Our Quebec Summer Vacation with the kids!

07/19/2017

Just a few weeks ago, our family took a road trip and drove from our home north of Toronto to Quebec City, an 8 hour drive, with our two boys 4 and 6 years old. We weren’t really sure initially if it would have a ton to do for our little guys but at the very least would be a nice way to give them some French culture for a few days. We were thrilled to discover some fantastic kid-friendly spots that proved to make it an amazing vacation for everyone! So I wanted to share with you all some of the places we found in case you might be planning a family vacation and are looking for ideas!

First of all, we had to be prepared for the 8 hour car trip. Thank goodness for Travel Bingo, and our portable DVD Player for the boys to watch movies on the way. All in all, they were great little travelers in the car and got along for the most part. And of course having snacks and drinks fully stocked in the car made it a whole lot easier in between rest stops etc.

Our first stop was at the Big Apple in Colborne ON. (exit 497 off Hwy 401) We had yummy breakfast, bought some apple donuts, and snacks for the car. It was also fun to watch the staff make apple crumble pies and other baked items through the big glass windows of the bakery and take wander around the candy and gift shop. We of course couldn’t leave without taking a photo in front of the Big Apple and going up to its observation deck to see the lay of the land!

Once we got back on the road, we only stopped occasionally for bathroom breaks and quick bites to get to our final destination before dinner. When we got into the Quebec City area, we drove over Pierre Laporte bridge for a stunning view of the St. Lawrence river. Our hotel was only a few minutes from this bridge crossing and a 15 min drive from the old town Quebec City. We chose to stay at the L’Hotel Quebec in Sainte-Foy. When we were researching hotels online, L’Hotel Quebec looked to be extremely kid friendly but also clean, modern and in a convenient location. I was happy that the pictures online did not disappoint and were true to what you received! I have nothing but great things to say about this hotel especially for families!

The hotel rooms were nice and also quite comfortable for the four of us. We had a queen bed and a queen murphy bed with a couch and electric fireplace. The bathrooms were tiny and only had a shower stall, no bath.. so for little kids and babies it would be difficult but our boys were fine with the shower. Although I believe other rooms do have tubs if you need one. You can see pictures of some of the rooms and the grounds here.

We were given a wristband at check-in which allowed us free reign of the activities, pool area and hotel amenities. And were there ever a lot of amenities!

There was an indoor pool and hot tub in the main area of the hotel, just off the lobby which was a hub for the entertainment and action in the hotel. There was a stage by the pool where swimmers and loungers were entertained through the day by various bands, singers, acts, etc. They also had mascots come out and hang out, provide photo opps and dance with kids by the pool… everyone from Superheroes, Disney princesses, Paw Patrol characters, etc. There were also acts in the late afternoon and evening such as Circus performers, Magicians, and Captain Jack the pirate with his parrots and other tropical birds.

Each day the hotel would post a full schedule in the lobby of things happening in the hotel for the kids and you could also get a handout to carry with you. In the hotel, there was an arcade with games, ping-pong, air-hockey tables, a pirate ship bouncing castle, a seven-storey playground structure, an area with kinetic sand tables, airbrush tattoos, nail painting in the lobby, pottery painting workshops, a balloon artist. They also had organized scavenger hunts, disco bingo, and a movie theatre in the hotel that played various kid friendly movies at different times through the day (however they were all in French with English subtitles).

L’Hotel Quebec I would say is more of a family resort than a hotel – there’s so much to do that even if you stayed onsite for the day and didn’t venture out your kids would be fully entertained. We spent a lot of time sightseeing so we weren’t often there during the day but it was a very relaxing and refreshing to come back from a day out and go for a 4 pm swim or hot tub to before dinner and let the kids burn off some steam playing and enjoying the festivities.

The location is great too as it is only about an 18 minute drive down Boulevard Champlain to old Quebec and is a very picturesque route with gorgeous views of the river the whole way there.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Aquarium of Quebec, which was literally a 2 minute drive from L’Hotel Quebec. Again, a great location! For $65.00 for a family of four pass (which I thought was reasonable) we enjoyed a fabulous few hours there looking at all the exhibits. What I liked was that they have indoor exhibits as well as outdoor exhibits where we saw walruses, seals, and polar bears. Our favourite part about the indoor exhibits was getting to pet and feed stingrays and touch starfish. There also was a fabulous jellyfish exhibit which had us mesmerized for a while. A really nice feature about the aquarium is their outdoor play area for kids. They have a splash pad, playground and adventure course which my boys were pumped about! Rope nets, ziplines, rock climbing walls, logs, and other wooden and rope structures were set up throughout the area for the kids to explore! And it has a spectacular view of the bridges and water front from that vantage point as well. All in all a great day excursion for kids of all ages!

Of course the best part about Quebec is (and was) the food! We ate at some delicious restaurants and cafes while we were there and we couldn’t get enough of the crepes, chocolatinis (a chocolate filled pastry) and well basically everything we ate was AH-mazing! We had a great meal at the St Hubert close to our hotel – great chicken and ribs if you want a good family restaurant easy on the wallet. Of course I would do a disservice to all of you not to mention our favourite restaurant this trip – the Cochon Dingue in lower town old Quebec. The most incredible savoury and fruit crepes I’ve ever had the privilege of eating. We liked it so much we ate there twice in our 4 day trip. We also had a wonderful dinner one night at Cotes A Cotes Resto Grill, some yummy short ribs, baby back ribs and sangria! And can’t forget about the yummy baked goods and pastries at Paillard… Ah.. I have dreams about them. There are so many great little spots to eat in Quebec City, I need to go back to try some more! Our kids couldn’t get enough either… every place we went to had an affordable kids menu with great options! They ate better than they do at home which was nice to see!

I would highly recommend a family trip to Quebec City if you get the chance! It definitely was a fantastic kid friendly vacation and a wonderful trip for mom and dad as well! The scenic views, European culture and gorgeous architecture made it that much better! Until next time La Belle Province!