Adventure Travel: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
By Thierry Pouille
While we are based in Florida and often fly south to the warm places in the northern hemisphere, from time to time we fly to Quebec City, which is a launching point for our Transatlantic Journey. From there we travel through either Greenland or Iceland on our Europe Journey, Africa Journey, or our Around the World Journey.
The reason we chose Quebec is threefold. The most important one is that it offers a beautiful and easy-to-get-to destination. Second, it has a very friendly airport. Third, Quebec City has been around for centuries and offers fantastic accommodations at the Chateau Frontenac, which for us is a home away from home.
Flying to Canada requires that you file an eAPIS with the TSA, as well as call CANPASS to announce your arrival. The difference between the two is substantial—and a lot friendlier on the Canadian side. (I have a pdf file on how to use CANPASS in the easiest way.) The FBO we have been using at Quebec airport is Esso/Exxon.
The taxi ride to downtown takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and the drivers accept Canadian and U.S. dollars. As you enter the town and climb up to the old part, you will be transferred back in time. The area where the Chateau Frontenac is located is so unique that there are costumed guides offering tours to explain the origin of the property, its usage during different periods of time, and what it is all about now.
For dinner, the hotel has a beautiful gourmet restaurant, Le Champlain, or for a unique buffet, Le Café de la Terrasse. If you don’t want to experience dinner at the hotel, then a short stroll to the funicular will take you down to the old part of Quebec City where you will find beautiful boutiques and very nice tavern-type restaurants.
The Chateau Frontenac is not the only property in Quebec City. There are boutique hotels, chain hotels, etc. You should contact your travel agent, or contact us and we will direct you in the right direction.
As for the return flight to the U.S., you have to file your flight plan over the phone or, as you might be aware, Fltplan.com will allow you to file online, and it will direct you to the most common route to your destination airport.
You need to file an eAPIS inbound to the U.S. Your first landing airport must be an airport of entry. Contrary to flying to the U.S. from south of the border, you do not need to land at the first airport of entry, you just need to be sure that the first airport you land at offers customs and will be staffed by customs agents when you land.
Thierry Pouille is the founder of Air Journey, which provides both guided and concierge international adventure travel for aircraft owners and pilots. See www.airjourney.com.
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