Quebec Itinerary for Indian Summer

Hi there, Just out of curiosity, do you have an arrival date in mind? That could influence the itinerary and costs. For example, Quebec’s Construction Holiday is an extremely busy tourist period, making rentals harder to find and driving up prices a bit. Best regards,

Hello Bauhaus🙂 Oh right, I forgot about your holidays. But since we were hoping to enjoy the beautiful autumn colors, around mid-September, I hope we’ll dodge them. We’re keeping our dates flexible just in case...

hi, Regarding the timing of your trip, if you're ''flexible'' I'd recommend coming at the beginning of October. Why? Simply because in October you'll have a better chance of seeing the fall colors. One thing's for sure—whether it's September or October, your flight ticket will cost less than in the middle of summer!! 😛 For Quebec City, I'd say 5 days is a lot, but you can take advantage of the surrounding areas (Montmorency Falls is accessible by public transit). For Île d'Orléans, it's doable by bike from Quebec City, but you'd need to be more than just ''Sunday cyclists'' (in my opinion, there's a solid 100 KM starting from Quebec City and including the island loop!). From Quebec City, you could head to Parc du Bic (with a rental car) and make your way back to Montreal at a relaxed pace, stopping in Trois-Rivières, Parc de la Mauricie, and the Tremblant area (the park, not the village...). Next, head to Toronto by bus (Toronto | Orléans Express)—they just opened the route! Along the way, this bus stops in Kingston, which could be a good detour for a little cruise in the Thousand Islands! From Toronto, you should be able to find buses to Niagara Falls. About Niagara Falls, I *highly* recommend booking a hotel room with a view of the falls (obviously, it's a budget thing, but it's totally worth it!). As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words: Going to bed, this is what you get:



And waking up the next morning, this is what you get:



If you're interested, I can try to find the name of the hotel!! ;-)

Happy trip planning!

Hi Corinne, I agree with Lescaribous’ reply. They always give great advice! 👍 For the colors, it’s always a bit of math to see them at their best, plus a little luck. Personally, I thought the show was just exceptional this season. For dates, last week I hiked Mont-Royal and the colors were still gorgeous with lots of leaves, while in my area, the Lower Laurentians, they were almost done. I humbly think you’ve got to be flexible—meaning be ready to move around to catch them. 🍁🍂 Once you’ve nailed down your dates and route, I might be able to add some extra tips if possible 😊 Let us know about any artistic or sports preferences you have. Montreal and its murals are worth seeing. Maybe a hockey game? Canadian football (we call soccer your ‘football’ here). A good meal or restaurant? Etc. Happy planning! 😊👋

Hi Jean Yves🙂 Thanks for all the details—I’d *love* to know the name of the hotel! Your photos gave me chills😛—it must be an incredible sight. That said, October might be tricky with work dates, but I’ll definitely think about it.🤪

Hi Jean Brien🙂 It’d be great if we could actually catch a hockey game—we’ll see depending on our dates. Otherwise, we’re "Sunday hikers" (not sure if the expression is the same in Quebec). We take it easy, and I forgot to mention we’re hoping to rent e-bikes😎. I remember that in Quebec City, the hills can be pretty steep...😛 That endless staircase at Cap-Blanc comes to mind... ugh, and I was younger back then. I’ll talk to my partner and look into all this. I’ll be back soon if I have any questions. Thanks anyway

Hey, I’ll be honest with you—I’d been to the Falls several times before, but this was my first time sleeping with a view of them, and it’s *so* worth it!! Yeah, sure, a room with a Falls view is a bit pricier than a motel, but the memories of that view… how can I even put it… Anyway, the hotel was the Embassy Suite Niagara Embassy Suites Niagara Falls Hotel - Official Site.

As for the timing of your stay, we don’t always get to choose based on work… just so you know, the colors rarely start before September 20th!! I don’t know if you were planning to come at the beginning or end of September!! But even without the foliage, fall is lovely in Quebec!

Hi everyone! 🙂

I’m back with our road-trip plans. This year won’t work out, so we’re pushing it to 2027. I checked with work: I can take time off in early October, but only up to 15 days max 🙁. We’ll skip Quebec City right away and just do a loop starting from Montreal.

