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Train de Charlevoix excursion


3rdGenCunarder
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Has anyone taken the Train de Charlevoix? Cunard is offering it this fall. It's 2 hours on the train to Baie St Paul from Montmorency Station, time there, then bus back to the ship. I've been to Quebec city several times, so I'm looking for something different. Any comments/reviews would be appreciated!

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The Train de Charlevoix is owned and operated by Le Massif de Charlevoix, a ski resort on the north shore, with the slope overlooking the Fleuve Saint-Laurent, by which the railway passes. While a scenic route, the right-of-way is along the same Saint-Laurent as which the Queen Mary 2 sails, though obviously giving a distinct perception. The equipment used by the railway is two married pairs of German DMUs (diesel multiple units manufactured by Düwag). The cars have large windows and the seating is adequate, but do not anticipate a luxury train (think more along the lines of commuter train). No food service (though you can bring your own), but snacks and beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are available for an extra charge. Baggage in excess of 8 x 15 x15 in and 11 lbs. is charged an additional $20. If you travel on the train on Saturday, October 1, the day that the Queen Mary 2 will depart Québec on its way to New York, then you will only be able to travel one-half of the full route, from Québec Chute-Montmorency station to Baie-Saint-Paul, before having to return to Québec so as to board the vessel prior to its departure. Other days you would have time to travel the full route all the way to La Malbaie and back since you would not have any critical time issues. The station in Québec is about 15 minutes distant from the port (though you should allow at least 30 minutes). The train schedule is: Depart Québec Chute-Montmorency at 10:30 a.m., arrive Baie-Saint-Paul at 1:10 p.m., arrive La Malbaie at 3:05 p.m., depart La Malbaie at 3:30 p.m., depart Baie-Saint-Paul at 5:30 p.m., arrive Québec Chute-Montmorency at 8:10 p.m. I note that the excursion arranged by Cunard includes the train ride to Baie-Saint-Paul, then a bus ride back to Québec, presumably with an hour or so at Baie-Saint-Paul and arriving at about 3:30 p.m. However, if you want to go all the way to La Malbaie, you might need to buy a round-trip ticket directly from the railroad. Finally, if you want to plan your own multi-modal excursion, Intercar operates a bus on the parallel highway for about one-half the price of the railroad. It operates to and from the Gare du Palais in Québec, a short walk from the port, and its schedule is: Depart Québec Gare du Palais at 9:45 a.m., arrive Baie-Saint-Paul at 11:00 a.m., arrive La Malbaie at 11:40 a.m., depart La Malbaie at 4:30 p.m., depart Baie-Saint-Paul at 5:25 p.m., arrive Québec Gare du Palais at 6:40 p.m. Hopefully this information will be helpful for your planning.

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Thanks, CTJ, that's helpful. I love trains, so that and some time to wander around Baie St Paul sounded good. I will be in Quebec city for 3 days, so I have three opportunities to do this. Oddly, the first day (arrival) shows departure time as 3:30. I have no idea how that would mesh with the timetable I've seen online. The second and third days show departure at 9 AM, but the train leaves at 10:30. Of course, given how wonky the Cunard site is, the times they're showing could be wrong.

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My experience is that most cruise lines are not so good at accurately describing logistical details of shore excursions. I don't think one can even access those excursion details in the absence of having a Cunard reservation. But given what you have described, I sense that the first option, at 3:30 p.m., is a bus from the vessel to Baie-Saint-Paul (probably arriving around 4:45 p.m.), then a short time there before the train departs at 5:30 p.m., with an arrival back in Québec at 8:10 p.m. Given that sunset in Québec on September 29, 2022, will be at 6:28 p.m., this excursion might not be optimal. The morning departures would likely get you to the railway station in Québec around 9:30 a.m., perhaps giving you some time to see the falls at Chute‑Montmorency. All that said, if you are a serious train enthusiast, then I would suggest skipping the Cunard-arrange excursion and do an all-day trip on your own. Get the train departure from Québec at 10:30 a.m. and do a round-trip to La Malbaie. If on time, you would get a 20-minute stop at Baie-Saint-Paul outbound, 25 minutes at La Malbaie, and another 25 minutes at Baie-Saint-Paul on the way back.

 

I have attached hereto an excerpt from Canada and Alaska Timetable (a bi-monthly publication that I edit) which shows the details of the Train de Charlevoix timetable, as well as the schedules for the parallel bus operated by Intercar and for the Queen Mary 2 operated by Cunard. This excerpt might be helpful for your planning.Excerpt.pdfExcerpt.pdf

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