St. Lawrence road dossier
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Quebec Road Trip

Depart Aurora Sunday afternoon for Montreal, then continue to Quebec City and Charlevoix. July 12-16, 2026. A 5-day, 4-hotel-night route built around old cities, Chemin du Roy, island farm stands, Route 362, and the cliffside arrival in La Malbaie.

Dates July 12-16, 2026
Start / Finish Aurora, Ontario
First Leg Direct to Montreal
Key Roads 401 / A-20, Chemin du Roy, Route 362

Maps & directions

Open Google Maps for the driving legs and key places. Scenic-route notes are still in the itinerary because maps may default to faster roads.

July 12

Aurora to Montreal

Depart Aurora around 3 PM and keep this as a direct transfer to Hotel William Gray.

Driving directions Open in Maps
July 13

Montreal city day

Useful pins for brunch, Mont Royal, Old Montreal, Jean-Talon, and dinner.

Walking route Market map
July 14

Chemin du Roy

Route 138 toward Québec City with Trois-Rivières and riverside village stops.

Driving directions Hotel map
July 15

Île d'Orléans and Route 362

Falls, island loop, Charlevoix villages, Baie-Saint-Paul, and La Malbaie.

Driving directions Hotel map
July 16

La Malbaie to Aurora

Long return route with practical lunch options in Trois-Rivières or Montreal.

Driving directions Cap-à-l'Aigle map

Route at a glance

Use this as the quick scan: where you sleep, which road matters, and what each day is for.

Day 1 Direct transfer Skip the Kingston overnight. Depart Aurora around 3 PM and arrive at Hotel William Gray late evening.
Nights 1-2 Montreal Late check-in Sunday, then Plateau brunch, Mont Royal, Vieux-Montréal, and Jean-Talon provisions Monday.
Night 3 Quebec City Take Chemin du Roy, arrive for golden hour in Vieux-Québec, stay at Hotel Le Priori.
Night 4 Charlevoix Montmorency, Île d'Orléans, Route 362, Baie-Saint-Paul, then Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu.
Day 5 Return Leave La Malbaie after breakfast and treat the drive back to Aurora as a full return day.

Daily itinerary

Detailed stops, drive notes, stay details, and reservation cues for each travel day.

Sunday July 12 12 Aurora to Montreal
Afternoon transfer

Aurora to Montreal transfer

Depart Aurora around 3 PM. Skip the Kingston overnight and keep this as a practical Hwy 401 E / A-20 E drive to Montreal.

Driving directions Break options
Before departure

Pack road snacks, water, chargers, and light layers before leaving Aurora around 3 PM.

Drive

Use Hwy 404 S to Hwy 401 E, then A-20 E into Montreal. Keep the route direct so the evening stays manageable.

Quick break

Use Kingston or Gananoque only as a food, fuel, and stretch stop. Do not try to force a cruise or long scenic detour into this day.

Dinner

Choose either a simple road dinner before Montreal or a late bite near Old Port after check-in.

Arrival

Expect a late-evening arrival at Hotel William Gray, then check in and rest for the full Montreal day.

Stay, nights 1-2 Hotel William Gray
421 Rue Saint-Vincent, Vieux-Montréal, Montréal, QC
hotelwilliamgray.com
Monday July 13 13 Full day Montreal
City day

Plateau, mountain, old city, market

Keep this day walkable and food-focused: brunch, Mont Royal, Vieux-Montréal, then provisions for the road.

Walking route Old Montreal map
Brunch

Café Olimpico or Lawrence in Le Plateau.

Mont Royal Park

Hike to Kondiaronk Belvedere for the classic city lookout.

Vieux-Montréal

Notre-Dame Basilica, Rue Saint-Paul, and Place d'Armes.

Marché Jean-Talon

Pick up local cheeses, charcuterie, jams, and road picnic supplies.

Dinner

Reserve Joe Beef or Liverpool House ahead of time.

Festival check

Check whether Just for Laughs is running; it is typically a mid-July event.

Stay, night 2 Hotel William Gray
Second night in Vieux-Montréal
hotelwilliamgray.com
Tuesday July 14 14 Montreal to Quebec City
~3 hrs + stops

Chemin du Roy instead of Hwy 40

Take Route 138 on the north shore, the historic Chemin du Roy, for riverside villages and a slower arrival into Québec City.

