Budget Vacations to Quebec City

If you're longing for European culture, but don't have the time or budget for a trip across the ocean, historic Québec City is a perfect destination. Discovered in 1608 by Samuel Champlain and christened "New France", this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers stunning views from the cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence River, history-filled walks atop the fortified walls, and serpentine streets filled with French food and shopping at affordable prices.

When to Go

Québec City is delightful at any time of year. Snowy Christmas holidays are filled with twinkling lights and Winter Carnival turns the city into a skating rink and sledding park, with excellent skiing just an hour away. Residents and colorful flowers flood the parks and streets of the city in spring and summer, with face painters, clowns, and mimes at every corner, and a bounty of outdoor festivals and performances. Fall, with its blazing foliage and exuberant celebration of Indian Summer and Halloween, brings weather perfect for hiking and exploring the city.

According to Québec City Tourism officials, the best deals are available mid-October through November, when the convention season has ended, and in March and April, when you can still get in some skiing at nearby Mont-Sainte-Anne.

Site Seeing

Browse online for packages offered by airlines, tour operators, online travel consolidators, and the Québec tourism office, for deep discounts on hotels, airfare, and attractions. If you choose a package that includes your airfare, you may not have a choice of hotel, and will often end up in an outer-lying area of the city. If you book your air separately, you can choose from several excellent hotel packages, from the five-star Chateau Frontenac perched on Cap Diamant to smaller hotels and quaint "auberges" within the old walled city. Many of the hotel packages include a breakfast, dinner, or passes to local attractions and pricing begins at around $300 per person for three nights.

If you're booking your own air or train transportation, check the Québec City Tourist Office website for year-round special hotel packages that often include dinners, carriage rides, attraction tickets, or free breakfasts. For example, the romance package called Les Plaisirs de L'amour at the Hotel Château Laurier includes two nights accommodation, buffet-style breakfasts, two dinners, a carriage ride through the old city (an $80 value), in-room port and chocolate, and a 15% off coupon for city attractions starting at around $300 a night per couple. The old world hotel has a crackling fire in the cozy lobby during the winter months and is just steps from the city walls.

If you're traveling 1,000 miles or more to Québec City, booking a package with airfare included is often your best bet. United Vacations offers vacations with accommodations at the historic Chateau Frontenac, the ultimate in accommodations in the old walled city. Prices will vary according to time of year and departure point, but start as low as $1450 per person for airfare and five nights in a deluxe room at this city landmark. You'll also have access to a dedicated traveler assistance call center that operates 24/7 every day of the year.