VIA Rail Corridor Train from Montreal to Quebec City, Quebec

July 16 

We had our breakfast basket delivered again outside our door on the cute ornate little hook. It was French toast this time with all the same sides. We had a late morning train, so we went for a final walk around Montreal. It hardly seems like the same place in the day vs the lively night scene with the bustling restaurants and bars.

Our driver picked us up and took us to Montréal's Gare Centrale train station. We again were in Business Class on the VIA Rail Corridor Train. It was supposed to be 3 to 4 hours, but of course turned into nearly 6 hours. It was a picturesque countryside on the way to Quebec City. We took a break from photos today, the train flies by pretty fast. They served beverages, snacks and lunch.

Business Class Lounge - much smaller than the last one

Our driver didn’t seem to be waiting for us to take us to our hotel. There was a man holding a sign, but it didn’t have our name on it. For some reason they put our pickup info under the single guy’s name. The single guy walked right out of the train station and got in his vehicle. (didn’t see the sisters) Greg called to see what was up and was told he was there and where to look for him. Lots more searching, but still no one holding a sign with our name. Greg called again and they insisted he was there. He mentioned there was someone there holding a sign with a name on it that wasn’t ours. It got worked out and we left with the guy who had the wrong name on the sign.

We had one night at Auberge Saint-Pierre. It was in the lower section of the Old City near the Old Port. We were to leave at 11:00 PM the next night and didn’t see any need to take the room for the next day.

Auberge Saint-Pierre

lobby

breakfast room

coffee/breakfast room

lobby

lobby/bar

small European-style room

We settled in and went out to walk around the Lower & Upper areas of the Old City. Walked up the steep hill to Château Frontenac Hotel. We didn’t have reservations for dinner and all of the restaurants were full until very late at night. So, we grabbed a light dinner at the Fondu/Crepe Restaurant part of the Château Frontenac Hotel. The food wasn’t that great. My onion soup tasted like dishwater and the crepe wasn’t stuffed, but just laid on top of a folded crepe. (no fondu could be served outside on the patio where we chose to eat)

need an apron?

Château Frontenac - dinner stop at the fondu/crepe restaurant - we went back later after more exploring

Restaurant Le Petit Château

interior - Château Frontenac

Château Frontenac

Château Frontenac

Château Frontenac Dufferin Terrace

Château Frontenac Dufferin Terrace

views from Dufferin Terrace of St. Lawrence River

We walked back down the hill and came to rue du Petit-Champlain and took the 59 steps of the Breakneck Stairs which a steep set of 59 steps connecting côte de la Montagne to rue du Petit-Champlain.

We found the funicular that we would use tomorrow morning to meet our tour in front of the Frontenac.

Breakneck Stairs

We walked around some more and headed for BeaverTails since our dinner wasn’t all that much.

the art is a display made of life jackets

Tomorrow, we have a Quebec City Tour. (we had a food tour scheduled here as well, but it was canceled since they had reduced days since Covid and they didn’t run that day)

For larger photos:

Montreal to Quebec City, Quebec – Day 1 https://photos.app.goo.gl/6B3r8hz1i6ATv79b6