I’m heading out on a solo roadtrip from my small town in Ontario to Campbellton, New Brunswick, the home of my birth. By the end of my trip, I’ll have clocked over 3,600 km.
My first stop is Quebec City, where I’ll stay in the Upper Town of Old Quebec. I’m excited about this trip. I haven’t been to Quebec for a number of years. I last saw it with the eyes of my youth, and it was before most of my major trips overseas.
Front door of Auberge Internationale de Quebec
I decided to stay at an HI Youth Hostel called Auberge Internationale de Quebec, and save a bit of money for a nice meal. I love staying at hostels on my solo trips. More people of all ages are using them and with a few exceptions, most are not party central. This hostel didn’t disappoint. It is in a beautiful old building, perfect located to explore both the upper and lower towns on foot. The staff was very friendly, speaking to me in English without a trace of attitude, the beds were comfortable and the place was clean. They provide non-scratchy linens and a half-decent pillow. A fairly average breakfast was included in my bed price of $38/night, taxes in, but they offer options without. Next time I would skip the hostel breakfast and find something on the street, like this–
Strawberry and cream crepe from the market
I chose a 4-bed dorm room with women only. The only complaint I had about this hostel was one they couldn’t do much about. We had to keep the windows open, as there was no air conditioning and it was hot as heck. The noise from the street below started at sun-up and was so loud! There were several trucks, men shouting, jackhammering and it went on for hours. On cooler days, this wouldn’t be an issue, as there are good windows to keep out the sound. Another small peeve was that the bunk beds could use their bolts tightened. It might help with the shaking and squeaking of the beds.
Charcuterie from a funky little bar around the corner
There is a funky little bistro/bar called Le Sapristi! just around the corner from the hostel at 1001 Rue Saint-Jean. It is cozy, friendly and the prices are fair. It was a perfect place to try a pint of Griffon Red Ale for $6.50 and charcuterie platter. The platter pictured above was $16 and came with plenty of baguette for sharing. The pear confit was delicious. Le Sapritsti’s website boasts that it “Showcases Quebec terroir products through a generous and sunny cuisine.” I couldn’t agree more!
While I love the atmosphere of hostels, and met a fantastic Swiss girl who shared a meal and some drinks with me my second night there, I think my days of dorm rooms are behind me. When I was in my teens and early 20s, I didn’t mind the noise of strangers sleeping beside me. These days, I think I prefer the camaraderie of the hostel, but in the lobby or bar. I think after this trip I will choose a private hostel room. It’s not that my roomies were noisy. In fact, they were all quite courteous, but I still had a hard time sleeping. And sleeping in the top bunk has lost its appeal.
The Auberge Internationale de Quebec offers a lot of programs, including cultural tours and pub crawls. The WiFi is free and I had no problem with it. They have a nice kitchen, and a pub at night, where I met several staff and travellers. The hostel is staffed by men and women from around the world, which made for some interesting conversations.
If you arrive by car, there is a parking spot in front of the hostel where you can park for a few minutes to check in and unload your bags. I happened to arrive the night before a holiday, so the guy at reception let me know I could park at any metered spot and stay there overnight, the next day, and overnight again. It worked out really well. The only parking I paid for was a couple hours the day I was leaving. If you don’t time things quite as fortuitously as I did, there is a parking lot about a block away for $17/24-hour period. Street parking was easy to come by if you plan to drive around to see things, but in the old towns, at least, you don’t need to. Everything is walkable.
Check out my post on the beauty of Quebec City, even in a torrential rainstorm!
Hostels always saving us and helping us to have some nice conversations. When I travel and stay at hostels, even being a shy woman, it’s much easier to talk with people. It seems people tend to be more open to conversations in hostels. Nice pics, byt the way! 😉
Thanks, Rubiana! It certainly is easier to meet people staying at a hostel. I think that’s the best thing about them! Thanks for the comment!