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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Grosse Isle
Grosse-Île
Go for one day, late May–early Oct, as a boat trip from Berthier-sur-Mer: about $60 covers the crossing and the national historic site. No beds on the island.
Grosse Isle is a small St. Lawrence island in the Isle-aux-Grues archipelago, opposite Berthier-sur-Mer and Montmagny in Chaudière-Appalaches. It holds the quarantine station where thousands of Irish famine migrants died in 1847, now a national historic site with an Irish memorial, cemetery and the Lazaret. It is uninhabited: you visit on a seasonal boat and sleep on Île-aux-Grues or the south shore.
- Country
- Canada
- Local name
- Grosse-Île
- Best months
- Late May–early Oct (boat season); Sep–Oct for geese and bird migration
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (boats stop; access is charter aircraft only)
- Stay
- 1 night
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$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ 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 · Air Montmagny (charter flights) +1 418-248-3545
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Grosse-Île National Historic Site admission | Adult C$19.75, senior C$16.75, youth free |
| Boat from Berthier-sur-Mer plus site admission | About C$60 per person |
| Montmagny–Île-aux-Grues ferry | Free |
| Coffee or snack at a riverside café | C$4–9 |
| Cheese from the Île-aux-Grues co-op | C$8–20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 1 h by car to Berthier-sur-Mer or Montmagny; then boat.
Typical fares
- Berthier-sur-Mer → Grosse Isle, boat plus site admission
- about C$60 per person (check)
- Montmagny → Île-aux-Grues ferry
- free, seasonal, 2–4 crossings a day (check)
- Charter flight Montmagny → Île-aux-Grues
- on demand, price on request (check)
Get around
On Grosse Isle you walk: a 2.5-km Mirador Trail plus the historic village on foot or by trolley. Île-aux-Grues has several km of roads for cycling or driving. Between islands and the south shore, use the seasonal boats or a charter flight.
See and do
Known for
- Grosse-Île National Historic Site
- Irish Memorial and famine cemetery
- The Lazaret (1847 isolation hospital)
- Isle-aux-Grues cheeses and bird-watching
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Île-aux-Grues | Boat from Berthier-sur-Mer or the free Montmagny ferry, then walk or cycle | About 1–1.5 h |
| Montmagny | Free seasonal ferry from Île-aux-Grues, or Autoroute 20 by car | About 1 h |
| Saint-Jean-Port-Joli | Autoroute 20 or Route 132 northeast by car | About 1 h |
| Lévis and Québec City | Autoroute 20 west by car, or VIA Rail from Montmagny | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Île-aux-Grues (Saint-Antoine-de-l'Isle-aux-Grues)
- Only inhabited island of the archipelago, about 130 residents; inns and B&Bs, closest to Grosse Isle.
- Montmagny
- South shore town with the free seasonal ferry to Île-aux-Grues; motels and chain hotels on Autoroute 20.
- Berthier-sur-Mer
- Departure point for the Croisières Lachance boat to Grosse Isle; small riverside lodging.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Where is the boat? | Où est le bateau ?oo ay luh ba-TOH |
| I have a ticket | J'ai un billetzhay un bee-YAY |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
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
- Grosse Isle has no lodging, no shops and no year-round services: bring water, food and any medication.
- Boats run seasonally and the Montmagny ferry follows the tides, 2–4 crossings a day: check times before booking a same-day return.
- The Montmagny–Île-aux-Grues ferry is free but carries cars and fills in hunting and birding season.
- Weather on the river turns fast: wind and rain even in midsummer.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the islands.
Very safe: the island is a supervised national historic site with no resident population. The real risks are river weather, missed boat times and no services on Grosse Isle itself.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Grosse Isle yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Grosse-Île National Historic Site
- Irish Memorial and famine cemetery
- The Lazaret (1847 isolation hospital)
- Isle-aux-Grues cheeses and bird-watching
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Parks Canada — Grosse-Île National Historic Site: parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/grosseile
- Croisières Lachance — Berthier-sur-Mer to Grosse-Île: www.croisieresaml.com/
- Traversiers — L'Isle-aux-Grues–Montmagny ferry: www.traversiers.com/en/our-ferries/lisle-aux-grues-montmagny-ferry/home/
- Tourisme Chaudière-Appalaches: www.chaudiereappalaches.com/
- Wikivoyage: Grosse Isle, revision 5197332 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5197332
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Grosse IsleGrosse-Île
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
- Air Montmagny (charter flights)+1 418-248-3545
No embassies on the islands; the US consulate general is in Montréal, other embassies in Ottawa.
Grosse Isle has no services: carry water, food and any medication, and confirm the return boat time on arrival.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/grosse-isle). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.