Montreal to Quebec City is about 250 km (155 miles), and every way of making the trip takes roughly three hours. Quebec City's official tourism office puts the drive on Highway 20 at between 2 hours 45 minutes and 3 hours depending on traffic, the Orleans Express bus at about 3 hours, and the VIA Rail train at about 3 hours 15 minutes. So the real choice is not speed. It is where you start, where you finish, what you carry and how much of the day you want to manage yourself.
The bus and the train are the budget options and they work well for one or two travellers with light bags. Driving yourself gives freedom on the road but brings parking and winter into the picture at the other end. A private chauffeur is the door-to-door option: from a Montreal hotel or straight from YUL arrivals to your Quebec City hotel, with stops where you want them. This guide from the Elly8.net desk lays out each one honestly.
How long does it take to get from Montreal to Quebec City?
By car on Highway 20, about 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours in normal traffic for roughly 250 km (155 miles). The Orleans Express bus takes about 3 hours and the VIA Rail train about 3 hours 15 minutes, both arriving at Gare du Palais in Quebec City. Add time for Montreal rush hour, snow or stops.
Those times come from Destination Quebec cite's own Montreal to Quebec City page. Our own routing, from downtown Montreal to Old Quebec, comes out at about 251 km (156 mi), and from Montreal-Trudeau airport (YUL) to Old Quebec at about 266 km (165 mi). Allow more at the start of the trip: leaving the island of Montreal at weekday rush hour can add a long stretch before the highway opens up.
See Quebec City prices and reserve
The four ways to go, side by side
| Option | Time | Starts and ends | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIA Rail train | about 3 h 15 | Montreal Central Station to Gare du Palais (stops at Sainte-Foy) | One or two travellers, work on board | Getting to the station and from Gare du Palais to your hotel |
| Orleans Express bus | about 3 h | Downtown Montreal to Gare du Palais | Budget, frequent departures | Fixed schedule, transfers at both ends |
| Rental car, self-drive | 2 h 45 to 3 h on Highway 20 | Wherever you pick it up | Road trips with several stops | Old Quebec parking, winter, French road signs |
| Elly8.net private chauffeur | about 3 h plus any stops | Your door to your door, or YUL arrivals to your hotel | Families, groups, luggage, YUL connections | Price is per vehicle, quoted in the web booker |
The bus, according to the tourism office, leaves downtown Montreal almost every hour from 07:00 to 21:00. VIA Rail lists its corridor service as "Ottawa - Montreal - Sainte Foy - Quebec" on its train schedules page, so you can also get off at Sainte-Foy if you are staying near the university or the western business district.
Train and bus: the honest case for them
For a solo traveller or a couple with a suitcase each, the train is a pleasant, predictable way to go, and the bus is the cheapest. Neither needs a parking space at the other end, and both deliver you to Gare du Palais, at the foot of the old town. If you are staying in the Lower Town or near the station, the last stretch is short.
Where they get harder is at the edges of the trip. If you land at YUL from the United States or Europe, you first need to get from the airport to Montreal Central Station or the bus terminal, then from Gare du Palais up to an Upper Town hotel, with bags, possibly in snow. With children, skis, or a group of five, that is three or four handoffs instead of one. That is the point at which a car starts to make sense, not before.
Driving yourself: what to know before you rent
The fastest route is Highway 20 along the south shore. If you have time, the tourism office recommends Route 138 on the north shore, the Chemin du Roy, a heritage road that runs through riverside villages such as Cap-Sante. It is slower but much prettier, and Trois-Rivieres sits roughly halfway, about 140 km from Montreal by our routing, a natural place to stop for lunch.
Three things catch visitors out at the Quebec City end.
Parking. The tourism office's parking and driving tips say to expect about C$3.50 an hour for street parking around Old Quebec, charged daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., paid by licence plate at pay stations or in the Copilote+ app. Hotels in the old town often have limited space, and the streets inside the walls are narrow and steep.
Winter. From November 1 to April 15, parking on city streets is prohibited during snow removal operations after storms, signalled by orange flashing signs. Quebec also requires winter tires on Quebec-registered vehicles from December 1 to March 15, per the Government of Quebec; a rental from a Quebec agency will have them.
Language. Road signs in Quebec are in French, though most also use international symbols. Visitors with a foreign licence may drive in Quebec for six consecutive months.
None of this is a reason not to drive. It is a reason to plan where the car will sleep. One common plan is to return the rental on arrival and use a chauffeur for day trips instead, which our post on Quebec City to Montmorency Falls compares in detail.
The private car: door to door, with the stops you choose
A chauffeured transfer from Montreal to Quebec City is booked as a city to city car service. Enter both addresses in the web booker and it gives a fixed, all-in price for the vehicle before you pay, including the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost, and the price is per vehicle, never per person.
Rides are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer.
