If you haven’t considered Montreal’s winter getaway potential, our frosty Francophone neighbor to the north offers irresistible cuisine, lively nightlife and Gallic flair. If you’re still not enticed, Amtrak is sweetening the deal with a $90 round-trip weekend fare from Penn Station to Montreal. You’ll need to book before April 25 for Thursday-Monday travel now thru April 28, 2016.
Amtrak’s timing couldn’t be better. This snow-capped city’s profile as a winter destination is further enhanced from February 18 through March 5, 2016 when the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE festival lights up the town. The festival promises a spectacular program including an international performing arts series, exceptional food and wine events and brilliant light presentations.
The festival’s spotlight on arts and culture dazzles visitors with an unrivalled array of music, circus arts, chanson, theatre and dance.
Explore Montreal’s delectable culinary scene as you participate in a sensory seminar on maple syrup or meet with artisanal cheese-makers and sample regional dairy products at the Festival of Quebec Cheeses.
As night falls, the kaleidoscope of entertaining activities continues with spectacular light installations and all-night dance parties showcasing a festive ambience that perfectly captures this city’s renowned joie de vivre.
Many festival activities are free, family-friendly and easy to reach via complimentary shuttle.
Get Here: Amtrak’s Adirondack whisks you through the Hudson Valley before hugging the shoreline of Lake Champlain, providing passengers with some of the most dramatic scenery in the Northeast. The journey to Montreal takes nine hours. Kids 2-12 receive an additional 50% discount, so pack plenty of tiny mittens and bring the family.
To learn more about Montreal’s dynamic food scene, read oM’s story. To get acquainted with this city’s cycling possibilities, read oM’s bike-friendly story. For additional information, go to www.montrealenlumiere.com and www.tourisme-montreal.org.
Photo credit: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram