Quebec road trip
 

My friend and I (and 5 kids!) are taking a two week road trip across Quebec this summer. We will obviously do Montreal and Q. city, but were considering as well the Gaspe region. Any other suggestions? Anyone been to Gaspe and has recommendation on a nice little inn? Thank you so much! [email protected] <BR>

A few years ago, my wife and I drove around the Gaspe from Quebec City to New Brunswick and on to Nova Scotia. <BR>We spent two nights on the Gaspe. <BR>One night was at the Motel Beau Rivage in Ste. Anne du Mont and one night at a motel in New Carlisle on the Baie de Chaleur. Both were ok, but not "charming little inns." (I think the motel in New Carlisle was the Baie de Chaleur.) <BR>There are several things I should warn you about. The road around the Gaspe is slow going. Some of the hills are as steep as 17%, which feels like you are going to stand on your head. Fortunately such pitches are short, but they are steep. We spent all day trying to get from Ste. Anne du Mont on the north shore to New Carlisle. There were several interesting sights to stop and see, so the end result is that we did not allow enough time for a good visit at Perce. <BR>We saw the famous rock, but there was not enough time to take a trip out to it. <BR>Don't expect to find any laundromats along the route -- absolutely none along the south shore that we found. And I asked at the motel in New Carlisle. (It was founded by Loyalists and some English is still spoken in that area.) <BR>But, if you have zero French skills, things can get difficult. I am not sure how much English the operator of the Beau Rivage spoke, but it was limited to the essential phrases. At least she spoke more English than I did French,so I can't say too much except to say I needed more French. Nothing unpleasent, but had we needed any more than the room key and the bill, I am not sure how we would have managed. <BR>The initial moterl reservations were made by a friend of mine from Lyon. So she took care of that problem for me. <BR>Would I do it again? Probably not. <BR>But the trip satisfied my curiosity. <BR>

Hi Carole! <BR> <BR>The Gaspe region of Quebec is beautiful,especially during the summertime. I have travelled extinsively throughout the province, and this area was delightful. The landscape alone makes it worthwhile, and the people are quite friendly. I speak French fluently, so I was able to get to know the locals during my stay.I stayed in Rimouski on my way to Perce. I also stopped in Matane,Riviere-aux-Renards,and Gaspe. I believe the name of the small hotel that I stayed in in Perce was called the Hotel Bleu Blanc Rouge, run by two charming elderly women. It was RIGHT across the street from the Rocher Perce. A MUST is the boat ride across the St-Laurent to l'Ile Bonaventure. You can see seals and whales in their natural habitat along the way. Once there, you can visit the bird sanctuary, which was once profiled on Sunday This Morning with Charles Kuralt several years ago, which I fortunate to of seen.BEAUTIFUL. There is also a provincial park in the area,which I believe is between Rivier-aux-Renards and the town of Gaspe. After my stay in the area, I travelled to Matapedia/Baie des Chaleurs, and on to the acadian region in northern New Brunswick, around Caraquet. I was sorry to have left Quebec, and quickly returned the same day.Any questions,just ask. <BR>Ross. :-)

Dear Carole, <BR> <BR>I have also travelled extensively in Quebec and am always happy to return to the province. <BR> <BR>The Gaspé is one of the regions of Québec that I have never visited, so I can't advise you there. <BR> <BR>Since you'll be 2 weeks in Quebec, make sure to give yourself several days in Montréal... Particularly iF you like to shop, go to restaurants & cafés and people-watch, the city has numerous venues for this (rue St. Denis, boul. St. Laurent and ave. Laurier and Mont-Royal are particularly good for this). <BR> <BR>I would also recommend visiting Ottawa /Hull (one day) since it's only 2 hours away from Montréal... The Parliament grounds in Ottawa are quite lovely and I think it's worth going just to see Canadian gov't first-hand. La Musée de la Civilisation in Hull, QC is an architechtural wonder and has some interesting exhibits on the diverse aspects of Canadian culture. <BR> <BR>Good luck and have fun! <BR> <BR>Dan.

Hello Madame..I read your message and I believe that driving from Quebec City To gaspé with Kids..Oh la la...It's gonna be long and though for your nerves..the road is very long..I would suggest you limit yourself to Montreal and Quebec City..Montreal is nice for kids...Quebec City also..Montreal; the old port, the stadium, the Biodome, basilica Notre Dame, La Ronde ( a kind of Six Flags over Montreal)..also on the 3 hours road on highway 20 to Quebec , you may stop at The Village Québécois d'Antan at Drummondville , a reconstitution of an old village of Quebec around 1850...very interesting to learn about our culture..and fun for kids..then Quebec old town, Chutes MontMorency, Val Cartier Waterpark, Levis Fortifications , and if you want to drive 3 more hours, you may see whales up north at Baie Ste Catherine , near Tadoussac...the Saguenay Fjord, is...WOW...You'll see whales, belugas, and seals. Best regards and welcome...