For anyone who’s done this trip, what do you feel was the most ideal way to travel—plane, train or automobile? What are the upsides and downsides of these options?

Thanks in advance.

Two of us are hiking L'Éperon at Jacques-Cartier on Thursday morning (15 Oct) and La Chouenne at Grands-Jardins on Friday, sticking to the marked trails.

1. Do we need bear spray on either trail in mid-October, or is it overkill?

2. Which mapping or GPS app do you use for hiking in the Sépaq parks? At home we use OS Maps and Walkhighlands.

Merci!

Bonjour! Looking for recommendations for your favorite food spots near Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. Both coffee or sit down food. Doesn’t have to be super near to the museum but I see many recommendations in old town and looking for options closer to here. Merci!

We're mainly interested in history/old buildings as well as cool scenery or lookout spots. Will have a car as we are driving from Ontario (roughly 8.5hrs each way). Might stay in Montreal on night 1 to get to Quebec City earlier the next day. Then will have 2 full days before making the full drive back on the 4th day, where we will try to make Ruines Carbide Wilson along the way.

So far on the list is old Quebec City, Chateau Frontenac, Morrin Centre, Petite-Champlain/Place Royale, Montmorency Falls, Canyon Sainte-Anne. Other hikes are possibly Mestachibo Trail and Delaney Falls in Bras-du-Nord. Would greatly welcome any other suggestions or insights!

I had amazing time visiting Quebec City this thanksgiving weekend.

Still there was so much more left to do. Will definitely visit again.

Planning a trip to Québec City next month with our 2-year-old. Looking for a kid-friendly hotel that’s close to the main attractions and things to do. Any recommendations?

Hi everyone!

We’re a family of 3 from Costa Rica traveling to Canada from December 17 to December 28, 2026.

We are:

* Me: 34

* My wife: 34

* Our daughter: 5

We fly from SJO to Montreal (YUL) on Dec 17 and land around midnight on Dec 18. We expect to reach our hotel around 3–4 AM.

Our main goal is to experience snow, winter activities, Christmas atmosphere, nature, animals, and outdoor family activities. We are not really interested in museums on this trip unless theres a really good suggestion

Our tentative itinerary so far is:

Dec 18 – Montreal → Parc Omega → Quebec City

Sleep a few hours after arrival, then drive to Parc Omega around late morning. Spend about 3 hours there doing the wildlife drive, feeding the deer, seeing wolves/other animals, and then drive to Quebec City in the afternoon/evening.

We know this could be a long day after an overnight flight, so feedback on whether this is realistic would be appreciated.

Dec 19 – Old Quebec + Petit-Champlain + Christmas Market

Walk around Old Quebec, Place Royale, Petit-Champlain, Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace and visit the German Christmas Market in the afternoon/evening.

Dec 20 – Village Vacances Valcartier

Full snow day focused on snow tubing and family winter activities.

Dec 21 – Montmorency Falls + Île d’Orléans

Visit Montmorency Falls in the morning and then drive around Île d’Orléans for scenery, food and small towns. Is it worthy ?

Dec 22 – Ski day

We’re considering either Stoneham or Mont-Sainte-Anne.

None of us are expert skiers, so we would probably book beginner lessons, especially for our 5-year-old.

Which would you recommend for a family with a young child: Stoneham or Mont-Sainte-Anne?

Dec 23 – Dog sledding + Old Quebec

We are looking at Aventures Nord-Bec in Stoneham because they appear to allow younger children.

The plan would be dog sledding in the morning and then return to Quebec City for Dufferin Terrace, the traditional toboggan slide, Christmas lights and possibly the Christmas Market again.

If anyone has experience with Nord-Bec or another dog-sledding company that accepts 5-year-olds, we would love recommendations.

Dec 24 – Christmas Eve in Quebec City

Relaxed day walking around Old Quebec, enjoying the Christmas atmosphere and having a special Christmas Eve dinner.

Restaurant recommendations would be very welcome.

Dec 25 – Christmas Day

Very relaxed day because we understand many places may be closed or have reduced hours.

We’d mainly enjoy the hotel, walk around, play in the snow and have a nice family meal.

Dec 26 – Hôtel de Glace → Montreal

Visit Hôtel de Glace after it opens for the season, then drive back toward Montreal.

Dec 27 – Montreal

Spend the day around Old Montreal and Old Port. Possibly La Grande Roue, walking around, trying Montreal bagels and having a relaxed final dinner.

