Instead of spending your entire fall-foliage weekend stuck in traffic on the highways of New England, venture a bit farther north to Quebec. Besides checking out Canadian maples ablaze with color (peak: early to mid-October), leaf peepers will also get to witness hundreds of snow geese stopping over the St. Lawrence River on their way south for the winter.

"Fall is a quiet season for Canada, so it's a very good value as well as an excellent experience," said Mary Pyle Peters, Canadian travel specialist for Distinctive Journeys. "But there's also a better opportunity for cultural interchange - to talk to the locals and get the flavor of what it's like to live there."

This fall, the Rendez-Vous Package at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu gives guests a chance to taster regional cuisine, relax at Amerispa or splurge at the Casino de Charlevoix. Rates start from at $150 per night including breakfast for two.

Or take advantage of a late-October package deal to historic Quebec City. The $532 rate includes three nights accommodation at the Hilton Quebec, dinner at three local dining hotspots, a Quebec sightseeing tour, and admission to the Quebec Observatory.

Web sites: yankeeholidays.com, aircanadavacations.com, quebecregion.com