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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Richmond
Give Richmond one night, or a half-day stop on the Cantonnière bike trail: the slate downtown and river park are done in 3–4 hours.
Richmond is a small Eastern Townships town on the St. François River, about 30 minutes south of Autoroute 20/55 near Drummondville. Its draw is a compact slate-and-brick main street, two old bridges and a riverfront park with kayak tours. No passenger train stops here, so you arrive by car, bus or bike. Most travellers see it in half a day or use it as a quiet one-night base between Drummondville and Sherbrooke.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the river and bike trail; late Sep for the fair; Jan–Mar for cross-country skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and early Apr (mud, closed seasonal sites); deep cold snaps in Jan–Feb
- 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$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 · Info-Santé (24 h health advice) 811 · Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency) 310-4141
- 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 | C$4–8 |
| Poutine or a diner main | C$14–22 |
| Pizza, one large | C$18–30 |
| Draught beer in a pub | C$7–10 |
| Cross-country ski day ticket, adult | C$20 |
| Expo Richmond Fair, adult | C$20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 1 h 30 min by car via Autoroute 20 and 55; the usual gateway for the region.
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 2 h by car; a second option if you fly into Québec City.
Typical fares
- Bus Sherbrooke → Richmond, Autobus La Québecoise
- about C$15, roughly 1 h (check)
- Taxi within Richmond
- C$10–20 (check)
- Drive Montréal → Richmond
- about 1 h 30 min via Autoroute 20 and 55
Get around
Downtown is walkable and bikeable, about 3 km across, but streets climbing from the river are steep. Two bridges cross the St. François: the one-lane Mackenzie Bridge and the higher Pont Frédérick-Coburn. A car helps for Melbourne, the ski centre and day trips; the Cantonnière bike trail runs through town.Downtown is walkable and bikeable, about 1.9 mi across, but streets climbing from the river are steep. Two bridges cross the St. François: the one-lane Mackenzie Bridge and the higher Pont Frédérick-Coburn. A car helps for Melbourne, the ski centre and day trips; the Cantonnière bike trail runs through town.
See and do
Known for
- Slate-fronted historic downtown
- Mackenzie Bridge (1905)
- St. Patrick's Day parade
- Parc Nautique and St. François River
- Expo Richmond Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Drummondville | Autoroute 20/55 north by car, or Autobus La Québecoise | About 30–40 min by car |
| Sherbrooke | Autoroute 55 south by car, or Autobus La Québecoise | About 45 min by car |
| Valcourt | Route 243 and local roads by car | About 45 min by car |
| Danville | By car toward Val-des-Sources | About 30 min by car |
| Windsor | By car upriver | About 20 min by car |
Sleep
- Rue Principale Nord (downtown)
- Walk to restaurants, the bridges and the river park; hotel and motel rooms on the strip.
- Melbourne side (Route 243)
- Quieter, across the river; city hall and the farmers' market are a 20–30 min walk from downtown, with poor pedestrian access on the last kilometre.
- Camping and gîtes outside town
- Seasonal campgrounds and B&Bs in the surrounding township; you need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| 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 |
| I don't speak French | Je ne parle pas françaiszhuh nuh PARL pah fran-SAY |
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 passenger rail service to Richmond; the nearest Via Rail station is Drummondville.
- Route 243 toward Melbourne has poor pedestrian access on the last kilometre: walk with care or drive.
- The Mackenzie Bridge is one lane: yield and cross slowly.
- The St. François River is too shallow for boats other than kayaks and canoes.
- Don't confuse this Richmond with New Richmond on the Gaspé Peninsula, about 750 km away.
A quiet, low-crime small town. The real risks are winter driving on Route 243 and Autoroute 55, steep icy sidewalks, and unlit road shoulders toward Melbourne: drive or take a taxi after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Richmond yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Slate-fronted historic downtown
- Mackenzie Bridge (1905)
- St. Patrick's Day parade
- Parc Nautique and St. François River
- Expo Richmond Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Richmond — Parc Nautique and kayak tours: www.ville.richmond.qc.ca/en/canot-kayak/
- Tourisme Eastern Townships — Cantonnière bike trail: www.easterntownships.org/things-to-do/150/la-cantonniere-sentier-de-la-vallee
- Autobus La Québecoise — regional routes: www.autobus.qc.ca/en
- Expo Richmond Fair: www.exporichmondfair.com/
- Richmond St. Patrick's Day parade: richmondstpats.org/
- Sentiers de l'Estrie — hiking network: www.lessentiersdelestrie.qc.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Richmond (Quebec), revision 5005330 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5005330
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Richmond
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
- Info-Santé (24 h health advice)811
- Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency)310-4141
No embassy in Richmond; the US consulate general is in Montréal, and most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa or consulates in Montréal (check).
About 25–30% of residents speak English as a first language, the highest share in most of the Eastern Townships, but French is still needed for many transactions.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/richmond-quebec). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.