Your advice! I'm dreading going on vacation... do you ever? WWYD??

[almostmom]

Not alone! I love travelling, but before we go anywhere, I get REALLY stressed out. Need days for packing and making sure everything is in place at home. It usually feels questionably worth it before...but always the trips are memorable and good once we are there. Family time away from the daily grind, the random ice cream stop, the junk food picked up at gas stations, the music on in the car, etc. We love the novelty of staying in a hotel, so for me, I would want a few days with a friend, and then a few days without (my kids basically want to hang out together, and not with my friends, so that colors our experience of staying with friends).
If you can somehow take the pressure off yourself to make it perfect, find some parks as someone suggested, and know it's ok to sleep in and eat crossiants, I think you'll be ok.

I've only been to Quebec City in the winter, but it is so easy to walk around and cute and enjoyable - I think my kids would like it better than Montreal, so I'd vote for keeping it in the itinerary!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Once you show up, you’ll be glad you went. It’ll become real for the kids finally (btdt- can’t tell you how many pics, plans, websites,,, I shared with my kids before our last trip only for us to arrive and then finally become excited and interested.
Google “x city with kids”. Find some blogs and sample itineraries and call it a day.
Don’t skip it. Good or bad, it’ll be a family experience.


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[Globetrotter]

Personally, I think Quebec city is a much better place to visit, though Montreal is lovely. As others have said, have lower expectations when traveling with kids and you will be OK. Visit parks every day, find fun eating places and daily ice cream. Plan one touristy thing every day rather than packing it in. Travel on interesting modes of transportation, like buses and trains and verniculars.
We did that exact itinerary when the kids were little, so I would be happy to share some ideas.

I’m sure it is overwhelming as a single parent, but it will be a great memory for your family.

[bisous]

I love some of the suggestions here! Hopefully this can get you motivated. I’ve totally been where you are—absolutely totally unenthusiastic about an upcoming vacation with the family. If I can make myself rally and plan, my experience is better! Good luck!

[marinkitty]

In the end, you need to listen to your own gut and go with that.

BUT - if you do decide to go - please don't feel like you have to have a grand plan or itinerary at all. Just go. And wander and do what you feel like that day. You don't have to see it all or do any of the book ahead tourist things to get the experience of a new place. In fact, sometimes I think you end up having a better experience if you just immerse yourself and don't run around playing tourist.

Load up on audio books for the car ride and listen together to pass the time if you drive. We started doing that two summers ago and my kids were almost disappointed when it was time to get out of the car.

I've traveled solo with my kids a lot and it really is best if I have a loose plan or no plan. Last summer I traveled twice with just my two boys - once in the mountains of central Portugal and once on the south coast of Iceland - (DD was at camp) and neither time did we have a real plan other than lodging. Take care of the place to stay in Quebec and bring a guide book and flip through on your way or when you arrive. Or the morning of over coffee and breakfast and get input from your kids about what sounds good to them. In Montreal, your friend will also have great suggestions. In Quebec, you can rely on a concierge if you end up in a hotel vs an Airbnb.

I took DD to London for four days last year and the only things we had planned were our hotel and two nights of theater tickets. We winged everything else. She had just come off an exhausting two week expedition camp and I'd just come off 2 weeks of solo travel with her two younger brothers. It was perfect. It meant we didn't end up doing the Harry Potter Studio tour, but so what? We had a blast exploring London on foot and being spur of the moment, we ended up having more fun than if we'd hit all the tourist must dos. DD came away in love with London and eager to visit again someday and I wasn't worn out from racing around from one crowded destination to another.

As a family we did three days in Panama City, Panama on the way back from our winter break trip to Ecuador. I'd planned the Ecuador part out of necessity, but the Panama part I'd done nothing but book a hotel. I used the concierge for everything - booking transportation, a walking tour, suggestions for a bike trip, meals out etc. It ended up being such a fun three days and it was so stress free. And build leisure time into each day - at a park, hang in the hotel and read or hit the pool etc. Kids do need down time when you travel and it sounds like you would enjoy a less hectic schedule too.

I obviously love to travel, but I can totally empathize with the exhaustion you can feel when faced with planning and executing a trip as the only adult. I think in the end, it is always worth going. Just take into account what you need to get out of the trip and what your kids will enjoy and I bet it will be a great memory for all of you! Better than laying around the house groaning about being bored and you won't feel like you can relax because all the usual to dos will be staring you in the face.

[specialp]

Yes, I tend to dread it. Even if you have no plan, all the packing and prepping can make me dread it. And I have always been happy that I pushed through and went.

Agree with pp on googling X city with kids. I always do and get a great list of not only things to do, but places to eat like specialty shops that appeal to kids. And agree with pp on not having a grand itinerary. I have a list and idea of things to do, but do not plan it out too much. So much depends on weather and moods.

