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NEW! QUEBEC, ST. LAWRENCE AND GASPE RAIL TOUR
Land tour from $2699.00 THIS DEPARTURE IS CLOSED TO BOOKINGS FOR 2008. We have a fine and very similar tour available from a partner company. Ask us for details. Join us next summer for an in-depth tour of the magnificent “La Belle Provence” of Quebec, including the St. Lawrence River Valley, Quebec City, the Laurentian Mountains, and the coastal and mountain scenery of the Gaspe Peninsula! We follow the beautiful St. Lawrence River from Montreal to the sea, go whale watching, and view the incredible towering cliffs of the Saguenay River Fjord on a special day-cruise. This program takes us through some of the most spectacular country in eastern North America, including the best Canadian train ride east of the Rockies, the route of the vista-dome CHALEUR. We have three beautiful journeys on the streamlined trains of VIA Rail Canada. The CHALEUR domeliner ride takes us 190 daylight miles along the rugged coast of the Gaspe Peninsula. The train crosses numerous trestles, twists in and out of sheltered coves, rolls along bluffs high above the sea, and even runs directly along the beach as it journeys from Montreal to the “end of the line” at Gaspe, Quebec’s eastern-most VIA station. The SAGUENAY offers a complete contrast as we travel from Jonquiere to Riviere-a-Pierre through the roadless wilderness of the Laurentian Mountains. We also ride VIA Rail’s fast 105mph Corridor service from Quebec City to Montreal, with First Class “VIA 1” seats and a full meal enroute.
From Rimouski we have a half-day whale watch cruise on the St. Lawrence before crossing by ferry to the North Shore. A day is spent exploring the magnificent fjord scenery of the Saguenay River and the historic town of Chicoutimi, which has thundering waterfalls and historic mills. We continue by train through the Laurentian Mountains to historic Quebec City for a two-night stay at the fine Delta Quebec City Hotel. We explore this most European of Canadian cities and enjoy a special Farewell Dinner at the unique Aux Anciens Canadiens restaurant, located in the oldest house in the Upper Town. This tour includes many meals and special attractions and is escorted by Rail Travel Center’s Lyle Mc Bride, a fluent French-speaker. You will find English is now widely spoken throughout the region as well. Please join us on the very special tour. Complete details follow. All aboard!
Depart Montreal on the CHALEUR domeliner. Independent arrivals today into Montreal. We depart this evening at 6:15 PM on VIA Rail Canada’s CHALEUR domeliner. A delicious dinner, cooked on board, can be purchased in the diner. We also can enjoy the Skyline dome-lounge car as we speed east along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. We overnight in Pullman sleeper accommodations. The CHALEUR is equipped with comfortable former Canadian Pacific Railway streamlined cars originally built for the transcontinental service. The basic tour price includes Section berth space with shared toilets. As noted under “pricing” (below) upgrades to a Roomette (single) or Bedroom (double) with in-room toilets are possible. All train rooms have access to a private shower located in each car. Only one night is spent on the train. All other nights are in hotels with private baths. Day Two, Saturday, August 9 (L,D) CHALEUR along the Gaspe Coast; tour Forillon National Park. Early risers can enjoy the beautiful run along the Matapedia River, which the train follows as it descends from a pass over the Appalachian Mountains. At the tiny hamlet of Matapedia, our route leaves the mainline to Halifax and begins to follow the south shore of the rugged Gaspe Peninsula. For nearly 200 miles this route offers rail scenery unmatched east of the Rockies! The tracks climb over rugged headlands, cross causeways and viaducts, and offer almost continuous views of the mountains and open waters of the Bay of Chaleur. Frequent stops are made at tiny fishing and farming villages. The dome car will offer a great viewpoint this morning!
Day Three, Sunday, August 10 (B,D) Cruise to Perce Rock and Bonaventure Island. This morning we enjoy a cruise to the bird rookeries of Bonaventure Island and view the natural stone arch of Perce Rock. Over 120,000 gannets, puffins and cormorants nest here every summer. After free time for independent lunches and exploring the pretty resort village of Gaspe, we continue along the coast to Carleton, where we overnight at a country inn, the lovely Hostellerie Baie Bleue (Blue Bay Inn). The hotel is noted for its fine cuisine, and both dinner and breakfast are included here.
