A two-week loop from Montreal: the Laurentians, La Mauricie National Park, Quebec City, the Route du Fleuve through Charlevoix, the whales of Tadoussac and the Saguenay Fjord, returning along the south shore after a ferry across the St. Lawrence.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Montreal | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Mont-Tremblant | 124 km · 1h50 |
| Days 5 to 6 | Shawinigan (La Mauricie National Park) | 264 km · 3h25 |
| Days 7 to 9 | Quebec City | 147 km · 2h05 |
| Day 10 | Baie-Saint-Paul | 94 km · 1h25 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Tadoussac | 121 km · 2h10 |
| Day 13 | L'Anse-Saint-Jean | 217 km · 3h35 |
| Day 14 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli | 203 km · 3h55 |
| Day 15 | Back to Montreal | 342 km · 4h25 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
June to mid-October: the La Mauricie parkway is fully open from 28 May to 12 October 2026, and the Parks Canada sites for shore-based whale watching open from late June to mid-October. In winter, winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 15 March, and the Saint-Siméon ferry does not run from early January to late March.
🚗 124 km · 1h50 of driving from Montreal
Autoroute 15 through the Laurentians, then Route 117 after Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. Leaving the island, never turn right on a red light.
🚗 264 km · 3h25 of driving from Mont-Tremblant
Back south on the 117, Autoroutes 15, 640 and 40 along the river, then Autoroute 55 north.
🚗 147 km · 2h05 of driving from Shawinigan
Autoroute 55 to the river, then Autoroute 40 along the north shore. Slower: Route 138, which follows the old Chemin du Roy.
🚗 94 km · 1h25 of driving from Quebec City
Route 138 along the Côte-de-Beaupré, then the Charlevoix backcountry until the descent to the bay.
🚗 121 km · 2h10 of driving from Baie-Saint-Paul
Route 362, the Route du Fleuve, a corniche road through Les Éboulements and Saint-Irénée, then the 138 and the free ferry from Baie-Sainte-Catherine.
🚗 217 km · 3h35 of driving from Tadoussac
Route 172 along the north shore of the fjord, narrow and winding, 72 km with no services. Then La Baie and Route 170.
🚗 203 km · 3h55 of driving from L'Anse-Saint-Jean
Route 170 to Saint-Siméon, the paying ferry to Rivière-du-Loup (70 min, no booking), then Route 132 through Kamouraska.
🚗 342 km · 4h25 of driving from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli
Skip the Laurentians, La Mauricie and the Saguenay: Montreal (1 night), Quebec City (2), Tadoussac (2) via Charlevoix, the Saint-Siméon ferry and Saint-Jean-Port-Joli (1), then back to Montreal on Autoroute 20.
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €33 a day |
|---|---|
| Compact, annual average | ≈ €44 a day |
| SUV, annual average | ≈ €57 a day |
| All categories, July | ≈ €63 a day |
| All categories, November | ≈ €28 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | Compact or intermediate: the whole loop is paved, so a 4x4 is pointless. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Montréal-Trudeau airport (YUL, in Dorval) or in town. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | France's foreign ministry recommends the rental company's full cover (CDW or LDW). |
| Age | 21 at Enterprise; from 21 to 24, about CA$25 extra a day. |
| Licence and card | Your driving licence and a credit card in the driver's name. |
| Winter tyres | From 1 December to 15 March, compulsory on hire cars too. |
| Prices collected | Kayak averages for Montreal, collected on 24 September 2026. |
⚠️ In Quebec, GST (5%) and QST (9.975%) are added to a price displayed before tax: almost 15% more.
Valid on its own for the first 6 months in Quebec; after that, an International Driving Permit as well. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. At all-way stops, the vehicle that arrived first has priority.
50 in towns, 70 on gravel, 60 minimum on motorways. Fines are doubled in roadworks zones.
Canada's criminal threshold. Zero alcohol for learner and probationary licences.
Compulsory on Quebec-registered cars, hire cars included. Fine of CA$200 to CA$300.
Allowed elsewhere in Quebec after a full stop, unless a sign says otherwise; give way to pedestrians and cyclists.
Mainly in June-July and October-November, at dawn and dusk. A moose hits the windscreen.
Flashing red lights: stop in both directions, unless a central reservation separates you from the bus.
Between Sacré-Cœur and Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, a narrow, winding road. Fill up in Tadoussac.
Closures and conditions in real time; never drive onto a closed road.
≈ CA$1.98 a litre of petrol in Montreal, or €1.23 (week of 21 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,512 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €130 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Figure from the Régie de l'énergie du Québec, ECB exchange rate of 23 September 2026. Fill up in Tadoussac before Route 172.
| Motorways on the loop | No tolls; only Autoroutes 25 and 30, near Montreal, are toll roads |
|---|---|
| Tadoussac to Baie-Sainte-Catherine ferry | Free, 24 hours a day, no booking |
| Rivière-du-Loup to Saint-Siméon ferry | CA$55.65 per car and CA$23.40 per adult, with the driver counted as a passenger |
| La Mauricie National Park | CA$10 per adult, CA$19.50 per vehicle for up to 7 people |
| Sépaq parks (Mont-Tremblant, Fjord-du-Saguenay) | Daily access fee per person |
| Parkway, La Mauricie National Park | Fully open from 28 May to 12 October 2026, partly open after that |
|---|---|
| Saint-Mathieu entrance (La Mauricie) | Closed outside the period from 28 May to 12 October |
| Rivière-du-Loup to Saint-Siméon ferry | Running from 28 March 2026 to 3 January 2027 |
| Tadoussac ferry | Running all year, day and night |
| Parks Canada whale sites | Late June to mid-October |
Two weeks for this loop of 8 stages and 14 nights from Montreal, about 1,500 km, never more than 4h30 of driving a day. In 7 days, keep Montreal, Quebec City, Charlevoix and Tadoussac, then return along the south shore. With less than a week: Montreal and Quebec City, with a day trip to Montmorency Falls.
Excluding flights and accommodation: about €620 of car hire for a compact (€44 a day, Kayak average), plus taxes if they are not included, about €130 of petrol at September 2026 prices for 1,500 km, CA$102 for the Saint-Siméon ferry for one car and two adults, plus park entry fees.
Yes: an EU licence is enough on its own for the first 6 months after arrival. After that, an International Driving Permit becomes compulsory alongside the original licence. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies generally require a minimum age of 21, with a surcharge of about CA$25 a day under 25 at Enterprise.
The Parks Canada centres for watching from the shore, at Pointe-Noire and Cap-de-Bon-Désir, open from late June to mid-October. You mostly see belugas, minke whales and fin whales, sometimes the blue whale. Book the boat cruise for the first morning, and keep the second day in reserve in case the wind picks up.
Yes, from 1 December to 15 March, on all Quebec-registered cars, including hire cars: the rental company must supply them. The fine ranges from CA$200 to CA$300. Québec 511 gives road conditions in real time, and the government asks drivers to postpone any non-essential journey in very bad weather.
Yes, everywhere except on the island of Montreal and where a sign prohibits it. You must first come to a complete stop before the line, then give way to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. It is permitted, not compulsory.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/quebec · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
