We won’t judge you if you decide to choose only one or two — or if you decide the train ride itself is the adventure.
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Two of my favourite things are trains and tired kids. I’m not a monster, it’s just that they’re sweet and cuddly when you’ve worn them out. As for the first thing, c’mon, who doesn’t love a train ride?
There are five commuter train lines snaking out from Montreal. If you wanted, you could take a different train every day to find an adventure. That’s awfully ambitious, and we won’t judge you if you decide to choose only one or two — or if you decide the train ride itself is the adventure, and just travel back and forth.
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Some of these activities are a hike or a bus ride from the Exo station. Trains aren’t always frequent and some trips are longer than others, so plan carefully with stops for snacks and sightseeing and have a backpack full of things to do while you’re travelling. You want your kids sweet and cuddly tired, not meltdown-level exhausted.
The cost of a train ticket depends on the zone you are travelling to. Consult Exo’s trip planner at exo.quebec.
Vaudreuil/Hudson line
It looks like an old stone barn, but housed inside is the only Quebec aerospace museum of its kind. The Montreal Aviation Museum near the Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Exo station houses civil and military aircraft, plus an aviation art gallery and artifacts. Visitors can also peek into workshops where aircraft are being restored.
Take a train to see airplanes? Mind blown.
The Old Stone Barn is on Macdonald Campus in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. $5-$12. Mon., Tues, Sat., 10 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Visit the website’s Plan Your Visit section for directions, mam.quebec.
St-Jérôme line
It is absolutely not too soon to visit a sugar shack, but take heed that Cabane à Sucre Bouvrette, near the St-Jérôme train station, is only open Friday-Sunday. It includes sleigh rides, farm animals, a playground and a mini train ride — if you’re not completely finished with trains by then. Bonus: The maple-sugar rush will give everyone energy for the trip home.
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1000 Nobel St., St-Jérôme. $10.44-$38.37. Fri. 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 10:30-8 p.m.; check the website for reservations and specific serving times, bouvrette.ca, 450-438-4659.
Mont-St-Hilaire line
La Maison des peuples autochtones is a bit of a trek from the Mont-St-Hilaire station, but there’s so much to do once you’re there. March break activities include storytelling and dance around a fire ring and art workshops. You’ll discover that “long before the arrival of Europeans, aboriginal people had discovered the use of maple sugar sap,” their website says. “Dancing at the time of maple tapping had the power, it was believed, to increase the flow of maple trees.” A museum exploration guide prompts younger children to discover three exhibitions while learning about Indigenous peoples.
510 Montée des Trente, Mont-St-Hilaire. $6-$15. Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1 to 5 p.m. Some activities are by reservation only. maisonautochtone.com, 450-464-2500.
Candiac line
This day trip will take you back in time — to the disco era, via Le Palais du patin near the Delson train station. Everything at this shiny roller rink is neon and sparkly. You can bring your own roller skates (or $5 to rent) and your own lunch (there are only vending machines on site).
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100 Delson Ave., Delson. Tickets must be purchased online. $7-$15 per block of time. Fri.-Sun. Sundays 9 a.m. to noon reserved for 10-and-under and their caregivers. Visit the website for blocks of time, tinyurl.com/54wezymz and their Facebook page for special activities, facebook.com/palaisdupatindelson.
Mascouche line
By now you’re ready to escape it all, and we’ve got you covered. There’s an escape room just one kilometre from the Mascouche train station.
60 minutes jeux d’évasion has designed escape games for every level of player and for various interests. There’s a Dungeons & Dragons inspired game, a space opera and a haunted cabin in the woods. 60 minutes says more games are on the way. Teams of two to eight people — everyone must be at least eight years old — solve puzzles, manipulate objects and work together to finish the mission within one hour.
1282 de la Gare Ave., Mascouche. Open daily, check website to reserve a game time. $23.99-$29.99, family rates available. 60minutesevasion.ca, 450-325-1771.
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