Gotta Get Away

It is that time of year again, and, after much anticipation, Reading Week is nearly upon us. To celebrate, I suggest getting out of Toronto in some fashion, and my post this week is going to be about two popular destinations. Go to Montreal Montreal may be one of the least expensive, yet most exciting trip for when you only have a few days. In fact, the New College Student Council is putting on a Reading Week Trip. If you choose an option to stay in a room with three other people you can go for four days and three nights from just $150 per person, taxes included. Non-New College students start at $190. I am sure spaces are limited, so be sure to hurry.

 

If the group trip to Montreal isn’t your thing, you can also choose to get there and stay by yourself or with a couple of friends. Montreal can be economical for the student traveller. First, you can get round-trip bus fare for $97, taxes included, and then stay at one of the hundreds of hostels that can be as low as $16 a night if you don’t mind staying in a dorm-style room. Food in Montreal is quite reasonable, with both a mix of popular brand restaurants and unique outlets for the French-Canadian city. I would budget between $20 - $30 a day for food, depending on how much and what of you want to eat. Also, remember that the drinking age is 18 in Quebec, so be sure to bring your ID. Getting around Montreal is best by Metro; a week pass goes for $23.50, or $3 per cash fare. More information about Montreal can be found as the Tourisme-Montreal website. Go to New York City Surprisingly less expensive by bus at a mere $84, New York City may be the place for you to bounce off to. The bus itself takes about 10 hours to get there, but if you don’t mind sleeping one night in a bus then it won’t be a big deal.

I personally have never been to New York City, however, I am dying to go at some point in the near future. Hostels are just as reasonable and varied as any major city, with a quality dorm-style room for about $19 a night. Of course, there are numerous neighbourhoods of New York, so it may be beneficial to get a moderately priced hostel in the area you are looking for. Keep in mind that you must have a valid passport to cross the border, but you are allowed $200 worth of products back, including duty-free products. I can’t speak from experience about the food in New York, but have heard that it is a culinary smorgasbord. I am sure that prices are relative to the type of restaurant you are in, but there will be tons of fast-cheap-food options available. I would say to plan for $30 - $35 a day in food. Getting around New York is simple with the extensive transit system throughout the entire city. An unlimited metro card is just $29 for 7 days, or you can pay $2.50 per cash fare. For more information about New York City, visit the Official Guide to New York. These are just a couple of ideas I had for Reading Week, but my main point is this: get out of town, enjoy some time off. Visit your parents (as I am), or get away to the sun. Why not even become a tourist in our own city and explore it all over again. Make it a Reading Week worth talking about, and share what you are doing in my comments! -Jon