aaa trips to quebec city

I love Québec City so much I moved there. Here’s what any visitor should know

Feb 24, 2024 • 6 min read

It’s easy to fall in love with Québec City, as our author did. Read these tips to make sure the affair goes smoothly © Maridav / Shutterstock

When I first visited Québec City in 2013, I fell in love.

After a couple of short getaways here, the city lured me in with its European-style architecture, French-speaking locals and laid-back vibe – so I rented my first apartment in 2014. As an anglophone who does not speak French well, Québec City, while a part of Canada , felt foreign to me. In other words, it was an ideal destination for a full-time traveler who was unsure about living in Canada again.

It is not just the architecture and language that make Québec  feel different. Québecois use the 24-hour clock, while the rest of the country uses 12. When looking at prices, they often use a comma instead of a period to separate dollars and cents. Québec swear words are religiously based, and if you hear someone say “ tabarnak !” they are dropping the f-bomb. 

Intrigued yet? Read on to learn more essential tips and information as you plan your visit to Québec City.

Is Québec City better than Montréal? 

Naturellement ! But seriously…Québec City and Montréal are very different cities, ones that complement each other nicely. Where the latter is edgy and cosmopolitan, the former is relaxed and comforting. Both cities have a thriving food scene , and a love for the outdoors. And they’re only three hours apart by train.

Always book accommodations during major festivals at least six months in advance

Finding accommodations in Québec City is generally easy, but if you’re planning to visit during one of the popular festivals ( Festival d’été de Québec in summer and  Carnaval de Québec in winter) or during the Christmas break, book at least six months in advance. The longer you wait, the more expensive the rooms will be – and sometimes every room in and near Vieux Québec gets completely booked, making last-minute trips during these peak periods a challenge. 

Plan on spending at least three days in Québec City

There is a lot to see and experience here, and I’d recommend spending at least three days. Explore Vieux Québec on the first day, then branch out to such other neighborhoods as St-Roch and Montcalm on the second day. On the third day, consider a day trip to Île d’Orléans or Wendake.

The cheapest transportation from the airport is also the slowest 

For many years, the only way to travel from the airport to downtown Québec City was by taxi, at a price of CA$35. Thankfully, a cheaper bus service is now available, at CA$7 (US$5.20) per ticket. Two bus lines, 76 and 80, travel to the airport; take the line 80  and transfer to line 1 at Gare Fluviale to get to downtown Québec City.

Navigating parking in Québec City can be tricky

In Vieux Québec, metered street parking can be found on a handful of streets, but spots are in high demand. Though there will be a machine nearby to pay for the space, save yourself time and download the Copilote app  on your phone: after you’ve added your credit card, you can pay for parking by entering the four-digit number on the blue tag by your space. Street parking spaces are usually available for two to five hours; note that overnight street parking is free from 9pm to 9am, and until 10am on Sundays. Make sure you verify local rules before leaving your car overnight.

There are a couple of parking garages located in or close to Vieux Québec. The one underneath Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is quite small, with a large parking garage on rue Dauphine, near the traffic lights. In Old Lower Town, near the marina and along the St Lawrence River, there are quite a few parking lots, as well as a parking garage.

Here’s the trick to understanding short-term apartment rental descriptions 

Apartment ads were my first hurdle to life in Québec City, and descriptions touting  “1½ ,” “2½,” “3½,” “4½” and “5½” apartments confounded me. Eventually, I learned that the numbers indicate the number of total rooms, while the “½” means bathroom (even if there’s more than one). My first apartment was a 1½, which could best be described as a postage stamp with a bathroom. This number system is often used for short-term rentals as well, with the most common being a 3½ (one bedroom, plus kitchen, living room and bathroom). 

You can find 4½ (two-bedroom) and 5½ (three-bedroom) rentals as well – though I’d recommend always reading the rental descriptions carefully, as landlords don’t change the size indication of an apartment even if they have renovated and decreased the number of bedrooms. For instance, an apartment can be a 5½ in size, but have only two bedrooms. Though this doesn’t happen often, do your research to avoid disappointment. 

Est-ce que tu parles français ? 

Many assume that to enjoy Québec City you have to speak French – and that Québecois will treat you poorly if you don’t. Happily, this stereotype no longer applies (mostly!). I say this as an anglophone who is still struggling with the French language after years of living here full time.

