Quebec City: which day to rent at car?

[Murphy]

We will be arriving in Quebec City on Thursday, Sept 29 and don't board our cruise ship until Sunday Oct 2. We have decided to rent a car one day to see the Montmorcery Falls and Ile d'Orleans. My question is, should we rent the car for Friday or Saturday?

 

Are there more street entertainers on a Saturday in the walled city at that time of the year? If so, we would rent the car on Friday so we would walk the city on Saturday.

 

Or would driving traffic be less on Saturday, therefore we should rent the car for Saturday?

 

Any thoughts from my friends in Quebec?

[PCO]

Bonjour Murphy,

 

 

don't worry about traffic in QC. It's almost allways trouble-free...As for your car, i would rent on friday. As you mentionned, it'll be probably a little less lively in the old town on friday. After going to the Montmorency falls in the morning, maybe have lunch at Manoir Montmorency (right on site) then consider a trip to Île d'Orléans (in front of the falls, 2 km away) or Lac Beauport (25 km to the north-west) to see the foliage. It should be at its peak.

[Murphy]

Merci PCO! I'll get my car reserved right away! Thanks for the info on what to see and do.

[Johny]

Bonjour Murphy, comment ca va ? :) You will love Quebec city , don't miss old town (vieux Quebec), and i have a good restaurant for you, : L'entrecote St-Jean , at St-Jean street in old town. I'm borned in Quebec city and now I live in montreal. have a nice trip. jeanlili@sympatico.ca

[Host Caroline]

Merci PCO! I'll get my car reserved right away! Thanks for the info on what to see and do.

 

Even though you won't be able to do the maple syrup/snow pops we did during our last drive on Ile d'Orleans (in February with 6 ft of snow piled up along the roads).... there are several "Sugar Shacks" with great Quebecois food for lunch at a reasonable price.. their version of Ketchup is awesome and the ham, meat pie etc. lunch we had was about 10 CN.

[MrsMoose2001]

I live in Montreal, and have been to QC often as my husband is french can. and I'm american. I live in the old city in Mtl. and in the fall the street performs are out more on the weekends. It's quieter during the week.

Ile d'Orleans is really nice. You can also drive a bit further and go to St. Anne de Baupre, there is a shrine there.

In QC you can go into the Chateau Frontenac hotel for a drink (coffee or alcohol) it's a really nice old hotel in the old part. L'Entrecote St,Jean is a nice steak house but if it's the same as here in Mtl, they only serve the one thing, Steak actually it's sort of a set thing, with desert or without desert but no real choice, but that is not to say that it's not a good resto, you just have to know you want to eat that.

There are very nice good restos in QC outside of the city passed Ile d'Orleans, there was a resto called Bakers, french cusine, I don't know if it is still there but you could call, reservations were required and it used to be highly rated, don't know about now. I haven't been out that way for awhile, but when I went it was excellent and a little different, sort of like a farmhouse, from what I remember

[Murphy]

Bonjour Murphy, comment ca va ? :) You will love Quebec city , don't miss old town (vieux Quebec), and i have a good restaurant for you, : L'entrecote St-Jean , at St-Jean street in old town. I'm borned in Quebec city and now I live in montreal. have a nice trip. jeanlili@sympatico.ca

 

Ca Va Bien, Jean! Oh, my! I really need to practice my High School French before we leave!

 

Merci for all the recommendations everyone. I've reserved a car for Friday and will venture out to Ile D'Orleans, then the falls, and time permitting we will continue north to St. Anne.