Travel Deal for August 12, 2013
Many travellers agree that going by rail is the most pleasant, refined way to journey the world. In Quebec, a recently opened tourist train delivers guests from the province’s lovely capital to its equally beautiful Charlevoix region.
The route runs along the scenic St. Lawrence River, with vistas of waterfalls, woodsy hills and the spectacular Charlevoix landscape, touched millennia ago by a 15-tonne meteor whose lasting legacy is a valley that is renowned for its vivid colours and painterly light.
The two-hour, 140-kilometre (85-mile) train ride takes visitors to Hôtel La Ferme, an elegant accommodation that connects with the Le Massif ski and outdoor activity resort. In the Baie Saint-Paul area of Charlevoix, Hôtel La Ferme is a multi-purpose facility with a spa, restaurants, and numerous activities that will tempt you during any season.
The one-night Baie Saint-Paul package costs $509 per couple until October 20, 2013. The offer includes:
- Round-trip train trip from Quebec City to Baie Saint-Paul/Hôtel La Ferme (9:30 am departure on day of arrival)
- On-board breakfast and appetizers
- One night’s accommodation
- Breakfast at Les Labours restaurant on day of departure (trains leave at 2:30 pm for return trip to Quebec City)
Vacay.ca Rolls Into Auberge Saint Antoine
From trains to food trucks, alternative transportation is hot in Quebec these days. Vacay.ca contributor Mary Alice Downie recently discovered the two food trucks started by Auberge Saint Antoine‘s Panache restaurant. The boutique hotel regarded as one of the finest places to stay in Canada launched its first mobile restaurant in 2011 and has had great success with the concept.
Downie writes: “The pop-up Panache Mobile was founded two years ago, on a terrace beside Ste-Petronille Vineyard on Ile d’Orleans. The menu, under the supervision of chef Julien Dumas, offers simpler fare than the restaurant: Charlevoix organic charcuteries ($6), French fries and truffle mayonnaise ($5), guédilleau homard (lobster roll) with avocado ($18). What we first thought was plastic cutlery is made from bamboo, as were the fetching little tubs of ketchup and mayonnaise beside pots of herbs from the farm.
“It’s hard to beat sitting on a sunny terrace, eating bargain gourmet food, sipping wine, with a view of vineyards and Montmorency Falls sparkling in the distance. Panache Mobile 2, ‘more for takeout,’ opened last summer on Bassin Brown with counter service for picnickers and hikers.”
Note: Panache Mobile was one of the Vacay.ca Top 5 Food Trucks in Canada for 2013.
Read the rest of the article headlined “Auberge Saint-Antoine Is on a Roll”
To book the Baie Saint-Paul hotel deal with Hôtel La Ferme: Visit the property’s website or telephone 1-877-536-2774 (toll free).
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