Travel

Vieauqc TeamYesterday

Travel

Discovering Quebec's national parks with SÉPAQ

Booking a campsite or a night in a national park: what a newcomer should know before heading into nature.

Craving forests, lakes, and mountains? Quebec has a vast network of national parks managed by SÉPAQ (Société des établissements de plein air du Québec). It's often the ideal starting point for a newcomer who wants to explore nature here without venturing into the unknown. Quebec's national parks ≠ Parks Canada parks. A useful bit of vocabulary: SÉPAQ's "national parks" are provincial (for example Mont-Tremblant, Îles-de-Boucherville, Mont-Orford). They're separate from the federal parks run by Parks Canada (such as Forillon or La Mauricie), which have their own reservation system. Always check who manages the park you're interested in before booking. How to reserve. Everything is done online on the SÉPAQ website. The network includes thousands of campsites and ready-to-camp units (already set up and equipped) spread across the parks. SÉPAQ recommends creating a customer account ahead of time to make transactions easier, and browsing the site to plan your stay properly. Watch the reservation opening dates. The most popular spots go quickly. According to the Government of Quebec, camping reservations for the 2026 season opened in November 2025, with a virtual waiting room and randomly assigned priority ranks for fair access. Keep an eye on these opening dates from year to year if you're aiming for a specific park. Good to know for newcomers. You don't need a full kit to…

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Vieauqc TeamYesterdayMontreal

Travel

Can you take the REM to Montreal's airport yet? (not quite)

The airport station isn't open yet — here's what's running today and how to reach YUL in the meantime.

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is the automated light-rail line running across the Montreal region. One question comes up often among newcomers: can you already take it to the airport? As of today, the answer is no — but the network is growing fast. The airport station isn't in service yet. According to REM, the branch serving Montreal-Trudeau airport is scheduled to enter service in 2027, once integration and testing phases are complete. The trip between downtown and the airport will then take about twenty minutes. Until then, no train reaches YUL. What's already running. Several segments are open: the South Shore (Brossard) since 2023, the Deux-Montagnes branch since November 2025, and the West Island branch (Anse-à-l'Orme), inaugurated on May 18, 2026 with four new stations. The airport branch is the last major segment to be completed. Getting to the airport today. The public-transit option is the STM's 747 shuttle, which links downtown to YUL 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. According to the STM, the fare is $11.25 and works as a pass valid for 24 hours on the bus, metro, exo trains, and the REM (Zone A). Check the current schedule and departure point before you go, as some downtown stops are being relocated in 2026 due to construction. Good to know for newcomers. If you're picking up family at the airport or heading off on a trip, plan around the 747 for now —…

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Vieauqc TeamYesterday

Travel

Quebec road trip: the essentials before you hit the road

Driver's licence, passport for the U.S.: two things to settle before exploring Quebec's regions by car.

Exploring Quebec by car — from Charlevoix to the Gaspé Peninsula by way of the Eastern Townships — is one of summer's great pleasures. Before you leave, two formalities deserve a newcomer's attention. Your driver's licence. A foreign licence generally lets you drive in Quebec for the six months following your arrival. After that, you need a Quebec licence. According to the SAAQ, the exchange is done by appointment with the required documents; the agency then gets back to you within a set number of business days to confirm whether you can obtain a licence or have your driving experience recognized. Nationals of certain countries tied to Quebec by an agreement are exempt from the exams — check your situation on the SAAQ foreign-licence page. A hop into the United States? Many routes run along the border, and crossing over is tempting. The safest document is a valid passport: the Government of Canada reminds travellers that a passport is the only universally accepted document proving your right to return to Canada. Note: a U.S. REAL ID card is not accepted for entering Canada. Your immigration status matters on the way back. If you're not a Canadian citizen, make sure you have the documents needed to re-enter Canada after a trip out — for example a valid permanent resident card, or the appropriate authorization for your status. Check the list of accepted documents from the…

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