Roadtrip: 15 Days in Quebec in Winter

We waited a long time for this trip: 10 years! What an emotional return to visit my beloved Quebec under the snow! After sharing the emotions of reunions, here is our road trip itinerary through winter in Quebec, passing through Montreal, Quebec City, the Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean regions, Mauricie, Lanaudière, and the Laurentians.

We started and ended this trip in Toronto, one of the only cities in Canada served by Icelandair in winter (see our article on our stopover in Iceland), but the true starting point of our journey was Montreal. Here are the main lines of our itinerary:

Now let's focus on the major highlights of our trip: in a few lines, I will share our main discoveries, and in future articles, I will detail our favorites, tips, and great places.

It all begins in Montreal. Hello, Great Island! Hello, the Amsterdam of North America! The impression of stepping into 10 cities at once: a world of skyscrapers, a river world, a world of cobblestone streets and facades in an old-European style, a trendy world, a bohemian world... Montreal is the city of a hundred steeples and a hundred faces!

The frozen Saint Lawrence River seems to glide along the island, without disturbing its bustling activity. Here, winter doesn't stop life. Montreal was an opportunity for reunions: with Canada and Quebec, on one hand, but also, and especially, with many fellow travel bloggers: Marie-Julie, Stéphane, Jennifer... and to meet new friends, like Clouzote and Hasina, while attending an event organized by Jennifer and Annie.

Montreal also evokes sensory memories: gargantuan brunches, classic and unique poutines (long live Poutine Week!), events and festivals that leave you dizzy not knowing which way to turn your head, moments of sweetness and indulgence at the floating spa Bota Bota...

Quebec City, one of my favorite places: it was my home for 6 months ten years ago and welcomed me warmly despite the polar temperatures (I remember arriving during a snowstorm!). It's no wonder Quebec is nicknamed the winter capital of the world! I fell in love with its neighborhoods, but especially with its people, their friendly smiles and pleasant mentality: live and let live!

Yet, Quebec City, I barely had the chance to stroll through your old town and admire your colorful and icy Carnival. Quebec, you provided me the opportunity to experience new adrenaline-rich adventures: ice canyoning, tubing at Valcartier Park after visiting the stunning ice hotel.

Quebec was also a wonderful chance to stay with Bianca from the blog La grande déroute, a traveler with whom I had exchanged a lot over blogs: a pleasure to meet in person in a relaxed family setting.

The start of the big adventure: picking up the rental car and truly beginning our road trip in Quebec. Heading North! You know how the French cry at the thought of heading to Brittany? For the Québécois from Montreal and Quebec City we spoke with before our road trip, it's somewhat the same! We definitely felt we were crossing an invisible yet tangible line: we were entering another world. A polar, icy, remote world... In short, it's the North! A thousand warnings about the roads, driving conditions, and snowstorms.

And then... yes, we encountered the legendary snowstorm. Oh boy, it's cold! A biting wind that penetrates to the bone, making you feel as if it's cracking with every step. Yet, how beautiful it was! A Nordic experience I had dreamed of, with the bonus of experiencing a wooden cabin and a dog sledding adventure! It's also in this beautiful region that you can do whale watching in Tadoussac.

Welcome to Authentic Quebec, which includes the regions of Lanaudière and Mauricie. Let me tell you right away, there are some beautiful surprises on the way! These lesser-known regions of Quebec, located between Quebec City and Montreal, enchanted us with the beauty of their roads and landscapes (special mention for the route between the Saguenay region and the city of Trois-Rivières: one of the most beautiful roads we have ever traveled!) as well as the extreme kindness and warm reception of its residents!

Our stay in Mauricie began with the traditional sugar shack, followed by a night in a majestic log hotel with a stunning view of a frozen lake and a refreshing Nordic spa experience, and an adventurous introduction to snowmobiling (or skidoo). Our second day was equally magical, with a dog sledding excursion (when you love...) and a night in one of the most charming hotels we've ever experienced. We'll share all these great places in a future article, I promise!

Now for Lanaudière as we continue our exploration of Authentic Quebec: a nature experience including a meeting with bison and elk, the Nordic spa experience in the forest, and a night in a cabin where we arrived dragging our bags on a sled through the snow and warmed ourselves by the wood stove. In short, it was a nature and romance retreat!

Finally, the last region of this road trip under the sign of friendship: we were invited to spend a night at friends of friends' house (Chris) and the next night at a chalet at the bottom of the ski slopes with another couple of friends (Jennifer and her boyfriend). A very nice way to finish this stay on a relaxed note, rich in beautiful landscapes and heartfelt warmth. On the agenda: lounging, chatting, walking, brunching, board games, and dinner by the fire.

That's a brief overview of our road trip!

In the coming weeks and months, I will gradually share the details of our discoveries from this Quebec journey: our stays in Montreal and Quebec City, as well as the regions of Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie, Lanaudière, and the Laurentians. Stay tuned!

During this trip, we used two different and very complementary means of transport to discover Quebec and Canada in general: the car and the train.

We took the train for the round trip from Toronto to Montreal and the trip from Montreal to Quebec City with Via Rail Canada. And I can understand why so many travelers love taking the train in Canada (like the bloggers Marie-Julie on Taxi-brousse and Avenues, and Corinne on Vie Nomade). We indulged by trying first class: what a treat! The staff is more than charming, the space is incredibly comfortable (and allowed me to work excellently throughout the journey!), and the meal served on board lives up to its reputation.

Watching the landscapes roll by, feeling swayed by the rocking motion of the moving train, and entering a trance state, perfect for letting my fingers dance on the keyboard... I once saw a contest open to writers by Via Rail to win a train trip across all of Canada for a special writing retreat... and that kind of adventure greatly appeals to me! There's a route Toronto - Vancouver, and just seeing the images is dreamy... One day, who knows!

Before setting out on this road trip in Quebec, I did some research on the state of the roads in winter, my memories from ten years ago being rather hazy (especially because during my rare car outings, I was always a passenger, hitchhiking, or being driven by a group of friends). While searching for information online, I came across this statement on the Destination Quebec website:

And I thought there was a lot of truth in that! But at the same time, I remember my Quebec friends laughing at the sight of our traffic immobilized whenever just two flakes fell... Quebecers are used to driving in all conditions!

I will share our tips for taking a winter road trip and driving safely in an upcoming article (it's out now, here!), but what I can already tell you: don't be afraid... while staying cautious! And if you're looking for advice about renting a car, I suggest heading over to Carigami to get an idea of the prices.

We intended to explore Canada for 3 or 4 months, from coast to coast... but it's just postponed. This first road trip in Quebec was a lovely opportunity to reconnect with this beautiful country and fulfill the promise I made to myself ten years ago to find my beloved Quebec...

And once again, it's only a goodbye. See you soon!

In partnership with Via Rail Canada.