When I first visited in 2013, finding locals who spoke some English, even in touristy Vieux Québec, was a challenge. Today, most businesses in the old city only hire staff who can also speak passable English. Nonetheless, I’d advise making an effort to greet everyone in French; locals will generally switch over if they speak English – even if some do not. This little courtesy will go a long way.

Be mindful on St-Jean-Baptiste Day 

St-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 is the biggest holiday celebration for Québecois, a day for embracing the love and pride they have for their language, history, traditions and culture. It can be a fun day, but if you are non-French-speaking anglophone, use caution, as some unfriendly types may snap at you if you are not speaking French during the festivities. If you want to experience the celebrations, ask hotel or hostel staff for recommendations – and heed their advice.

Canada Day is moving day in Québec 

While tourists celebrate Canada Day on July 1 in Vieux Québec, locals are busy moving. Most leases run out June 30 in Québec, so while you’re busy exploring, you may well see someone carrying a sofa through the crowd to their new place.

Vieux Québec is not very accessible

For able-bodied people, Québec City is very walkable and easy to enjoy. Unfortunately, Vieux Québec’s narrow, cobbled streets, many at steep inclines, make exploring the area a challenge for those who use a wheelchair. Note that the popular funicular that connects  Terrasse Dufferin in Vieux Québec with Petit-Champlain in Old Lower Town is fully accessible.  

If you’re injured in Québec City, what should you do? 

Jeffery Hale – St Brigid’s  hospital caters to English-speaking patients – though it is the Ste-Foy neighborhood, outside of the center of town, and not open 24/7. If you need immediate urgent care while you’re in Vieux Québec, the closest hospital is Hôtel Dieu. As someone who dislocated their shoulder and struggled though five hours in the ER, I would strongly recommend downloading a translation app prior to arriving to make communication with staff easier. Note that I did find most doctors spoke some English.

While you may be able to communicate in English with medical staff, all medical paperwork will be in French. Also, upon arrival at the hospital you will be asked for insurance documentation, a credit card – or both. If you are a resident of Ontario and have OHIP, you will not need to pay in advance.

This article was first published June 2022 and updated February 2024

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THIS SLICE OF FRANCE IN NORTH AMERICA FEELS LIKE PETIT PARIS

By lina zeldovich | march 19, 2024 | 6 min read.

It’s barely 8 o’clock on a crisp spring morning and my tour guide, Denis Laberge, is full of energy and excitement. A Québécois for more than 60 years, he knows every corner of this provincial capital in eastern Canada and every bit of its history.

We start at Place Royale in the Lower Town of Old Québec, right in front of the Notre-Dame des Victoires church, one of the oldest churches in North America, and dive into meandering streets of yesteryear. The aromas of brewing coffee and fresh pastries permeate the air. A cup of joe in one hand and a crispy croissant in the other, I follow Laberge down the cobblestone paths and through centuries’ worth of stories.

“You cannot live in Québec City and not love it,” Laberge tells me. “Just look at this beautiful French architecture,” he says, gesturing toward the surrounding buildings. “Doesn’t that make you feel that you’re in Europe?”

As I marvel at the gabled roofs and stone facades, I indeed feel as if I have landed in Paris rather than a city in Canada. In fact, it’s hard to believe you’re not in France when you’re greeted with “bonjour” in every store. (Though French is the official language in Québec, most residents speak English as well.) Wine, baguettes and cheeses here taste just like the French countryside itself, minus the jetlag.

PUTTING THE CITY ON THE MAP Québec City was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608 as a fur trading post with the intention of it becoming the capital of New France. The settlement, however, didn’t succeed fully at first. “We can’t grow because we don’t have women,” later settlers wrote to the king. So, Louis XIV put out a call to Frenchwomen offering to pay their passage and dowries if they sailed across the Atlantic to marry and start families in New France. About 800 poor but brave souls, who weren’t afraid of a long journey with an uncertain ending, answered the call, as Laberge tells the story. Known as the “king’s daughters,” these women brought with them their language, traditions and cooking recipes. They must also have brought a lion’s share of perseverance, because even after the British seized the city in 1759, Québec managed to preserve its French identity right up to the present.