Straight from YUL. This is where a private car saves the most effort. The chauffeur tracks your flight, waits inside arrivals with a name board, and drives you out of the airport and onto the highway without a trip downtown first. Complimentary waiting after a tracked landing covers a slow customs line.
Stops on the way. Ask for a lunch stop in Trois-Rivieres or a slower run along the Chemin du Roy, and tell the desk when you book so the chauffeur plans the timing. If the holiday also includes the Laurentians, our Mont-Tremblant car service covers that leg separately.
Which vehicle. Two adults with two suitcases fit a business sedan (up to 3 passengers and 2 bags). A family with car seats or ski bags is happier in a business SUV (up to 6 and 6). A group or a wedding party fits an Executive Sprinter, up to 12 passengers with 12 bags, as one vehicle. Seats and bags for each class are on the fleet page.
What it costs at each end
The Montreal to Quebec City transfer itself is priced in the web booker for your addresses and date. The fixed prices at each end help you plan the rest of the trip. In Montreal, a YUL to downtown transfer starts at US$120 in a business sedan; see the Montreal car service page. In Quebec City, the published fares include:
| Quebec City package | Business sedan | Business SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|
| YQB airport to Old Quebec, one way | US$115 | US$150 | US$300 |
| By the hour, 3-hour minimum | US$110 per hour | US$140 per hour | US$220 per hour |
| Private city highlights tour, 4 hours | US$440 | US$560 | US$880 |
| Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans, 6 hours | US$610 | US$775 | US$1,215 |
| Full-day chauffeur, 8 hours | US$810 | US$1,035 | US$1,620 |
The YQB fare matters if you plan to fly home from Quebec City rather than drive back to Montreal: it is the same fixed price in either direction. All Quebec City prices are on the Quebec City limousine page.
When to leave, and when not to
Weekday mornings. Leaving Montreal after the morning peak gets you to Quebec City in time for a late lunch and hotel check-in.
Friday afternoons. Traffic leaving Montreal builds through the afternoon. If you are going for the weekend, an early start or a departure after the evening rush is usually easier.
Winter. Snow can slow Highway 20 and Highway 40 considerably. With a chauffeur, the desk watches the forecast and confirms the pickup with you the evening before; if a storm closes the road, we move the booking.
Carnaval and peak weeks. The Carnaval de Quebec in February and the summer months fill Quebec City hotels. Book the car when you book the room.
Coming back. The return trip works the same way in reverse. If your flight home leaves from YUL, ask the desk to time the pickup in Quebec City around the airport check-in window, with allowance for Montreal traffic on the final stretch; if it leaves from YQB instead, the fixed airport fare applies and the drive from Old Quebec is about 24 minutes on a clear road.
Turning the drive into the first day of the trip
Many travellers use the transfer as the start of a longer stay. Once in Quebec City, a private city tour with a chauffeur or our guide to planning a chauffeured Quebec City day covers the old town, the Citadelle and the Plains of Abraham. Further east, Quebec City to Charlevoix by private car is a day along the river or a one-way transfer to a hotel there. Getting around town itself is covered in Quebec City taxi vs Uber vs a private car.
Companies moving a team between the two cities can book every leg under a corporate account with monthly invoicing in US dollars. Elly8.net books the car only; for flights and hotels, our travel partner is BookingWorldwide.net.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to take the train or drive from Montreal to Quebec City?
For one or two travellers with light bags staying near Gare du Palais, the train is relaxed and predictable at about 3 hours 15 minutes. Driving takes 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours but brings Old Quebec parking and winter driving. A private chauffeur suits families, groups, heavy luggage and anyone starting at YUL.
How much is a private car from Montreal to Quebec City?
Enter both addresses in the Elly8.net web booker and it gives a fixed, all-in price for the vehicle you choose before you pay. The price is per vehicle, not per person, and includes the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and extra waiting are billed at cost.
Can the chauffeur pick us up at Montreal airport and drive straight to Quebec City?
Yes. Add your flight number when you book. The chauffeur tracks the landing, meets you inside arrivals with a name board, and you get complimentary waiting after a tracked landing, so a slow customs line is covered. The drive from YUL to Old Quebec is about 266 km (165 mi).
Can we stop along the way?
Yes. Ask for the stops when you book, such as lunch in Trois-Rivieres, about halfway, or a scenic run along the Chemin du Roy (Route 138). The desk plans the timing and includes the stops in the price shown by the web booker.
Which vehicle fits a family with ski bags?
A business SUV carries up to 6 passengers and 6 bags, which leaves room for skis or a stroller beside the suitcases, and child seats are fitted on request before pickup. Give each child's age and weight when you book. For larger groups, an Executive Sprinter carries up to 12 passengers and 12 bags in one vehicle, priced per vehicle.
What if a snowstorm hits on our travel day?
The desk watches the forecast and confirms the pickup time with you the evening before, and partner vehicles are equipped for the season. If Highway 20 or Highway 40 is closed or unsafe, message the 24/7 desk and we move the booking to the next safe window rather than send a car into a storm.
