Getting There
By Car -- It's a short drive from Québec City to the island. Get on Autoroute 440 east, in the direction of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré. In about 15 minutes, the Ile d'Orléans bridge is on the right. If you'd like a guide, Maple Leaf Guide Services (tel. 418/622-3677) can provide one in your car or theirs.
While it's possible to bike over the bridge, it's not recommended: The sidewalk is narrow and precarious. But cyclists can park their cars at the tourist office for C$5 (US$4.35/£2.15) a day.
By Bus -- There are no local buses, but there are organized bus tours. Dupont (tel. 418/649-9226; www.tourdupont.com) offers a 6-hour tour with stops at a sugar shack, apple orchard, and chocolaterie. La Tournée du Québec Métro (tel. 800/672-5232 or 418/836-8687) and Old Québec Tours (tel. 418/664-0460) offer shorter tours of the bottom southern edge of the island.
Visitor Information
After arriving on the island, follow the "?" signs and turn right on Route 368 East toward Ste-Pétronille. The Bureau d'Accueil Touristique (tel. 418/828-9411; www.iledorleans.com) is in the house on the right corner, and it has a useful guidebook (C$1/US87¢/43p). It's open late June to mid-October Sunday through Thursday 8:30am to 7:30pm, and Friday and Saturday 8:30am to 8pm; the rest of the year Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 11am to 3pm. The Québec City and Area Guide, available from Québec City tourism offices, describes a short tour of Ile d'Orléans. A driving-tour CD can be rented at the tourist office, and cycling maps are available.
The three lodgings recommended below for Ile d'Orléans are all of the auberge type, meaning they have six or more rooms and full-service restaurants open to both guests and nonguests. But there are also many bed-and-breakfast inns and gîtes (homes with a room or two available to travelers), which are cheaper and less elaborate. You can see very brief details about many of these offerings on the tourist office's website, www.iledorleans.com. Many lodgings also provide leaflets to the tourist office.
