In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Saint-Élie-de-Caxton
Go for one night if you want a quiet lake-and-village stop in the Mauricie; skip it if you have no car or expect a full day of sights.
Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is a small parish municipality in the Maskinongé region of Quebec, about 1 h 40 min by car from Montreal. It is a resort village around a handful of lakes, with a church, a calvary hill, a botanical garden and a cultural venue tied to storyteller Fred Pellerin. There is no train and no useful bus, so a car is the whole trip. One night covers the village; two nights if you want lake time.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for lakes and trails; Feb–Mar for snowmobile season
- Avoid
- Nov (grey, wet, between seasons), Apr (mud and closed trails)
- 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$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 a pastry | C$4–8 |
| Grocery run for two, one day | C$40–70 |
| Casual restaurant main | C$18–30 |
| Campsite, one night, two people | C$35–60 |
| Bike rental, half day | C$25–45 |
| Fuel, 100 kmFuel, 62 mi | C$10–14 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 1 h 50 min by car via Autoroute 40 and Route 153; no direct public transport to the village.
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 2 h 15 min by car via Autoroute 40 and Autoroute 55.
Typical fares
- Montréal → Saint-Élie-de-Caxton by car
- about 149 km, 1 h 40 min, fuel about C$15–20about 93 mi, 1 h 40 min, fuel about C$15–20
- Québec City → Saint-Élie-de-Caxton by car
- about 172 km, 1 h 52 minabout 107 mi, 1 h 52 min
- Rental car, one day
- C$55–130 plus fuel
Get around
Car only. The village is small enough to walk, but the lakes, campgrounds and trails are 5–15 km out on country roads with no sidewalk and no bus. Snowmobiles and ATVs are allowed on the trail network in season. There is an electric-vehicle charging point on chemin des Loisirs.Car only. The village is small enough to walk, but the lakes, campgrounds and trails are 3.1–9.3 mi out on country roads with no sidewalk and no bus. Snowmobiles and ATVs are allowed on the trail network in season. There is an electric-vehicle charging point on chemin des Loisirs.
See and do
Known for
- Fred Pellerin, the village's storyteller
- Garage de la Culture
- Montagne du Calvaire and its illuminated cross
- Lac à l'Eau Claire and the surrounding lakes
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Shawinigan | Route 351 east, then Autoroute 55 | About 40 min |
| La Mauricie National Park | Route 351 south to Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, then into the park | About 1 h |
| Louiseville | Route 153 south to Yamachiche, then Route 138 east | About 45 min |
| Trois-Rivières | Route 351 to Autoroute 55 south | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Village centre (avenue Principale)
- Walk to the church, the botanical garden and the Garage de la Culture; a gîte and a chalet or two, very few beds.
- Lac Bell / Floribell area
- Resort and campground with beach and boat rental, about 5 km northeast of the village; car needed.Resort and campground with beach and boat rental, about 3.1 mi northeast of the village; car needed.
- Lac à l'Eau Claire and the other lakes
- Private chalets and camping around Lac Plaisant, Grand lac Long and Lac à l'Eau Claire; book weeks ahead in July–August.
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 |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| I would like a table for two | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaîtewn TAH-bluh poor DUH, seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twah-LET |
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 train and no scheduled bus to the village: without a car you cannot get here.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads around the lakes.
- Moose and deer on Route 351 and the rang roads at dawn and dusk.
- Most kitchens close early and several places shut mid-week out of season: eat before 20:00 or cook.
- Winter roads are icy and some chalet driveways are not plowed for a normal car.
Very low crime; the real risks are driving, winter ice and cold water on the lakes. Tell someone your route before a back-road hike, and wear a life jacket on any boat.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint-Élie-de-Caxton yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Fred Pellerin, the village's storyteller
- Garage de la Culture
- Montagne du Calvaire and its illuminated cross
- Lac à l'Eau Claire and the surrounding lakes
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, revision 5241567 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241567
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint-Élie-de-Caxton
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 consulate in the village. US consulate general in Montréal; most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa or consulates in Montréal.
Print this card before you drive: coverage drops on the rang roads.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-elie-de-caxton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.