Region

Southeastern Quebec

Base in Rimouski or Rivière-du-Loup; drive Route 132 east and treat the Gaspé as a separate 3–4 day loop.

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Key facts · Canada

Best months: May–Sep
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD, $)
Language: English and French
Plugs: A · B · 120 V
Time zone: Six zones: UTC−3:30 to UTC−8

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 8Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…

North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.
Quebec ↗French is the sole official language; English works in Montréal, Québec City and Gatineau, less so in small towns.
Quebec ↗Prices are shown before tax; expect roughly 15% added at the till.

Southeastern Quebec is the stretch of the St. Lawrence south shore from La Pocatière east to the Gaspé Peninsula — Bas-Saint-Laurent plus the Gaspésie. It is a driving region: Route 132 hugs the water for hundreds of kilometres, towns are 30–90 minutes apart, and buses run only a couple of times a day. Without a car, pick one base (Rimouski or Rivière-du-Loup) and use the Orléans Express bus and the Ocean train; with a car, give the coast 3–4 days and the Gaspé loop another 3–4.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

Rivière-du-LoupCity guide
Ferry to Saint-Siméon, train and bus hub, whale-watching at Île aux Lièvres.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Rivière-du-Loup →
RimouskiCity guide
Largest town on the Bas-Saint-Laurent coast; Point-au-Père maritime site 15 km east.Largest town on the Bas-Saint-Laurent coast; Point-au-Père maritime site 9.3 mi east.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Rimouski →
GaspéCity guide
Forillon National Park and Percé are day-trip distance from here.
Best Jun–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Gaspé →

Day trip

MataneCity guide
Ferry to Baie-Comeau and Godbout; gateway to the Gaspé loop.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Matane →

Night sequences

3 nights: Rivière-du-Loup 1 + Rimouski 2, coast drive and Point-au-Père
6 nights: Bas-Saint-Laurent 3 + Gaspé Peninsula loop 3 (Matane–Sainte-Anne-des-Monts–Gaspé–Percé)

Two Orléans Express buses a day follow Route 132 around the peninsula — miss the afternoon one and you are stuck overnight.
Moose and black bears are a real hazard on Route 132 and Route 299 at dawn and dusk; drive slowly and never approach an animal on the road.
Winter driving here means snow tires, storms and closed sections; the Chic-Chocs get more than 6 m of snow a year.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Percé and Bonaventure Island	Gaspé	60 min	unknown	Boat to the gannet colony runs in season only; check sailing times and weather cancellations.
Point-au-Père maritime historic site	Rimouski	20 min	unknown	Lighthouse, Empress of Ireland exhibit and the Onondaga submarine; allow 2–3 hours.
Île aux Lièvres	Rivière-du-Loup	60 min	unknown	Passenger boat 8 km offshore; 45 km of trails, no cars on the island.Passenger boat 5 mi offshore; 28 mi of trails, no cars on the island.
Gaspésie National Park	Sainte-Anne-des-Monts	45 min	unknown	Chic-Chocs trails and caribou country; snow stays into June at altitude.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding on this coast; travel with what fits in the car boot or check bags on the Orléans Express bus.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Rivière-du-Loup	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Rimouski	×	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	×
Gaspé	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	go	×	×
Matane	×	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Quebec (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Bas-Saint-Laurent coastLa Pocatière to Matane	cold	cold	cold	ok	best	best	best	best	best	ok	cold	cold
Gaspé PeninsulaMatane around to Percé and Chaleur Bay	cold	cold	cold	ok	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	cold	cold

best: dry, mildok: workable

Bas-Saint-Laurent coast: Sea air keeps spring late and autumn mild; June and September are the quietest good-weather months.
Gaspé Peninsula: Chaleur Bay is the warmest water north of the Carolinas; the north shore of the peninsula is windier and cooler.

Whale-watching peaks roughly June to September; the Percé boat and many park services close outside that window.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Montréal	Rivière-du-Loup / Rimouski	Autoroute 20 east, then Route 132	~4 h 30 to Rivière-du-Loup, ~5 h 30 to Rimouski	The straightforward drive; add time in winter.
Québec City	Rivière-du-Loup	Autoroute 20	~2 h 30	The usual first leg of the coast drive.
Montréal	Rimouski / Rivière-du-Loup	Orléans Express bus	~5–6 h	Several daily runs to Rivière-du-Loup with onward connections; book ahead in summer.
Montréal	Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Matapédia	VIA Rail Ocean train	~6 h to Rimouski	Runs about three times a week toward Halifax; not a daily service.
Mont-Joli (YYY)	Rimouski	Taxi or rental car	~35 km	Closest airport with scheduled flights; links to Montréal, Québec City and Gaspé-area airports.
Saint-Siméon (north shore)	Rivière-du-Loup	St. Lawrence ferry	~1 h 10 crossing	Also Forestville–Rimouski and Baie-Comeau/Godbout–Matane; check the seasonal timetable.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Parks Canada Discovery Pass

check

Pays only if you visit several national parks in a year; Forillon and Miguasha are the ones here.

SÉPAQ annual card

check

For Gaspésie National Park and other Quebec provincial parks; worth it only on repeat visits.

Orléans Express multi-day travel

skip

No pass — buy point-to-point tickets; two buses a day on Route 132.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Fish and chips, seafood platters	Rimouski, Matane, Gaspé	Matane is the shrimp town; waterfront shacks close by early evening.
Maple syrup and sugar-shack meals	Bas-Saint-Laurent villages	Season is roughly March–April; most shacks need a reservation.
Fromagerie cheddar and cheese curds	Rivière-du-Loup area	Buy from the farm shop; many close Sunday afternoon.
Salmon	Matapédia and Gaspésie rivers	Sport fishing needs a Quebec licence and is tightly regulated; check season dates.
Microbrewery beer	Rimouski, Matane, Gaspé	Taprooms often shut by 22:00 outside summer.Taprooms often shut by 10:00 PM outside summer.

Go next

Gaspé Peninsula

Route 132 east from Matane, ~4–5 h to Gaspé

The marquee scenery; give it 3–4 days as its own loop.

Bas-Saint-Laurent

planned

Autoroute 20 / Route 132 west of Rimouski

The western half of this region, closer to Québec City.

North Shore

planned

Ferry from Matane to Baie-Comeau or Godbout, ~2–2 h 30

Crosses to the other bank; check the sailing schedule.

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean

planned

Route 172 via Tadoussac, ~4 h from Rivière-du-Loup

Fjord and whale-watching at Tadoussac.

New Brunswick

Autoroute 85 from Edmundston, or Route 132 to Campbellton

Maritime Bus connects at Campbellton.

Québec City

Autoroute 20, ~2 h 30 from Rivière-du-Loup

The usual start or end of the coast drive.

Open Quebec Up to Quebec

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialTourisme Bas-Saint-Laurent
officialTourisme Gaspésie
officialVIA Rail — Ocean route
officialOrléans Express
officialSociété des traversiers du Québec
officialSÉPAQ — Gaspésie National Park
officialParks Canada — Forillon National Park
officialAéroport régional de Mont-Joli
secondaryWikivoyage: Southeastern Quebec, revision 5067483 (CC BY-SA 4.0)