Romantic charm and natural beauty
Old world charm awaits, with flights from Chicago to Québec City.
Québec City’s French past is written in stone along the cobbled streets of Vieux-Québec. With landmarks like the site of Samuel de Champlain’s original 17th century settlement, the old city invites visitors to lose themselves along its winding streets.
Both upper and lower halves of Vieux-Québec, the Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville, hold a wealth of history waiting to be explored. Whether you’re looking over the St. Lawrence from the Terrasse Dufferin in the Haute-Ville, or looking into the past in the murals of the Basse-Ville, both parts of this district can take you back in time.
You can learn more about the history of French settlement in Québec at the Musée de l'Amérique francophone. Part of the Musée de la civilisation complex, this museum’s counterparts can be found in Place Royal and Port de Québec. For some art with your history, visit the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Like Chicago, the buildings in Québec City are works of art themselves. From the stately Hôtel du Parlement, to the sturdy Québec Ramparts, Québec’s architecture stretches over centuries of styles. Before you fly back to Chicago, the city’s 400 years of architecture and culture are sure to enchant you.
Haute-Ville
The top of Québec City’s attractions
Brave the Breakneck Stairs, or ride the funicular to Québec City’s Haute Ville.
Perched atop the 98 metre cliffs of Cap Diamant, sits the star-shaped Citadelle de Québec. Overlooking the St. Lawrence River, the scenic view from the Citadelle served a strategic purpose. Make sure to catch the changing of the guard ceremony, to see the area’s military past come to life.
Take a stroll past the city’s fortifications to Ramparts de Québec, along the Promenade des Gouverneurs. This wooden walkway runs all the way from the Plaines d’Abraham to Terrasse Dufferin. Once you reach Terrasse Dufferin, take the wide boardwalk to the Château Frontenac. Wrapping around the hotel, the Terrasse provides the perfect opportunity to take pictures of the world’s most photographed hotel.
If you aren’t confident in your own photography skills, head over to the rue des Trésors. Prints and paintings line this narrow street with images of Québec City’s landmarks. Before you fly back to Chicago, pick up a piece of Québec City focused art from this collection of artworks.
Jacques Cartier National Park
Set a course for Jacques Cartier
The Québec wilderness is waiting just 45 minutes away from the city, in Jacques Cartier National Park.
Explore Jacques Cartier National Park’s 670 square km area on foot along 100 km of hiking trails. From the top of the plateau, you’ll have a view of the three rivers that run through the park, Jacques-Cartier, Sautauriski, and Chute.
Venture off the beaten path into the park’s backcountry. From the thick woods of the plateau, look down the 700 to 900 metre drop to see the Sautauriski River below. While in the wild, keep your eyes open for porcupine, white-tailed deer, and the king of Québec’s forests, the moose.
Like Jacques Cartier’s initial expedition, you can cut through the park by canoe. See the sweeping scenery of the Jacques-Cartier River Valley from the water as you paddle your kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or tree bark rabaska canoe. If paddling is too much effort, take it easy in an inner tube and float your way down the river.
When the water freezes over, the park is still a hotbed of outdoor activity. Trade your hiking boots in for snowshoes and follow the almost 80 km of track, spread over 11 trails, or just set out to explore the parkland.
If you’re up for adventure, the park features a 3-day circuit that will take you into the heart of the Québec wilderness. You’ll have stories (and maybe a little soreness) to bring back to Chicago from this idyllic and difficult route.
Getting to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Porter’s check-in desk is located in concourse A.
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) is about 9 km / 6 mi from downtown Chicago.
Transportation
The Go Airport Express shuttle bus provides service to the airport from downtown. The fare is $27 USD.
Taxis from downtown cost about $20 USD per person. Car service is available.
Take the Chicago Transit Authority orange line train from the Midway stop. The fare is $2.50 USD.
Car rental services are available at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW). Take the shuttle to the rental car area from the pick-up location at door 3 of the lower level, near the baggage claim area.
Please allow sufficient time to drop off your car rental before your departing flight.
Uber and Lyft pickup is available at Chicago Midway Airport. To find your ride, exit at the baggage claims level, exit through door 4, and cross the street. Fares from MDW to downtown Chicago start at $23.
Chicago Midway International Airport Parking
Driving to Chicago Midway International Airport? There are many parking options at Chicago Airport. There are two economy parking lots with a rate of $2 USD for 30 minutes, $5 USD for 30 minutes to an hour, and a maximum of $15 USD for 24 hours. Or, choose the terminal garage, which offers hourly or daily rates. The daily lot has a 24-hour rate of $30 USD and is a long-term lot. You may also reserve a parking space ahead of time for a fee of $10 USD per space, per day.
The information and figures above are for reference only, and may not be current. Please visit each airport's website for up-to-date details.
Landing in Québec City
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) is about 16 km / 10 mi from downtown Québec City.
Transportation
Take the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale 78 bus from the airport stop. The fare is $3.50 CAD.
Taxis to downtown cost about $35 CAD. Car service costs about $85 CAD.
Car rental services are available on the ground level of the administrative building of Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport Parking
Driving to Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport? There are options to choose from. InParq multi-level parkings cots $2.50 per 15 minutes, for a maxium of $24.50 for 24 hours or $147 for the week. ProxiParq outdoors parking has rates of $19.50 for 24 hours and $97.50 for one week.
The information and figures above are for reference only, and may not be current. Please visit each airport's website for up-to-date details.
Flights may be operated by Porter Airlines (Canada) Ltd or Porter Airlines Inc.
