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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Notre-Dame-des-Monts
Treat it as a short scenic detour, not a through-route: 1–2 h for the village and the crater-rim views, with driving times checked before you commit.
Notre-Dame-des-Monts is a small forestry and farm village of about 800 people in the Charlevoix hinterland, sitting inside the rim of the 54 km Charlevoix crater. There is one church, one grocery store, one sandwich shop and a free village park. The reason to come is the drive and the mountain panorama, not the village itself.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Oct for the panorama drive; Jan–Mar for snowmobiling
- Avoid
- Nov (mud season, many services closed), late Mar–Apr (thaw)
- 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$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 · Info-Santé (health advice) 811 · Road conditions (Québec 511) 511
- 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$2.50–4.50 |
| Sandwich or takeaway lunch | C$10–18 |
| Grocery basket for two, one day | C$35–60 |
| Fuel, 1 L regular | C$1.50–1.80 |
| SÉPAQ national park day entry | C$9–12 per adult |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 1 h 30 min by car via Route 138 and Chemin Cartier; no direct bus to the village.
Typical fares
- Québec City → Saint-Hilarion, Intercar
- about C$30–40, about 1 h 30 min (check)
- Ferry Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive → L'Isle-aux-Coudres
- free, about 15 min crossing (check)
- SÉPAQ day entry, Hautes-Gorges or Grands-Jardins
- about C$9–12 per adult (check)
Get around
A car is required. There is no local transit and no taxi rank. Intercar coaches stop at Saint-Hilarion on Route 138, not in the village (distance check). Fuel up in Saint-Hilarion or La Malbaie before the side roads (check).
See and do
Known for
- Charlevoix crater (astrobleme) rim views
- La Noyée mountain legend
- Rang Saint-Jean-Baptiste scenic drive
- Snowmobile and ATV trails
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Baie-Saint-Paul | Route 138 west, then Chemin Cartier and rang roads | About 30 min (check) |
| La Malbaie | Rang roads east to Route 138 | About 35–45 min (check) |
| Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park | Via Route 138 and park access road; SÉPAQ entry fee applies | About 1 h (check) |
| Grands-Jardins National Park | Via Saint-Urbain and Route 381 | About 45 min (check) |
| Saint-Hilarion | Rang roads south to Route 138 | About 15 min (check) |
| L'Isle-aux-Coudres | Drive to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, then the ferry | About 1 h 15 min (check) |
Sleep
- Village centre (rue Principale / rue Notre-Dame)
- Walkable to the church, the park and the grocery store; very few beds.
- Rang Sainte-Philomène and rang Saint-Jean-Baptiste
- Chalets and gîtes spread along the farm roads; you need a car for everything.
- Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs / Saint-Hilarion
- More beds and services 10–20 min away; use these if the village is full.
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 coffee, please | Un café, s'il vous plaîtun ka-FAY seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the church? | Où est l'église ?oo eh lay-GLEEZ |
| 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
- No gas station in the village: fill up in Saint-Hilarion or La Malbaie (check).
- Cell coverage on the rang roads and near the crater rim: check before you rely on it.
- Moose and deer on the roads at dawn and dusk, especially Sep–Nov.
- Winter tires are mandatory in Québec from 1 Dec to 15 Mar.
- Some restaurants and gîtes close for part of Nov and April: check before driving out.
Very low crime; the real risks are driving the rang roads at night, winter conditions and no phone signal. Tell someone your route if you head for the crater rim.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Notre-Dame-des-Monts yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Charlevoix crater (astrobleme) rim views
- La Noyée mountain legend
- Rang Saint-Jean-Baptiste scenic drive
- Snowmobile and ATV 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.
- Tourisme Charlevoix: www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/en/
- SÉPAQ — Grands-Jardins and Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie national parks: www.sepaq.com/
- Intercar: intercar.ca
- Wikivoyage: Notre-Dame-des-Monts, revision 5259630 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5259630
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Notre-Dame-des-Monts
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulate here. US consulate general in Montréal and Québec City; other countries: embassies in Ottawa.
Village services are limited and seasonal: confirm opening before you drive out.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/notre-dame-des-monts). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.