Planning a trip to Gaspe Peninsula
Visitor Information
The Québec Government's tourism office's website, www.bonjourquebec.com, is thorough and up-to-date. Click on "Explore" and then go to "Tourist Regions" and select Gaspésie. Gaspé's regional tourism association (www.tourisme-gaspesie.com) has a number of brochures that they'll mail to you. Note that as you move farther away from Québec City, the more difficult it becomes to find people who speak English, although there are Anglophone communities in the Chaleur Bay area, near the New Brunswick border.
Getting There
By Train
VIA Rail (tel. 888/842-7245; www.viarail.ca) travels to the Gaspé region. The slow train goes along the St. Lawrence River, and then cuts inland and on to the southern shore of the peninsula. The train makes the overnight trip three times a week (it departs at 6:25pm and arrives at 12:25pm the following day), on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and returns on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (it departs at 3pm and arrives at 9am the following day). A Comfort Supersaver seat, with 5 days advance booking, costs C$109 one way; a berth or cabin costs between C$259 and C$339 one way. Early booking discounts are available but very much sought after, so reserve as soon as your plans are confirmed. Rental cars in Gaspé can be arranged with National (tel. 418/368-1541) or Budget (tel. 418/368-1610).
By Car
From Québec City, it's 765km (475 miles) to Percé, the furthest point on the peninsula, via the coastal route provinciale 132 on the northern shore. This "north tour" is the most scenic route. Leave Québec City by crossing to the southern side of the St. Lawrence River and picking up Route 20 East. Route 20 (a four-lane divided expressway) turns into Route 132 in the Gaspé region. The underside of the peninsula, which you'll travel on if you continue on Route 132 after leaving Percé, is largely a flat coastal plain beside a regular shoreline.
By Bus
Orléans Express intercity bus lines (tel. 888/999-3977; www.orleansexpress.com) provide excellent daily, year-round service two to three times a day from Montréal and Québec City to Rimouski, Matane, Gaspé, and every town in between. Buses take 3 1/2 hours to go from Québec City to Rimouski, 1 1/2 hours from Rimouski to Matane, 2 hours from Matane to Ste-Anne-des-Monts, and 3 hours from Ste-Anne-des-Monts to Gaspé. Québec City to Gaspé regular fares are C$115 adults, C$87 students and seniors. Orléans Express buses are generally more comfortable than buses in the United States (with elegant soft-leather seats, cup and laptop holders), and the drivers are polite, pleasant, and helpful.
