We will be going to Quebec for a week in late September. We are actually staying about half an hour from Quebec (BeauPre). I’m looking for suggestions as to what to do, where to eat, etc. We like outdoor activities, are hoping the leaves will be changing, and we may bring our bikes with us. Anything over about 50 miles is too far for us to plan to ride in a day, and we prefer paths to road riding. We will hunt down waterfalls, and we like to eat fairly well, at least some days, but other days may be cereal, and trail mix and kind bars while hiking, for example. The place we are staying is pretty inexpensive, so if there’s a great suggestion that may require one overnight, we will consider that. This is really meant to be a “day at a time” vacation, where we won’t have a big agenda ahead of time, but you CCers always have great travel advice, so I figured I’d ask for suggestions.
Thanks in advance
Suggestion number one: take me with you! This is one of my favorite places we have been to.
This is part of a review I left on Tripadvisor: "The next day we headed out of the city and stopped at Ste. Ann de Beaupre. That is one amazing church (s). Stunning. We then went to Isle aux Courdres and rented scooters from Velo Courdes who were great with a novice driver (me). Loved the island. My husband saw a fox curled up in a front yard taking a napl That night we spent at Baie St Paul at Au Jardin d’Ozanne. Fantastic b & b. Wonderful food, lovely hostess. The next day we went whale watching at Baie St. Catherine and we saw many whales and seals.
We didn’t think the next b &b could come close food wise to Jardin 'Ozanne but we were wrong. We drove down to Ile d’Orleans. What a breakfast! Five fabulous courses and wonderful hosts. The island itself is delightful."
Ile d’Orleans is wonderful. Lots of stands selling maple sugar, wine, vegetables, etc. I hope this helps. I would love to go back and go up the Gaspe Peninsula too.
I can second Ile d’Oleans. It’s lovely. I think the road goes around the island completely, iirc. Perfect for bike riding.
Are you planning on spending any time in the Quebec City? If so, the Grande-Allee has cafe’s all up and down. We usually just look at the menus, which are all posted, and pick a place. Never been disappointed. Lots of great places to ride around the city. We rented bikes one day, got a map and took off. We especially liked biking the Plains of Abraham. Here is a good site on biking Quebec City. http://gobiking.ca/quebec-city/index.html
Thanks. We will definitely be spending time in the city. We may even go to Montreal for a day, or possible overnight.
We had a great similar family vacation several years ago. My suggestion will take you farther than your 50 miles, but it is about the same distance as Montreal - in the opposite direction.
We spent several nights in Quebec City, then drove to Tadoussac, east along the St Lawrence. Tadoussac is a quaint town on the bay of the St Lawrence. There are hiking trails, bay kayaking explorations, whale watching. etc. We did spend a night there - or maybe it was two. We stayed at the Hotel Tadoussac which is an older property, but right on the Bay. The area is beautiful.
We also enjoyed the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and wandering Quebec City.
We went to some club there that had a live band playing and singing folk songs, I think it was in French so that was great. I didn’t get to go far but next time I will try the Gaspe area.
There are wonderful chutes/waterfalls/gorges not far from the church in Beupre. Just outside the city limits of Quebec City are Montmorency Falls which DH and visited in June. We love Quebec City, just wandering around the old city. So many quaint places and really outstanding fine dining. We were late in planning our recent trip and could not stay in any of the boutique hotels in lower city which was our first thought and the Marriott was sold out so we ended up staying at the Delta, which is a Canadian chain. Easy access to the old city and parallels Grande Allee. In the other direction there is the Rue St Jean which also has restaurants and shops in addition to those in the walled city itself.
@momofadult, our 50 miles is for biking. We can drive further than that. Your suggestion sounds like what we are looking for.
Thanks to all. We will definitely do the Mont… Falls. The bridge over them looks scary, but I can do it… I think.
Oops! That’s pretty funny - reading comprehension has not always been my strongest skill - tend to skim! I did wonder what exactly “paths” vs “road riding” meant - was that driving down country highways vs taking the interstate??? I guess I was picturing our own car trip and missed the significance of the previous sentence about the bike riding. I do admire the 50 mile bike rides - the fact that I would never be able to manage that probably also contributed to my misreading!
We did the Montmorency Falls also. It was gorgeous, but if you noticed my contributions to the mountain driving and acrophobia thread, let’s just say that my response to M. Falls was in line with my reaction to mountain driving. I did make it over though!
Don’t overlook the bed and breakfast places! We had wonderful gourmet breakfasts at every place we stayed. We eat so much that we had to skip lunch.
We have a place to stay, we are just looking for activities, especially hiking/biking types of things, and restaurants that are not to be missed. Thanks
@1214mom, we stay at a lovely B&B when we go to Montreal (in the Latin Quarter) so if you are interested give me a holler.
OP here. We head to Canada next Saturday. I’m looking for food and activity suggestions near Quebec City and BeauPre. We plan to take our bicycles, and we like outdoor activities. We are looking for day trips and fun things to do. Also, does anyone know if US health insurance and car insurance are good while vacationing in Canada? Thanks
Car insurance, yes. You should check with your health insurer to see what they’ll cover when you’re out of the country. It’s likely that you would have to pay for any care here then seek reimbursement from your insurer.
We rented electric scooters on the Isle aux Courdes and you can probably rent bikes over on I’le de Orleans. Quebec City itself, if I remember correctly, was crowded with people and hilly. Whale watching is very good up by Tadoussac but you might be able find a closer ship. Our car insurance works in Canada and I’m pretty sure our health insurance did too. In Quebec City, Aux Anciens Canadiens is a touristy but good restaurant. The maple sugar pie was delicious! The meat pie was very good too. The Musee des Ursulines is worth your time to see how early Quebec schoolgirls and the nuns lived and so is a trip inside the Chateau Frontenac…perhaps a beverage at the bar? And of course, a stroll on the Terrasse Dufferin is very enjoyable. I am so jealous!
Have a look at La Route Verte 5 and La Route Verte 6. La Route Verte is a huge network of roads and paths in Quebec designated for cycling. I’ve not ridden on them but they get raves from cyclists who have. I’m sure that local bike shops would be happy to supply you with maps and info.
@Momofadult, do you happen to know if whale watching is better in some months than others? We LOVED seeing whales in Hawaii (that was one of the main reasons we went when we did), but I’m not sure how Canada in The fall will compare. I’ve been trying to decide if we should head that direction instead of towards Montreal.
Fall is a great time to see the whales and you will also have the fall color as well. Head east- it is beautiful!
Thanks @Onward. One reason we picked the time is in hopes the leaves would be spectacular.
@1214mom, if you scroll down on this link, you can keep an eye out for what the change in foliage is currently.
https://www.quebecoriginal.com/en/discover/seasons-in-quebec#fall