8/4/2010 @ 9:30

8/4/2010

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Contact event organizer
Toronto, ON

THIS EVENT IS FULL AND RSVP'S ARE CLOSED. For transportation, we�ll be taking Via Rail. Below are the details for Via Rail. Transportation: Via Rail Wednesday, August 4, 2010 Train 56 Depart Toronto (Union Station): 9:30 AM Arrive Montreal (Central Station): 2:42 PM Duration: 5 hrs, 12 min Sunday, August 8, 2010 Train 67 Depart Montreal (Central Station): 5 PM Arrive Toronto (Union Station): 9:34 PM Duration: 4 hrs, 34 min Via-Rail Cost for Economy � Special Fare, non-exchangeable, non refundable, $144.90 including tax (each train has approximately 30 total tickets at this price) Please note, however, that for any Via Rail tickets purchased after May 1, 2010, the new Ontario HST will apply instead of only the GST, meaning that this Via Rail ticket would then cost $158.70 instead of $144.90. Therefore, buying your Via Rail tickets before May 1, 2010 is recommended (you'll save 8%). Your Via Rail tickets must be booked through Via Rail. Their web site is http://www.viarail.ca. For the accommodations, we�ll be staying at Travelodge in downtown Montreal. Below are the details for Travelodge. Travelodge 50 Ren�-Levesque West Montreal, QC H2Z 1A2 PH: [masked] PH: [masked] http://www.travelodgemontreal.ca/ Cost: $82 per room per night for single or double, $92 per night for triple (2 single beds and 1 bunk bed), $102 per night for quad (2 single beds and 2 bunk beds). These costs do not include taxes Taxes: 15.5% (3.5% lodging tax, 7.5% PST, 5% GST) Metro: Place-des-Arts or Place-d�Armes (in-between the two) Room reservations will need to be made by June 30, 2010. I will e-mail those attending the reservation code which enables you to get our discounted group rates listed above. For the Travelodge accommodations, please note that people can share a room to keep the expenses down. Two people can split a double room, 3 people can share a triple room, and 4 people can share a quad room. When you share a room, your expenses go down quite a bit, so I would definitely recommend it. The trip is a while away yet, so you still have time to seek out a roommate. PLEASE NOTE: Everyone going on the trip needs to book their own hotel reservations and Via Rail tickets. I will not be booking hotel reservations or buying Via Rail tickets on anyone�s behalf. The itinerary is on the links below, which have maps and the name of the places we will be going to. Montreal Day 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/0b0e6b94cde883a927a517d7af513e0c Montreal Day 2 � Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/e0f26225050031df02d74f63ed1ba778 Montreal Day 2 � Part 2: http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=faaf2839b05778aa070151a558e3605a Montreal Day 3 � Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/5ec7f5d4b48c338f000c451d41efb602 Montreal Day 3 � Part 2: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/411967e78d765ea904a3c42a20b40c7f Montreal Day 4 - Part 1: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/bf5da5ddd64f56c34aef041c51855db7 Montreal Day 4 - Part 2: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/dcc3f20675f8173e8c6a33d4f9d1f1a0 Montreal Day 4 - Part 3: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/dee4b139db4927f95726ad149111361e Montreal Day 5: http://www.batchgeo.com/map/ee7f793a593cf17c2daf8fd1bdeb2320 Here�s another note about this trip. This trip involves a LOT of walking. We�ll basically be walking from the time we leave Travelodge in the morning until dinner. While we might have a lot to eat, we�ll also be getting lots of exercise, so bring EXCELLENT walking shoes. Also, below is the general schedule. Wednesday, August 4 Leave Travelodge at 3:30 PM � going to Appetite for Books, Marche Adonis and Gastronomia Roberto. Our Via Rail train gets into Montreal at 2:42 PM. Thursday, August 5 Leave Travelodge at 9:30 AM � go to the Old Port area. We have a reservation at Jardin Nelson at 11:30 AM. After Jardin Nelson and exploring the Old Port area, we are going to St. Laurent and have a reservation at The Main at 6 PM. After The Main, we are going to head over to Riz en Folie. Friday, August 6 Leave Travelodge at 8:30 AM � go to Jean Talon Market and Little Italy. Then we are going to La Maison du Cheddar, and then to Bernard Street, Saint-Viateur Ouest, and Fairmount Ouest. We then have a reservation at Lombardi at 7 PM. Saturday, August 7 Leave Travelodge at 8:45 AM � we have a reservation at La Cantine at 9:30 AM. We will then be exploring rue St-Denis and avenue Mont-Royal. We have a dinner reservation at Le Couscous Royal at 6:30 PM. Sunday, August 8 Leave Travelodge at 9:30 AM. Then go to Atwater Market. Then we�ll go to Chinatown. We