The stereotypical spring break vacation includes tropical temperatures and lots of sunlight. I didn’t get either of those during my trip to Québec City, Canada, but that was fine by me. The temperatures compared to those of Amherst, and we only saw sunlight during one of the five days spent there. When my friends and I chose a spring break destination, the top item on our wishlist was “within driving distance,” since we didn’t want to drop hundreds on plane tickets. Being only six hours away from Amherst by car, Québec seemed like an easy choice, despite its less-than-ideal climate.
Before taking the trip across the border, I didn’t know what to expect. Having never been to Canada, I knew very little about the French influence in Québec. I should have done more research; it was completely and totally French in all aspects, making me feel like I had flown across the ocean to Europe. While most, if not all, of the service and tourism employees spoke English, I definitely recommend learning some conversational French before you go. This culturally rich city was the perfect place to spend a week with friends, so if you’re looking for an easy road trip or want to get a head start on planning next year’s spring break, here are some suggestions for visiting Québec City.
For starters, the food scene was incredible. To make it even better, the current exchange rate meant that my friends and I only spent 73 U.S. cents for every Canadian dollar, so we didn’t shy away from the more expensive places. While in Québec, you’ll want to visit some French bistros. Our favorite meal out was a steak frites dinner at L’Entrecote, a cozy spot situated right in the heart of Old Québec. Another awesomely authentic French restaurant was La Buche, where we got a delicious brunch complete with omelets, crepes, and maple candied bacon that were to die for.
As far as outdoor activities in and around the city, that may depend on the time of year you visit. A perfect year-round option is Parc de la Chute Montmorency, a stunning natural beauty that will fill the Niagara Falls-shaped hole in your trip. If you do visit during winter or spring, skiing is a fun and easy option. My friends and I hit up Le Relais ski resort because the three-hour passes were just $35 USD, and that was all we needed to get our exercise fix; it was perfect for beginners, too, so don’t rule it out if you have no experience skiing.
Québec boasts an impressive cultural résumé, too. The only museum we were able to squeeze into our trip was the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the city’s modern art museum. I suggest visiting it on a Wednesday evening because passes are five Canadian dollars when you enter after 5:00 p.m. and the museum remains open until 9:00 p.m. Another museum that is highly recommended by tourism websites is the Musée de la civilization, one we didn’t make it to, but sounded incredible.
All in all, there were no regrets about our choice of location for this year’s spring break and we were sad to leave the city behind. I hope these recommendations are a helpful starting point in planning your own trip to Québec!
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