Input welcome: Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Montreal

[NCWriter]

We're hoping to make a trip to the Gaspe Peninsula this summer, after having a wonderful time two years ago in Canada's Atlantic Provinces.

My spouse's father was born in Montreal and late grandparents retired in a small cottage at St. Eustache near the water many decades ago. So a return to Montreal is on our list, as well as first time to Quebec City. And we look forward to driving around the Gaspésie.

Any suggestions for best weather (July, Aug, Sept are options?

Favorite campgrounds?

Thoughts on routes?

Attractions such as museums not to be missed?

We appreciate any input you have time to give.

[gk]

Gaspe is wonderful. English is limited but people are helpful and a smile on your face is a universal language understood by most. Be sure to spend a good day at Perce. Take the boat out to Perce Rock. Promise you will be a fabulous day.

[CueSee]

Always a pleasure to reply to questions such as yours

[NCWriter]

This is all great input. Once I start getting down to planning our route out, I'll probably send a PM or two as needed. Merci, one and all!

[Orion]

I went to Quebec the first time about ten years ago, and having lived in Western Canada for so long I was curious to see how I would be treated. I was pleasantly surprised, but then I thought it was because I was with my son in law and his family who are from there.
Next time I was out on my own, and I tried out my very poor French, Parisian French, but with a Welsh accent. No problem at all! They would either really try to understand what I was trying to say in French, or switch to English, which some understood as it was near Quebec City.
On my next venture out, I pretended to have NO French. I first asked if they spoke English, if they did, they would help me in their sometimes very poor English. If not, then we would rely on pointing at things and a bit of 'Charades'. Every one was very helpful.
I was always very pleasant though, and never once showed any frustration at their not being able to speak English.
Can you imagine the reaction say to tourists from say Germany travelling across Kansas and getting frustrated with the locals for not being able to speak German!

[JackD]

Most of the time (if not always) feeling welcome in a foreigh country is the result of having the proper attitute..... which is much more important than being prolific in the local language......

[CueSee]

dcason............you hit my favourite bakery in Baie-St-Paul.

Here is a Plan B for your return..

When you arrive at Rivière-du-Loup take the ferry over to St-Siméon and see Charlevoix. Like Vermont, it is a great place to get lost. I can give you alternate routes and places only local tourists visit that are awesome, including an 18% hill.

If interested let me know

[CueSee]

Make the effort to speak and they will be more than willing to work with you. Meet them on their ground. Anyone we talked to was helpful
and pleasant. I will most definetly bring a phrase book when we travel through there and I look forward to it.



I like this! Very much.

Another thing which really helps is,

''Excuse me, but do you speak English?''
or

''Excuse me please, I do not speak French''

Don't want to start anything here, just mentioning it.

If you drive 5-6 mile past Percé you'll find l'Anse-à-Beau-Fils and you can stay next to the marine, near the big white building across from the marina. There are also shower and laundry facilities, a restaurant and a bit further on is a grocery store OR you can spend the night in the rest area at Cap d'Éspoir just past the store where there are picnic tables and roof covered right onthe waterside. Have done bothe over the years and it sure beats paying $$ for a cg in Percé. In Percé you can catch a boat to Bonaventure Island which is noted for its huge amount of Northern Gannets.

As you head back make note that everything happens onthe piers and docks. Paspébiac has a real nice Fishery Museum. A great blues festival in New Carlisle, check the dates because the cg will be filled, it is in late August

Matapedia Valley is a nice run. Take a break at Causapscal as there are a lot of salmon fishermen there right in back ofthe Tourist Office ( where you could probably spend the night) A cg at Val-Brillant too

Have a good trip and remember:

Bonjour

Merci

Those two words will open a lot of doors

[dcason]

Hubby and I are planning a future trip to Gaspe' area.

We toured Newfoundland and came back via Labrador/Quebec 389...taking us down the opposite side of the saint Lawrence on Quebec route 138.
It was quite quaint and a farming area, way more hilly in spots that I thought it would be...some day we would like to visit that side more slowly.

Okay, my point here is this...bring a phrase book with you and please make an attempt to speak French even if it is just a key word. Example: we wanted to get breakfast at a very small but crowded breakfast place. So the menu was all in French (of course)...there was no English menu. This was going to be fun, interesting, and an experience. I've passed through France in my young travel years and had only a few words of long forgotten French. The waitress of course knew no English (more fun). I didn't begin talking to her in English assuming she knew English. I asked her politey in French if she spoke English. No. I then proceeded to point to things on the menu that I could make out (I knew my pronunciation would be way off).
We "talked" back and forth and I got my order in. Hubby? He wimped out and held up two fingers. He never orders the same as me! We ate
we had tea. WE enjoyed ourselves and she came over and asked "Good?"
"Wi". We tipped her well for her efforts and patience.

Make the effort to speak and they will be more than willing to work with you. Meet them on their ground. Anyone we talked to was helpful
and pleasant. I will most definetly bring a phrase book when we travel through there and I look forward to it.

Oh, La Remy (on route 138) has a wonderful mill/bakery with fresh breads (Fromag bread was WONDERFUL..hubby didn't get but a slice of it) if you ever go to the north side of st. Lawrence. It is near BAie St. Paul. Boulangerie/Bakery and Mill of St. Remy.Boulangerie de la Remy

[VTLee]

I have been to all the Atlantic Provinces including a trip to Newfoundland, where we are going back to this year. In my opinion the other provinces are just as, or more, picturesque and very welcoming to tourist. We had several instances in the Gaspe where we were denied service and/or rudely treated because of not speaking French.

[NCWriter]

Thanks to all who answered with such great, helpful info. I appreciate it very much!

Any additional thoughts are welcome if they come to mind.

[obgraham]

The Gaspe route is wonderful. We did it in September. Couple of things:

Some campgrounds and some attractions begin to close down after Labor Day. Not the main ones, and it's okay because places are less crowded. But be aware that not everywhere is open.

Route 132 (really, the only road!) is a long highway, and it's slower going than it looks on the map. Along the south part of Gaspe there is a lot of development, and speed limits and traffic keeps you from making time in an RV. Allow plenty of time. Road surfaces varied -- mostly good, a couple of messy construction zones.

Contrary to my preconceived notions and my unilingualism, I found folks very friendly, and encountered few if any language problems.

Agree with a big star for Forillon National Park. The whole route, IMHO, was wonderful.

There's no easy way through Montreal, but I think the tunnel on the East is better than the bridges to the West.

[Little_Kopit]

Forillon National Park

:B

[CueSee]

Yeah, I forgot about the Aquarium.

Surprisingly one of our best trips to Percé was in early February via the 299, Parc de la Gaspésie out of Ste-Anne-des-Monts to New Richmond. Saved a lot of money, didn't but one T-Shirt ... LOL

[63-Coupe]

We prefer to travel around Gaspe counterclockwise which keeps us on the water side of the highway.

The aquarium at Quebec City was an unexpected but pleasant half day diversion for us. It's just over the bridge on the north side of the river.