41 rue du Marché-Finlay
Below the cliff, back from the water
The hotel stands two streets in from the quays in the Lower Town of Québec City, on a cobbled stretch that climbs towards the cliff. The street is one-way and steep enough that delivery vans leave their wheels turned. It is quiet after nine at night.
Everything in the old town is within walking distance of here, which is the best thing about the address. The hill is the only drawback, and the funicular takes care of that.
Arriving
From the airport, the train and the road
By air
Québec City Jean-Lesage is about 19 km away, roughly 25 minutes by taxi outside the morning rush and closer to 40 inside it. There is a fixed-fare taxi stand at arrivals. The bus involves one change and takes over an hour, so it suits you best if you are travelling light and in no hurry.
By train
Gare du Palais is an eleven-minute walk, flat all the way along rue Saint-Paul. Turn right out of the station and keep the rail yard on your left; the street narrows and turns to cobbles when you are nearly here.
By car
Leave Autoroute 440 at the Lower Town exits and follow the signs for Vieux-Port. The hotel has no parking and the street outside is permit-only. The municipal garage on rue Dalhousie is four minutes away on foot, and we'll give you the card for it at check-in. In snow-clearing season the street is closed to parked vehicles overnight, with no exceptions, so please don't try.
By ferry
The ferry from Lévis lands at the terminal eight minutes away. It runs all year, through the ice, with the first boat before six in the morning.
Within ten minutes on foot
The neighbourhood
Place-Royale and the oldest stone church in North America are three minutes uphill. The old port market is six minutes away, and in autumn it is worth the walk for the apples and the cheese. Rue Saint-Paul and its antique dealers run west from the corner; the dealers open late and close early.
The funicular to the Upper Town is a seven-minute walk and saves a climb of about 60 metres. Beside it, the Escalier Casse-Cou does the same job for free, and in February it lives up to its name. At the top, the boardwalk along the cliff edge gives the view of the river that everybody comes for.
The quays themselves are two streets away, with a promenade that is cleared all winter and a marina. In the cold months the ice piles against the wall in slabs and grinds when the tide turns.
The weather
What the seasons do to the street
From December to March the street is cleared by six in the morning and salted after that. Icy cobbles are unforgiving, and boots with a good sole are worth more here than anything else in your bag. The hotel keeps a bin of grit by the front step and a rack for wet outer layers inside the door.
April is grey, and the courtyard snow is the last to go. June to September is warm, sometimes hot, and about one morning in four the river throws fog over the Lower Town. October is the best month and everybody knows it, so book early.
- airport 19 km
- Gare du Palais 11 min walk
- ferry terminal 8 min walk
- funicular 7 min walk
- nearest garage 4 min walk