In the holiday spirit, I wanted to go somewhere cold and snowy; no tropical islands for this girl this year! I’ve wanted to visit Quebec City for a very long time, so I finally decided 2017 was the year to go.
I know most people visit who visit Quebec City in the winter decide to go to the February Carnival, but I wanted to see the Christmas decorations (and avoid crowds and the creepy mascot Bonhomme :)). I read that December is the low-season for Quebec, so that only encouraged me to visit more.
Quebec did not disappointed. We started booking airfare and accommodations a couple of months in advance. I saw photos online of the beautiful Fairmont hotel (and had heard of its famous sister property in Banff). I was discouraged because I simply could not justify spending $250/night on a hotel room, no matter how beautiful or great the location.
I researched the area’s hotels online and then decided to start researching Priceline and Hotwire bids. With Hotwire, the Fairmont Château Frontenac listing was pretty evident (it was the only hotel in that particular vicinity with its star rating). We were very lucky to score and get the hotel for over half price – making the price comparable to other hotels. I was thrilled!
The Fairmont Christmas trees. How gorgeous is this lobby!
The hotel was fantastic. We were assigned a city view room overlooking the city and the St. Lawrence river. I highly recommend saying here if you ever have the opportunity.
Once we checked in and got settled in our room, it was already dark. Still, we wanted to take advantage of our first night in Quebec. The city was very chilly; we were greeted by single digit temperatures. I was sure to bundle up with multiple layers and gloves. We visited the German Christmas market and walked around Quartier Petit Champlain. Most of the shops had already closed, so it was a peaceful walk under the lights and through the snow.
A peaceful Quartier Petit Champlain on a winter night
That’s it for the first night. I can’t wait to blog about the fantastic food and sights we saw in Quebec. Until next time!
Advertisements Share this:
