Traveling to Quebec City during Covid-19

Let’s face it, while hospital stays are seldom fun, traveling for health reasons during a pandemic can be a particularly stressful experience. Proximity and accessibility to health care facilities therefore become key factors in the choice of accommodation location during treatment. Our site of choice in the heart of downtown is therefore ideal to simplify your life.

In fact, the Best Western PLUS City Centre Quebec is located less than 5 km from at least six hospitals! For example, the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, within the walls of Old Quebec, is only about 2 km from our establishment. On such a short distance, travel times are minimal even without your vehicle, with taxis providing a simple and affordable alternative.

In addition, the extensive network of public transport running through the city center provides easy access to several other health centers, such as the Saint-François d’Assise hospital, the L’Enfant-Jésus hospital, the Saint-Sacrement hospital and the Jeffrey Hale. Finally, the General Hospital of Quebec located at the end of Boulevard Langelier is less than a kilometer away, making it accessible on foot in about ten minutes!

In addition, there are several long-term care accommodation centers and specialized care clinics, such as the Sacré-Coeur accommodation center and the IRDPQ rehabilitation center, to only name a few. Whatever the reason for your medical stay in Quebec, our centralized position will allow you to focus on the essential: your health.

Although the current situation strongly encourages teleworking, unfortunately this is not always possible. Many companies prefer large centers to set up their offices, and downtown Quebec City is no exception. A large number of buildings house the premises of a host of organizations and companies from various sectors within a few minutes’ walk of our establishment.

To give just one example, the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec, or CSQ, has their offices across the street. In addition, some specific points of interest in the business world are also very well located, very close to us. The Palais de Justice and the Quebec City Convention Center are both located less than 2 km from our hotel, which makes them quickly and easily accessible. Although the Convention Center is located in Upper Town and is perhaps a little less pleasant to reach on foot, know that the public transport network can take you there very simply from our location.

This diversity of organizations also includes several student and university premises, such as TÉLUQ, the National School of Public Administration (ENAP) and the design and art schools of Laval University, all located within walking distance. Students will be happy to learn that the Coop Zone of Laval University offers a well-stocked point of sale in front of the art school on Boulevard Charest.

Finally, the Best Western PLUS City Centre Quebec is also ideal for meeting the needs of transit passengers who need to stay overnight in Quebec. We are located less than 3km from the head office of the Port of Quebec, from which the various docks are fairly easily accessible. In addition, Gare du Palais brings together Orléans Express bus and Via Rail train services just under 2km away. With light luggage, it is quite possible to get there on foot!

Whatever the reason for your stay in Quebec, the question of food may be one of your main concerns. No worries, although the health safety rules currently in force do not allow restaurants to welcome you on site, know that the majority of catering establishments in the city center sector have been able to adapt and offer take-out menus.

Within walking distance, it is possible to select your meals from a diverse range of flavors, origins and costs. Better yet, a significant number of restaurants have taken advantage of the situation to modernize their ordering platforms and are now offering their menus for delivery on mobile applications such as Uber Eats or Doordash. You can easily enjoy your favorite dishes in the comfort of your room!

In addition, although Bistro le 330 unfortunately remains closed for an indefinite period, our Coffee Shop, Café-In, remains open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day for take-out orders. You will find a selection of sandwiches, baked goods and pastries freshly prepared in our kitchens, as well as the renowned Castello coffees, prepared and served with care by our friendly baristas. For an overview of what we have to offer, it’s here: cafeinquebec.com

It might not be time for window shopping, but that doesn’t mean there are some needs that need to be met and being able to shop for those necessities in person can sometimes take a huge stress off our shoulders. Let’s face it, not everyone is comfortable with shopping online and some items require direct inspection in order to make an informed choice. In this sense, many will therefore be relieved to learn that unlike the closures caused by the measures put in place in the spring, a large number of shops and stores remain open this fall despite the Covid. This allows customers to make their purchases on the spot, thanks to appropriate sanitary measures. For example, the Place Fleur-de-Lys shopping center is open.

Located about 4km from our hotel, it is easily accessible, both by car and by public transport. Several shopping streets have also been brought up to date. Thus, the sectors of the Petit-Champlain district and rue Saint-Jean remain open to the public and full of life. The reduced attendance may even allow you to take some pretty pictures with framing impossible to achieve in tourist season, who knows?

Closer to home, rue Saint-Joseph has adapted wonderfully to current conditions, however difficult they may be. A large majority of its shops and restaurants are still accessible and the friendly traders compete for originality to seduce the few passers-by. Even with a very specific goal in mind, the walk is worth the detour, and allows you to take a moment to decompress. We are only human after all and taking care of your sanity is just as important in these uncertain times.