Old town, Quebec ---hotel choice and activities
 

We are traveling to Quebec for 3 nights in September. I am looking for hotel suggestions. We would like to stay in the old town section. I found a great deal ($175) at Fairmont Le Chateau Fronteac, but read some reveiws that rated it as rather touristy with very small rooms Our budget is about $200. Also--what are some fun things to do other than roam about the city? Thanks

I just wanted to add that "roaming around the old town" is our #1 reason for going to Quebec !! I am just looking for some inside tips since our time there will be so limited. Thanks in advance for any help.

I just got back from Quebec City and thought it was wonderful.

Personally, I would not want to stay at the Chateua Frontenac (although I did take a tour of it, and enjoyed that very much). It is a huge hotel and there is tons of traffic in the lobby.

We stayed at Le Chateau de Pierre http://www.chateaudepierre.com/en/(418) 694-0429 and were very pleased. Good location and nice rooms. (Very small bathroom, however.) It was about $130 a night before taxes.

Apart from a lot of roaming around, I went on a half-day tour (Tours de Vieux Quebec--you sign up at the info booth in front of Chateau Frontenac on the boardwalk) of Montmorency Falls and the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Beaupre.

Also, I took a tour of the Citadelle. Raining, so no Changing of the Guard, but in general, this ceremony takes place every morning, at 10, I think.

We also walked down the Grand Allee to the museum of fine arts area. There is a pretty restaurant inside, and a jogging/roller blading trail outside.

The Marche du Vieux Port is a food and flower market with gorgeous flowers and produce and plenty of snacks and samples. You can rent bikes near there, too, if that appeals to you.

Also, Cirque de Soleil has free performances at night, Tuesday through Saturday, I think, but just until September 5.

One of the most unique things we saw was the atelier of Guy Levesque, who is a mask maker. http://www.guylevesque.com/en/galerie.asp Very cool.

My favorite meal was at Le Pain Beni on Ste. Anne--venison ravioli with cheese. We also ate lunch several times at Pizzette on St. Paul. It's quick and not expensive. I loved their apple and camembert salad. Also we liked Bistro Sous le Fort and Cafe du Monde. Also, Aux Ancienes Canadiens (if you eat here, go for lunch--much better deal price-wise).

Let me know if you have more questions or need more suggestions.

We started out at the Frontenac but didn't care for it. Not up to snuff on several counts. We moved down to the Auberge Saint-Antoine and it was one of my favourite hotel experiences ever. So much friendlier, and the room with patio was nicer too. A tour driver said it was the most expensive hotel in town but we got a very good deal by just walking in. That was a year ago May though and it still might be outside your budget, but worth it in my opinion. Staying there turned me into a big fan of squash soup and espresso.

http://www.saint-antoine.com/

Our favourite thing to do was just walk around. We only had 4 or 5 days there but could have used more. Look for the tree with the roots growing around a cannonball. :-)

This is great info ! Thanks --we are now booking St. Antoine.

I hope you like the hotel as much as we did. A post office and a drug store are nearby.

For cheap breakfasts, it's an easy walk to Le Cochon Dingue - cheaper on weekdays, I think. Also in that lower area just a couple of blocks from the hotel is a fountain that I loved (and I'm not a fountain person). At Place de la FAO water bubbles up rather than sprays from a figurehead fountain. The wave design in the pavement continues right across the street. Quebec City is full of interesting artistic touches like that.

One of my favorite walks was along the cliffside 'Promenade des Gouverneurs' which runs between the National Battlefields Park and Dufferin Terrace (by the Frontenac). Best to go <i>down</i> from the park unless you're super-fit.

We also enjoyed walking along the Grande Allee. One day we took a taxi to Avenue Cartier, had lunch there, then ambled back, swinging by to see the Quebec Parliament Building along the way.

We really liked getting lost! We met some of the nicest people. At rainy times we took a couple of bus tours.

We're presently staying in the hotel Pur and I'd love to come back. We have a king-sized bed, a wall that is mostly one big window looking out over Quebec from the 10th floor. Our room is lovely, great bathroom, tasteful decor, very relaxing. The hallways and rooms are decorated in charcoal and white with a touch of "tomato" color. We have a pool, exercise room, and sauna. The hotel is a nice walk from the main attractions in OLd Quebec. The airline crews stay here! We've been here for 3 nights and the staff is wonderful. Oh. It costs about 120 plus taxes. There's a small fee for our little dog. It is SO restful and quiet here. A great vacation retreat! There is also a sun-deck from the pool area. I would most definitely return!

