Overview

From the mostly rural Montérégie region just south of Montréal, through the Eastern Townships to the heart of Québec, up to Lanaudiere, and on to the cradle of industry in Mauricie, you couldn’t ask for a more inviting province in which to take an RV vacation. Cultural and natural wonders abound, especially for the outdoors enthusiast. Paddle or hike through marshes and wetland, watch for birds in the Lac Saint-Pierre archipelago.
Duration
12 DAYS
Distance
2000km / 1243mi
Start / End
Montreal / Montreal
Region
Quebec
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Route - 2000 km / 1243 mi

Day Location Distance Duration
01 Montreal to Riviere-du-Loup 427 km / 265 mi Approx. 4 hours 15 minutes
02 Riviere-du-Loup to Percé 550 km / 342 mi Approx. 6 hours 30 minutes
03 --
04 Gaspé Peninsula
05 --
06 --
07 Percé to Matane to Baie-Comeau 347 km / 216 mi Approx. 4 hours 15 minutes
08 Baie-Comeau to Tadoussac 199 km / 124 mi Approx. 2 hours 20 minutes
09 Tadoussac to Quebec City 215 km / 134 mi Approx. 3 hour 10 minutes
10 Quebec City
11 Quebec City to Trois-Rivieres 128 km / 80 mi Approx. 1 hour 22 minutes
12 Trois-Rivieres to Montreal 140 km / 87 mi Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Trip Details

Renowned for its beautiful sunsets, Riviere-du-Loup (French for Wolf River) is situated between Québec City and the Gaspé Peninsula on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River.

Riviere-du-Loup Waterfall Park and Petit Temis Interprovincial Linear Park/North Section offer nature-lovers the opportunity to experience some local outdoor activities and excitement.

Those interested in learning about the region's history and culture can visit the Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent, which preserves and exhibits contemporary Québecois art, or visit the Manoir Seigneurial Fraser to learn about the lives of a local family circa the early 19th century.

Rodeo Country (late June/early July) gives residents and visitors the chance to experience a bit of the Wild West, while the Pleins Feux Riviere-du-Loup fireworks festival (late June) shows off the city's sunset before the pyrotechnic display lights up the sky.

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Enjoy the passing seascapes from the comfort of your CanaDream motorhome before arriving in the lovely village of Percé. En route we suggest you stop at Reford Gardens, one of Canada's premier garden destinations, and also at Exploramer, a museum focused on the marine environment of the St Lawrence River. Some suggested activities during your stay in Percé are the cruise around Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island; this natural bird sanctuary is home to over 80,000 gannets.

Percé is a very popular tourist village during the summer and, if you are travelling during that time, we recommend you phone ahead to reserve your campground spot. Percé has some excellent trails for those who enjoy hiking. The most popular is the path to Mont-Sainte-Anne, the left fork of which leads to commanding view of Percé Rock, Bonaventure Island and the surrounding coastline.

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With so much to do and see on the Gaspé Peninsula, you'll most likely decide to spend a few extra days here. For many people even a week won't be enough to experience all the Peninsula has to offer.

The beautiful drive encircling the Gaspé Peninsula offers magnificent views of the rugged coastline as well as mountain scenery. Visit lovely Forillon National Park; pause at Hyman’s General Store (seasonal), which inspires memories of days gone by. Take a boat ride out to Bonaventure Island and view the northern gannet colonies there. From the shoreline, admire massive Percé Rock and watch its colours change as the sun hits it at sunrise and sunset.

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Projet Eole
Exploramer
Bioparc de la Gaspesie
Acadian Museum of Quebec

Your journey today takes you through some of the most beautiful coastal scenery Quebec has to offer. In this breathtaking landscape, discover the various ecosystems of the gulf and the history of its fishers. Visit Canada's tallest lighthouse in Cap-des-Rosiers.

Past here, the road curves westward through a changing landscape of sea and mountains. Travel from lighthouse to lighthouse to arrive in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, at the edge of Gaspesie National Park. Here, hiking lovers can venture to Mount Albert or Mount Jacques-Cartier, in search of the caribou that inhabit the arctic tundra at their summits.

Continue on to the town of Matane, famous for its shrimps and well-known for its excellent salmon fishing. From this small fishing port, the Quebec Government operates a passenger and vehicle ferry across the St Lawrence River to Baie-Comeau on the Côte-Nord. Try to time your arrival in Matane to connect with the next available ferry, then relax as you enjoy the voyage across to Baie Comeau. The town is 99% French speaking and boasts fine restaurants.

Spend the night here before continuing on to Tadoussac and the Charlevoix region.

You can take it easy today as it's only a short drive from Baie-Comeau to Tadoussac. This will give you plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and perhaps take some time out for hiking, sea kayaking or whale watching. The marine life in this part of Quebec is amazing so be sure to stop and observe.

Tadoussac is a small village surrounded by hills, rocky coastline, and the majesty of the St Lawrence River. In 1998 the charming beauty of the bay of Tadoussac made it a member of the Select Club of the World's Thirty Most Beautiful Bays, and visitors to the area can easily see why. Here the Saguenay River Fjord meets the St Lawrence River.

You will find a choice of RV Parks and campgrounds here - some are only seasonal, operating from late May to mid September.

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Another easy day as you head towards Quebec City. You may wish to spend more time in the Tadoussac area today before making your way south, just enjoying the peace and solitude of the area.

On a direct route, your drive to Quebec City should take less than 3 hours, however you might like to consider taking highway 172 west to Chicoutimi on the north side of the Saguenay Fjord then driving back to St-Simeon on Highway 170. This route will take you the length of the Fjord and there are a number of minor roads leading into the Fjord which you may like to explore.

Alternatively, from Chicoutimi, you may like to take the mountain route to Quebec City through the Laurentians - breathtaking mountain vistas or coastal scenery - the choice is yours!

Either way, your final destination today is Quebec City, one of the oldest settlements in Canada and the largest city in eastern Quebec.

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Canyon Stainte Anne

Musée Maritime de Charlevoix
Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

You have a whole day to explore and take in the atmosphere and French history in beautiful Quebec City. We suggest you leave your CanaDream motorhome at your campsite and take public transport downtown and to the Old City. This area has a distinct European feel unique in North America with its stone buildings and winding streets lined with shops and restaurants.

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Today you leave Quebec City and continue your journey south to Trois-Rivieres, named because of its location at the three-pronged mouth of the Saint-Maurice River.

Trois-Rivieres has been a world capital in the pulp and paper industry since the 1930s and other prominent industries in the city include electronics and thermoplastics, as well as the production of food crops and cabinetmaking. The city's main street is composed of century-old buildings housing a great variety of cafes, restaurants, clubs, bars and shops.

Notable landmarks include the Forges du Saint-Maurice, a foundry dating back to the 1730s, the Ursulines Monastery, and the Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap. Trois-Rivieres is well known on the North American motor racing circuit, hosting the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivieres, the prestigious American Le Mans series and the Formula Atlantic.

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If you didn't get time to explore Montreal when you arrived, now is your opportunity. With only a short drive ahead of you from Trois Rivieres to Montreal, you should have lots of time today to check into your chosen campground and take public transport downtown to check out some of Montreal.

Some of our suggestions while you’re in the city are the Montreal Biodome, Biosphere, Christ Church Cathedral, Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral, Centre Bell, Canadian Architecture Museum, Montreal History Museum, the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Montreal Botanical Gardens and L'Île Notre-Dame.

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Other Itineraries in Quebec