Less than 30 minutes from Montreal, off the beaten path, is the gem called Laval. Close enough to Montreal but less busy and with loads of highlights for families looking for a budget friendly getaway. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Laval – Montreal which was in the heart of everything. Just across the street is the massive CF Carrefour Laval for those looking to do some shopping. For a value packed winter vacation choose Laval, Quebec as your base. 

While in the past it might have been a place to get cheaper accommodation for your Montreal trip, it’s now a destination all on its own. We found that Laval offered the best of both worlds: ski and play.  

Where to stay in Laval; 

We’ve stayed at both the Holiday Inn and the Sheraton. The Sheraton is a bit more on the luxurious side with a huge restaurant in the lobby, plus two other restaurants. The Holiday Inn is more on the budget friendly side but I couldn’t say I felt like anything was missing. The standard rooms were about the same size as the Sheraton, they offered robes if you requested, and the pool was about the same size at each. The restaurant at the Holiday Inn is currently under renovations but they are working with a few local restaurants who will offer a discount of items delivered to the room. Both hotels are within walking distance to the shopping mall. 

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What to do in Laval?

Much more than I thought; board game cafes, climbing park, nature, even surfing! The list of activities goes on and on. 

Looking for indoor things to do in Laval? There are tons! 

From Escape Games; 

Jeux d’Évasion Codex / Codex Escape Games offers three escape games from easy to difficult. 

To surfing; 

We tried out surfing at Maeva Surf which includes a 15 minute tutorial before going on the waves for 30 minutes.

To board game cafes;

Do you like board games? Are you looking for the ultimate family games night? You can’t go wrong with Premier Joueur. It’s a pub with over 1000 board games to choose from so you’re bound to find something the whole family enjoys. 

To indoor rock climbing;

If you’ve got adventurous kids and aren’t afraid of heights make sure to check out Clip n’ climb. They have 34 themed climbing walls ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert. It’s a great way to burn off some of those delicious meals you’re bound to enjoy while in the area. 

And of course outdoor things to do in Laval; 

Centre de la nature de Laval offers a lot of free activities to choose from and even a farm. You can try out skiing and snowboarding and many other activities for free.

If you get a chance to go when Illumi Cavalia is on it’s a must experience!

Where to ski close to Laval, Quebec; 

35 minutes from Laval is Sommet Saint-Sauveur for those looking to ski. We all had something we loved about this spot. Denys loved that he could ski on both sides of the mountain, first he was with us on the Avila side and then he went over to Saint-Saveur side which offers more of a challenge. I loved the green and blue runs because they were very long similar to Nansen at Tremblant. I prefer runs like this because you get to enjoy the hill and it’s not just a short up and down and then you are back on the lift. We were there on New Year’s Day which was perfect because there weren’t too many people out. The kids absolutely loved their fun park with quite a few of the activities open all year long. 

Maximize your dollars here by getting lessons for the kids; 

One of the ways we save on the tickets for the kids is to add a lesson which maximizes the cost/value. For $178 we were able to get a semi-private lesson for both kids which included lift tickets and rentals for 4 hours plus tickets to the mountain coaster ride. The regular cost of tickets and rental is $70 without the lesson and activity ticket. The extra $10 is more than worth it.  Plus the snow school here is the winner or many awards and the most recognized snow school in Quebec

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Where to eat in Laval; 

Come to Laval for the food! A few restaurants that we loved;

We didn’t know that there are restaurants that offer BYOB but stumbled on Steak frites St-Paul St-Jean and the food was extremely good – which is generally the case for food in Quebec. 

It was a fab place for a date night and easy on the budget since you aren’t paying the premium for drinks. We didn’t know ahead of time but the waitress directed us to a store nearby the restaurant to pick up wine. The vibe and energy was great and made for a great date night. It was also very close to the hotel. 

Les Insulaires Microbrasseurs  might have the best poutine in all of Quebec, according to hubby. What he loved is that their feature poutine is a meal with big chunks of meat. It’s also a premier brewery in Quebec and the spot to go to try different beers. 

La Bette et Pain https://www.labeteapain.com/

This was one of the most delicious stops on our trip. The best part was other than the croissants and a few baked goods I could eat everything even with my cow’s milk allergy! That delicious dessert was soooo good!

Laval is a great destination for family fun! Whether you are looking to ski, surf, play, eat, or shop, be sure to add Laval to your list of places to visit with the family!