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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs
Base here 2 nights only if you want a lake chalet and Grands-Jardins or Hautes-Gorges trailheads; otherwise sleep in La Malbaie and drive through.
Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs is a small Charlevoix-Est municipality of about 1,070 people strung along Route 138 and the shores of lakes Nairne and Sainte-Marie, inside the Charlevoix crater rim. It has no real village centre, no station and almost no services: its value is chalets, campgrounds and quick access to the mountains north of Route 138. Travellers who want restaurants, a waterfront and a walkable core stay in La Malbaie, 20–25 minutes east.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for lakes and hiking; late Jan–Mar for snowmobile and ice fishing
- Avoid
- Nov and April (mud season, closed trails, few services)
- Stay
- 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$150–240 excl. bed · High C$260+ 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) 811
- 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 or pastry in La Malbaie | C$4–8 |
| Dépanneur sandwich or frozen meal | C$8–15 |
| Casual restaurant main in La Malbaie | C$20–35 |
| Beer, 500 ml at a grocery store | C$3–5 |
| Fuel, 1 L | C$1.60–1.90 |
| Canoe or kayak rental, one hour | C$15–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 1 h 35 min by car via Route 138 east; no direct bus to the village
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 4 h 30 min by car; most overseas arrivals land here
Typical fares
- Québec City → Saint-Agnès junction, Intercar
- about 1 h 35 min; check the current timetable and fare
- La Malbaie → Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, taxi
- about C$35–50, 20–25 min
- Ferry Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive → L'Isle-aux-Coudres
- free for passengers and cars, about 15 min
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
You need a car. Route 138 runs through the municipality but the village is set back from the St. Lawrence; the chemin du Pied-des-Monts climbs north toward the Grands-Jardins east entrance. Intercar coaches stop on Route 138 at the Saint-Agnès junction, not at the village, so a bus arrival means a taxi or a pre-arranged lift. Fuel, groceries and restaurants are in La Malbaie or Clermont.
See and do
Known for
- Lac Nairne and Lac Sainte-Marie chalets
- Hippodrome de la Vallée
- Musée de la drave
- Gateway to Parc national des Grands-Jardins
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Parc national des Grands-Jardins | Car via chemin du Pied-des-Monts to the east entrance | About 45 min |
| Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-rivière-Malbaie | Car via Route 138 and Clermont, then the access road | About 1 h |
| La Malbaie | Car east on Route 138 | 20–25 min |
| Baie-Saint-Paul | Car west on Route 138 | About 40 min |
| L'Isle-aux-Coudres | Car to Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, then the free ferry | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Lac Nairne shore
- Chalets, gîtes and the Base de Plein Air campground; the densest cluster of beds and the best lake access.
- Rue Principale / Route 138 strip
- Motel, gîtes, dépanneur and the racetrack; you need a car for everything.
- Lac Sainte-Marie south side
- Quieter chalets and gîtes; nearest food shop is a short drive.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay VOO ahn-GLEH |
| I have a reservation | J'ai une réservationzhay oon ray-zair-va-SYON |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Where is the trailhead? | Où est le départ du sentier ?oo ay luh day-PAR doo sahn-TYAY |
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 taxi rank, no rideshare coverage and patchy phone signal on the mountain roads: pre-book transfers.
- Moose and deer on Route 138 and the Pied-des-Monts road at dawn and dusk.
- Winter tires are mandatory in Québec from 1 December to 15 March; many chalet driveways are not ploughed.
- Most chalets and campgrounds take bookings only through their own sites, and many close from mid-October to mid-May.
Very low crime; the real risks are driving (moose at dusk, winter ice), cold water in the lakes and long response times if you get hurt on a trail. Tell someone your route and carry a charged phone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lac Nairne and Lac Sainte-Marie chalets
- Hippodrome de la Vallée
- Musée de la drave
- Gateway to Parc national des Grands-Jardins
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 Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs: www.saintaimedeslacs.ca/
- Tourisme Charlevoix: www.tourisme-charlevoix.com/
- SEPAQ — Parc national des Grands-Jardins: www.sepaq.com/pq/gdj/
- SEPAQ — Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-rivière-Malbaie: www.sepaq.com/pq/hgo/
- Intercar: intercar.ca
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, revision 5259591 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5259591
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs
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 or Québec City; most other countries: embassies in Ottawa, consulates in Montréal.
Print this card before you drive north: signal is weak on the Pied-des-Monts road.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-aime-des-lacs). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.