First question about car rentals: which are the best rental companies in Quebec? I saw a report where private individuals rent out their own vehicles—is that really worth it (aside from the price)? About trains, I have two questions: - On the Montreal/Toronto route, can you travel with a large suitcase? - On that same route, do the trains stop at the station near the airport?

Are Ottawa and Toronto worth stopping in, and for how long (keeping in mind we still hope to see Niagara Falls 😛)?

Thanks again for your help—based on your answers, we’ll share a rough itinerary with you.

Hey, if you only have 15 days, it's still better to fly from Montreal to Toronto with WestJet or another airline. Trains in Canada aren't very fast, so taking the train for this route will take a lot of time.

Hi! You’ll be able to enjoy the colors in early October for sure 😛 Since you want (and understandably so) to see Niagara Falls, I’d recommend getting a multi-destination ticket: Paris – Toronto / Montreal – Paris (just so you know, Air Transat has direct flights to Toronto 😏) Spend a few days in the Toronto/Niagara Falls area, then head to Quebec. To answer your train questions, I suggest checking out the VIA Rail website (VIA Rail Canada: Train Travel in Canada). But keep in mind that in Canada, trains aren’t much faster than buses, so see if the bus might be a better deal price-wise!! For car rentals, I discovered Turo a few years ago, and I haven’t rented from the big-name companies since... Happy planning!

Thanks for the feedback! But back to transportation—given the distances to cover, wouldn’t the train be more comfortable?! I’m also jotting down the Turo references and will check them out carefully. 🙂

Hi, Since I’ve never taken the train in Canada, I can’t really say how comfortable it is compared to the bus, but one thing’s for sure—I think on the train you can "stretch your legs" by taking "a few steps," which you won’t be able to do on the bus!! As for the duration, it’s pretty much the same for both modes of transport! (The TGV won’t be coming to Canada before 2030—if it ever does!)

Happy planning

Hello everyone!

I’m back with our itinerary plans for October 2027. At this stage, we’re still debating whether to do a loop or a one-way trip. We don’t live near airports that offer multi-destination flights, which would add extra costs, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Here’s the route we’ve put together, mixing car rentals with trains and buses:

**Day 1: Paris → Montréal** Arrival at Montréal Airport (YUL). Shuttle, then head to the car rental/hotel. I think we’ll be pretty wiped out by the end of this day.

**Day 2 to 4: Montréal**

**Day 5: Montréal → Mont-Tremblant** We pick up our car and drive to the park. Arrival in the afternoon—where to stay, in the village or a bit farther out?

**Day 6 & 7: Mont-Tremblant** Scenic gondola ride and some easy hikes.

**Day 7: Mont-Tremblant → Kingston (via Montréal)** We return the car and take the train to Kingston station (bus routes 2, 16, or 18 to get downtown). Explore the city, overnight in Kingston. The cruise departures are near downtown—is that a good spot?

**Day 8: Kingston → Toronto** A 2- or 3-hour cruise in the morning, then in the afternoon, we take the bus and train to Toronto.

**Day 9 to 11: Toronto** Exploring the city.

**Day 12: Toronto → Niagara Falls (by bus)** We’ve noted the Green Line buses take you right to the falls. Afternoon on the paved walkway facing Niagara Falls. Overnight in Niagara Falls—but not at the Embassy Suites Niagara… the prices are as jaw-dropping as the falls themselves! ;)

**Day 13: Niagara → Toronto** Return to Toronto after lunch. Overnight in Toronto.

**Day 14: Toronto → Paris

**Day 15: Arrival in France**

Is this doable in terms of stops and time for each leg? We designed it to avoid rushing during travel, but maybe we’ve overestimated? Thanks in advance for your feedback! :)

hi there for accommodation, there used to be a motel in Labelle, a few kilometers from Mont-Tremblant, but apparently it no longer exists. If you don’t want to spend too much on lodging, there’s the Manitonga Hostel in the village of Tremblant. It’s just a few minutes by car to reach the ski resort. For trails, there are 3 options: *from the village, head along Lake Mercier toward La Conception by taking the Petit Train du Nord trail. I’ve walked this section about thirty times. *alternatively, from the village, head south toward Saint-Jovite, but it’s better to go toward La Conception instead. *or start at the top of Mont Tremblant, arriving by the gondola. There’s a trail that follows the ridgeline to reach the Roof of the Laurentians—I think it’s Johanssen Peak.

