My husband and I are retired and want to travel to Quebec City this fall to explore the city and hopefully catch the fall colors. Two questions
1. Any thoughts on whether there Is there much difference between staying in Old Quebec or the Old Port section of the city?
2. Any recommendations for hotels? I would not like to go over $300 per night.
Thank you.
If you stay in the lower town, you will need to get up to the upper town - a walk up a steep side or several flights of stairs. When I was there in late April the funicular didn't seem as if it was working. I don't know if it only operates during the high season. It wasn't an issue for me as I have no issues with walking
When was in QC in spring 2024, I enjoyed my stay at Le Priori in the lower town- it's a modern hotel in an old building. You are close to the Champlain neighbourhood also on the lower town and close to St Paul St. - it has many antiques store that are interesting to wander around in.
Search the forum and I'm sure you will find other hotel recommendations.
We've been to Quebec City many times (most recently earlier this year). We have stayed in several locations. If it is your first visit, I would suggest trying to stay in Old Quebec in the Upper Town ("Haute Ville"). That said, there are many nice hotels in the Lower Town (Basse Ville). As the previous poster commented, it depends on your level of fitness. I think going from the Lower Town to the Upper is not that big of a deal, but if walking up a hill for 5-10 minutes is challenging, then keep that in mind.
One of our favorite hotels is the Hotel du Vieux Quebec, which I think is in an ideal location (in the Upper Town). They bring you breakfast every morning, then hang it on your door in a little picnic basket - fresh pastries, juice, etc. Depending on your specific dates, I suspect it is probably $250-300 per night.
QC is one of my favorite places. Please feel free to direct message me with any other questions!
In May, the funicular was working. They only take cash. It was 6 CAD per trip.
I stayed at Hotel Manoir Victoria in the upper town as part of a tour . I liked this location. There were a number of cafes nearby on Rue Saint-Jean.
If you're open to a self-catering place versus a traditional hotel take a look at Les Lofts. There are a number of them scattered around the city, and they feature larger rooms with kitchen facilities which we appreciate for extended stays of more than a couple of days. Fact is we'll be staying in one for a 5 night trip next week. We've always found their prices to be pretty competitive.
MJo,
You will love Quebec City.
We stayed there for a couple of nights after our cruise from Boston.
I believe this is the hotel where we stayed.
Hotel Le Priori
Rates are reasonable. Great location.
I can’t remember where we stayed in OQ, but I believe you would like being on the upper level more.
Quebec City is so charming! I would stay in the upper part of the city. You can walk down the hill and then, if like me, drink too many cocktails at dinner take a Lyft or taxi back to the hotel :)
Thank you all. Your responses have helped me decide between upper and lower Old Quebec and given me some good places to start my hotel search. I did try searching the forum for hotel suggestions but found the most recent query was from quite a few years ago so this is helpful. Everyone’s enthusiasm for the city is motivating as I’ve been getting a little discouraged about following through on my travel plans. I’ve been surprised by the high cost of airfare for a nonstop flight from Chicago to Quebec City. I’m going to start looking for a flight to Montreal and then renting a car. Do you need a car while in Quebec City?
You do not need a car if you stay in the city itself. If you want to get out at all (and if your intent is to catch the fall colors), then I would definitely recommend one. You might try to drive out to the Ile d'Orleans (agricultural island with lots of wineries and interesting places to stop), Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre (cathedral in a gorgeous location), the Chutes Montmorency (beautiful high waterfall in a park), or the Parc National de Jacques Cartier (lots of great hiking and outdoorsy things).
If you want to fly into Montreal and want a car, then agreed it makes most sense to rent right at the Montreal airport and drive. If you do not wind up getting a car, or if you want to spend a bit of time in Montreal on either end, consider also taking the train between Montreal and Quebec.
MJo,
You won't need a car in Quebec City. It is walkable, although it is hilly.
Frankly, I think staying in more expensive upper level hotels may not be worth the cost.
Still, you can compare prices and may find more affordable lodgings in the upper level.
We stayed at the Clarendon Hotel, that is centrally located in the old city. We're retired too and were able to walk to most restaurants and activities from there. There is a parking garage a block away and our car sat there the entire time.
If you use facebook, there is a lot of Quebec information. What group is called Quebec City Travel. Lots of info on the entire province, not just the city. A lot of the information there is in French. There is a translate option but it doesn't always work. There is also an excellent website called Bonjour.Quebec. The information there is in English.
Our Road Scholar tour in late September will be at the Hotel Manoir Victoria, recommended by Laura, above.
