Quebec (Old Town, Paris, Hope: appointed, hotels, homes)

[ekh32]

We are going to Quebec this weekend. Any advice on what to see? Any advice on good inexpensive places to eat? It will be our first time going up there, I hear the city is beautiful.

Also, we were planning on leaving Friday morning. With the storm coming in do you think this will still be possible? What is the drive like? We are leaving from Old Town.

[retiredtinbender]

DW and I want to go to QUebec City. Got room for a couple small ones? We've Googled the crap ouot of it. Not too sure about the storm, possibly all rain here. Where are you leaving from? Hope you have a good, safe, enjoyable trip.

[AustinB]

There actually is supposed to be snow in the regions of Maine you will have to travel in. Hard to tell weather wise.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

You will need to go west on Route 6 to Abbott, Route 16 to Bingham and Route 201 north to the border at Sandy Bay Township. That area is supposed to get one to two FEET of snow.

Statement as of 8:27 PM EST on February 24, 2010


"... Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 7 am EST Friday...

Look for snow to fall with varying intensity through the
overnight. In the lower elevations... the precipitation may fall
in the form of rain.

There may be a lull in the precipitation late tonight and
Thursday morning. However... another storm will bring additional
precipitation to the region Thursday afternoon and evening. In the
lower elevations... the precipitation may fall as rain or snow
Thursday... but all will change to snow Thursday night.

By the time the snow tapers off to light snow Friday
morning... total snowfall will range from 10 to 20 inches... with
the lowest amounts in the lower terrain."

Not a good morning to travel on Friday. It would be better to head out around noon or later.

[BacktoNE]

Honestly, I would wait and go in the Spring if you can. I was only there once, in April, probably 25 years ago. It was spectacularly beautiful. Lots of sidewalk cafes, very reasonably priced. We did have one more formal dinner at L'Astral, the revolving restaurant atop our hotel, Lowes Le Concorde. The views from there are spectacular,and after dark, the refinery across the river is lit with thousands of white lights reflecting in the river.

My understanding is that Quebec, in the Winter, is bitterly cold and not enjoyable for walking.

Be sure to try at least one of the local bakeries. Real croissants are absolutely melt-in-your-mouth, to-die-for.

Whatever you end up choosing to do, have a great time!! Quebec is a wonderful city.

[lrfox]

I'm SO Jealous. Quebec City is one of my favorite places on earth. I was luck enough to get back up there right around the New Year.

If it's an option, I would reschedule for the summer or fall (Sept- Mid October). It's beautiful in the winter, but it is bitterly cold. Like nothing I've ever experienced in Maine. Quebec is a walking city and you can't take full advantage of it if you're freezing your butt off. Combine that with the fact that you are getting a snowstorm if it's at all possible, reconsider postponing. 201 is a rough drive in the snow (it was "slushing" when I drove up a few months back), but the the Canadian side is better treated (201 turns into 173 when you cross the border... there's a connector to 73 which is an interstate style freeway. VERY direct ride into town). Anyway, I'm enamored with Quebec, but the cold is close to unbearable at times.

If you can't reschedule, there's still a ton to see and do. I don't know where you're staying but I hope it's somewhere in or near the old city. I've gotten good rates at Loews Le Concorde on my trips, but some of the boutique-y hotels in the old city offer a more authentic Quebec City charm. Just outside the Old City, the Le Concorde and Chateu Laurier are on Grand Alle which the Quebecois call their "Champs de Elysees." It's got a bunch of restaurants, bars and night clubs. Over near the Rue St. Jean entrance to the Old City you have a Delta (big Canadian chain) and Hilton hotel which are nicely located. Rue St. Jean is the Main St. of the Old City and quite busy. I preferred the quieter Grand Allee.

I have to recommend Le Lapin Saute in the "Lower City" (take the Funiculaire from the foot of the Chateu Frontenac or the stairs right nearby) at the foot of the cliff below the Chateu Frontenac (the big castle hotel). Its specialty (as the name implies) is Rabbit. If you've ever had rabbit, it's as good as anywhere. If not, there's no better place to try it. It's affordable and has a quaint, country feel. It's small so try and get reservations. If you don't like rabbit, there are plenty of other options (my girlfriend had a duck dish that was good). The restaurant is VERY cute, and the food is excellent. For the price it's a great deal.

