Quebec City Cruise Terminal Transfer: Chauffeur to the Ross-Gaudreault Terminal and Wharf 30

In Québec City the ships tie up beside the old town, and the port describes the main wharves as steps from Petit-Champlain. The harder part of a Quebec City cruise terminal transfer is not the distance. It is knowing which of the port's terminals your ship uses, whether a car can reach it, and how to get your luggage from there to an airport, a station or a hotel in a city of steep streets.

This page sets out what the Port of Québec publishes about its wharves and terminals, how far each is from the airport and the station, what to do about access at Wharf 30, and how to book a chauffeur through the Enroutz.ca desk in Toronto. Where we cannot verify something against the port's own pages, we say so.

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Which Quebec City cruise terminal does my ship use?

The port's cruise terminals page describes the Ross-Gaudreault Terminal as located near Old Québec and the Petit-Champlain district. It has two wharves, 21 and 22, a lower-level access reached by elevator, escalator or stairs, free Wi-Fi, a boarding waiting area, a tourist desk, separate luggage storage and up to 40 check-in counters.

Cruise Terminal 30 is newer. The port says it was built in 2020, with a passenger ramp added in 2021, and that it has Wharf 30, free Wi-Fi, a tourist desk, separate luggage storage, up to 32 check-in counters and a VIP section. The port also lists other wharves open to cruise ships, including the Coast Guard wharf (Wharf 93) and Quai Paquet (Wharf 81) in Lévis, across the river.

Which wharf your ship uses can change by call. The port's cruise schedule shows it. When you book with us, put the ship name and the date in the booker and the desk confirms the terminal against the schedule.

Addresses and access: the detail that matters

The port's wharf access page gives these addresses:

• Wharves 21 and 22 (Pointe-à-Carcy): 84 Dalhousie Street, with access from Dalhousie at the corner of Quai Saint-André, overlooking the Old Port parking lot. The port calls these the main cruise passenger wharves, with direct access to the cruise terminal and steps from Petit-Champlain.
• Wharf 30 (Estuary): 300 De L'Estuaire Street, with access from De L'Estuaire via Abraham-Martin Street.
• Wharf 81 (Quai Paquet, Lévis): 6075 Saint-Laurent Street, Lévis.

The warning is for Wharf 30. The port states that only authorised vehicles can enter during the cruise season, because the wharf also serves industrial and recreational uses. It adds that Wharf 30 is a few minutes' walk from Old Québec and that a shuttle service is available for passengers and crew.

In plain terms: if your ship berths at Wharf 30, do not assume a private car can drive to the gangway. We ask the port or your cruise line which arrangement applies to your sailing. If a private car is not authorised, the chauffeur drops you at the nearest permitted point and you use the shuttle. If the port does not publish a rule for your date, we say so rather than guess.

For Wharves 21 and 22, the port's page does not describe a taxi or drop-off point, so we confirm the approach with the port before the date, using the Dalhousie Street access it names.

Distances and drive times

The terminals are close to the old town and a short drive from the airport and the rail station. Figures are approximate; the booker works out the exact distance for your address.

The port's passenger information page says Jean-Lesage International Airport is about 20 minutes away, and that both the Wharf 30 terminal and Terminal 84 are about a 15-minute walk from the Gare du Palais VIA Rail station. The airport leg is described on our Québec City airport page; the city is covered on the Québec City car service page.

What the port says about embarkation

The same passenger page tells cruise passengers to reach the wharf at least two hours before the ship departs, to complete online check-in if they booked directly with the cruise line, and to carry their cruise ticket, identification and any passport the itinerary requires. It says terminal access is controlled, that travel documents and medication should stay in carry-on luggage, and that a luggage-check service lets passengers leave suitcases and spend time in the city before a flight or hotel check-in.

That last point is useful. If your hotel will not take you until mid-afternoon and your ship leaves in the early evening, a chauffeur who holds the bags in the vehicle, or who takes them to the terminal while you walk the old town, saves a lot of stress. Our hourly chauffeur service covers that kind of day.

Cruise lines set their own check-in windows. Use your cruise documents for the time you must be at the terminal, and tell us the time so the chauffeur arrives inside the window.

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Arriving by train, plane or car

By train. The port says VIA Rail runs daily service to Québec City from Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal, and that Amtrak trains from New York connect through Montréal to VIA. A chauffeur can meet you at Gare du Palais and take you to the terminal, which is only a few minutes by car, though the port notes the walk is about 15 minutes. For luggage-heavy cruisers, that walk is the argument for a car. See also the Montréal Central Station page if you are changing trains there.

By air. Jean-Lesage Airport is about 20 minutes away by the port's estimate. Many passengers fly into Montréal-Trudeau and drive to Québec City instead, a journey of about 260 km (160 miles) that takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours; see the Montréal-Trudeau page.

By car. The port's page notes long-term parking at the Louise Basin lot, available only through its mobile app, and a drop-off area at Terminal 84. We do not quote its parking rates here, because they change; check the port's page. If you do not want to leave a car for the length of a cruise, a chauffeur removes the problem.

From Toronto to Québec City

If your trip starts in Toronto, Québec City is about 790 km (490 miles) away by road, usually a full day of driving. Most travellers fly or take the train. The Québec province page covers the wider region, and the Toronto cruise page covers the Great Lakes end of the same type of trip. For a Toronto departure, see the black car service in Toronto page. For the city-to-city option, see city-to-city car service.

Language and the old town

Québec City is French-speaking. A French-speaking chauffeur is available on request; tell us at booking if you want one. We do not promise it outside Québec.

Old Québec is built on a cliff, with a Lower Town by the river and an Upper Town above it. Streets are narrow, hotels have small entrances, and some blocks are crowded during the day. Give us the exact hotel and the entrance you have been told to use, and we plan the approach.

Comparing the options

Walking from the station to the terminal is a perfectly good choice with a small bag and decent weather, and we say so. A chauffeur is best with luggage, with mobility needs, or when a ship has an early check-in window. The chauffeur versus rideshare guide goes through the same question.

Vehicles

The Executive Sedan and First Class Sedan carry up to three passengers with two large and two cabin bags. A Luxury SUV (Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon Denali or similar) takes up to six passengers and five to six large bags and is the usual choice for a family with cruise luggage. The Executive Sprinter carries up to twelve passengers and twelve bags, and mini-coaches and coaches (20 to 56 seats) are available on request. In Québec the vehicles are provided by a licensed local partner and are no more than four model years old. The exact model is confirmed at booking. See the fleet page.

Child, toddler and booster seats are available on request. Most vehicles carry Wi-Fi, water and phone chargers. Chauffeurs do not photograph clients or post about trips.

Booking and cancellation

Rides in Québec are delivered by a vetted, licensed and commercially insured local chauffeur partner and booked, confirmed and invoiced by the Enroutz.ca desk in Toronto: one booking, one confirmation, one invoice and one point of contact around the clock. See the Canada hub for the other provinces and the cruise ports hub for the other ports.

Cancellation terms: more than 72 hours' notice, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100%, measured from the scheduled pickup time. Large events and conventions may carry a different deadline, stated on the confirmation.

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