Getting Around

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Important

Before planning your trip to Canada, make sure you meet the requirements to be allowed to travel to Canada. Have a close look at the “Travelling to Canada – International Students” page to get all the information you need for your trip to Canada. You should also familiarize yourself with the information on our “Vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements for entering Canada” page.[/boite_bleue]

Bicycles

You can also travel by bicycle. Information on the city’s bike paths can be found at:

www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/en
www.velo.qc.ca
www.routeverte.com

Important note: In winter, cycling may be unsafe due to snow and ice.

Bike rental

About 60 bicycles are available to university community members. Just show your ID and rent a bicycle for up to 4 hours at the following campus service outlet:

  • Coop Roue-libre 
    Big white trailer at the parking area across the street from the Alphonse-Desjardins building
    May to October
    www.cooprouelibre.com

Car rentals

Discount
Pavillon Alphonse-Desjardins, Room 1300
Université Laval
418-656-3560
www.discountquebec.com/en/

Avis
www.avis.ca

Hertz
www.hertz.ca

Enterprise
www.enterpriserentacar.ca

Budget
www.budget.ca

Sauvageau
www.sauvageau.qc.ca

Driver’s licence

If your driver’s licence is valid and authorizes you to drive a car or motorcycle in Québec, you can do so during your studies without holding a Québec driver’s licence. However, you must meet the criteria specified on your licence. If your driver’s licence is not in French or English, you are strongly advised to get an international driver’s licence. You can apply for it in the country where you obtained your driver’s licence. You should always keep your driver’s licence with your international driver’s licence.

If you do not have a driver’s licence and wish to get one, contact the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) is the government agency responsible for vehicle registration, driver’s licences, driving tests, the rules of the road, and road accidents.

Intercity Buses

Interested in taking advantage of your stay at Université Laval to explore other areas of Canada or the United States? See below for the main bus lines serving Québec, Ontario, and the northern United States.

Orléans Express Groupe Keolis: Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Rivière du Loup, Rimouski, Gaspésie and Ottawa
Intercar: Chicoutimi, Alma, Tadoussac, Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles
La Québécoise: Sherbrooke
Autocars Thedford: Thedford Mines
Autobus Breton: Lac-Mégantic and Saint-Georges

You will find here a map of the buses route in the province of Quebec

To go to a destination outside the province of Quebec, except for the destination in the Maritime Provinces, you will need to take a bus at the Gare central de Montréal. From there, Trailways, Mega Bus and Greyhound will take you to Toronto, New-York and further.

Orléans Express also offers on Friday and Sunday a low cost shuttle service to Montreal for Université Laval’s students. Departures and returns on campus at the Alphonse-Desjardins building.

Gare d’autocars de Sainte-Foy
3001, chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois
418 650-0087

Terminus d’autobus de Québec (Gare du Palais)
320, rue Abraham-Martin
418 525-3000

Public transit

If you are a full-time student or a visiting student, you may be eligible for the Laissez-passer universitaire – LPU.

Québec City has a public bus system, Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC). Depending on how much and when you use the system, you have several options:

  1. You can pay cash in all buses, but in exact change only ($3.50) because drivers do not make change.
  2. You can buy tickets ($3.10 each) on an OPUS or Occasional smart card.
  3. If you regularly ride the bus, you may want to buy a pass.
  4. You can now charge tickets on your smartphone with the RTC Nomade paiement.

If you are not eligible for the LPU, which pass is right for you?

Category Description Cost
General monthly pass Unlimited number of trips from the first day to the last day of the month $89,75
Student monthly pass Unlimited number of trips from the first day to the last day of the month

To be eligible for this rate, you have to buy an OPUS student card from Réseau de transport de la Capitale ($15) at the following locations:

  • Rentrée UL welcome fair in Pavillon Alphonse-Desjardins
  • Pharmacie Brunet in the Laurier Québec shopping centre

Confirmation of full-time registration from the Registrar’s Office and photo ID required.

 $60
Day pass Unlimited trips for one day $8,85
Unlimited weekend pass Unlimited trips for one weekend $16
Five-day pass Unlimited trips for 5 days $31
If you are not eligible for the Laissez-passer universitaire-LPU, the Abonne BUS service gives you an additional 10% off your monthly subscriptions. www.rtcquebec.ca.

The Chez Alphonse convenience store in the Maurice-Pollack building sells bus tickets and monthly passes.

To find out which bus routes run through your area, check on Google Map, or download RTC application on your phone or tablet!

Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC)
www.rtcquebec.ca

Société de transport de Lévis (STL)
www.stlevis.ca

Important note: RTC buses serve the north shore (Québec City). To get to the south shore (City of Lévis) by bus, you need to use Société de transport de Lévis (STL) buses and tickets.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing can be a great way to get around!

There are 3 ridesharing organizations:

Taxi

Taxi Coop Sainte-Foy: 418-653-7777
Taxi Laurier: 418-651-2727
Taxi Coop Québec: 418-525-5191

Train

Via Rail Canada
www.viarail.ca/en