Ile d'Orleans

[tetleytea]

What is there to do in Quebec City, if we plan to be there a extended period?   We end our cruise there and are looking to stay about 6 days in all.  Is the Island of Orleans good, even if we don't know French (but are willing to try)?   I'm sure we will hit up all of downtown, the waterfall, and the aquarium, but I doubt that is 6 days' worth.  I was thinking a ferry to Ile d'Orleans for a day would be good, but was afraid we might need transportation.  

[Spriteshadow]

I would recommend going to see the area around Ste. Anne de Beaupre.  You would need a car, or maybe there are tours?  But we rent a car for the day to check out the cathedral, and follow the driving tours to see artists and such.

 

Check to see if there is a festival going in while you're in Quebec City.  There are lots of them over the summer.

 

You can spend at least 2 days just wandering the old city. There is a museum about the archeology and original castle under the Chateau Frontenac. The Epicerie (general store... basically) J.A. Moisan has been open since the 1870s and I love to walk there from the Old city to visit it, and the other locally owned stores along the street. 

 

Hopefully this helps.

[TMLAalum]

We are taking a tour to I'Ile d'Orleans with this company while in Quebec:

Quebec Bus Tour – Tour d'autobus de l'Île d'Orléans et du Vieux Québec – Ville de Québec

 

Depending on when you are in Quebec, you can take the gondola up Mt. St. Anne's.

 

A rental car can take you along the St. Lawrence. Tadoussac has a provincial park which is great for whale watching! 

[tarhoosier]

Ile d' Orléans is our favorite destination in Québec area. Montmorency Falls on the landward side of the bridge and then all the island lain out for us. My first visit was with rental car and I wanted to see the bluff of Québec as Cartier and Champlain saw it when approaching. Drove to the point of the island facing the city and stepped from the car. The smell of ocean and sea was around us.Tides are 12-16 feet at QC. That view from the island shows that even a blind man would know that the escarpment was the place to land.

Mid-summer is busy and crowded on the island but fresh fruit such as raspberries are plentiful and delicious. Take some back to your room. Fall is less busy and still worthy. The island remains mostly agricultural and a half circle of the ring road passes beautiful fields, an old wind mill and bikers exercising their lungs and legs and eyes.

Language is a political choice in the QC region. Make every effort to engage as best one can. If someone pretends to ignore you do not take it personally. Move on.

If you visit the Chateau Frontenac check opening time for the Bar St Laurent and find a seat at the window which is nearly a cruise ship view of the great river and ile d'Orléans in the near distance.

Take the funicular from the Chateau to Lower Town, Basse Ville, which is nearly a replica of a French village of the 1600's. Skip the funicular returning as a sloping walk allows you to return to the Chateau. Note the statue of Champlain. He is facing and pointing to New France and not old France.

If your preferred drink/food location is crowded look elsewhere. I have lived by the maxim that I take what the city gives me. Never disappointed.

In Quebec and the City itself air conditioning is improving and growing but some places, particularly older or historic buildings, are not up to contemporary temperate zone standards. Be prepared.

Dufferin Terrace, buskers in the summer season, Fortifications,the old streets and all the rest are worth plenty of your time. The Grande Allée is outside the old city and very worth walking with tree shaded boulevard, cafes and a French sort of look and feel.

There is a ferry to Lévis across the river for a short and pleasant journey if one wants to see the city from the water (again).

I have spent several days in QC and left with more to see than time for.

(Charlotte NC here)

Edited May 25 by tarhoosier

[Spriteshadow]

10 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Ile d' Orléans is our favorite destination in Québec area. Montmorency Falls on the landward side of the bridge and then all the island lain out for us. My first visit was with rental car and I wanted to see the bluff of Québec as Cartier and Champlain saw it when approaching. Drove to the point of the island facing the city and stepped from the car. The smell of ocean and sea was around us.Tides are 12-16 feet at QC. That view from the island shows that even a blind man would know that the escarpment was the place to land.

Mid-summer is busy and crowded on the island but fresh fruit such as raspberries are plentiful and delicious. Take some back to your room. Fall is less busy and still worthy. The island remains mostly agricultural and a half circle of the ring road passes beautiful fields, an old wind mill and bikers exercising their lungs and legs and eyes.