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As morning rolls on, Laberge takes me to Avenue Petit-Champlain, a picturesque street with many boutiques owned by local artisans who live above their shops. While I admire the vibrant storefronts, Laberge shares another story. “In the 1960s, this street was in bad shape,” he says. “The buildings were falling apart, and the city decided to demolish them and build a parking lot!” he exclaims indignantly. But local entrepreneurs Jacques de Blois and Gerry Paris wouldn’t let it happen. The following decade, they began buying and renovating the houses, first with their own money and later with the city’s help.

“Today, Avenue Petit-Champlain is the most beautiful in all Québec,” Laberge says. That’s especially so in December, he adds, when it’s lined by trees with twinkling lights and sometimes blanketed in freshly fallen snow.

The avenue’s storefronts beckon: Atelier La Pomme with colorful dresses and Bijouterie Jules Perrier with bracelets and pendants. When I pass by Fluchos, I can’t resist popping in to look at a pair of tall Victorian-style lace-up boots—and make a mental note to come back to try them on.

In the afternoon, we take the funicular to the more modern Upper Town. “Modern” is a relative term. Québec’s famous and perhaps most-photographed attraction, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which overlooks the Saint Lawrence River, is more than 130 years old.

William Van Horne, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, located beautiful hotels along his lines and built this one in the “chateauesque” style, with steep pitched roofs and numerous towers, to resemble the iconic castles of the Loire Valley in central France.

When I finish snapping pictures of the timeless landmark, we take a walk on the Terrasse Dufferin, a boardwalk overlooking the city. Busy photographing the vistas, I don’t notice how the afternoon flies by. Now we must part ways—but not before I ask Laberge for a few recommendations for dinner. The dining scene in Québec is sizzling, but it proves to be even hotter than I imagined.

QUÉBEC CUISINE HEATS UP Known for classic French cuisine like onion soup and duck à l’orange, Québec now dishes out a whole new level of gourmet delights. French cuisine has always been praised for its ingenuity and innovation. Today’s Québec chefs are evolving it into the 21st century, fusing French cooking techniques with global spices and locally farmed produce and forest-foraged ingredients.

Settling down for an early dinner at Melba, a recent addition to Québec’s restaurant scene, I browse a mouthwatering list of small plates. Signature bison carpaccio and steak bleu d’Elizabeth prove wise choices, both succulent and satisfying. So, too, does the chocolate Basque cake with a tinge of hazelnut—a luscious finishing touch.

For dinner on another day, I head to Verre Pickl’. Owned by Jérôme Gilpin of Québec and Alexandra Romero of Mexican heritage, the restaurant serves up French-Mex cuisine—a happy marriage of flavors. The couple likes to surprise guests with their menus. My first dish turns out fragrant and fiery.

“This is scallops in aguachile—a traditional Mexican broth made with serrano peppers, lime juice, cilantro and tomatillo,” Gilpin recites the unique mix of ingredients. The spicy broth sears my lips, but the tender scallops are so delicious, I can’t put my spoon down. Gilpin soothes the burn with the next bite: a foie gras donut with guava jelly topped with a hibiscus flower. When the richness of foie gras fuses with the sweetness of guava, wrapped into the softness of the doughnut, 
I realize I’ve just discovered a gourmet comfort food I now must try making at home.

I save some time during my trip to visit Québec’s countryside: Île d’Orléans, an island in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River, where family-owned farms and vineyards dot the landscape just as they do in France. They make distinctly local specialties: Fromagerie Ferme Audet serves ice creams made from goat milk; Cassis Monna & Filles brews sweet black currant liqueurs; and Confiturerie Tigidou cooks jams exclusively from the island’s berries.

Another uniquely Québec day flies by. When I hit the pillow that evening, I dream of fragrant cassis, chocolate cake and lacey vintage boots—and of the brave Frenchwomen who brought their culture to North America for all of us to love and cherish.

QUÉBEC STAYS FAIRMONT LE CHÂTEAU FRONTENAC The historic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, with its unbeatable river and city views, is the most famous of all Québec hotels. Recently renovated, this luxury spot has hosted many illustrious people, including former French President Charles de Gaulle, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.

AUBERGE SAINT-ANTOINE Family-owned Auberge Saint-Antoine nestles in the midst of Québec’s Lower Town, minutes from Notre-Dame church. A high-end hotel and museum in one, it displays numerous archaeological relics on its walls.

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