An East Canadian road trip offers many naturally thrilling sights. Whether you’re a history buff or a fan of flora and fauna, there’s lots to cover and something for everyone. If you’ve considered a Canadian road trip, we’ll have you sold on it with our highlights. Starting in Montreal, we travel east up to Quebec and circle round New Brunswick.
Top tip: Be sure to plan your journey times and allocate enough time for each activity you want to do. You should prepare an itinerary in advance.
Photo by: rabbit75_fot/Fotolia
Starting point: Montreal
Montreal is renowned as a festival city so check the exciting event calendar while you’re in town. 60 different vibrant events happen in the summer months alone. You’ll be kicking yourself if you miss out.
Make sure you try a freshly-made bagel- St Viateur Bagel comes highly recommended. They give the New York counterpart a run for their money.
If you’re looking for architecturally pleasing sights, take a walk down Plateau Mont-Royal. It has fantastic brightly-coloured buildings. There’s also the Notre Dame and the only environment museum in North America, the Biosphere.
For further historical indulgences, visit the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, assisted by Holocaust survivors who are willing to share their own incredible personal stories.
The King’s Road- setting off
Route 138, or Chemin du Roy, follows the St Lawrence River. Visit the Le Moulin Grenier, a working mill, just north out of Montreal. Further along at Trois-Rivières, there’s Borealis, a paper mill museum.
Stop at Trois-Rivières, the ‘Poetry Capital of Quebec’ and you may discover poetic verses printed on plaques. Can you find them all?
For the adventurous among you, you can be temporarily sentenced and spend the night behind bars in Canada’s oldest prison.
Quebec
Another Canadian dish to try, which doesn’t look at all appealing (but as it originates in Quebec) it’s worth a try. Poutine is made from French fries topped with cheese curds and light brown gravy. If it’s not for you, you can take a walking tour of Quebec and try lots of different food hotspots. You can avoid the poutine if necessary!
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can still see the stone walls around Old Quebec erected by the British to keep out American invasions.
Nearby Montmorency Falls are actually higher than Niagara Falls but has shorter queues. You can take your hire car so far before having to hike or take the cable car.
Photo by: photorebelle/Fotolia
The Gaspe Peninsula
Boasting some of the best scenery Quebec has to offer, this peninsula is home to over 300 species of birds. Birdwatching fans will be glued to their binoculars. On Route 32 you’ll drive through fishing villages and past lighthouses.
You can spot moose and black bears in the Matane Wildlife Preserve.
Top tip: We don’t recommend getting too close…
The oldest lighthouse, Ile Verte, can be visited in sailing season, and is located just off the coast between Cacouna and Trois-Pistoles.
Just after Rimouski, you’ll come across the Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historic Site. Here’s the first Canadian submarine that was open to the public. If the prison didn’t tempt you, perhaps sleeping underwater will- you can spend the night aboard. Continue round and stop for photos of Percé Rock.
Salmon run
There are several rivers in east Quebec and New Brunswick which are popular for their salmon; Miramichi, Restigouche, Grand Cascapedia, and Bonaventure. Local fishermen flock there but be wary of trespassing on private land or fishing without a guide or license. Specialised fishing retreats are established for visitors to offer aid such as Camp Bonaventure or Salmon Lodge.
Head back on Route 132 for a shorter trip to loop round and return to Quebec. Those with a few extra days can travel further south into New Brunswick on Route 134.
Photo by: Pavel Cheiko/Fotolia
New Brunswick
As well as salmon-spotting, there are lots of other attractions here. Take a hike to the Midland Ice Caves or to get your adrenaline running, zip line in Fundy Bay.
Ridgeback Lodge near Kingston provides an incredible stay- much more our style. Relax in a stunning geodesic dome or log cabin. Take a break from the road and enjoy staring at the stars or soaking in a hot tub! You’ll be close to nature without being too far from creature comforts.
Your East Canadian road trip
If this is your first road trip, make sure to read up on our top tips for planning a European road trip. What are your Canadian road trip highlights? Tell us in the comments (we’ll be dozing in a dome)!
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Written by Jessica Juby.