Language is a political choice in the QC region. Make every effort to engage as best one can. If someone pretends to ignore you do not take it personally. Move on.

If you visit the Chateau Frontenac check opening time for the Bar St Laurent and find a seat at the window which is nearly a cruise ship view of the great river and ile d'Orléans in the near distance.

Take the funicular from the Chateau to Lower Town, Basse Ville, which is nearly a replica of a French village of the 1600's. Skip the funicular returning as a sloping walk allows you to return to the Chateau. Note the statue of Champlain. He is facing and pointing to New France and not old France.

If your preferred drink/food location is crowded look elsewhere. I have lived by the maxim that I take what the city gives me. Never disappointed.

In Quebec and the City itself air conditioning is improving and growing but some places, particularly older or historic buildings, are not up to contemporary temperate zone standards. Be prepared.

Dufferin Terrace, buskers in the summer season, Fortifications,the old streets and all the rest are worth plenty of your time. The Grande Allée is outside the old city and very worth walking with tree shaded boulevard, cafes and a French sort of look and feel.

There is a ferry to Lévis across the river for a short and pleasant journey if one wants to see the city from the water (again).

I have spent several days in QC and left with more to see than time for.

(Charlotte NC here)

Sounds like you love QC as much as we do. But we've never been to the Ile... there's so much to do and see. Would you recommend we rent a car rather than take a tour? We're from Canada, I speak French with a Quebecois flair (yes including the duck quack of a ""oui") so language and reading signs isn't an issue.

[tarhoosier]

I know not what the tour would provide. I assume escorted so one must move on when the group moves rather than hop on-off sort. I have always visited from Montréal so with car though parking is difficult-to-maddening in QC summer and fall. Perhaps scope what is most important to you and schedule a local car rental for a day or two. If you wish to spend a night on l'ile then that provides an additional experience itself. It will give you the pleasure and opportunities of the evening and morning without the day trippers (such as I). For sure test your quack😆 with the locals. Quebecois ou Quebecoise? (My French has an execrable American accent).

 

Is this question regarding a cruise schedule or a conventional land visit? If a cruise ship is in QC in the Fall the city could be like Venice with visitors speaking many languages clambering about. You may be one of them. In such case walk/go elsewhere from the crowds.

 

If one has seen QC before then l'ile is certainly a target. For those fresh to the City then focus on the Old Town until time and temperament allow an outing.

[tetleytea]

9 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

 

Is this question regarding a cruise schedule or a conventional land visit? If a cruise ship is in QC in the Fall the city could be like Venice with visitors speaking many languages clambering about. You may be one of them. In such case walk/go elsewhere from the crowds.

 

If one has seen QC before then l'ile is certainly a target. For those fresh to the City then focus on the Old Town until time and temperament allow an outing.

Our cruise ends at QC, and we thought we would spend more time there before we went home.  We visited Montreal before and I lived in Ontario.  I'm assuming we want to leave old town the days the boat is there, and do downtown when it is not. 

[tetleytea]

[quote]Mid-summer is busy and crowded on the island but fresh fruit such as raspberries are plentiful and delicious. Take some back to your room. [/Quote]

 

 

I like pick-your-own farms.  Would gladly do that if we find that.  We did PYO blueberries in cottage country of Ontario, and those were huge. 

[tarhoosier]

On 5/25/2024 at 9:43 PM, tetleytea said:

Our cruise ends at QC, and we thought we would spend more time there before we went home.  We visited Montreal before and I lived in Ontario.  I'm assuming we want to leave old town the days the boat is there, and do downtown when it is not. 

I was there one Fall day when the cruise ship was in port and the lower town, Basse Ville, was too crowded to enjoy. Definitely not where to plan to go for food and drink, if that is the case, as the choices there are fewer. Walking to the upper town, the much larger area, gave room for exploration and far more choices. The crowd thins and spreads. Another 1000+ visitors is not a dramatic number but the port and Basse Ville are at the same level and many follow the typical day tripper behavior. Exploration and delight can be found at any time. You are staying in the city, I assume, so your day has more shape to it than for for others who return to ship or have destinations after leaving the ship.

I have been in the Old Port in Montréal when a cruise ship is in dock and the impact is far less.

As always your experience may vary from mine.

Edited May 27 by tarhoosier