Montreal is perhaps best known for its culture and shopping, but outdoors folk can also enjoy a Montreal ski vacation without venturing far from the city. With the peaks of the Laurentian Mountains and the Eastern Townships within a short drive from downtown Montreal, skiers can take advantage of easy access to some of Quebec’s best skiing.
For those reticent to leave the city, visitors can even enjoy cross-country skiing at Montreal’s Mount Royal Park.
From the popular Mont Tremblant ski resort to the winter family vacation destinations of Mont Blanc and Owl’s Head, a Montreal ski vacation will be sure to please all in the skiing party.
A Trip to Tremblant Ski Resort Makes a Fabulous Montreal Ski Vacation
About 1.5-hours northwest from Montreal, Mont Tremblant lies on the southwestern edge of Mont-Tremblant Park and offers some of the top skiing in the region. For 10 years Ski Magazine readers have ranked the ski resort as the best in eastern North America.
Runs snaking down both the north and south sides of Mont Tremblant offer a full range of options for beginner snowboarders and families right through to extremely advanced skiers. Snowmakers help ensure a long season at the ski resort.
Often most appealing, however, is the pedestrian village that provides day-weary skiers with restful, fun, and late-night options for après-ski. Extensive ski resort facilities, including hotels and restaurants, cater to the millions who visit Mont Tremblant to ski each year.
Ski Mont Blanc for a Family Ski Vacation
With the same name as the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc has some lofty shoes to fill. But with the second highest peak in the Laurentians and a focus on family ski vacations, this Quebec ski resort ranks as a great spot for skiers with little ones in tow.
Forty-one trails are accessible via seven lifts and two Magic Carpets, which are conveyor lifts geared towards beginner skiers and children. For more advanced skiers six runs rank as extreme (double black diamond) and incorporate glades or moguls.
Best of all Mont Blanc, near the village of Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré, Quebec, will make a great Montreal ski vacation being less than a 1.5-hour drive northwest from downtown.
A Convenient Montreal Ski Vacation at Mont Saint-Sauveur
Less than a one-hour drive northwest from Montreal on Highway 15, Mont Saint-Sauveur ranks as a haven for advanced skiers seeking a challenge. More than half of the mountains’ 38 trails rate as expert or extremely difficult and the longest run is 1.5 km (1 mile). For snowboarders, the snow park includes an Olympic-sized half-pipe.
Overall the Mountain ranks as a convenient option for experienced skiers taking a Montreal ski vacation.
Winter Family Vacations at Owl’s Head Ski Area
Two-hours southeast from Montreal lies the Owl’s Head Ski Area in Mansonville, Quebec—another fantastic option for a family ski vacation near Montreal. The 44 trails are almost evenly split to accommodate beginner, intermediate, advanced skiers.
Here in the Eastern Townships, skiing vacations are a way of life and with more than 100 acres of skiable terrain Owl’s Head Ski Area is no exception.
Planning a Montreal Ski Vacation and Winter Family Getaway
Traveling from Montreal by car will provide the most options to skiers and snowboarders, although direct flights to Mont Tremblant do run from New York and Toronto during the winter. The Pierre-Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, however, welcomes flights from a greater number of destinations and the city is also a center for trains and buses.
Regardless of how you arrive, come ready to enjoy a Montreal ski vacation filled with sunny days and a long-season of fresh snow. With so many options, all skiers and snowboarders will be happy on the Quebec ski slopes.
Chloë Ernst - Chloë Ernst is a travel guidebook author who writes for Frommer's and Globe Pequot Press.