have a reservation at Ruby Rouge at 1 PM, which is our last stop of the journey. PLEASE BE IN LOBBY 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE MORNING DEPARTURE TIME. We may have to make some adjustments to the itinerary due to time constraints, but we�ll cover as much as we can. As for the cost, I have budgeted approximately $750 per person if two people are sharing a room at Travelodge. Here is how I came up with that number. Via Rail (if you buy your tickets soon, economy, non-refundable fare): $145 Accommodations at Travelodge (shared room): $190 Montreal Metro 3 Day Passes (2 passes at $17 per day): $34 Total Costs before meals and entertainment: $369 Meals and Entertainment?: $381 Total budgeted trip cost: $750 For the meals and entertainment portion, that part is a little harder to judge. I put in there $381, but we are not going to 5 star restaurants, and 2 of the days are partial days (Wednesday and Sunday), so you may end up spending less in this area (my number might be a little generous here). For the restaurants we are planning to go to, the main entree is normally under $20, and most are more around $15. I did not put souvenirs in this number either. Overall, I feel $750 is a reasonable number, but you might end up spending a little less. This is going to be structured as a culinary tour, and with this, there are a few ground rules that I need to please go over with everyone: Ground rules: 1.We need to start the tour on time at the designated times. If someone is late and misses the start of the tour, they will be able to rejoin the group wherever the next restaurant reservation is that day. I cannot chase down late comers during the day and slow the tour down. 2.If someone comes late to one of the restaurants where we have a restaurant reservation, we will be leaving the restaurant when those who were at the restaurant on time have finished, not when the late comers are done eating. 3.If someone wants to see other sites, or do other shopping, that are not on the itinerary, you can leave the tour, but please let me know that you will be going off on your own. I cannot delay the tour to look at or shop at non-itinerary sites. 4.Please let me know if there are any restaurants where we have reservations where you will not be able to make it. Some FAQs: Is any free time scheduled? None is schedule. Things are planned from the time we leave Travelodge in the morning till we return after dinner or going to a bar in the evening. Is there time for sight seeing? For food related places, there is a lot of sightseeing. But there is not time for sightseeing for things that are not on the culinary tour (i.e. Olympic Stadium, museums, etc.) What happens if I want to leave the tour? You should let me know that you are leaving the tour so we do not look for you at the different tour stops. One may leave the tour at any time if they desire to. If I leave the tour, when can I rejoin the group? You can rejoin the group wherever the next restaurant is during the day where we have a restaurant reservation. I will not have time to chase people down during the tour. What happens if I�m late for the meeting time when the tour starts? The tour will leave without you and you will be on our own that day until the group meets up again at the next restaurant reservation scheduled for that day. If I miss the start of the tour, when can I rejoin the group? At the next restaurant reservation scheduled for that day. Do I have to stay on the tour the entire time? No, you can leave the tour at any time but should please let me know so that we are not trying to track you down during the tour. What happens if I�m late for one of the restaurants where there is a reservation? You can join us. However, we will be leaving when those who were on time have finished their meal, not when the late comers are finished. What if I am not coming to Montreal by Via Rail and I miss the start of the tour on Day 1? You can try and meet us at Marche Adonis. I�m not sure when we will get to Marche Adonis, but it will be between 5:30 PM and 7 PM, as we will be touring before hand. So you may have a little extra time to hang out there. To get to Marche Adonis from Travelodge, go to Place D�Armes metro station. Then take the orange line metro to Cote Vertu. Then take 121 bus east till you reach Marche Adonis. It will probably take about an hour to get there from Travelodge. Do I have to eat with the group at all of the restaurants where we have a reservation? No, but you definitely need to please let me know if you will not be attending any of the restaurants where we have reservations so that I can update the RSVP numbers with the restaurant. Will we be coming back to Travelodge before dinner to change, wash up, etc.? No, this is not planned.