Mount St. Joseph scenic drive; Reford/Metis Gardens. This morning we ascend to the overlook on Mount St. Joseph, which offers sweeping vistas of the Bay of Chaleur and the mountains of the Gaspe. We continue through the interior peaks to the beautiful road along the North Shore of the peninsula, which we follow to the wonderful Reford/Metis Gardens. This was the fishing “camp” of Lord Mount Stephen, one of the builders of the Canadian Pacific Ry. His niece, Elsie Reford, was given the estate in 1918 and transformed it into one of the most beautiful show gardens in Canada. We have an extended visit with time for independent lunches and exploring the floral displays, which range from formal beds to forest rambles. At points the gardens seem to flow into the waters of the St. Lawrence. In mid-afternoon we continue our drive along the grand coastal road to Rimouski, where we overnight at the Hotel Levesque. Once again dinner and breakfast are included. Day Five, Tuesday, August 12 (B,L) St. Lawrence River whale-watch cruise; ferry to the North Shore; Jonquiere/Chicoutimi. This morning we sail the St. Lawrence River from the south- shore village of Rimouski. This region is noted for the many whales that gather in summer to feed on the schools of fish near the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers. After an included lunch, we ferry across the river and make the beautiful drive into the Laurentian Mountains along the heights above the Saguenay River Fjord. Our destination is Jonquiere/Chicoutimi, where we enjoy a two-night stay at the Holiday Inn Saguenay. Day Six, Wednesday, August 13 (B) Saguenay Fjord Cruise; tour Chicoutimi. At the town of Chicoutimi the waters of the Saguenay River plunge over a series of rapids and falls into a true fjord. The peaks rise to heights over 1300 feet above the fjord, which we sail this morning. The scenery here evokes Alaska’s Inside Passage or the coastal fjords of Norway. This afternoon we explore Chicoutimi, visiting the interesting Pulp Mill National Historic Site, which contains not only the remains of the Chicoutimi Paper Mill but also the regional museum. The site includes beautiful waterfalls as well.
VIA Rail SAGUENAY train through the Laurentian Mountains; arrive Quebec City. We board VIA Rail Canada’s pocket-streamliner, the SAGUENAY, this morning for a unique wilderness journey. From Chambord to Riviere-a-Pierre (over 100 miles) the line penetrates a roadless region of the Laurentian Mountains, stopping to serve remote camps and resorts. The line follows fast-flowing rivers and crosses lonely trestles as we roll west. At Riviere-a-Pierre, we re-board our coach for the drive to historic Quebec City.
Here we spend two nights at the comfortable Delta Quebec City Hotel located adjacent to the Quebec National Assembly, the provincial parliament. The hotel is just a block from the gates to the historic Upper Town.
Day Eight, Friday, August 15 (B,D) Tour Quebec City; Farewell Dinner. This morning we
explore Quebec City on the “Rendezvous with History” tour. We see the
Plains of Abraham, where British General Wolf defeated Montcalm’s French
forces in 1759. We also visit the ancient Lower Town, see the Chateau
Frontenac and the mighty
Citadel
fortress,
and marvel at the thundering cascades of Montmorency Falls. The afternoon is free to shop and further explore this gloriously beautiful city which towers on bluffs above the St. Lawrence. Our Farewell Dinner is at the superb restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens, located in the oldest house in the upper town. Day Nine, Saturday, August 16 (B) VIA RAIL Canada “VIA 1” First Class to Montreal. We board one of VIA Rail Canada’s fast Corridor trains this morning at the beautifully restored Gare du Palais (Palace Station)
for a fast sprint at speeds up to 105 mph to Montreal. We enjoy a complete hot breakfast as the train soars over the St. Lawrence on the great bridge at Charny before making a mid-morning arrival into Montreal, where the tour ends at Central Station. Trains or flights departing Montreal can be booked for departure after 1:00 PM today. If you’d like to extend your time in Montreal for a night, we have rooms available at the superb Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, located directly above Central Station. The rate here is $240 U.S. per night, single or double occupancy, including all taxes.
TOUR PRICES include all rail, ferry, cruise and bus fares; all hotels; sightseeing and admissions noted as included above; meals noted as included above; escort services; and luggage handling. Not included are the airport-train station transfers in Montreal, other meals, alcoholic beverages and souvenirs. The basic tour price includes Section berths with shared toilets for the one night spent on the train on Day One. Upgraded Roomette and Bedroom sleepers with private in-room toilets are available for a modest surcharge. All other tour nights are in hotel rooms with private bath. $2699.00 per person. double occupancy using Section berths on VIA $3299.00 single occupancy using a Section upper berth on VIA Sleeper Upgrade prices on the CHALEUR $70.00 per person, double occupancy, using two Roomettes or a Bedroom on VIA $40.00 single occupancy using a Section lower berth on VIA $70.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA Conditions and Booking Information (the fine print)
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Last modified: March 28, 2008 |
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August
8-16, 2008 
Sightseeing
includes a tour of beautiful
Day
One, Friday, August 8 
Shortly
after noon we arrive in Gaspe and board our private coach for the short
drive to
Day
Four, Monday, August 11 (B,D) 
Day
Seven, Thursday, August 14 (B) 
