Quebec City by VIA Train (Independent)
Join Travac Tours and ride the rails with VIA to Quebec City. Train travel is nostalgic and even romantic, like a mode of transportation from a bygone era. Relax in either economy or business class leaving the traffic behind. You will arrive in Quebec refreshed and ready to explore this UNESCO World Heritage site at your pace. Enjoy the many cafes and restaurants within the walled city or venture out to the many attractions in the surrounding area. It’s up to you.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Today you make your way to the Tremblay Rd. VIA rail station for your trip to Old Quebec City. For many, train trips stir up nostalgia and romance of a bygone era. Enjoy this lovely way of travel where you can relax with a lovely lunch or a cocktail and leave the traffic behind. A coach transfer will meet you at the station to go to your hotel and check in on arrival. The remainder of the day is free time.
Day 2
Start your day with an included 2 hour walking tour from your hotel. You’ll have your chance to get your bearings as the rest of your day is free to enjoy this great city. Today you can concentrate on Old Quebec. Stroll along the streets of the oldest walled city in North America. At over 400 years old there is a lot of history to explore. Visit Quebec’s famous landmark and the most photographed hotel in the world: the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac. You can visit the lobby or join in a guided tour.
Take in the four gates and ramparts that surround Vieux (Old) Quebec. For a magnificent view of the St. Lawrence River and the Chateau Frontenac visit Dufferin Terrace. It is so popular that it has been expanded twice since the original build. The ruins of the Saint-Louis Forts and the Châteaux lie beneath the promenade.
There is also the Plains of Abraham, Place Royale and Basilica Cathedral Notre-Dame de Québec to explore. Save time at the end of your day for a walk to the pedestrian street area of Petit-Champlain. This enchanting area has a concentration of local shops, art galleries and fine bistros. A sure way to relax after your day of exploration.
Day 3
Today you may like to venture out of the city and visit Montmorency Falls. Only 15 minutes outside the city, the falls are 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls. The remarkable views can be taken in by riding the gondola, climbing the scenic stairway, or crossing the suspension bridge. For the more adventurous you can view the falls from a double zipline.
Perhaps take a full day trip to Iles d’Orleans. It is the birthplace of French North America and the first port of check in for our ancestors arriving from France. The islanders are friendly and authentic boasting Iles d’Orleans home to five of the prettiest towns in Quebec. It is a great place to shop with farm stands and plenty of local artisans.
Another attraction outside the city is the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine where you can visit the oldest pilgrimage site north of Mexico. St Anne was a popular saint for the sick and handicapped. You can admire the glorious stained glass, paintings, mosaics, and the stone and wooden sculptures that adorn the basilica. The Vault is also a favourite among the shrine’s visitors.
Day 4
Today you say au revoir to Old Quebec. Embark on your transfer to the rail station and board the train back to Ottawa.
Itinerary subject to change.