quebec north shore and labrador railway (qns&l)

Primal travel through the Canadian Shield. Easy on, easy off. Take your own snacks, be prepared for some magnificent vistas. For the truly adventuresome, take this trip in February. Bring some sweaters.

Have taken this train many timed over the past 25 years. With a friend to Schefferville - flat scenery and lots of lakes and swamp. Desolate and beautiful. With a young family Lab City to Sept-Iles in the snow - mountainous terraine and river valley - beautiful bridge - watch from rear of train - whistle stops for hunters with their frozen caribou. With spouse and another couple to visit a fishing camp in winter - skiing on the Moisie behind a skidoo, With daughter in engine and watched. a bear cross tracks.A beautiful way to see the north of Quebec and the changing scenery from the St-Laurent to Schefferville.Beautiful trip ant time of year

One of the best ways to see whales is to visit the North Shore or Maritime region of Quebec and camp at the Mer et Monde Ecotours in Bergeronnes, 20 minutes east of Tadoussac, a few hours northeast of Quebec City.Most visitors come for the professionally guided sea kayaking trips on the St. Lawrence River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean and the Saguenay Fjord. Here, baby belugas, curious about the motion of the rudder, approach the kayaks. For those not interested in braving the 4 degree celsius water (in summer!), currents and winds, camping is the better option, especially since all the gear can be rented which still keeps the cost below that of a hotel room. Sites are wooden platforms built onto the rocks overlooking the water so that whale sightings are guaranteed. Minkes, belugas, humpbacks and blues can all be seen - and heard as they regularly emit water through their blowholes.For those who prefer whale watching without paddling a kayak or camping, taking a zodiac boat tour with Croisieres AML in nearby Tadoussac (the region's tourist hot spot and home to the "Hotel New Hamshire" fill in) is a more expensive option. While the speed can be exhilarating, the two hour trip can be rough on the back as the boat hits the water at high speeds. Inquire about calmer trips. Before embarking on your high speed whale chasing cruise, visit the nearby Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre to learn all about the 13 species of marine mammals that inhabit these waters.To further explore the natural history of this glacial region, head to the newly opened Jardin des Glaciers, 200 kilometres east in Baie Comeau. A $10,000,000 state of the art multimedia presentation takes visitors back 20,000 years under the ice in a beautifully converted church, that is now the Glacial Exploration Centre. More active visitors might want to fly along the zipline as it crosses a warm water glacial lake a few kilometres from the Centre at additional cost.

This train ride begins in Sept Iles and ends in Schefferville in the province of Quebec, Canada. About half of it winds through Labrador. The 360 mile long set of tracks are paralleled by rivers and the scenery is spectacular. This is a very remote area of Canada and the only way to get to Schefferville is by train or plane as there are no roads. The train has old seats on board but they are comfortable. One can swivel the seats around in front of him so that he can put his feet up on them. There is a snack bar with sandwiches, coffee, cold drinks, candy, etc. The trip is 14 hours each way and the train departs each station at 0800 and arrives at the other station at around 1000. It's a trip worth making at least once.