hi there,
it's been a long time since I've been to Quebec, and I've kinda lost my bearings...🙂
What's the best spot to hitchhike from Montreal to Quebec City and from Quebec City to Tadoussac?
If you've got the public transit route to get to those spots, I'd love to hear it!
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to spend at least 3 weeks on the Côte Nord all the way to Natashquan to see the whales. I’m torn between renting a van or finding accommodations.
For the van, it’s hard to find one in Quebec City—most rentals start in Montreal... plus the prices are pretty high.
For accommodations, there aren’t many towns, so there aren’t a lot of options on Booking, for example. Do you have any leads, websites, or addresses to help me find some?
Thanks for any info you can share!
Isabelle
I’ve got a bit of a weird request , but you never know...
I’m currently traveling—we left Tadoussac this morning and are in Rimouski for 2 nights. We’re then heading down the Bas-Saint-Laurent and will be in Montreal on Tuesday. We fly back to Belgium on Friday.
I left 7 sweaters/T-shirts in Tadoussac 😕. Would anyone happen to be going there this weekend and then heading back to Montreal? To pick them up and meet me somewhere?
On a flight from Paris to Montreal, since the aircraft trajectories pass quite a bit to the north (maybe even too much...), is there any chance of spotting this very special phenomenon from your seat on the plane? That is, the combined result of a meteorite impact dating back about 214 million years and Hydro-Québec’s major works in the 1960s and beyond on the Manicouagan for massive electricity production, which flooded and highlighted the valleys and topographic trenches?
A few years ago, I somewhat naively asked "Totem Aviation," based near Les Escoumins and offering light aircraft flyovers above the Manic-5 dam. They told me the altitude needed to observe the entire phenomenon was way too high for them... 🤪
On geographical maps, it’s absolutely spectacular! 😮
We’re heading to Quebec in just over a week to meet up with our son, a young adult on a Working Holiday Visa who’s been there for nearly a year 🙂🙂🙂 and I still have a few questions:
1) We’re starting with 3 nights near Shawinigan (Lac à la Tortue). The day after we arrive, we’ll have a relaxed day with one or two activities (sugar shack in St-Mathieu-du-Parc? A seaplane ride?). Any other suggestions? (Besides Parc de la Mauricie, which we’ll visit the next day.)
2) Then, we’ll head to Quebec City via the Chemin du Roy, where we’ll spend 3 nights, followed by a scenic drive to La Malbaie. We’ll be staying in St-Aimé-des-Lacs near Hautes-Gorges de la Malbaie National Park for another 3 nights. One day will be dedicated to hiking in the park—likely the Acropole des Draveurs for our son, and the Riverain trail plus two shorter walks for my husband and me, since he can’t use hiking poles. So, I’m unsure about the second day: should we go back to the park for the cruise, or do something else nearby? Any suggestions?
3) After St-Aimé-des-Lacs, we’ll spend 3 nights in Tadoussac. We’ll definitely stop at Port-au-Persil, but since the drive isn’t too long, we’ll arrive pretty quickly (I think you say "rendu" here 😉). I was thinking of exploring Tadoussac that day, doing the Pointe de l’Islet trail, the Estuary trail, and the Dunes lookout.
The second day, we’d head toward Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins to visit the interpretation center and take a Zodiac cruise. I was considering Neptune because they offer covered boats. Any other options?
And on the third day, we’d go to Sainte-Rose-du-Nord via the Saguenay Fjord National Park’s Baie Sainte-Marguerite sector to hike part of the "Le Fjord" trail from the Beluga Observation Center. I’m aware this trail requires a park access fee. However, I just realized that the trails we planned for the first day (Estuary and Pointe de l’Islet) are also part of the Tadoussac sector of the park. Do we need to pay the access fee (10.10 CAD) for these two short trails? If so, it might make sense to do them on the third day. In that case, can we pay the fee in Tadoussac, then head to the Baie Sainte-Marguerite sector and use the same ticket?
Hi there,
My partner and I are planning a trip with our two kids to see whales this summer in Canada. We’ve got two options: Tadoussac or the Bay of Fundy in Saint Andrews. We’ll be there at the end of July.
Could you let me know if one spot is better than the other? Especially in terms of how likely we are to actually see the whales.
Thanks in advance, and have a great day!
Bruno
After visiting Newfoundland Island, we took the ferry to Blanc-Sablon, a municipality located on the Lower North Shore in Quebec, Canada.
Instead of heading back to Quebec via Sydney in Nova Scotia, we decided to explore the Lower North Shore—the least-known region of Quebec—as well as Labrador, which is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
From Blanc-Sablon, we drove to the municipality of Vieux-Fort via Route 138. This road ends in that municipality.
Afterward, we crossed Labrador to return to the Old Capital. Only one road allows this route. It wasn’t fully paved during our trip, but it is now.
We made stops in different areas to go on hikes that let us discover some incredible landscapes.
I hope this travel journal inspires you to venture into these stunning regions.
Videos are embedded throughout the summary. Click on the image to start the video.
Lower North Shore:
Lower North Shore - Blanc-Sablon - Brador Falls Lookout
Lower North Shore - Blanc-Sablon - Astragalus Trail (Milk-Vetch Trail)
Lower North Shore - Bonne-Espérance - Granny Hill Trail
Labrador:
Red Bay - Tracey Hill Trail
Mary's Harbour - White Water Falls Trail
Mary's Harbour - Gin Cove Hiking Trail
Mary's Harbour - Dr. Moret Hiking Trail
Happy Valley-Goose Bay - Birch Island Walk
North West River - Sunday Hill Lookout Trail
Churchill Falls - Bowdoin Canyon Nature Trail
Labrador City - Tanya Lake Loop Trail
Labrador City - Crystal Falls Hiking Trail
North Shore
North Shore - Manic 2, 3, 5 Hydroelectric Plants and Daniel-Johnson Dam
Baie-Comeau - Pioneers Park
Tadoussac Village
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More landscapes of the Lower North Shore, Labrador, and the North Shore
Since our travel plans outside Canada were canceled due to Covid-19, we decided to take our vacation in Quebec this summer and cover over 5,270 kilometers to explore the various tourist attractions of the North Shore and Gaspésie.
This summary will cover our experiences on the North Shore, while Gaspésie will be the subject of a future summary.
The North Shore, known for its stunning nature, is the perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts since you can enjoy activities like hiking, wildlife observation, sea kayaking, fishing, and hunting (to name just a few).
It’s also one of the best places in the world to see whales.
Our journey along the North Shore took place between the villages of Tadoussac and Kegaska, as Route 138 ends at the beautiful, long beach in Kegaska.
After browsing the site, I didn’t find any precise info about whale watching in Sept-Îles. I’m planning a trip to Quebec from June 10 to July 7, 2012, and I’d *love* to see whales. The Sept-Îles area appeals to me for its wilder side, plus the hiking and camping opportunities along the river.
Does anyone have info on kayak rentals in Sept-Îles, a nice campsite, or excursions to do?
Has anyone seen whales there in June?
I read there are spots where Atlantic puffins nest—any more details on that?
Trip planned with a tent, binoculars, and a camera!
