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I first visited Quebec City in 1975 as a day-trip by bus from Kingston, but though we looked down over the ferry from the heights of Old Quebec there was no time that day to go over to Lévis and back. Which was a shame because this ferry is in the don't-miss category.

Over the years since, we've been to Quebec City a number of times and always look for an excuse to take the ferry. Because the Lévis ferry is the way to see the skyline of Old Quebec. There are few places in the world where I would take this much trouble just to look at the view of a hotel. But Chateau Frontenac dominates the view of Old Quebec, day and night and the view from the middle of the Saint Lawrence is the way to see it. They don't call it a Chateau for nothing!

Lévis itself is not a tourist spot, but it is still a quiet old Quebec town, so allow some time to explore a little if you can. If nothing else the constant views across the Saint Lawrence are worth it. As home to several large employers it manages to be much more than just a dormitory for Quebec. Both the current ferries on this route were built in the Davie Shipyard on the edge of the town.

The river narrows somewhat between Lévis and Quebec, and then widens considerably as it splits to go around Île d'Orléans. So as you cross you get a feeling of enormous openness to the northeast, with the cranes of the Davie Shipyard just visible in the distance.

We passed Quebec City after midnight on the ferry from Montreal to the Magdalen Islands. It was a great chance to see both the Quebec City skyline and the Lévis ferry all lit up.

À ne pas manquer!