Sainte-Foy travel guide

Sainte-Foy, Canada

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Sainte-Foy

Before you go

Quebec City is the capital of the province, and much of its daily life is administrative and bureaucratic, but its historic centre is what makes a visit worthwhile. The city was first settled by Europeans in 1608 in a "Habitation" led by Samuel de Champlain, and it served as the fortress capital of New France. The area was inhabited by Native peoples for many centuries before the Europeans arrived, and their presence has remained notable since. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "where the river narrows", as the St. Lawrence River closes in just east of the city, which rests on high cliffs with views of the Laurentian Mountains and the river.

French is the official language of the province. In the tourist areas of Quebec City, English is widely spoken as a second language by almost all staff, and Spanish, German and Japanese are not unusual in Vieux-Quebec. Outside the tourist areas, some knowledge of French is advisable and perhaps necessary depending on how rural the area is; most people under 35 should speak conversational English, while older locals may struggle. In French, both the city and the province are called Québec: by convention the province takes a masculine article (le Québec, du Québec, au Québec) and the city takes none (de Québec, à Québec). The climate is humid continental with considerable variation over the year: winters are cold, with strong winds amplifying the chill and often much snow, while summers are warm and can get considerably hotter and more humid. Spring and fall are short transitions, and warm weather far into the fall is common. Many sights are in the Old Town (Vieux-Québec), the walled city on top of the hill, and the surrounding neighbourhoods of Saint-Roch, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Montcalm, Vieux-Port and Limoilou are also of great interest. Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville are connected by many staircases, each unique, such as the Escalier Casse-Cou ("Breakneck Stairs") and the more easily climbable Funiculaire. The city spreads westward from the St. Lawrence, with the true downtown core just west of the old city, and the town of Lévis sits across the river, connected by frequent ferry service. The emergency number is 9-1-1. Crime is rare, but take the usual precautions with your possessions; travelling during the day is safe, though be more cautious at night, as there may be drunk bar patrons and those who prey on people unfamiliar with where they are.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Québec City through Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), about a 20-minute ride from downtown. It handles regular flights from Air Canada, Air Inuit, Air Transat, American, Delta, Porter, Sunwing, United and WestJet, with direct connections within Canada including Toronto. For a wider choice of flights, head to Montreal instead. From the airport, the local RTC network runs two buses seven days a week at roughly half-hour intervals: route 76 links the airport with the gare de Sainte-Foy, while route 80 connects it with Saint-Roch in Basse-Ville, west of the Old City. Taxis charge a flat fare to downtown, and Uber also operates in the city.

By train, VIA Rail serves two stations: the picturesque Gare du Palais, whose architecture echoes the Château Frontenac, and the Gare de Sainte-Foy about 8 km west of the city centre. Corridor trains run between Québec City and Ottawa with stops including Sainte-Foy, Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Lambert, Montreal, Dorval and Alexandria, taking roughly 3.25–3.5 hours from Montreal. The Ocean service between Halifax and Montreal stops at Sainte-Foy three evenings per week; a shuttle to Gare du Palais must be reserved in advance. Long-distance buses arrive at Terminus Gare du Palais at the old port, sharing a building with the train station, and there is a second bus station in Sainte-Foy on chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, easily reached by city transit. Operators include Orléans Express, with frequent service from Montreal via Drummondville or Trois-Rivières and from Rimouski, and Intercar, with routes from Chicoutimi, Alma, Baie-Saint-Paul and Baie-Comeau. By car, Québec City is 2½–3 hours from Montreal on either Highway 40 or Highway 20, both monotonous drives through forests dotted with farms.

Getting around

Sainte-Foy is a transport gateway rather than a sightseeing district, so getting around is mostly about connecting onward. The area's public transit is run by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), a bus-only system with no metro or tram to plan around. Two routes are especially useful: Route 76 links the airport with the Gare de Sainte-Foy train station, the intercity bus terminal and the heart of Sainte-Foy, while Route 80 runs between the airport and Saint-Roch in Basse-Ville via the Les Saules terminus. Both connect with the high-frequency 800 and 801 routes toward downtown Québec City and Old Québec, and both run seven days a week at roughly half-hour intervals from early morning until late evening. The 800 and 801 also serve the Sainte-Foy bus terminal at 3001 Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois and the Gare du Palais in Old Québec. If you are arriving by air, you can buy a ticket from the RTC vending machine in the airport terminal, across from the check-in counters, and leave through the door beside it to reach the stop; the machine takes major cards and mobile payments, so you need not hunt for coins.

Where to stay

Most of the places to stay cluster in and around Old Quebec, so you can pick your base by how close you want to be to the walls. On the northwestern edge of Haute-Ville, hostels and small inns sit within easy walking distance of the old town's sights, while budget options also reach out along chemin Sainte-Foy and to the Université Laval campus, roughly 3 km from downtown with plenty of buses. If you're watching your spending, the university residences are the cheapest choice for long stays, though linen and cookware aren't included and the cheaper dorm rooms open only in summer. Hostels in the old town tend to be student- and family-friendly, with shared kitchens, laundry and lockers; ask about ceiling fans before you book, since not every room has one.

