We are planning a trip to Chicoutimi this summer. Does anyone have any recommendations for hotels or inns there? This is my first visit and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, any must see sites?

Hi Kate... <BR> <BR>There's a Quality Inn Journey's End in Chicoutimi in the "suburbs" that's adequate and some more places downtown. <BR> <BR>Just so you know, Kate, Chicoutimi is not what you might think. It rather reminded me of Newport News, Virginia, USA or Windsor, Ont. with all its strip malls...didn't have quite the "character" I was hoping for. However, there may be something of interest for visitors in the centre of town...didn't check that out. <BR> <BR>Lac Saint Jean is near Chicoutimi and may be worth a visit...but I've never been. <BR> <BR>If you want quaint, a much more charming small Quebec town is Tadoussac at the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It's about a 2 hour drive east of Chicoutimi and a 3 hour drive northwest of Quebec City. You can go whale-watching there and there is a folk festival there in the summer. The village itself is gorgeous. <BR> <BR>If you do go to Tadoussac, Chicoutimi or Lac Saint Jean, a good knowledge of French will be extremely helpful; most Bleuets (as residents of the Saguenay region are known) are unilingual francophones and might not appreciate a tourist who waltzes into a store/restaurant ordering in English. Also, realize that the French spoken here vastly differs from that spoken in France and has quite a few variations from Montréal/Québec City French. <BR> <BR>Good luck and have fun!

Hi Kate! <BR> <BR>I've travelled extensively through this area of Quebec. Chicoutimi is the main city in this area. This is not the MOST attractive city in the world. The surrounding country-side is the main attraction here.Absolutely stunning!!! <BR>You can begin your drive in Quebec City, and drive north-east towards Charlevoix &lt;&lt;beautiful&gt;&gt;!!! Baie St-Paul, Pointe-au-Pic/La Malbaie. Next drive towards Tadoussac to go whale watching.From Tadoussac, drive towards Chicoutimi to see the fjords. A MUST!!! Beautiful beyond words. Stop in Anse St-Jean and Ste Rose du Nord.From Chicoutimi, drive south back to Quebec City through the Parc des Laurentides. You can also do this entire route in the reverse order. L'Hotel des Gouverneurs and Le Montagnais are both good hotels in Chicoutimi.Any questions, jus

Hey Kate: <BR> <BR>Some great suggestions from Ross above. I agree 100% that the trip from Québec City to Tadoussac and that the Saguenay fjords are absolutely gorgeous! One town, Ste. Irène de ? was very charming. <BR> <BR>One suggestion: Make sure that if you make the drive from Tadoussac to Chicoutimi, that you do so on a fair weather day. It was raining the day we went and a lot of the hiking trails near Anse St. Jean were muddy, the visibility was poor and the restos closed. Made the trip not as good as it should have been.

Thank you for the suggestions. My maternal grandmother was from Chicoutimi and I am planning on spending a day or so there to do some geneological research. I am very excited about the suggestions for stops along the way. Do you think that I should go in the spring or fall instead? My schedule is flexible. Thanks!

Hi Kate, <BR> <BR>Best time to visit the Saguenay would be the summer. However, if you went in the fall, you might see some beautiful leaf colours. <BR> <BR>If you go in the fall, I would recommend EARLY SEPTEMBER...best time for whalewatching. <BR> <BR>We went in late May/early June to Tadoussac/Chicoutimi and it was fun but still a little chilly...

The forested areas around Chicoutimi are pretty. I recommend taking a boat ride to see the Saguenay Fjord. We went to the park and tried walking the trails, but we walked a long time and never got to a really great view point. I suggest early September as a good time to go. <BR>We stopped in the town at a grocery store to buy a few snacks. It was pretty much a grunt and point transaction. Later on that same trip I was reading one of the English language Canadian papers and there was a story about a parrot in a pet store in Chicoutimi. The parrot did not speak <BR>French, just English. The language police had remonstrated with the pet store owner about the impropriety of having an English speaking bird in the store. I never found out what happened to the bird. <BR> <BR>

Thought that I'd bring this to the top, three summers later. When I asked our &quot;navigator&quot; exactly WHY we were going to Chicoutimi, she replied that getting there and back was the point. From these postings, I guess she made the right call.

But we'll be in apparently not-so-beautiful Chicoutimi for one night. Any recommendations for a casual, moderate spot for dinner?

Good, moderate restaurants in Chicoutimi:

- La Cuisine on rue Racine (downtown, bistro cuisine. Very good)

- Le Dauville (on boul. Talbot, the mall strip. Traditional steak &amp; seafood place, good food and moderate prices.)

Actually, downtown Chicoutimi is an interesting place to visit. Do not miss:

- &quot;La vieille pulperie&quot; Museum. Excellent museum for regional history and art. Arthur Villeneuve's house has been moved inside the museum. Absolulety do not miss!

- Sacr&eacute;-Coeur church and refectory. Beautiful gothic style church.

A cruise on the Saguenay is a must. If you want to save time and only see the must beautiful part of the fjord, board &quot;La Marjolaine&quot; at its Ste-Rose-du-Nord stop instead of Chicoutimi. Ste-Rose-du-Nord is beautiful by itself and about 30 mins drive from Chicoutimi on the north shore of the Saguenay.

Thanks Louis, exactly the kind of information we need. I've printed your message to take along.

Try the rotisserie chicken at Chez Georges in Chicoutimi.

Stop in Ste-Rose du Nord for the views.

Have fun.

Ross.