To View Tentative Tour Itinerary, Autumn Escape to Old Quebec

Autumn Escape to Old Quebec & Saguenay Region Featuring Quebec City, Saguenay Fjord & Rimouski 6-Day Tour
Mon. Sept. 28 – Sat. Oct. 3, 2015
Time for another celebration of Canada’s natural beauty and historical wonder! This 6-Day
adventure takes us to Quebec, Canada’s largest province, for a cultural and historical infusion that
includes two nights in charming Old Quebec City, two nights in the Saguenay region, sightseeing
and whale wathing in the fjord, and time in Rimouski, the gateway to the Gaspe Peninsul,a emersed
in maritime history and delighting in fall’s flurry of colours. Travel back in time to Champlain’s
Quebec City, board a cable car and cross Montmorency Falls, tour the world-famous shrine in St.
Anne De Beaupre, stay in France’s first trading post, take a scenic ferry ride across the St.
Lawrence River to towns less traveled, including Trois-Pistoles and Rimouski where you will see a
famous lighthouse and learn about the Empress of Ireland disaster, the 2nd most famous shipwreck
of the 20th century. Outlined below is the *daily itinerary for this adventure. Meals included during
each day of the tour are noted (D = dinner, L= lunch, and B = breakfast). Please read the
information carefully, and contact us if you have any questions. Your tour manager looks forward
to meeting you and delivering a well-managed and enjoyable escape where all you need to do is…sit
back, relax, and enjoy yourself! See you all on Sept 28th, 2015!
- Sincerely, Greg Collins, President & CEO
Mon. Sept. 28th Day #1 – Home – Quebec City, Hotel Pur (D)
• Your Quebec Autumn Adventure begins today! Meet your coach or shuttle at the designated
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meeting point assigned to you. Final pick-up locations will be sent to you at least 2 weeks
before you depart.
Seat rotation will be followed during this tour. Details surrounding this policy are outlined on
our company website and will be reviewed by your tour manager once all clients are on board.
(There are no exceptions to seat rotation policy unless you supply us with an official Doctors
note in advance. Front seat is guaranteed with only a Doctor’s note and surcharge.).
All stops for passenger pick-up/drop off will be brief (10-15 min.) and we ask that you remain
on the coach unless it is a scheduled coffee break or lunch stop. Your tour manager will clarify
this for you during the tour.
For your convenience, today’s drive includes several coffee breaks and an hour lunch (your
expense) before our estimated 5:30 p.m. arrival at the Hotel Pur, located in downtown Quebec
City.
Relax while your tour manager checks you in, hands out your key card, and has your bag (one
per person please) sent to your room; all part of our signature Collins Tours group check in
service (fees included).
Tonight we’ve scheduled a “welcome dinner,” complete with a complimentary glass of wine, at
a restaurant in Old Quebec that we’ve enjoyed for many years (Dinner and a one 4-oz glass of
wine included).
Following your delightful dinner, our coach will shuttle people back to the hotel or if you like,
stay out longer and make your way back to the hotel on your own (your expense).
Tentative Itinerary -­‐ Quebec Autumn Adventure 2015 Tues. Sept. 29th Day #2 – Quebec City, Hotel Pur (B)
• Enjoy the Hotel Pur’s American plated breakfast this morning
(included).
• You will then be treated to a detailed tour of Old Quebec with
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our professional step-on guide.
Meet the coach at 8:30 a.m. for a 3.5-hour city tour, featuring
the Parliament buildings, Chateau Frontenac, Plains of
Abraham, and more!
Your tour will end but your gastronomic adventures are only
beginning. Feel free to eat at any of the amazing restaurants
within walking distance of…anywhere (lunch your expense).
Following lunch you are free to shop for 2 hours and explore
famous St. Jean Street, Rue du Tressor, or stroll through the
Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world! All this
and more within walking distance and located in the heart of
Old Quebec City!
The coach will meet you this afternoon at the assigned location
and time (TBA) to shuttle you back to the hotel for a little
R&R.
Enjoy dinner and the rest of the evening on your own. Our
hotel is located within walking distance of the Old City and the
fabulous restaurants of the French Quarter. Perhaps a ride on
the historic Funiculaire is on your “to do” list this evening?
For those interested we will also offer complimentary return
shuttle service to Gallerie de la Capital, the largest mall in the
area and your stop for excellent shopping.
Wed. Sept. 30th Day #3 – Tadoussac, Hotel Tadoussac
(B, D)
• Take time to enjoy breakfast (included) before check out and
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our 8:30 a.m. departure.
Get set for an exciting day on the north shores of the St.
Lawrence River, visiting towns less travelled.
Our first stop is Montmorency Falls Park where you will board
a cable car for a unique perspective of the falls as you travel
across the canyon (admission and cable car ride included). Next stop…St. Anne de Beaupre and the famous shrine to
Saint Anne, mother of Mary Magdalen (admission included).
Enjoy the magnificent architecture and detailed 350-year
history of the Basilica!
Following our touching visit, we will stop and enjoy an hour
lunch in a nearby town (meal is your expense).
This afternoon we continue our scenic drive along the in St.
Lawrence to Tadoussac, the site of the first French trading post
in New France and the village where the St Lawrence and
Saguenay Rivers converge.
Enjoy your signature group check in service upon arrival at
your 4-star accommodations, the Hotel Tadoussac!
81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W6 506-634-8080 F: 506-652-3240
www.collinstours.ca
2 Tentative Itinerary -­‐ Quebec Autumn Adventure 2015 • Take time to relax before another group dinner, served in the
hotel’s dining room (price included).
