In 1899 the Manoir was built for people stepping off steamships. Nobody arrives that way now; the Pointe-au-Pic dock is reserved for commercial vessels. But there is still a way to reach the hotel that keeps the river beside you for most of the journey, and it is the Train de Charlevoix.
The line
Tourisme Charlevoix calls it the province's only tourist train. It leaves from the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency station, a few minutes from downtown Québec City, and runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence to Baie-Saint-Paul — about two and a half hours — and on to La Malbaie, for a total of about three and a half to four hours, depending on the timetable and the stops. It runs from spring to autumn, and the route can be taken in either direction.
On board
There is no food service, but you may bring your own lunch. Drinks, with and without alcohol, are sold on board; you may not bring your own alcohol. There are washrooms. The tourism office describes the views as river meeting mountain headlands, coastal villages and open horizons, which is fair. For a trip where the view is the point, the operator's 2026 package offered a supplement to guarantee seats on the river side, and we would pay it.
The 2026 package to the Manoir
Groupe Voyages Québec, which sells the train, published a package combining the journey with a night at the Manoir, available from 5 June to 1 November 2026. Its schedule:
- Day 1
- 08:00 departure from Chute-Montmorency · 12:30 arrival in La Malbaie
- Day 2
- 13:00 departure from La Malbaie · 17:30 arrival at Chute-Montmorency
- Transfer
- Between La Malbaie station and the hotel, both ways
The package also included dinner and breakfast at the hotel. We do not reproduce its price or its other inclusions. The 2027 season had not been published when we checked.
Fitting it into a stay
Arriving at 12:30 leaves the afternoon free before the 4 p.m. check-in: lunch in town, the Musée de Charlevoix, a walk along the water. A return at 13:00 the next day gives you the morning at the hotel, which for one night is barely enough; we would add a second night and come back on the train the day after. If you are not taking the package, Tourisme Charlevoix mentions shuttles, local transport including Mobilité collective Charlevoix, and taxis at the stations, and some hotels run their own shuttles. Ask the Manoir's concierge before you travel.
Without a car in Charlevoix
Arriving by train means accepting that some of the region will be harder to reach. Whale-watching at Baie-Sainte-Catherine, the Hautes-Gorges and Mont Grand-Fonds all assume a car. On the other hand, the hotel's resort fee includes bike loans, and Pointe-au-Pic and La Malbaie are pleasant to explore on two wheels in summer. For one or two outings, the concierge can arrange transport or a tour.
Our advice
Take the train one way if the timetable allows, and rent a car for the return if you want the whales or the mountains. Or simply let the train decide the shape of the stay: a few slow days by the river, the spa, the golf course, dinner at Le Saint-Laurent, and nowhere else to be.