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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Franklin
Go only as a half-day orchard-and-cider loop off the Montérégie back roads, or as a border-crossing stop; there is no town centre to spend a night in.
Franklin is a rural municipality in Le Haut-Saint-Laurent, about 57 km south of Montréal, made up of the village of Franklin and the Saint-Antoine-Abbé sector. It is farmland, orchards, cider houses and maple bush, plus a Canada-US border crossing on QC-209. There is no hotel strip and no main street of shops: you come for a drive, a pick-your-own stop and a cider tasting, then move on. Most travellers see it as a two-to-four-hour detour inside a Montérégie day, not as a base.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Oct (orchards and cider open; foliage early Oct)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (most farm gates closed, roads icy)
- 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$60–100 excl. bed (fuel, picnic, one tasting) · Mid C$100–180 excl. bed (orchard stop, cider tasting, lunch) · High C$180+ excl. bed (spa, chalet, restaurant meals) (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 · Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency) 310-4141 · CBSA border information 1-800-461-9999
- 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 and pastry at a village bakery | C$4–8 |
| Cider tasting flight | C$8–15 |
| Pick-your-own apples, per kg | C$4–7 |
| Lunch in Ormstown or Huntingdon | C$15–28 |
| Fuel, per litre | C$1.50–1.80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 60–75 min by car via QC-138 and QC-209; no direct bus to Franklin.
- YHU · Montréal Saint-Hubert
- Smaller field; about 50–60 min by car.
Typical fares
- Montréal → Franklin by car
- about 57 km, 1 h–1 h 30 min depending on the bridgeabout 35 mi, 1 h–1 h 30 min depending on the bridge
- Fuel for a 120 km orchard loop
- about C$18
- No local bus or taxi
- arrange your own vehicle
Get around
You need a car. There is no local transit in Franklin; CIT Roussillon serves the Saint-Constant/Delson area, not here. QC-202 runs east-west through the orchards and QC-209 runs north-south to the US border. Distances between farms are 2–6 km, so plan a loop rather than walking between stops.You need a car. There is no local transit in Franklin; CIT Roussillon serves the Saint-Constant/Delson area, not here. QC-202 runs east-west through the orchards and QC-209 runs north-south to the US border. Distances between farms are 1.2–3.7 mi, so plan a loop rather than walking between stops.
See and do
Known for
- Orchards and cider houses along QC-202
- Canada-US border crossing on QC-209 (Churubusco, NY)
- Maple groves and blueberry fields
- Rural cycling and walking trails
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park | Car via QC-209 north and QC-30 west | About 1 h 15 min |
| Saint-Constant | Car via QC-209 north, about 40 kmCar via QC-209 north, about 25 mi | About 45 min |
| Hinchinbrooke (Powerscourt covered bridge) | Car west on QC-202 | About 20 min |
| Ormstown | Car east on QC-202 | About 25 min |
| Montréal | Car via QC-209 and QC-138, or QC-30 to the Mercier Bridge | 1 h–1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Franklin village and QC-202
- A spa with mini-chalets and a naturist eco-centre are the only listed stays; book ahead or sleep in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield or Huntingdon instead.
- Saint-Antoine-Abbé sector
- Church, bakery and recreation centre; a few minutes north of the village, no lodging cluster.
- Nearby towns as a base
- Huntingdon, Ormstown or Salaberry-de-Valleyfield give more beds, food and evening options within 20–35 min.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| I would like a tasting, please | Je voudrais une dégustation, s'il vous plaîtzhuh voo-DREH ün day-goos-ta-SYON |
| Do you take cards? | Acceptez-vous les cartes ?ak-sep-TAY voo lay KART |
| Where is the border crossing? | Où est le poste frontière ?oo eh luh post fron-TYAIR |
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
- No public transit and no taxi rank: arrange your own vehicle or a driver.
- Border crossing on QC-209 is a real port of entry — bring your passport and check current US entry rules before you drive south.
- Farm stands and cider houses keep seasonal, limited hours; call or check the site the day before.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads near the border.
- Winter roads here are rural and lightly plowed: winter tyres are the norm in Québec from December.
Very low crime; the real risks are rural driving (deer at dusk, icy winter roads, slow farm vehicles), patchy phone signal near the border, and unmarked field entrances. Lock the car and keep to marked trails.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Franklin yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Orchards and cider houses along QC-202
- Canada-US border crossing on QC-209 (Churubusco, NY)
- Maple groves and blueberry fields
- Rural cycling and walking trails
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 Franklin: www.municipalitedefranklin.ca/
- Bonjour Québec — Montérégie: www.bonjourquebec.com/en/where-to-go/monteregie
- Wikivoyage: Franklin (Quebec), revision 5250065 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5250065
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Franklin
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
- Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency)310-4141
- CBSA border information1-800-461-9999
No consulate in Franklin. US consulate general and most embassies are in Montréal; national embassies are in Ottawa.
Franklin is rural: fill the tank and carry cash for farm stands.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/franklin-quebec). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.