St. Hubert is a local fast food chicken place. I wouldn't even mention it, but the one in the hotel Laurier (Grand Allee) is large and eloquently decorated with a full bar. It's affordable and kind of cool inside. Yes, it's a chain, but you won't find it at home so you may want to try it if you're pinching pennies. Also, there are a number of places that serve Poutine, a famous (perhaps the most famous) French Canadian dish. It sounds awful... French Fries smothered in gravy and cheese curd, but it's excellent.

If you want one meal that will blow you away in Quebec, you MUST try le Saint-Amour. It's one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. It's about as perfect as a dining experience can be. It's not as expensive as the top restaurants in New York, Boston, Paris, etc. but it's not cheap either. If you want a special night, I suggest starting here.

L'Astral has been suggested. It's a revolving restaurant at the top of the Loews Le Concorde offering stunning views of the city. I'll be honest, when a friend brought me up there for the first time, I was skeptical. Restaurants like this are often gimmicky (you pay for a view, not good food)... Top of the Hub in Boston is a perfect example. However, I was surprised. The food was good and the prices, though not cheap, aren't break the bank bad. I've since been 3 times (a few dinners and a lunch). The night views are stunning and it's romantic. I preferred the day view better because you can see the waterfalls in the distance, the mountains and all of the city. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Oh, if you can, look for the "scenic" elevator from the lobby of the hotel to the restaurant. It's behind the regular elevators and isn't always open, but it's a fun ride on a glass elevator from the ground to the 33rd (I believe) floor. Lots of fun.

I'd also recommend a trip to J.A. Moisan. It's the oldest grocery store in operation in North America. It's also got a great selection of foods. We bought some stuff to keep at the hotel so we weren't paying premium prices at restaurants all the time. It's also a destination by itself. It's on Rue St. John about a 5 minute walk from the gates of the Old City.

Finally, one of the BEST assets of the town is the Ecolobus. It's a mini electric bus that runs a route through most of the old city. It's a life saver in the winter and it's also FREE! It's very cute and goes everywhere you'll want to go as a tourist. Ask the concierge at the hotel about it... it's route is listed on every tourist map.

Here is Ecolobus:


It's very expensive to stay at Chateu Frontenac, but it's fun to visit anyway. check out the lobby area which has some nice shops. It's beautiful. The Musee de la Civilisation is worth visiting too. Just walking around the old city and stopping into the shops, galleries and other little nooks and crannies is half the fun. It's one of the safest cities in North America so don't worry about going into a "bad" neighborhood, you won't find one. Just explore!

I have a selection of photos from my last trip HERE if you're interested. Enjoy!

[mainegrl2011]

We always stay at one of the tourist homes beside the Chateau Frontenac just behind the park. After unloading your luggage, you can park underground under the Hotel de Ville and walk all around Vieux Quebec or ride the cute little bus shown above. I like to eat crepes at Le Petit Chateau (Creperie) near the Chateau Frontenac. Visit the Musee de la Civilisation and Musee du Fort. You'll notice that meals at many restaurants include soup, main course, desert, and coffee. The last time I visited L'Astral (revolving restaurant), lunch was about half the price of dinner and very delicious. I just checked online to see if Les Caleches operate in the winter--yes weather permitting. Taking this horse and carriage tour is one of my favorite things to do.

I've never visited Quebec in the winter; the Carnaval de Quebec might have been fun, but it ended on February 14. Take a ride out to St. Anne de Beaupre located about 20 miles outside of Quebec City and Montmarency Falls (a waterfall that will probably be frozen this time of year). If I remember correctly, the Falls are about halfway between Quebec City and St.Anne de Beaupre. We like to visit the huge Catholic church and stop and buy fresh baked bread in the area.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

In Beauport a good inexpensive restaurant is LeGrange Rouge or the red barn. It is on the right just before you reach the ski area.

The ice sculptures from the carnival should still be there.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

I like to eat crepes at Le Petit Chateau (Creperie) near the Chateau Frontenac. .

Love this little place. It looks like a slant-roofed after thought of Chateu Frontenac from the outside, but it's very good and cute inside.

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

In Beauport a good inexpensive restaurant is LeGrange Rouge or the red barn. It is on the right just before you reach the ski area.

The ice sculptures from the carnival should still be there.

good point