One of the oldest cities in North America, Quebec City is at the heart of the Canadian province of Quebec. The picturesque, hilltop city is full of historic attractions and events that tell the story of this French-Canadian city, from the sites of the Old Quebec district to the year-round festivals downtown. From the U.S., it's fairly easy to get to Quebec City by train, using both Amtrak train service and Canada's passenger rail service, Via Rail.
As a U.S. citizen, you must have proof of citizenship and identity to travel into Canada. This can be a valid U.S. passport, passport card, a NEXUS trusted traveler card, an enhanced driver's license, military ID or American Indian card. You do not need a visa to enter Canada. On Amtrak, when the train crosses into Canada, customs officials board the train and check the documents of each passenger before allowing the train to continue. If you are traveling with a child under the age of 18 without one or both parents, you must have a notarized, written consent form signed by any parent not present allowing you to travel out of the country with that child. If the other parent is deceased or you are divorced, carry the necessary legal documents to avoid delay.
For a trip from the U.S., you'll need to get to New York to start your train trip to Quebec City. Amtrak has one train line, the Adirondack, that goes to Quebec province, and it starts at New York's Penn Station. You can take an Amtrak train from anywhere in the country to New York, which could take hours or days, depending on where you are coming from. If you're coming from quite a distance, you may want to fly into a New York airport, such as LaGuardia or JFK International, both in the Queens borough, then use New York Metro trains, a cab or car service to get to Penn Station.
When you arrive at Penn Station, purchase an Amtrak ticket to Montreal, the last stop on the Adirondack line. The trip takes nearly 11 hours, but the scenic ride through the Hudson Valley and the Adirondack Mountains makes it an enjoyable journey. All seats on the Adirondack trains are coach, but if you are traveling in the fall, Amtrak features the "Great Dome Car" on select journeys, which includes gigantic windows up to the ceiling for panoramic views. Dome car seats are completely on a first-come, first-serve basis.
When you arrive at Montreal's Central Station, you'll transfer to Canada's VIA Rail train service. Choose the VIA Rail going to Quebec City, which takes roughly three hours. You can choose from economy- and business-class seating. A light meal is complimentary in business class, but you can purchase meals in economy. WiFi is complimentary in all seat classes. When you arrive at the Quebec City station, you can take a taxi or bus, available outside the station, to reach your final destination.