• The rest of the afternoon is free so take time to enjoy the hotel’s
amenities, relax at the beach, explore the beautiful grounds,
visit local art galleries and wood carving shops, and see more of
what many say is one of Quebec’s most beautiful villages! You
are a 10-minute walk from all the top local attractions.
Thur. Oct. 1st Day #4 – Tadoussac, Quebec (B)
• Start another day off with a fabulous breakfast (included)
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before unforgettable adventures in this historic fur trading and
whaling port with ties back to many First Nations tribes,
including the Iroquois, Mohawk and Micmac.
The highlight of the day (and possibly your tour) is our 3-hour
whale-watching expedition with our partners at Croisiers AML
(AML cruises). Tadoussac is known world wide for its
abundance of whale species, with Humpbacks, minkes, blue
whales and the more unique white beluga (price included), all
regularly sighted at this time of the year. Be sure to bring extra
clothes in case the weather changes.
Lunch today is in your own.
This afternoon we have another guided tour scheduled for the
group. Our step on guide will tell us more about the unique
history and culture of the area during our 2-hour guided tour.
Dinner today is on your own along with another evening in
picturesque Tadoussac, the oldest surviving French settlement
in Canada.
Fri. Oct. 2nd - Day #5 – Rimouski, QC (B, D)
• Enjoy another complimentary breakfast before our leisurely
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check out and drive north to Les Escoumins (30 min. from
hotel), considered the cradle of the Côte-Nord Amerindian,
with evidence of their settlement dating back thousands of
years. It is also the site of the earliest Europeans, the Basque
Whalers, back in the 1630’s.
Lunch in this quaint town is on your own.
We then check in at the ferry terminal 45 min prior to our 2:00
p.m. ferry crossing.
Be sure to keep watch for more of those amazing marine
mammals, during your 90-min. ride/wildlife cruise across the
St. Lawrence (tickets and fees included).
Arrive in Trois-Pistoles, Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at 3:30
p.m. We then have a scenic 45 min. drive along the south
shores of the St. Lawrence before checking in at the Hotel
Rimouski, our home for the night.
Rimouski, a cultural and maritime center and starting point for
the famous Gaspe Peninsula, is thought to get its name from a
First Nations word meaning "land of moose.” 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W6 506-634-8080 F: 506-652-3240
www.collinstours.ca
3 Tentative Itinerary -­‐ Quebec Autumn Adventure 2015 • Take time to relax before we gather for our farewell group
dinner (price included).
• You are then free to explore on your own.
Sat. Oct. 3rd – Day #6 – Home (B)
• Breakfast is included again today.
• Check out in time for our scheduled departure (time TBA). Be
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sure to cover any incidental charges (i.e. movie, room service)
that you incurred during your stay.
Get set for an information-rich morning during our 2-hour visit
to the Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historical Site. Tour a
submarine, visit the Empress of Ireland Pavilion where you will
learn about “One of the worst maritime disasters in the history
of the world, and climb the steps one of the tallest lighthouse
towers in Canada. Admission to all three included).
Time to bid farewell to, “La Belle Province,” and make our way
home as we enjoy the fall leaves (mother nature permitting).
Another rest stop and dinner break are built into today’s itinerary (meals at your expense).
We will then begin dropping our fellow travelers back at their original pick-up points.
Approximate arrival times will be mailed to you at least two weeks before the tour departs.
Please be sure to check your seat for all valuables and carefully check any parcels and suitcases
before leaving. We are not responsible for articles left behind.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION • *Tour itineraries are a guideline and may need to be adjusted by
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CTC or your tour manager due to unforeseen factors such as weather, traffic, changes to concert
/sporting event times, etc.
Seat rotation policy is in effect for this tour. Your tour manager will explain this once on board.
There are no exceptions to seat rotation without written notice from a physician.
Bring along your favorite music CD’s and DVD’s. Our Motor Coach has capabilities for both!
Please remove all personal belongings from your seat, as well as any luggage or parcels stored under
the bus. Collins Tours is not responsible for items left behind.
Here are the details for each hotel you are staying at during this tour: Quebec City - Hotel Pur: 395
Rue de la Couronne, Québec, Ph: 418-647-2611, Tadoussac - Hotel Tadoussac: 165, rue Bord de
l'Eau, Ph: 418-235-4421, Rimouski - Hotel Rimouski: 225 Boulevard René Lepage E, Ph: +1 418725-5000.
AML Cruise Whale warranty- If the *captain considers that no whales were sighted during our
whale-watching cruise, Croisières AML will give you a ticket for another whale-watching cruise or
any other AML cruise, province-wide. Conditions apply and are the policies of AML Cruises and
not under control of Collins Tours.
What to wear when whale watching: we recommend you have on close-toe shoes (not sandals) long
pants, a long- sleeved sweater, gloves and a hat as weather on the water can change rapidly.
REMEMBER: Your Collins Tours manager handles your bags, hotel check-in /check out, overall
group management (e.g. timely transitions, itinerary development)…All this to ensure that you
enjoy your experience to the fullest! Gratuities for your Tour Manager/ driver are NOT included in
your tour price
Here are our guidelines on Tipping Etiquette:
• Private tour guides for city tours -$2 per pers. per day
• CTC Tour managers: From $3.50-$6 per pers. per day
• Bus driver- $3 per pers. per day
81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W6 506-634-8080 F: 506-652-3240
www.collinstours.ca
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