Driving directions Trois-Rivières map
Trois-Rivières

Halfway stop for Old Town wandering and lunch on a terrace.

Batiscan or Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade

Quiet riverside village stop for a walk and stretch.

Golden hour

Arrive late afternoon and walk Vieux-Québec before dinner.

Dinner

Choose Rue Saint-Louis or Grande Allée for the evening meal.

Stay, night 3 Hotel Le Priori
15 Rue du Sault-au-Matelot, Québec City, QC
hotellepriori.com
Wednesday July 15 15 Quebec City to La Malbaie
2.5-3 hrs + stops

Falls, island farms, and Route 362

Start at Montmorency Falls, loop Île d'Orléans, then use Route 362 into Charlevoix. This road choice is the point of the day.

Driving directions Falls map
Montmorency Falls

Fifteen minutes from Old Québec; use the suspension bridge or cable car.

Île d'Orléans

Drive the 67 km island loop for strawberries, maple products, wines, and Chocolaterie de l'Île d'Orléans.

Les Éboulements

Hilltop village with wide St. Lawrence views.

Saint-Irénée

Beautiful bay and a good moment to check Domaine Forget summer concerts.

Baie-Saint-Paul

Art capital of Charlevoix: galleries, coffee, and local restaurants.

Evening

Dinner at Le Charlevoix dining room, then walk the Manoir cliff terrace.

Stay, night 4 Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu
181 Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, QC
fairmont.com/manoir-richelieu

Ask for the Summer Fun Package: up to 25% off plus $100/day activity credit, valid June 1-Sept 21, 2026.

Thursday July 16 16 La Malbaie to Aurora
~6.5 hrs

The long return

Start early after breakfast at Le Manoir and treat this as a direct drive with one practical lunch stop.

Driving directions Lunch map
Optional quick stop

Cap-à-l'Aigle village before leaving the La Malbaie area.

Route

Rte 138 W through Québec City, Hwy 40 W, Hwy 15 S, Hwy 401 W, then Hwy 400/404 N to Aurora.

Lunch

Stop in Trois-Rivières or Montreal depending on timing.

Arrival

Aim for Aurora around 6-7 PM.

Bookings summary

Reserve lodging first, then the boat cruise and any Domaine Forget concert that fits the Route 362 afternoon.

July 12-13

Hotel William Gray

Vieux-Montréal. Book for Sun Jul 12 to Tue Jul 14.

Book direct
July 14

Hotel Le Priori

Historic Québec City stay for Jul 14-15.

Book direct
July 15

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

La Malbaie cliffside resort. Ask for the Summer Fun Package when booking direct.

Book direct
Activity

Domaine Forget

Check the Saint-Irénée summer concert schedule before finalizing the July 15 timing.

Concert schedule

Weather expectations

Historical averages only. Check the official forecast around July 1 at weather.gc.ca.

Ontario corridor

About 25°C

Warm afternoon driving conditions, long daylight, and a chance of brief storms along the 401 corridor.

Montreal

About 26°C

Warm, bright, and peak festival season, with brief storm risk.

Quebec City

About 24°C

Pleasant summer weather with a slightly higher rain chance than Montreal.

Charlevoix

About 22-23°C

Often the clearest and most scenic leg, with cooler evenings near the river.

Key tips

Small decisions that keep this route scenic instead of just efficient.

Sunday start

Keep the first day simple

Cancel the Kingston night and treat July 12 as a direct transfer to Montreal, not a sightseeing day.

Road choice

Route 362 matters

For the Charlevoix leg, take Route 362 rather than Hwy 138 where possible.

Fuel

Gas up in Baie-Saint-Paul

Do this before heading deeper into Charlevoix or onward to La Malbaie.

Language

A little French helps

A few greetings and polite phrases go a long way in Québec City and Charlevoix.

Layers

Bring a light jacket

Even warm days can turn cool by the St. Lawrence in Québec City and Charlevoix.

Daylight

Use the long evenings

Mid-July gives about 15+ hours of daylight, useful for flexible stops and late golden-hour walks.