Dec 28 – Fly home

A few questions for locals:

1. Is Dec 18 too ambitious after landing at midnight: Montreal → Parc Omega → Quebec City?

2. Would you choose Stoneham or Mont-Sainte-Anne for beginner skiing with a 5-year-old?

3. Is Aventures Nord-Bec a good dog-sledding option for a child that age?

4. Is Montmorency Falls + Île d’Orléans a good combination in late December?

5. Are we spending too many days in Quebec City, or does this seem reasonable for a winter-focused family trip?

6. Is driving between these places generally manageable in December for someone who is not used to driving in snow?

7. Are there any winter activities you would remove, replace or absolutely add?

8. Any Christmas Eve or Christmas Day restaurant recommendations in Quebec City?

We’re coming from Costa Rica, so this will be our daughter’s first real winter/snow trip and we want to make it special without making the itinerary exhausting.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Planning a long weekend trip for next fall and we have been looking at the Auberge Saint-Antoine for our stay. Has anyone stayed there? It looks beautiful.

Hello, I want to stay in old Quebec and am coming December 26-30. I’m having a hard time choosing between hotel 71 or hotel manoir Victoria. If anyone has pros and cons or experiences with them, I would love the insight! The prices are similar but I’ve never been here so having a hard time deciding. Thank you for your help!!

Hello! We will be traveling to Quebec City to celebrate a 40th birthday. I’d appreciate any recommendations for activities and dining. My bf really enjoys different meats and craft beers. Any ideas are appreciated. Thank you!

Greetings!
I’ve posted here several times about my husband’s and my upcoming Christmas trip to QC. I booked us both a massage and will be booking the thermal experience once those reservations open up. I’ve read mostly glowing reviews of Strom, but a great deal of the newest reviews have been very poor. They talk about having to wait in line for hours, even when you have a reservation and the locker rooms and thermal area consistently being a mess. I expect they just don’t have enough staff around the holidays. Have any of you had such an experience? Also, do you recommend any of the body treatments?

Hi! I am considering visiting Quebec City at the end of November. Is it possible to find an Uber to get to the airport if my flight is at 5am? And if so, how much does it cost to Uber to the airport from the downtown area? TIA!

Hi guys, I’m traveling to Quebec City for the 1st time this winter. I plan to have a 4-day, 3-night trip.
Can you give me some recommendations for hotel, transportation, must-visit place and must-try food,…
Thanks so much!!!!

Bonjour,
J’habite à ste-foy et j’ai un handicap (pas de chaise roulante mais j’ai une canne et parfois besoin d’une marchette et beaucoup de fatigue aussi donc je ne peux pas faire de choses sportives genre vélo etc). Je ne peux pas conduire et d’habitude je me déplace en transports en commun ou taxi/uber. J’adore l’ile d’orléans, surtout à l’automne. Malheureusement j’ai pu y aller seulement une fois en 3-4 ans parce que je ne trouve pas comment y aller sans que quelqu’un m’y emmène, ce qui est difficile à trouver. Il ne semble pas y avoir de vrai transport pour les habitants de québec. Est-ce qu’il y a des options pour ceux qui n’ont pas de voiture? Autre que sportive ou complètement pour touristes et cher (je n’ai pas de grands moyens pour des tours fancy et j’aimerais retourner à des endroits spécifiques où j’aimais aller avant genre la chocolaterie, bord de l’eau, la boulangerie blouin, etc.). J’ai vue la navette quatre nature mais elle te dépose uniquement à un partenaire pour louer un vélo… Bref, j’ai pensé me rendre jusqu’à proche en transport et prendre un uber pour traverser (même ça c’est cher mais bon), mais après? Je sais pas si c’est la seule option.. J’ai peur d’être “pognée” sur l’ile😆
Merci!:)

I’m thinking about taking a road trip with my fiancé (both 25y/o if that matters) to Quebec from 10/30-11/2. My birthday is on the first and figured we could you some time away from Syracuse NY.

Neither of us have been to Canada and we’ve heard that Quebec has the most European feel/architecture. Our plan would be to stay in an Old Quebec boutique hotel and explore the historic district.

My main concern is that we may run out of things to do - as someone who’s never been to Europe I think it would be very interesting but also would like some activities to do. I know that this time of year is pretty chilly up there but we are skiers and fairly used to the cold weather. We’re both foodies, love cafes, and enjoy relaxing with a nice cocktail, so I don’t think we’ll have any issue with that.

My question - is this a worthwhile trip this time of the year or should we hold off until summer?

Thanks in advance!

Salut à tous!

Je relance par rapport à mon dernier post y'a 2 semaines.

J'ai un deuxième billet de concert pour le concert de Miro et Sorai à l'Anti bar demain (samedi 10 octobre). Et... bah je le donne à qui a envie de voir le concert!

Autant qu'il serve. 1er arrivé, 1er servi!

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to visit Quebec City for the first time and Parc national de la Mauricie.

I'll be travelling there for the long weekend and just wanted to double check for any suggestions from locals or alternatives than the usually "popular" recommendations.

