Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Quebec City, Canada! Quebec is probably the most “European” city in North America, which means we love to visit Quebec when we can. As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Quebec, or at least find a bit less than awesome.
Hate #1: Old Town Driving & Parking
The Old Town area of Quebec City is really an amazing place, and there are lots of cool places to stay at and sights to visit, but driving and parking can be a bit challenging. If you choose to stay in the Old Town, you can park your car at your hotel and just walk everywhere. If you choose to stay out of town a bit, when you drive in, try to find parking near the Parliament. We ended up driving in each day and found it easier to park a bit farther out instead of searching for a parking spot for 15 minutes. From there, you can easily walk to the best parts of town. Another note about driving in Quebec: don’t be surprised if most of the road signs are in French, not French and English!
Love #1: Exploring Old Quebec
There are so many entertaining things to do in Quebec City, however just wandering the streets of Quebec’s Old Town is one of our favorite things. There’s the upper part of Old Town, with the citadel and the Parliament where you can watch the changing of the guard. In the lower part of Old Town, you’ll find the narrow cobblestone streets and quaint restaurants. The architecture and the atmosphere is fantastic, it’s just like walking around a European city. Except here you get to have some amazing Poutine to fight off those hunger pains.
Hate #2: Lack of Convenience Stores & Kiosks
If you’re visiting in the summer and want to grab a soda or a bottle of water as you walk around, there aren’t many places to do so. There are plenty of bars and restaurants you can visit, but to just grab something to drink on the go isn’t as easy as it could be. There are a few vending machines around, so if you get some Canadian change, hang on to it because it might come in handy when you get thirsty! After a couple of days on our Quebec City vacation, we quickly learned to start bringing our own water bottles. You can grab one of our water bottles at http://www.woltersworld.store if you need one for your next trip.
Love #2: European Vibe
We’ve traveled all over North America and I can say without a doubt that Quebec City is the most “European” city we’ve been to outside of Europe. It feels very much like a mid-size French city just up and relocated to Canada. The food, the atmosphere, the architecture, the people and even some of the attitudes are distinctly French!
Hate #3: Rude Tourists
From all of our travels in Canada, the tourists in Quebec were the worst that we ran into. From knocking us over or our kids out of the way, to aggressive drivers, we didn’t have the best experience with other tourists in Quebec. The locals are great, but the tourists, not so much. Quebec receives a large number of Canadian, American, and international tourists so maybe everyone is more interested in seeing the beauty of the city than being friendly tourists.
Love #3: Big City Sights with a Small Town Vibe
The variety of Quebec City attractions makes it seem like a big city. There are some great museums, like the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. Then there is the Old Town area we already mentioned and the attractions surrounding Old Town. But what’s great is that it doesn’t feel like a big city. Quebec is very safe, prices are reasonable and it’s easy to get around. We’re saving money by staying out by the airport and it only took us 15 minutes to reach Old Town.
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Hate #4: French Language in Quebec
If you speak French, you might love this, but if you don’t, you will have some difficulty. You definitely need to know a bit of French to get around more easily in Quebec City. In the touristy parts of town, you’ll get by without speaking French, but when you are driving around, many of the signs are only in French. The locals are bilingual so you do not have to worry that you will not be understood, but learning a few words like merci (thank you in French) will go a long way.
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Love #4: Street Buskers
Quebec City embraces the buskers that perform in their streets. Some cities discourage buskers all together, but Quebec will let you know where to see them and when. There’s always something to see in the streets of Quebec, and everyone joins in the fun. Our kids just enjoyed hanging out and watching buskers while Jocelyn and I enjoyed the architecture and some of the local drinks.
Hate #5: Quebec Locals
Now, the people of Quebec are friendly and helpful, but only if you ask them. If you’ve been traveling around Canada, you may be used to more outgoing Canadians than what you will find in Quebec. This isn’t a slight on the Quebecois, you just usually have to make the effort to start the conversation or ask the question. Then they will be glad to help you, so ask away.
Love #5: Seasons of Quebec
Quebec is a great place to visit any time of year. The summer does not get too hot, and it’s not packed with tourists. It’s nice to be able to walk around in summer without quickly being drenched in sweat, so Quebec was a nice change from other summer destinations. While winter in Quebec may be cold, they go all out to really enjoy and embrace winter with a number of winter activities and festivals.
We loved every minute of our visit to Quebec; it’s really an awesome city and a great way to get a “taste of Europe” without leaving the Continent. The “hates” are really just things to have a heads up on rather than a reason not to plan a Quebec City vacation. Want more tips for planning a Canada vacation? Check out these other blog posts:
