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This is related to Hiking around Quebec City

As I'll spend a few days in Montreal, then a few days in Quebec, I'd like to avoid renting a car just to go from one town to the other one. What's the most convenient (travelling with my wife and big backpacks)?

EDIT : viarail's web site doesn't seem to be able to manage online payments with visa card (no information given by the site on failure). Is somebody aware of a workaround to pay for train from another country ?

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up vote 8 down vote accepted

I have no first-hand experience, but taking the train looks like a nice option.

The trip takes slightly more than 3 hours, and quoting Via Rail's schedule page, there are "five departures every weekday from both Montréal and Québec City, and three departures on Saturdays and Sundays".

It looks like baggage allowance won't be a problem either.

Regarding the price: one-way trip in economy class costs C$81, booked the same day. But if you book in advance, you can get it at C$72 ("discounted"), C$52 ("supersaver") or even C$29 ("escape" - web only & limited availability). More details when you click "Compare" on the booking page.

Edit: The bus option doesn't look bad either. It also takes a bit more than 3 hours from downtown to downtown, and (with a quick look) costs about C$50 if booked the same day.

One advantage with buses is that there tons of departures every day. For example, Orléans Express, one of the major operators, has some 20 daily departures between 06:00 and 23:00.

To me, both train and bus definitely seem viable options—I guess it's a matter of taste which one you should choose.

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Thanks for the details. I'll wait a little for other answers or comments before I accept but I wont forget – dystroy Jun 26 '12 at 9:42
The train is much nicer than the bus. And VIA 1 includes free wifi, nice hot meal, free alcohol etc. There are some very inexpensive options if you buy far enough in advance. – Kate Gregory Jun 26 '12 at 12:48
As a bonus the train station in Quebec is walking distance from downtown (though with a steep hill to climb). – DJClayworth Jun 26 '12 at 17:07
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I do have first hand experience, and the train is a nice option. The only thing I would add is I would recommend buying food at the station rather than on the train. – DJClayworth Jun 27 '12 at 14:29
It's worth noting that the Montreal-Quebec City train only allows carry-on sized luggage (full-size suitcases are prohibited). – 200_success Jul 19 '12 at 8:12
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