Fruit-laden grapevines, lush orchards, and blazing red maples are colorful highlights of a Québec road trip in the fall. Bonus: If you drive an electric vehicle, Fairmont hotels in Québec have charging stations in Hydro-Québec’s Electric Circuit. From west to east, here are our must-stop spots.
Fairmont Le Château Montebello, Montebello
Visit the world’s largest log hotel on the shores of the Ottawa River, halfway between Canada’s capital city (80 kilometers/50 miles west) and Montréal (120 kilometers/75 miles east).
VIPet: Your dog will love a leashed walk on the hotel’s nearly 5-kilometer trail or nearby nature trails. Pet-friendly hotel amenities include food bowls and kennels (subject to availability).
Fall Feasts: Advance order a picnic basket from in-room dining to sustain your road trip. Refuel with a harvest-inspired meal at Aux Chantignoles, a steakhouse with a spectacular wine cellar.
Taste the Outaouais: Local foodie stops include ChocoMotive for fair-trade chocolate and other artisanal goodies; Fromagerie Montebello for famed curds and cheese plus condiments and sandwiches; and Verger Croque-Pomme to quaff cider and pick apples and pumpkins.
If Mont-Tremblant is your next stop, Parc Oméga is en route (on QC-323 N). Feed carrot-chomping deer and explore the cultures of Québec’s 11 First Nations on a 15-kilometer car track.
Fairmont Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant
Just 130 kilometers (85 miles) from Montréal, Mont-Tremblant is a ski-in, ski-out alpine retreat. At night, Tonga Lumina takes you on an illuminated, multimedia storytelling journey in the Laurentians (through October 14, 2023).
Soul Food: Be charmed by live music while enjoying a rustic autumn dinner or a snack of oysters and bubbly at AXE Lounge Bar, which offers free valet parking at Fairmont Tremblant. AXE Lounge Bar stocks more than 40 Québec artisanal spirits and offers a wine-tasting passport to guide you through the tastes of local terroir. Visit Ricochet Café & Terrasse for grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches, pizzas and salads to fuel your drive.
Driver Therapy: Moment Spa Fairmont Tremblant can soothe weary drivers with an Energizing Leg Treatment, plus a full menu of massages, face and body treatments and grooming services. Fore Thought: Autumn foliage is the spectacular backdrop at five local golf courses. Before tackling them, take your game to the next level with hands-on lessons and digital teaching tools at Tremblant Golf Academy.
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montréal
Take a city break or staycation at this urban retreat located atop the central train station downtown.
Foodie Fuel: Marché Artisans, the lobby’s gourmet food hall, has salads, pizzas, gourmet pastries and healthy eats from sustainable sushi to poké bowls.
Art Walk: Not only does Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth feature evocative Cité Mémoire historic projections, but it also has a collection of museum-quality art. Explore more art and culture at museums in Old Montréal, including the Pointe-à-Callière National Historic Site showcasing the city’s founding. Green Peace: For a well-groomed take on fall foliage, stroll through 10 greenhouses and 20 thematic gardens at the 75-acre Botanical Garden. Or climb Mount Royal starting at Peel Street and look for the memorial commemorating the 1969 Bed-in for Peace, also celebrated in the John Lennon and Yoko Ono suite at the hotel.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec
Within the walls of Old Québec (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), this castle on a hill 232 kilometers (144 miles) west of Montréal has hosted celebrities, dignitaries and musical stars for more than a century. Special suites are named for Winston Churchill, Celine Dion, Theodore Roosevelt and other luminaries.
Island Lure: Drive across the bridge to the Saint-Lawrence River’s Île d’Orléans, home to passionate food producers, artisans and chefs who transform the island’s famed strawberries, apples, potatoes, blackcurrants and wine into delectable eats.
Guided Tours: From yoga classes and culinary demonstrations to guided walking tours of Old Québec and wine tasting trips, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac team has local experiences crafted specially for you. Ask the concierge for details.
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, La Malbaie
Drive 149 kilometers (90 miles) east of Québec City to a village gem of the Charlevoix region, located between a river, forest and the cliffs of Pointe-au-Pic.
Savor Fall: The Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix is a regional flavor trail highlighting cideries and breweries, cheese and chocolate makers, and organic meat and produce farms.
Park and Ride: Park the car and hop aboard Train de Charlevoix for a day trip to Baie-Saint-Paul. After a day of exploration, enjoy a mixed platter of local cheese and charcuterie from La Brise Lobby Bar.
Iron Ladder: A via ferrata, a secured climbing route along a rock wall, on the hotel grounds gives you spectacular Saint-Lawrence River views during a thrilling but safe 2.5-hour climb, courtesy of the experts at Projet Vertical.
No matter where you stop on your Québec road trip this fall, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are there to help make colorful memories.