April,

Were there also good restaurants for dinner nearby the St Antoine?

We LOVED the Chateau Frontenac, but it is kind of touristy. Which was fine, since we were tourists! We were generally pleased with the service, and room size seems to vary. The room I shared with my son was enormous, but the one my sister and dad shared was a little smaller. Both were way bigger than the rooms at the Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. The staff was friendly, the pool was great, and it's just such a beautiful hotel.

Just back from Quebec here.

I agree with every one about the Chateau Frontenac. It's just a hotel & nothing very historically important about it. It's just fun to go see it and take pictures of it. Be sure to check out the parking situation at whatever hotel you choose. We found a good hotel (Hotel Delta); however, parking was 22 bucks + a day. So what we saved we spent on parking. Oooops. You may want to check out youth hostels if you want to really save money.

I have been to Quebec many times and usually go as part of a tour group as a teacher chaperone. Recently just back packed it with a few friends. If you are looking for things to do inexpensively, don't hesitate to drive out to the Basilique de Sainte Anne. Also on the way back check out the Chutes (Falls) of Montmorency. It costs about 9 bucks to park there and you can park at the bottom and then use your same ticket to drive up to the top parking lot. You get nice views from either point.

I would suggest as a way to save money is to stop by a supermarket and to do lunches as a picnic on the Plaines d'Abraham (a large park near the Citadelle). For breakfast, Tim Hortons and the restaurant l'omelette* (at which* I did breakfast number combo 1 or 2 which includes coffee for about 7 bucks). These are great ways to do breakfast relatively inexpensively as long as you don't go for the expensive meals.

One thing I finally did this time that I have always wanted to do was to drive out to Ile d'Orleans. (Orleans Island). My friends and I spent the whole day driving around this immense island looking at old houses and each parish has its own historical church that you can check out and take pictures. You could even bike around the island. There is also a free observation tower on the island you can't miss it. There are little restaurants, wineries and sugar shacks too. wine tastings are usually a dollar or two for six samples. You'll probably want to buy a bottle which will at cheapest costs 15-19 dollars. You will see a lot of inventive flavors.

When you are in the lower city of Quebec check out the Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale and see the old church in the plaza. (You may want look up their site and click on guided tours because they list some free tours. All you have to do is register at the desk the day of). Of all the tours, I did Maison Chevalier (a large red roofed house the entrance is in the back) which reconstructs historical life in the old city. Free!

I also saw a lot of people walking about with ipods. A few told me they had downloaded MP3 tours to their ipods. You might want to research that option too. I agree you could spent many hours just walking about and walking about.

A really cool tour I did the last evening was the haunted tours of Quebec. For 18 bucks you get a costumed tour guide with a candle lantern who will tell you haunted stories of the old city. It was an interesting way to see the city. A bit more expensive, but I would recommend it. Just make sure you bring an umbrella. You can also find their site by googling it.

Bonne chance!

J'adore Quebec! I may even move there someday.

PS: Also beware of the souvenir shops. I bought some maple coffee at one. When I got to the duty free store at the border I found a similar brand of it for 2/3 the price. I should have known better by now.

Europeannovice - sorry to take so long to answer! Unfortunately, we didn't have dinner at any good restaurants in the area, although I'm sure there are some. One, I believe, is right in the St. Antoine. Now I'm kicking myself that we didn't try it.

We have returned from Quebec and LOVED it. The Auberge St. Antonie was in a great location, very lovely and a staff that was outstanding. Since it was our anniversary, we were upgraded to a room with a terrace. FABULOUS!! We enjoy the lower town more than the upper town and just loved to wander about. I would absolutely recommend the horse drawn carriage ride to anyone as it was a great "overview" of the old city. Our favorite dinner was at PORTIFINO in upper town. Wait for a window seat - it is worth it. For breakfast, go to Le Cochon Dingue. It was very reasonable and delicious. We will definitely return to Quebec someday!!

The Auberge is on of our Top Ten Lodgings world wide. Loved being there. Happy you enjoyed it. The uniqueness is of course, the artifact exhibits all over the building, and the ruins under glass in the lobby.

stu