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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Rivière-du-Loup
Stay one night as a Saint Lawrence stopover: the falls park and ferry crossing are the draw, not a multi-day base.
Rivière-du-Loup is a 20,000-person service town on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence, 200 km northeast of Québec City at the junction of Autoroute 20 and Autoroute 85. It works as a break on the drive to the Gaspé or the Maritimes, or as a ferry hop to the north shore. Two nights is the most most travellers need.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (cold, ice, many seasonal services closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 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$140–230 excl. bed · High C$230+ 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
- 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$2.50–5 |
| Pub or café main course | C$15–30 |
| Three-course meal | C$19–39 |
| Museum adult entry | C$7 |
| Ferry, adult one way | C$21 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YRI · Rivière-du-Loup Airport
- Charter and private aircraft only; no scheduled service. Most arrivals come by car, bus or train.
Typical fares
- Ferry Rivière-du-Loup → Saint-Siméon
- about C$21 adult one way, about 1 h 5 min (check)
- Coach Québec City → Rivière-du-Loup
- about 2 h 30 min–3 h, fare varies by date (check)
- Taxi across town
- short hops only; agree the fare or check the meter
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk: rue Lafontaine between Laval and Sainte-Anne holds most shops and restaurants. A car is the practical way to reach Parc des Chutes and the highway motels. VIA Rail's Ocean stops at 615 rue Lafontaine, and Orléans Express coaches stop in town.
See and do
Known for
- Parc des Chutes waterfall
- Île aux Lièvres and the Brandy Pot lighthouse
- Rivière-du-Loup–Saint-Siméon ferry
- Bas-Saint-Laurent photo museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trois-Pistoles | Autoroute 20 east, about 40 km (25 mi)Autoroute 20 east, about 25 mi (40 km) | About 35 min |
| Rimouski | Autoroute 20 east, about 100 km (62 mi); Orléans Express also runs it in about 1 h 30 minAutoroute 20 east, about 62 mi (100 km); Orléans Express also runs it in about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 15 min by car |
| Saint-Siméon (north shore) | Traverse Rivière-du-Loup–Saint-Siméon ferry, about 1 h 5 min | About 1 h 30 min terminal to terminal |
| Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! | Autoroute 85 / Route 185 southeast, about 60 km (37 mi)Autoroute 85 / Route 185 southeast, about 37 mi (60 km) | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Rue Lafontaine / downtown
- Walkable core: restaurants, shops, hostel and the train station. Best for one night without a car.
- Rue Fraser and Boulevard Armand-Thériault
- Motels and larger hotels with parking on the highway edge of town; best if you drive on in the morning.
- Rue Hayward / waterfront
- Ferry terminal and marina side; convenient for an early crossing to Saint-Siméon.
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 ferry? | Où est le traversier ?oo ay luh tra-ver-SYAY |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
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
- Winter is long and icy; many seasonal attractions and the ferry shut between early January and Easter.
- The ferry to Saint-Siméon is seasonal and runs 2–4 round trips a day depending on the season: book the car slot ahead in summer.
- Île aux Lièvres and the lighthouse inn have very few beds; reserve weeks ahead for July–August.
- Rural highways here see moose at dawn and dusk: slow down and scan the shoulder.
A quiet regional town and generally safe to walk at night. The real risks are winter ice, moose on rural highways at dawn and dusk, and cold water along the shore: the Saint Lawrence here is not a swimming river.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rivière-du-Loup yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Parc des Chutes waterfall
- Île aux Lièvres and the Brandy Pot lighthouse
- Rivière-du-Loup–Saint-Siméon ferry
- Bas-Saint-Laurent photo museum
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 Rivière-du-Loup: www.tourismeriviereduloup.ca
- Ville de Rivière-du-Loup: villerdl.ca/fr
- VIA Rail — Rivière-du-Loup station: www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/quebec/riviere-du-loup
- Traverse Rivière-du-Loup–Saint-Siméon: traverserdl.com
- Orléans Express: www.orleansexpress.com/en/
- Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent: www.mbsl.qc.ca
- Wikivoyage: Rivière-du-Loup, revision 5259555 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5259555
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Rivière-du-Loup
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
No embassies here; US consulate general in Montréal, most other countries in Ottawa. For an emergency passport, start with your capital-city embassy.
French is the everyday language; a bonjour before a question goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/riviere-du-loup). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.