You can make Montreal to Quebec City in about 3 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 160 miles on A-40 and the Chemin du Roy, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Montreal
Aim to clear Montreal before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 82 miles to Trois-Rivières.
The headline stop on this route is The Chemin du Roy along the St. Lawrence. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Trois-Rivières, the last stretch
Trois-Rivières sits about 82 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Old Quebec's walled city is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Rolling into Quebec City
The final 78 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Montmorency Falls; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen The Chemin du Roy along the St. Lawrence, Old Quebec's walled city and Montmorency Falls, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Trois-Rivières, QC is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along A-40 and the Chemin du Roy before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