Mid-range hotels are scattered through Old Quebec and the Old Port, several in historic buildings with breakfast included and en-suite bathrooms. A few sit right by the parliament buildings, the Citadel or Porte St. Louis, and one family-owned option on rue Saint-Jean stands out for its carbon-neutral operation. For a more modern setting, the business district around rue de la Couronne offers functional hotels that are better value than the Old Town, about a kilometre from the gates with a free public lift covering most of the climb. At the top end, the castle-like Château Frontenac dominates the skyline next to the funicular linking Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville, convenient but busy with tour groups; boutique luxury and chain high-rises are also available, along with short- and long-term apartment and condo rentals.

Food & drink

In the Old City, restaurants post their menus out front in both French and English, so you can compare before you commit. Look for the table d'hote specials, which bundle a full-course fixed-price meal. For something cheaper but still satisfying, try a traditional tourtière québecoise (meat pie) or a poutine of fries, gravy and cheese curds. The café culture is as much a part of Quebec City as it is of most European cities, and you'll find quaint cafés easily around Marché Champlain and the Chateau Frontenac. Be aware that food is fairly expensive here, and even a simple café or bar can be costly.

Most delicatessens and markets offer a large variety of Quebec cheese from farms in the surrounding countryside. Regional specialties include brie- or camembert-style cheeses made with raw milk (lait cru), which gives them flavours and textures not usually found in North American cheeses of the same type.

What to see and do

Quebec City's defining sight is the Old Town, its upper section wrapped in a stone wall raised by both the French and British armies. Now a tourist district threaded with small boutiques, it offers hundreds of historical and photographic points of interest; some buildings are original structures, while others were built in the style and architecture of the ones they replaced. The fortification system itself, built between 1608 and 1871, almost entirely surrounds Haute-Ville and includes four gates, a citadel and three Martello towers. Walk the gates: Porte Saint Louis, the oldest, first built in 1693 and given its current look in 1880; Porte Saint-Jean, rebuilt several times; Porte Kent, the only gate to keep its original shape; and Porte Prescott, where stairs lead to the top of the wall. The Citadel, at the juncture of the Old City wall and Grande Allée, remains an active military base and the official residence of the King and the Governor-General when they visit. For religious and political buildings, see the Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires beside Place Royal, considered the oldest stone church in North America, and the Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec with its asymmetrical towers. The Ursuline convent occupies a whole block of the old town, though only the chapel and museum are open to visitors; the chapel's wooden altar is considered a masterpiece of Franco-Canadian woodwork. The Parliament Building, just outside the walls, offers tours in French and English on non-sitting days, and its parliamentary restaurant is open to the public. Among the museums, the Musée de la civilisation holds a permanent exhibit on the history of Quebec, the Musée national des Beaux-arts du Québec sits on the Battlefields park and incorporates the old city prison, and the Musée naval de Québec showcases the region's naval history. In the former munitions site of Park d'Artillerie, a museum in the old brick foundry traces the city's history and a weapons exhibition fills the former arsenal. For a panorama of the whole city, head to the Observatoire de la Capitale outside the walls.

When to go

Sainte-Foy has a humid continental climate, so your timing depends on how you handle extremes. Winters are cold, snowy and windy, with temperatures that can drop well below freezing and winds that make it feel even colder. Snow is often heavy, so plan around winter conditions and dress for serious cold. Summers, by contrast, are warm to hot and humid, with sticky stretches when highs climb near or above the low thirties and nights stay mild.

Spring and fall are short transitions rather than long mild seasons. Spring shifts quickly from cold to warm, so expect conditions to change rather than settle. Fall is also brief, but warm spells often reach far into the season, letting you catch mild days late in the year before winter returns.

Three days in Sainte-Foy

Day one begins in Old Town, the historic heart of Quebec City, where the layered story of New France is easiest to read on foot. Start in the Haute Ville on the heights above the St. Lawrence River, where Samuel de Champlain's Habitation and the traces of the French, English and Aboriginal past sit close together. Walk the walls and look down over the river, then take the Escalier Casse-Cou, the Breakneck Stairs, or the Funiculaire down into the Basse Ville. End with a slow wander through the lanes of Vieux Quebec, where the architecture and street life carry the French character of the city most clearly.

Day two shifts to the neighbourhoods outside the walls. Head for Saint Roch and Limoilou, where everyday Quebec City life is on display, and take in the bustle of Port and Limoilou along the river. In spring the city comes alive after the long cold, and the terraces and markets fill again. If you are in town around Jean Baptiste, expect the city to celebrate its French identity with particular energy. Montcalm offers a quieter counterpoint, with its own streets and cafés to explore at an unhurried pace.

Day three looks beyond the city. The Laurentian Mountains lie within reach for a day of walking and open country, a contrast to the dense streets of the Old Town. Alternatively, stay close to the St. Lawrence River and follow its banks, where the water has shaped the city's history since the Europeans first arrived. Return to Vieux Quebec in the evening for a last meal and a final look at the old streets before you leave. The city rewards a third day spent moving between the river, the hills and the old quarters rather than rushing between sights.

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