terminal at the crack of dawn? Well, Cherif with LINQride Executive Car Service did. It was so nice to sit back in a warm black-car Mercedes and nap while he took us directly to our terminal, unloaded our luggage (poor guy), and reminded us he’d be waiting in the same spot a week later when our flight returned around 10 p.m. This service is the way to go, hands down, and I can’t say enough about his professionalism and the overall comfort of the experience.

 

But onto the trip. The cities, the people, the food, and the shopping were magical. I’ve heard friends talk about the Christmas Markets in Europe – especially in Germany – but experiencing these somewhat smaller versions was a special memory, allowing me to step away from my business for a few days, get into the Christmas spirit … and enjoy a few Christmas spirits.

We stayed in Old Quebec City, still surrounded by a fortress wall more than 500 years old, in a charming boutique hotel called Hôtel du Vieux-Québec (hvq.com). It was the perfect location – close to restaurants, bars, shopping, and just a short walk from several Christmas Markets, as well as the world-famous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a historic and massive five-star hotel dating back to 1893. This hotel was the perfect place to warm up from the near-zero temperatures before taking the funicular down to the oldest part of the city, filled with holiday decorations, eateries, and more shopping.

 

I will say I was surprised at how well I handled the bitter cold (think a high of just nine degrees one day – thanks to one of my girlfriends who loaned me a couple of her Canada Goose jackets so that I was both toasty and somewhat fashionable, along with my fur-lined boots (thanks, Amazon).

 

One of the highlights of our time in Quebec City was the 800 foot long downhill toboggan sled ride near the Fairmont. It was exhilarating, and we capped it off by sipping hot drinks at the small kiosk at the bottom of the hill while reliving the thrill.

 

Montreal, while quaint in many ways, felt more like walking around downtown Los Angeles, with high-rise buildings everywhere. We learned that our stay at Hotel Epik (epikmontreal.com) on Rue St-Patrick was on what’s considered the original “cool street,” located in the heart of the city’s historic district near the port on the St. Lawrence River.

 

Montreal involved much more walking, but it was fun to explore – visiting more Christmas Markets, enjoying great restaurants, and navigating the Underground City, which spans miles beneath the city (and yes, we got lost). We visited the stunning Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, just a few blocks from our hotel, and were amazed by the intricate details and beauty inspired by Notre-Dame de Paris. We spent quite a bit of time there and returned one evening for a mesmerizing immersive light experience, called Aura – laser projections illuminating the interior – accompanied by a musical track featuring the massive pipe organ.

 

Both cities were well worth visiting, even though it snowed almost every day – including one with high winds that whipped snow directly into your face. That was our cue to retreat somewhere warm and enjoy something spirited to drink.

 

The Quebecers (I had to look that up) are quite proud of their French heritage, so the language is spoken everywhere. However, we found that after being greeted with “bonjour,” if we responded in kind and added “hi, how are you?” they often switched to near-perfect English – feeling more like chatting with fellow Californians than Canadians. They are friendly, open, and incredibly proud of the food they serve, and the many products made in Canada.

 

I could add so much more about this trip, but with limited space in this magazine, you may just have to plan your own visit to these two beautiful cities to experience the spirit of Christmas for yourself. And when you do, don’t forget to let Fiona (fionahamiltontravel.com) and Cherif (linqride.com) take care of the details.