[moosemama]

I also get super stressed before vacations and find myself planning obsessively (unlike DH who plans nothing...), but my stress is mostly the lead up to the vacation. Once I'm there, I'm able to relax (more, not completely!) and enjoy myself. Are you the same way? Do you think you'll be able to relax more once you're there? Could you look at the vacation not so much as a vacation to see Montreal and Quebec, but instead as a chance to visit your friend (who happens to live in Montreal) who you may not get a chance to see again for a very long time? Do some day trips while she's at work, but plan on spending evenings relaxing with her at her home. How far of a drive would it be for you? We really prefer driving and try to find fun, out of the way places to stop on the way. Sometimes those are the things the kids remember and talk about the most after!

I'm not sure if you're looking for suggestions of things to do, but just in case, I'll list some!
- instead of going to Quebec City for a few days, what about taking a guided day trip from Montreal? It will give you a taste of Quebec City (in case you decide to visit again sometime), but you don't have the stress of figuring out where to stay, how to get there etc. https://ca.viator.com/tours/Montreal...al/d625-3355C7
- have a look at what is available at Parc Jean-Drapeau (http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/en/). My kids loved the pool there (they had the inflatables in when we were there). We didn't have time to go to the beach or obstacle course in the water, but they have made us promise that we will next time! There's also a Six Flags park on the island (http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/en/la...ment-montreal/) and a ton of other things going on all summer.
- my kids enjoyed the Biodome (http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/about-biodome).
- we didn't do this in Montreal, but have done something similar in other cities and the kids have loved it: https://www.montreal-amphibus-tour.com/
- maybe get your kids involved in choosing what they'd like to do/see? Here's a list of things to do with kids in Montreal: https://where.ca/blog/kid-stuff/50-t...s-in-montreal/
(editing to say that the list of things to do appears to be old, so the dates and some of the exhibits etc. listed are not current)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I can’t not have a plan. At a minimum, I need to know where we are going to eat. When I’m hangry, I can not make decisions. I like to have a few daily benchmarks- a reservation, a place I know I want to see...- then I can wing the rest. We all travel differently and some people get stressed out differently. I agree that op doesn’t need to frantically make plans but it’s nice to consider. Like what neighborhood are you going to? Need some basic plan because, at least in our family, we could spend 30 minutes standing on a street corner trying to decide what to do next. Then again, that’s really just on trips with dh. I travel solo a lot with the kids and I find those trips easier! Being the sole grown up can be nice- my kids just go along with my ideas.


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[bisous]

I can’t not have a plan. At a minimum, I need to know where we are going to eat. When I’m hangry, I can not make decisions. I like to have a few daily benchmarks- a reservation, a place I know I want to see...- then I can wing the rest. We all travel differently and some people get stressed out differently. I agree that op doesn’t need to frantically make plans but it’s nice to consider. Like what neighborhood are you going to? Need some basic plan because, at least in our family, we could spend 30 minutes standing on a street corner trying to decide what to do next. Then again, that’s really just on trips with dh. I travel solo a lot with the kids and I find those trips easier! Being the sole grown up can be nice- my kids just go along with my ideas.


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This is me too. I do much better with a plan! The one time I was stressed and decided to just “get there and figure it out” I was stressed the whole time. Can you carve out a few hours to figuring out some logistics and a basic outline? Maybe even examine how much planning is really best for you? I like to have some quiet and a notebook to just do a “brain dump” where I write all my concerns, all my questions, all my feelings etc. Its hard to find time when I’m busy but it’s effective!

[smiles33]

Hugs. I think you're feeling overwhelmed because of the pressure of planning this trip and living up to other people's expectations (plus the health issues, of course!). We took our then 8 and 11 year old to Montreal last September and took it REALLY easy. My approach to vacations is to RELAX (our regular lives are too scheduled), eat well, and read lots of books/watch movies. We do not pressure ourselves to do tourist-y things just because we're in a new city.

If it helps you to see, this is what we did over the course of 7 days in Montreal:

- Visited Voiles en Voiles twice (an aerial ropes course in the Old Port historical area that my 2 kids LOVED--your 6 year old may be too young for more than 1/2 the courses, but they even have a course for tiny preschoolers, too)
- Did a maple cream cookie baking lesson with the Lincoln Apartment bakery (found her on Trip Advisor)
- Took a "class" with the Force Academy (light saber fighting a la Star Wars!)
- Strolled and then ate lunch at both Marche Jean-Talon and Marche Atwater (Montreal's two huge public markets with produce and prepared foods--we liked Marche Jean-Talon the best)
- Did two escape rooms at Eskapaz (probably too hard with a 6 year old)
- Read dozens of books (2-3 a day, as I only planned 1 activity outside of our apartment rental per day)
- DH and the kids did a martial arts movie marathon 2 afternoons
- Slept in and went to bed early every night
- Ate at a ton of delicious restaurants (happy to share those recs if your kids are foodies, too).

We never went to the famous landmarks (e.g., Notre Dame, Mont Royal, Biodome, Botanical Garden, etc.). We basically approached the trip as a time to recharge as a family, do fun stuff we would love to do at home but rarely have time to do, and explore the amazing cuisine of a new city.

If this sounds appealing to you, I hope this helps you re-frame the vacation and put less pressure on yourself.