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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Boischatel
Skip as a base: sleep in Québec City and come out for Montmorency Falls in 2–3 hours, or use Boischatel as one night on the Côte-de-Beaupré drive.
Boischatel is a residential town of about 6,500 people on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, 17 km east of Québec City and facing Île d'Orléans. Its one big draw is the Boischatel side of Montmorency Falls Park; the rest is golf, a riverfront park, ancestral houses along the New France Road and the start of the Côte-de-Beaupré. Most travellers see it in half a day and sleep in Québec City.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Oct (falls at full flow, cycling and parks open); Feb for snow and the winter festival
- Avoid
- Nov and early Apr (mud season, thin ice, many seasonal sites shut)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · SÉPAQ Montmorency Falls Park +1 418-663-3330 · Boischatel town hall +1 418-822-0331
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$3–6 |
| Casual lunch (soup, sandwich or poutine) | C$15–25 |
| Dinner main in a Côte-de-Beaupré restaurant | C$22–38 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a dépanneur | C$8–10 / C$3–5 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | C$15–22 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–35 |
| Golf green fee, 18 holes | C$60–110 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage International
- About 35–45 min by car via Autoroute 440 and Route 138; no direct bus to Boischatel, check taxi or rideshare
Typical fares
- Taxi Québec City centre → Boischatel
- C$40–55, about 25 min
- Intercar coach, Québec City → Boischatel
- about C$10–15, 30–40 min, few daily departures
- Montmorency Falls Park entry
- about C$8 per adult; cable car extra
Get around
A car is the practical choice: sights sit 2–6 km apart along Route 138 and Avenue Royale, and there is no local transit network of note. Cyclists use the Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont. Intercar coaches stop on Boulevard Sainte-Anne for Québec City and the Côte-de-Beaupré, but only a few times a day.A car is the practical choice: sights sit 1.2–3.7 mi apart along Route 138 and Avenue Royale, and there is no local transit network of note. Cyclists use the Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont. Intercar coaches stop on Boulevard Sainte-Anne for Québec City and the Côte-de-Beaupré, but only a few times a day.
See and do
Known for
- Montmorency Falls (Boischatel side)
- Royal Quebec Golf Club
- Route de la Nouvelle-France ancestral houses
- Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Québec City | Car via Autoroute 440 or Route 138, about 20 min; Intercar coach from Boulevard Sainte-Anne | 30–45 min |
| Île d'Orléans | Car east on Route 138 to the bridge at the island's southwest tip, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré | Route 138 east, about 20 min by car; Intercar coach stops there | 30–40 min |
| Beaupré | Route 138 east, about 15 min by car | 25–35 min |
| L'Ange-Gardien | Route 138 east, about 10 min by car | 15–20 min |
| Château-Richer | Route 138 east, about 20 min by car | 30 min |
Sleep
- Boulevard Sainte-Anne strip (Route 138)
- The only real lodging corridor: motels and small inns on the highway, walkable to Parc de l'Anse and a short drive to the falls.
- Avenue Royale / village core
- Quiet residential streets with a few B&Bs and gîtes; closest to the Vézina House and the New France Road.
- Québec City (Beauport or Old Québec)
- Better value and more choice; 20–30 min by car to the falls, and buses run along Boulevard Sainte-Anne.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excusez-moiex-koo-zay-MWA |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Montmorency Falls parking fills on summer weekends and holiday Mondays: arrive before 10:00 or after 15:00.
- The falls' cable car, via ferrata and zip line close in winter and in high wind: check the SÉPAQ site the morning you go.
- The Boischatel caves are not a walk-in attraction: access is arranged through the Québec speleology society, with a guide and proper gear.
- Route 138 is a fast highway with no sidewalk in stretches; cross only at marked points.
- Winter trails at the golf club are ungroomed after heavy snow; check local conditions before skiing.
Very safe for a town of its size; the real risks are highway traffic on Route 138, cold water and river currents, and winter ice on trails and stairs.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Boischatel yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Montmorency Falls (Boischatel side)
- Royal Quebec Golf Club
- Route de la Nouvelle-France ancestral houses
- Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipalité de Boischatel: www.boischatel.ca/
- SÉPAQ — Parc de la Chute-Montmorency: www.sepaq.com/destinations/parc-chute-montmorency/
- Intercar: intercar.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Boischatel, revision 5237986 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237986
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Boischatel
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- SÉPAQ Montmorency Falls Park+1 418-663-3330
- Boischatel town hall+1 418-822-0331
No embassies in Boischatel; consulates-general are in Montréal and the US consulate-general is in Québec City (check the address).
French is the everyday language; a short bonjour before a question goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/boischatel). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.