Quebec City
If you live in the United States, and you're looking to experience a bit of France in the Americas, then this is a great choice. Quebec is the second most populated province in Canada, after Ontario. The people are French-speaking, and French is the official provincial language. Most of the inhabitants live in cities along the Saint Lawrence River. Quebec City is the capital and soul of the province, and one of the oldest cities of North America.
Getting Here
Quebec City is a 3 hour train ride from Montreal. You can book tickets on Via Rail ahead of time, which I recommend. We took the 6:00 am train ride from downtown Montreal, arriving about 9:30 am into Quebec City. From the train station, Gare du Palais, it's only a mile walk into old town Quebec City. Or just walk a block outside the train station and catch the 800 bus to Montmorency Falls, pictured above. Buy the bus ticket from inside the convenience store in the train station for $3 Canadian, or $6 roundtrip!
On your return trip from the falls, don't be a fool like us, and try to stay on the 800 bus from Montmorency Falls, hoping it'll go to old town like the bus driver told us, because it's a 3 hour route and it first goes the length of the rest of the city before coming back around. Further, this bus doesn't go into old town itself! We had to jump off and catch an Uber back when we realized we were going further and further away after an hour of driving.
How Much Time Do You Need
One question that I had when making my visit to this part of Canada was how much time should I allot to Montreal versus Quebec City? Due to time constraints, we only stayed in Quebec for 1 day, arriving at 9:30 a.m., and taking the 5:45pm train out. However, I think 2 days would be plenty of time here.
Montmorency Falls
The falls is definitely worth a visit! At 272 feet high, it is 98 feet higher than the Niagara Falls. There is a dirt path near the bus turnout that leads directly to the falls. If you're feeling adventurous, you can zipline across the top - I believe for $20 Canadian per person. Upon crossing the wooden bridge, you can access the path to a set of stairs which descend the entire 272 feet to the bottom, where you can get thoroughly drenched in water if you're feeling extra parched.
Old Town
Old town Quebec felt larger than old town Montreal, and a quite a bit more authentic. I loved it. Narrow cobblestone streets, 17th-18th century houses, old world churches, including its own Notre Dame, sidewalk cafes, squares, and the most photographed hotel in the world, Château Frontenac (pictured above), which opened in 1893 and a national historic site of Canada. It has more than 600 rooms on 18 floors. The landmark hotel is perched atop a tall cape overlooking the Saint Lawrence River.
Make sure to pick up some maple butter here - and anything maple really, as it's delicious!
Quaint street and buildings in Old town Quebec! How cute is this?
If you go to Canada, and Quebec in particular, everyone will recommend that you try the poutine (I have heard it pronounced "poo-teen" and also like "Putin", the Russian President). It's a Quebecois dish comprised of fries with cheese curds and gravy. Wasn't my thing, but hey you have to try the local thing!