If you have time, you can descend on the other side, still on the trail. Lower down, there’s a small bridge in the middle of the forest, and you’ll reach the road that crosses Mont-Tremblant Park.

If you walk down from the top of Mont-Tremblant to the ski resort, you’ll often see snakes in the grass in summer—Thamnophis or garter snakes. But in the fall, they retreat into their burrows, so you might not see any.

You’ll need to plan a full day for this. *Otherwise, in Mont-Tremblant Park, there are several hiking trails through the forest. If the park is closed when leaving from Labelle, you’ll access the truly wild part of the Laurentians. From Labelle, for those interested, there’s a trail either north toward Cap 360 and Mont Gorille or south, descending toward La Conception. Starting from Labelle in summer, follow the ATV trail, and you’ll reach the shores of Lake Vigné. There’s an old mine, and along the lake, you can find insectivorous sundews. Otherwise, the landscape is quite similar to the Swiss or French Jura, with fir forests and deciduous trees. In Labelle, there’s a pretty waterfall to see. Often in Labelle, you can spot white-tailed deer along the Petit Train du Nord trail. As for black bears, I’ve crossed the forest in the area many times but never seen one. You’d have to go deep into Mont-Tremblant Park.

Hi, Regarding accommodation near Parc de Tremblant (not to be confused with the village of Mont Tremblant, which in my opinion is a bit overrated—but to each their own!), there’s a really nice little motel in St-Jovite (Hotel-Motel Le Boisé du Lac - Mont Tremblant - Official Website). Personally, I’d keep the car and drive straight from Tremblant to Kingston (possibly stopping in Ottawa/Gatineau for Parliament Hill and/or the Canadian Museum of History). Then I’d head back toward Montreal via the 1000 Islands Parkway and take a short cruise from Gananoque (1000 Islands 3-Hour Cruise - City Cruises Gananoque). After that, I’d return the car in Montreal and take the Via Rail train to Toronto. Let me try to recap the itinerary: D1: Paris → Montreal, night in Montreal D2-3: Exploring Montreal, night in Montreal D4: Pick up the car, drive to Tremblant, night in the Tremblant area D5: Hike in Parc de Tremblant, night in the same place as the night before D6: Drive to Kingston, night in Kingston D7: Scenic drive along the 1000 Islands Parkway—stop in Gananoque for a cruise and night in Gananoque D8: Return to Montreal, drop off the car in the evening, train to Toronto, night in Toronto D9-11: Toronto D12: Toronto → Niagara Falls (if possible, avoid Saturday or Sunday! Weekends are *packed*—even more than weekdays! I’ve never heard of the Green Line buses, but when I went to the falls, I had my car, so I didn’t take the bus!) D13: Niagara Falls → Toronto D14: Return flight

I didn’t include a possible stop in Ottawa/Gatineau, but it’s doable if you shorten D2-3.

Happy planning!

Bonjour à tous

Après lecture de vos avis, je serais tenté de rallonger l'option voiture comme proposé par Lescaribous. Pour le mont Tremblant, je vais regarder pour un arrêt aux alentours du parc, pour réduire les coûts. Par contre, on ne fera pas d'arrêt à Ottawa ; ce n'est pas par choix mais plutôt là aussi, une histoire de budget.🤪

Sinon, sur les 15 premiers jours d'octobre, y a t-il des endroits où il faudra qu'on fasse attention pour nos réservations ? (choix du jour pour les chutes, comme expliqué)

En tout cas, je vais reprendre tout ça et encore merci pour vos précieuses informations.🙂

Salut, De Tremblant à Ottawa y'a grosso modo 2 h de route et sensiblement autant d'Ottawa à Kingston donc si tu pars assez tôt de Tremblant tu peux t'arrêter (sans coucher) à Ottawa, pour éventuellement faire une ptite balade sur la Colline Parlementaire et manger une bricole au Marché By, par exemple au Zak's Dinner Zak's Diner | Ottawa's All-Day Breakfast Diner Since 1986 Pour ce qui est de la saison touristique globalement la date du 2eme Lundi d'Octobre (Action de Grâces) marque la fin de la saison ''estivale'' Bonne préparation de voyage!