moi

Hello peeps,
Next week, hubs, I and our 9 year old son will be heading up to Montreal from NJ, USA for a couple of days. Have been there a couple of times before so know kind of where to head etc in Montreal. After Montreal, we have 5 days booked at the Sheraton in Levis across the river from Quebec.
Just wanted your insight as to things that we should not definitely miss and if we have time kind of things to do. I'm guessing we will be taking the ferry over to Quebec City most days.
Not sure if there is anything British in Quebec because after living in the US for 23 years I really miss home and there certainly isn't much Britishness in NJ, US. Last year, we did Niagara Falls and Toronto. I personally didn't think much to Toronto. My son loved the "Blackpool" street by the Niagara Falls.
Anyway any suggestions or opinions on Quebec would be well appreciated!
Cheers!

geedee

Hello Moi.

Quebec City is really very pretty, in some parts. Visit the Citadel if you can, your son will be in awe of the cannons! Shopping isn't bad for odds'n'sods... you may find stuff there you won't anywhere else as there are plenty of little artisan shops etc. It has North America's oldest commercial street.... celebrated 400 years some time ago.
I think whale watching is still ongoing.... Whale Watching in summer - Quebec maritime

Mont Tremblant is a must-visit in my opinion, even in the summer. But, it will take you 4 to 5 hours each way from Quebec City, so maybe park somewhere closer next time!

I suppose you'll be taking your son to La Ronde, the big amusement park in Montreal?

As for "British" stuff, not much around Quebec City that I know of. The closest would be in Hudson, West of Montreal... very Anglophone community with Clarence & Cripps, a small "British Shop" where you can grab things like Branston, proper cheese, curly-wurlys etc!! Again, a good 3 to 4 hours from where you'll be staying.

There are some large waterfalls near Quebec City, supposed to be well worth a visit.... Montmorency Falls in Quebec City | Frommer's

I'm sure you'll be able to fill 5 days. If not, the hotel you're staying in is nice!

SchnookoLoly

If you catch your own double-post (still being ironed out post-upgrade) you can delete it yourself within 2 hours. Otherwise just "report" the post and put "duplicate" in the reason - I've done it for you on this post.

OP - good luck and have fun!

christmasoompa

We'll sort it, but you could try that newfangled thing called a 'delete button'. Just hit 'edit' (bottom right of post) within 2 hours of posting, and you'll be able to delete it yourself.

HTH.

dbd33

Definitely worth a butcher's.

geedee

You didn't sort it.....

Siouxie

Your triple post is sorted now - I really hate getting emails about duplicate posts so please delete them yourself if you see it has happened.

Thanks.

Souvy

I don't quite follow the logic of staying in Levis. That'll cost a bit in ferries!

If you are driving up from Montreal, you have two basic options: north or south of the river. The southern route is quicker and would be handier for Levis but it's very boring. If you are prepared to add an hour to your journey, take the northern option and use the 138 (Chemin du Roy) instead of the 40, as much as you can. It's the original road between Montreal and Quebec, a lot of it follows the bank of the St Lawrence and it goes through very pretty, old villages. The Chemin du Roy is very well signposted. Those signs will occasionally lead you off the 138, to pass through a little village, but they will put you back on it again. Get back on the 40 to go round Trois Rivieres. You can follow the 138 through the place but you'll get horribly lost. Come off the 138 completely at Saint-Augustin (where I have a house). You'll need to be on the 40 to take the bridge to Levis.

Old Quebec, lovely as it is, will not keep you busy for long (and take comfy shoes because it's very hilly). I can happily just wander around but you might find it trickier with a kid in tow.

How's your French, by the way? You won't need it in Old Quebec but things change rapidly once you travel a few miles.

The Montmorency Falls have been mentioned already.

One thing you should definitely do is the Moulin a Images (your kid will love it). It's basically a multimedia history of Quebec (just pictures and music, no words) projected onto what used to be grain silos in the port and are now probably the world's largest movie screen (30 metres by 600 metres is quite big!). It's free. You can pay for seats but there is no real need. Just plonk yourself somewhere.

I suspect your kid may also like this place.

Accueil - Wendake

It's very close to Quebec.

Get yourselves over to The Ile d'Orleans and drive round the edge. It's the birthplace of French North America. A good place to eat is Le Mitan, in St Famille on the north shore. The view over the river is lovely. The food, most locally produced, is excellent and the onsite microbrewery makes the best Pilsener I have ever tasted. An alternative would be the Cafe Bistro de la Plage, in St Jean on the south shore. It's right on the bigger bit of the river. You can munch your lunch and watch big ships going past. That may appeal to a young boy.

I'm running out of ideas now (unless you feel like helping to decorate my house). Try hitting the tourism office in Quebec. They have shedloads of info and are very helpful.

Shirtback

Late to the party, but second all the suggestions, & would add

Les Sept Chutes (more waterfalls, & there's an interesting hydro electric production interpretation centre).

It's a lesser known attraction than Montmorency, just a little further up the road, & very spectacular.

If you do decide to go to Mont-Tremblant, you're welcome to PM me - that's my neck of the woods

S

JGK

If you have a car then consider a tirp up the St Lawrence on the Quebec City side of the river.

You could visit Baie St Paul - An artist type community lots of arty-crafty shops.

From Tadoussac you could go whale watching on the St lawrence - definitely a bucket list type experience.

moi

Thanks guys for all of your helpful responses. We are leaving in the morning, so I will update you all on what we chose to do etc. But this is a great start for us!
Maria