Overview
Québec City is French Canada at its most romantic: cobbled streets, a walled Old Town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the fairy-tale Château Frontenac above the St Lawrence River. There are no non-stop flights from the UK, but a single connection can have you in the Petit-Champlain quarter the same evening. It is compact and easy to explore on foot, and English is widely understood alongside French.
Best time to fly to Quebec
Summer, June to September, brings warm days, long evenings and a busy festival programme, along with the highest fares. Late September and October bring spectacular autumn colour. Winter is cold and snowy, often -10°C or lower, but magical, and home to the Carnaval de Québec in late January and February. For milder weather at better prices, target May or the first half of October, and check the When to book chart above.
Airlines and routes
Air Canada is the main choice, linking London Heathrow to Montréal with a short connecting hop to Québec (YQB); routings via Toronto also work, as do seasonal summer Air Transat flights from Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. Expect around seven and a half hours to Montréal from London, a little more from Manchester, then roughly an hour onward, so the total journey usually runs 11 to 14 hours with the connection. Compare routings on this page before booking.
Things to do in Quebec
Most sights cluster around the Old Town:
- Vieux-Québec: the only walled city north of Mexico, with an Upper and Lower Town to explore on foot.
- Château Frontenac: the grand railway hotel that defines the skyline, with the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk alongside.
- Montmorency Falls: higher than Niagara and about 15 minutes from the centre, with a cable car and footbridge.
- Quartier Petit-Champlain: narrow lanes of boutiques, bistros and street performers below the cliff.
- Île d'Orléans: a rural island of farms, orchards and cider houses just across the bridge.
At Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
The airport lies about 11 km (seven miles) west of downtown in Sainte-Foy, a 15 to 20 minute drive. Taxis run a fixed fare to the central tourist zones, car hire desks are in the terminal, and RTC bus route 80 serves Sainte-Foy for onward links. There is no train or metro, so pre-booking a transfer or taxi is easiest with luggage.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Quebec
- Book two to four months ahead for summer, and around six months for the February carnival; the price charts on this page show the current window.
- Fly midweek, as Tuesday and Wednesday departures usually beat Friday or Sunday.
- Use a flexible-date search and route via Montréal or Toronto, whichever is cheaper that day.
- Travel in the May or October shoulder season to avoid peak summer and Christmas fares.
Travel essentials
UK passport holders need no visa for tourist stays of up to six months, but must buy an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) online before flying; it costs only a few Canadian dollars and lasts five years. The currency is the Canadian dollar. No vaccinations are required, but healthcare is costly, so take comprehensive travel insurance. Québec's official language is French, though English is widely understood in tourist areas.