I plan to -
1. Reach there by 3 pm tomorrow. Staying around - Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier.
2. Explore city in the evening.
3. Next morning leave for Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier + drive upto Laurentides Wildlife Reserve + Visit a small town nearby for dinner
4. Leave hotel and Parc national de la Mauricie or Visit Mont Tremblant.
5. Go back to where I came from - Hamilton

Questions I have -
1. How and where do i get park and ticket access. Having a hard time on their website. If I walkin, there's no way i'll find parking for this weekend.
2. Any alternative less crowded destinations you'd recommend? I unfortunately cannot walk for too long due to injury - maybe 30 mins to an hour at max.
3. I'm coming there to explore fall season and want to soak in the beauty of Quebec and the culture (when i visit Old Quebec City).

Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome.

Thank you to everyone on this board - I could not have had a better itinerary for my first trip to Quebec City but if definitely will not be my last. Just leaving on a bus headed to Montreal.

Such a beautiful city and I felt very safe. Quite a change from USA, I never heard anyone honking their horn this whole trip. The fall colors were beautiful but they are starting to fade. Had no trouble, everyone spoke English and were all helpful.

Here’s what I did:

Day 1

Late arrival - dinner at Pizzeria Locali.
Still dreaming about their special pizza - garlic cream sauce, smoked cheese, mushrooms and ham.
The chili oil was flavorful, not spicy.

Day 2

Walking tour of old town
Lunch at L’Antiquiare Buffet unfortunately did not get to try cipaille was told they weren’t making it until Thursday - tourtiere was good but definitely stick to your ribs meal could not finish it all
Plains of Abraham in afternoon - favorite was Joan of Arc Garden they had a Halloween art display and learned a lot about local legends and history.
Augustine monastery tour (our hotel stay)
Dinner at Le Lit Double - fantastic value tasting menu - cod fritters were best - $30 per person
Walked to Av. Cartier to see the lanterns

Day 3

Rented car
Montmorency Falls
Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre
My tip is to walk to the end of the Quay/Quai across the way and this will get you best picture
Ile d’Orleans
Lobster shrimp poutine for lunch at Chez Mag
Favorite stop was Ferme audet - goat cheese soft serve did not taste like goat milk was so creamy and the soap/lotion shop was also nice for gifts
Dinner at Beurre Baratté - this was the best meal and dining experience of the trip. One of the owners talked to us at length - best dish was halibut would like to say braised lamb but my husband only gave me a tiny bite. Dreaming about the broccoli with hollandaise, egg and chili crisp.

Day 4

Saint Louis Fort and Chateau - understand they will be closed after this week for the winter
Guided tour of Parliament - very interesting and would recommend - understood some uncertainty - elections just happened and a new Premier was voted in. Reason why not in Parliament not in session as the new representatives were waiting to be sworn in.
Quick lunch at La Galette Libanaise
Museum of Civilization
Dinner at La Planque - $89 blind tasting menu for two

Did not get to do but next time

Ferry to Levi and back
Sainte Anne Canyon
Walking the Governors Promenade
Parc Jacques Cartier
And more wandering around St. Roch, Limilou and other neighborhoods - finding murals
Kabir Kouba Falls
Visit a brewery
Walk at Domaine de Mazerates
Visit Cartier-Brebeuf un Parc Meconnu
Visit Wendat Nation in Wendake

I’m looking for long-term parking near the Gare du Palais train station in Québec City, that I can pay monthly. Trying to look this up on my phone is exceedingly frustrating and I can’t get a straight answer without downloading apps, creating accounts, etc. Anyone know? Really appreciate it.

UPDATE: Quest complete! The tickets have been taken.

Hello - Unfortunately, my family had to cancel our trip to Quebec City this weekend. I have 3 tickets to see l’Orchestre de Jeux Video at Palais Montcalm Saturday evening that I would love to pass along to someone who can enjoy them. The concert is the music of Zelda Legends of Hyrule. Please reach out if you are interested.

Got back on October 5th! Just wanted to share some photos since I see a lot of people asking what the foliage looks like currently. Last two photos were from Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, it was about a 40 min drive from Quebec City. I think the leaves there definitely were much more vibrant!

We are driving from Montreal to Quebec city mid October and I would love to check out a sugar shack. I heard that many are not open during this time.

Do you know if there's any worth checking out or would there be something similar enough in town?

We have young kids and cannot eat very greasy foods (some medical/ dietary restrictions). I'm thinking of mainly going for the experience, trying different maple syrup (in snow though i knows it's probably not real). I do love a good pea soup

Is there anywhere you would recommend?

Hi, my wife and I are planning a one day trip to Quebec City (been on our bucket list for a while now) next weekend and were wondering how the timing of fall foliage was lining up this year. Is the peak occurring right now / will the leaves still be nice next weekend?