MOUNT SAINT ANNE, Quebec — Shhhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone.

If you are not Malcolm Forbes, but a skier priced out of a market that features astronomical condo costs plus a $50 lift ticket, take a look north. Mount Saint Anne in Quebec offers a cheaper alternative plus the Old World charm of Quebec City, only a 30-mile drive away.

It has now become a family tradition (if you had my family, you would go to Canada, too) to rent a condo for Christmas week at Mount Saint Anne. You will not believe the prices. This Christmas, my skiing daughter and I rented a sparkling-clean, two-bedroom, two-bath mountainside condo with bus service to the mountain for $80 a day, American. That’s $400 for five days at the Chalet Montmorency, owned by former ski instructor John Barclay. The ski ticket, reduced because about half the mountain was open, was just over $20 a day.

That compares to a five-day package at Sugarloaf with a five-day condo rental price of $1,484.85 with daily ski tickets of $49. You do the math.

I learned to ski at Sugarloaf, and the familiar mountain triangle decal has become a fixture on my aging Honda. Is Sugarloaf a better mountain? Probably. MSA is “only” 2,625 feet high with 13 lifts and 56 trails on 428 acres, compared to Sugarloaf at 2,820 feet with 15 lifts and 126 trails on 1,400 acres with the undeniable “big mountain” feel and more accent on daily trail grooming.

But is Sugarloaf THAT much better?

The Loaf is 122 miles from Camden, about three hours. MSA is almost 300 miles from Camden, at least six hours. But MSA has the atmosphere, an exchange rate that gives you $1.40 (roughly) for every dollar, and the mountain trails offer a stunning view of the Saint Lawrence River.

Neither of us is close to being expert skiers, and the terrain at MSA was challenging enough to wear us out after two or three hours. All right, Sugarloaf is better, but MSA had its undeniable attractions.

A mere half-hour from the mountain is the charming “Old City” of Quebec. For those of us too scared to fly to Paris, this is the next-best thing. The family vacation plan has developed to ski the first two days, just sufficient to get sore enough to consider suicide. The third day, usually Wednesday, is spent exploring the centuries-old shops and restaurants of Vieux Quebec. Cuban cigars are easily obtained.

Nothing is perfect. As a confirmed Francophile, I expect every meal served by anyone with a French accent to be spectacular. We have visited a dozen restaurants at the mountain and in Quebec City and have found most to be routine, at best. Despite the exchange rate which makes a $30 meal a $20 meal, we cook most meals at the condo, both to save money and to get better food.

One exception is the St. Alexander Pub on St. Jean Street in the old section of the city, which looks like a perfect location for a French movie. Smartly dressed Quebecois sit in the sidewalk windows and view the passing scene. Even I feel sophisticated, until I have to use my halting French to order.

The St. Alexander features beers from around the world, including my very favorite, Smithwick’s from Ireland. Not only did they sell me a pint (about $3.60 U.S.) but I won a Smithwick’s glass to take home. Last year I simply stole one. The simple pub food, atmosphere and service were impeccable, but I will freely admit that I am a fool for any woman with a French accent, including the waitress.

The other exception we found was Au Cafe Suisse, luckily within walking distance of the condo. After four nights of pasta at the condo, my daughter and I decided to eat out to celebrate both Christmas Eve and my birthday.

The small bistro was tastefully decorated with lights and was a perfect spot for the holiday eve. The unusual menu featured caribou and reindeer. (Reindeer on Christmas Eve?) I chose the sauteed seafood. Aran, a vegetarian, chose the raclette jardin. For you Americans, a raclette is served with a huge wedge of cheese in a warming dish. As the cheese melts, you pour it over the rest of the meal. The first-rate meal, with two carafes of wine and a chocolate profiterole dessert, was $94.03 Canadian, or about $55 U.S., an exceptional deal.

The language barrier is no problem, since virtually everyone we met could speak better English than we could speak French.

Certainly, the long drive is a consideration. We got stuck for an hour outside Quebec City in an ice storm that closed down a four-lane highway for more than an hour. But the combination of the exchange rate, low prices and French charm more than makes up for the driving, as long as you plan to stay for more than a few days. It is one of the best-kept secrets of skiing. I hope it stays that way.

Don’t tell anyone. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

For more information, call MSA at (800) 463-1568 or Chalets Montmorency at (800) 463-2612. MSA has a Web site at Mont Sainte-Anne.com