trip to Quebec City

[Whosemom]

A few questions about a 4 day trip to Quebec City ...

1. I'm planning to pack jeans, shorts and T-shirts. Is that ok for wandering Oldtown Quebec tourist spots and restaurants, or should we plan to dress a little nicer?

2. Am I correct assume coin laundries are available? I see a laundromat listed on the campground map, but with a family that includes three children, I usually try to slip off to a larger establishment in town after everyone else is in bed. Does anyone live close enough that they can direct me to a 24 hour laundry? We are staying at Beauport Municipal Campground and I don't mind driving up to 20 minutes.

3. I know I have gotten completely dorky on this issue but how much further might we need to travel up the river to have any chance of seeing whales?

4. Another assumption to be verified...I am assuming we can find brochures about all the historic sites once we get there. The boy wants to see the changing of the guards ceremony, but other than that we thought we'd go with the flow.

5. Any favorite historical/re-enactment type sites within an hour or so of the city? I know there are alot of places near us that a traveler might never stumble across that I would hate for them to miss...any hints like that? (then come down to central ohio, and I'll share with you )

thank you!

 

[rewok]

1. Casual attire should give you no problem, I never care to "dress up" on vacation, and I've been to many good restaurants in Quebec City dressed just like that, good jeans and clean T-shirt. I've never felt out of place, I really feel the way you behave is more important then how you dress, unless it's really dirty or something.

2. You should be able to find coin laundrys, mostly where there are appartment buildings, but 24 hours would really surprise me, they'll close around 9-10PM. Not many things open 24 hours in Quebec (convenience stores, some groceries, donuts shop, a few restaurants), stores are not allowed to open that long. I often use laundromats in campgrounds at off times, and can then take 2 machines without feeling guilty though.

3. Best place for whales that I know is Tadoussac (VERY crowded town in summer), about 3 hours east of Quebec City, but you might find viewing spots closer then that (really not sure about this one). I know there are whale watching day cruises starting from Quebec City, so it would be a nice option, no driving, but not cheap with 3 kids. Even just a whale watching 2 hours cruise in Tadoussac is expensive though.

4. There is a big tourist info centre in the Old Town, where you'll find lots of information about historic sites, museums, etc, no problem there. Or another one at the city entrance when coming from the south shore.

5. I mainly enjoy going around in the Old Town by foot, and exploring sights. The Citadelle is not to be missed, and there are tours available in English, enjoy the Plaines d'Abraham next to it as well, and the river view.

http://www.lacitadelle.qc.ca/section.php?lang=en&id=4

You can also cross the river by boat, and enjoy the view from the south shore. And if you're there for a while and the kids like that sort of thing, there's a nice water park just 20 minutes north of the city, "Village Vacances Valcartier".

If you're going during the "New France Festival", there are period dressed people all around the streets, and even a real cannon fired (blank!), real fun.

http://web2007.nouvellefrance.qc.ca/?set_language=en


There was a post about this a few days ago, you might want to check it out for suggestions as well:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452945

Hope it helps!

 

[Whosemom]

Thank you! We're leaving this week and I can't wait.

 

[rewok]

Hope you have a good trip! School is still in session for 3 weeks here, so it shouldn't be too crowded. Just be careful, I don't know how long is your trip, but June 24th is Quebec national holiday (St- Jean Baptiste), and there's a BIG party on June 23rd in Quebec city for that. Expect crowds, rowdy behaviour, and BIG time fun (for young adults like me!), but it's probably something you want to avoid with your kids.

Let us know how it went when you come back!