Montmorency falls Quebec city

[ktcishot]

What is the best way to go about visiting the falls? I am hoping to avoid a large ship run group tour. Is there public transportation? Easily accessible taxi? Any advice is appreciated. We are a group of 7.

[CaribbeanBound]

You can do a smaller tour. Just google it.

[LHT28]

Look for  a private tour guide  

You could also rent a van for your group

 

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Port-of-Quebec/Montmorency-Falls

 

 

[ktcishot]

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Look for  a private tour guide  

You could also rent a van for your group

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Quebec/Montmorency-Falls

 

 

 

That site is very helpful, thank you!

[tring]

We went there from Quebec by local bus a few years back (?6years).  I got the details from the forums.  I think there were two routes which went there and seem to remember a route number in the low 50's, but not sure what.  We walked along the river to the RHS when looking into the city from the cruise terminal, passed the flower market and on the the train station, where I think we bought the bus tickets, but not entirely sure about that.  The bus stop was near the station - again I got details from this site, or possibly from the Trip Advisor forums, so you can probably do a search and find the details.

 

The bus did not take long, probably about 30 minutes, and took us to the top of the falls.  We walked down and had a drink in the cafe, then took the cable car back to the top, before returning on the bus.  It was a great day and good to go somewhere like that independently.  We were in Quebec for two days, so went on the first day, but we were not late returning anyway.  DH thinks we went there on a Saturday. 

 

One thing though is that we were there early June, perhaps about the 7th June or thereabouts, so it was not high season, though there were a lot of visitors in Quebec - it was the weekend of the Grand Prix in Montreal and there was a ship's trip to the main race the following day, as well as a trip to a Friday practice race when we were docked in Montreal the previous day when we were docked there.  Hope that helps.

 

 

[GTJ]

7 hours ago, ktcishot said:

What is the best way to go about visiting the falls? * * * Is there public transportation?

Yes, there is good public transportation to the falls. Buses in the city are operated by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale, or RTC for short. Basic cash fare is $3.75, though there is an entire panoply of fare options available. http://www.rtcquebec.ca/en/rates-and-purchase/rates-and-passes/fare-schedule To the falls you will want to use Métrobus route 800, which operates about every 10 minutes, and has a 35-minute travel time. http://www.rtcquebec.ca/en/schedules-and-routes/bus-schedule/all-routes/800/terminus-chute-montmorency The primary stop downtown is at Terminus Place-d'Youville, on the east side of avenue Honoré-Mercier at its intersection with rue d'Aiguillon, convenient if you're already in the city centre. However, if you're coming directly from the Port de Québec, it would be easiest to board near the Gare du Palais (walk from the port along quai Saint-André to the station), on the east side of boulevard Jean Lesage at its intersection with rue de la Gare-du-Palais. Stay on the bus until its last stop, which is Terminus Chute-Montmorency.

 

Note as well that, depending on your vessel's schedule, you might be able to enjoy an all-day ride on the scenic Train de Charlevoix. http://www.traindecharlevoix.com/en/schedules The train begins its journey at the Chute-Montmorency station at the bottom of the falls (use the cable car to get there from the top of the falls), departing at 9:00 a.m., and returning at 6:30 p.m., including a 1 hour stop at la Malbaie, or a 4 hour 45 minute stop at Baie-Saint-Paul.

[1stItaly]

On 4/11/2023 at 5:58 AM, GTJ said:

Yes, there is good public transportation to the falls. Buses in the city are operated by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale, or RTC for short. Basic cash fare is $3.75, though there is an entire panoply of fare options available. http://www.rtcquebec.ca/en/rates-and-purchase/rates-and-passes/fare-schedule To the falls you will want to use Métrobus route 800, which operates about every 10 minutes, and has a 35-minute travel time. http://www.rtcquebec.ca/en/schedules-and-routes/bus-schedule/all-routes/800/terminus-chute-montmorency The primary stop downtown is at Terminus Place-d'Youville, on the east side of avenue Honoré-Mercier at its intersection with rue d'Aiguillon, convenient if you're already in the city centre. However, if you're coming directly from the Port de Québec, it would be easiest to board near the Gare du Palais (walk from the port along quai Saint-André to the station), on the east side of boulevard Jean Lesage at its intersection with rue de la Gare-du-Palais. Stay on the bus until its last stop, which is Terminus Chute-Montmorency.

 

Note as well that, depending on your vessel's schedule, you might be able to enjoy an all-day ride on the scenic Train de Charlevoix. http://www.traindecharlevoix.com/en/schedules The train begins its journey at the Chute-Montmorency station at the bottom of the falls (use the cable car to get there from the top of the falls), departing at 9:00 a.m., and returning at 6:30 p.m., including a 1 hour stop at la Malbaie, or a 4 hour 45 minute stop at Baie-Saint-Paul.

Thank you so much for this information.  Looking at the bus schedule though..... I don't speak or read french.  lol.  How hard would it be to navigate this speaking only english?

 

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, 1stItaly said:

Thank you so much for this information.  Looking at the bus schedule though..... I don't speak or read french.  lol.  How hard would it be to navigate this speaking only english?

 

Go to the top right corner of the website  click on "Francais"  you will get the English version

 

Quebec is  hit or miss  but most people will speak English 

[1stItaly]

10 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Go to the top right corner of the website  click on "Francais"  you will get the English version

 

Quebec is  hit or miss  but most people will speak English 

Thank you!

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Quebec is  hit or miss but most people will speak English 

I would qualify "most people." As a whole, over 90 percent of the residents of the city of Québec are fracophone, and only about 2 percent having English as their mother tongue. A substantial number people--probably most people--do not understand English well enough to have a meaningful conversation. However, within the city centre, where tourists abound, English is well used and a de facto requirement for any public-facing position in the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants).

 

In navigating, customs with respect to street signs, bus maps and timetables, and the like, are much the same as in English-speaking Canada, only the words being a bit different. So if you're used to boarding a bus, paying the fare, taking your seating, and pulling the stop request cord when approaching your stop, you will be just fine. Most likely no need to speak. In reading a bus map or timetable, most should be intuitive (there are many French-English cognates), with the following words being most important in navigation.

nord=north, sud=south, est=east, ouest=west, de=from, à=to, centre ville=city centre

 

As a matter of courtesy, it would be useful to learn a few French words, and use them when initiating or terminating a conversation that is otherwise in English.

bonjour=good day, bonsoir=good evening, merci (beaucoup)=thank you (very much)

Google translate (translate.google.com) provides audio if you're uncertain how to pronounce any French words. Generally, people in Québec like Americans, they understand that many Americans do not know French (as opposed to fellow Canadians whom many believe ought to know French), appreciate gestures from Americans recognizing their distinct French Canadian society, and are patient.

[alwaysfrantic]

I just booked a bike trip to the falls from Quebec.  We ride along the river

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, alwaysfrantic said:

I just booked a bike trip to the falls from Quebec.  We ride along the river

What a great excursion! Have you already downloaded the bicycling map for the city? http://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec-city/bike-paths

[alwaysfrantic]

13 hours ago, GTJ said:

What a great excursion! Have you already downloaded the bicycling map for the city? http://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec-city/bike-paths

I had not.  Thank you so much for the link! 

[cruiseinstigator]

Hi!  I have found lots of great information on the bus but has anyone taken a taxi or Uber to the falls and back to town?  We are not interested in a tour.  We want to get there the fastest way, walk around a little bit, take some photos and get back.  Our ship arrives on a Saturday evening on 10/7/23 and leaves the following day at 4:30 so we will have limited time on Sunday to try to get it all in.  I had hoped a quick trip to the falls and back first thing in the morning, walk around Château Frontenac and walk around town a little before back on board by 3:30-4:00.  I dont want to choose, I want to do it all.  😁

[ktcishot]

That's definitely what I was hoping to do too. The bus is great because it's cheap, but seems like it's much more time consuming.

[GTJ]

On 7/18/2023 at 2:40 PM, cruiseinstigator said:

I have found lots of great information on the bus but has anyone taken a taxi or Uber to the falls and back to town? We are not interested in a tour. We want to get there the fastest way, walk around a little bit, take some photos and get back.

 

On 7/18/2023 at 2:43 PM, ktcishot said:

That's definitely what I was hoping to do too. The bus is great because it's cheap, but seems like it's much more time consuming.

Once you're in a taxi, it will take about 20 minutes to get to the upper falls, slightly less time to the lower falls. In comparison, the bus requires about 35 minutes, plus its access time (getting to bus stop and awaiting bus arrival). So by using a taxi or TNC vehicle you will likely save 15 minutes each way, or one-half total (plus, perhaps, any shorter access time for taxi/TNC vs. bus). If the taxi driver does not speak English, and if you do not speak French, then just indicate your destination as "Chute-Montmorency," going, and "Port de Québec, Quai [dock no. 21, 22, or 30]," on the way back (best to have this written down in advance so that you need not attempt pronouncing it).

[cruiseinstigator]

15 hours ago, GTJ said:

Once you're in a taxi, it will take about 20 minutes to get to the upper falls, slightly less time to the lower falls. In comparison, the bus requires about 35 minutes, plus its access time (getting to bus stop and awaiting bus arrival). So by using a taxi or TNC vehicle you will likely save 15 minutes each way, or one-half total (plus, perhaps, any shorter access time for taxi/TNC vs. bus). If the taxi driver does not speak English, and if you do not speak French, then just indicate your destination as "Chute-Montmorency," going, and "Port de Québec, Quai [dock no. 21, 22, or 30]," on the way back (best to have this written down in advance so that you need not attempt pronouncing it).

Thank you SO much for this information!  I do not speak French so I am putting those in my notes in my phone right now.  

[Turtles06]

This is s very helpful thread! If we took a taxi to the Falls, could we expect to find taxis there for the return trip? 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

This is s very helpful thread! If we took a taxi to the Falls, could we expect to find taxis there for the return trip? 

I was thinking to ask the driver  to come back  in 1 hr   or get his phone number

I am sure there will be taxis  but just in case  have a Plan "B"

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

This is s very helpful thread! If we took a taxi to the Falls, could we expect to find taxis there for the return trip? 

When is your cruise?

We will be there early Oct  ..if we end up going  will post my observations on the taxi situation

Worse case we take the bus back 😉

[Turtles06]

Not till next year. I’ll look forward to your report if you do go to the Falls. 

 

Have a great cruise!