Getting Around Quebec City: The 1879 Funicular, RTC Metrobus 800 & Parking in Old Quebec

Once you arrive in Old Quebec, put your car keys away: the entire historic district inside and below the ramparts measures less than 1.5 kilometres across and is best explored entirely on foot. You only need transport for riding up the 60-metre cliff between Lower and Upper Town, taking the bus to Montmorency Falls, or parking a hire car.

1. The Old Quebec Funicular (Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec, Cash Only)

Walk down the 59 steps of the Breakneck Stairs into Lower Town, then save your knees on the way back up by riding the 1879 Funicular from 16 Rue du Petit-Champlain straight up 60 vertical metres onto Dufferin Terrace opposite Château Frontenac. It runs daily from early morning until late evening, and the ticket booth accepts cash only (a cash machine sits inside the lower station).

2. Using 'RTC' City Buses (Metrobus 800 & Route 11, 'RTC Paiement' App)

Operated by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), green-and-blue Metrobus 800 and 801 run every 5 to 10 minutes along René-Lévesque Boulevard / Place D'Youville outside St. John's Gate:

• How to Pay on the Bus: paying cash on board requires exact change in coins. Instead, download the free RTC Nomade Paiement smartphone app to buy single tickets, a 2-Trip Pass, a 1-Day Pass or a Weekend Pass by bank card and show your phone screen to the driver.
• Two Key Routes for Visitors: Metrobus 800 (Direction 'Chute-Montmorency') takes you from Place D'Youville directly to the base of 83-metre Montmorency Falls in 25 minutes; Route 11 loops through Upper Town, the Plains of Abraham (MNBAQ) and the Lévis Ferry Terminal.

3. Driving to Quebec City? Park in a Municipal Underground Car Park

Avoid hunting for street parking along the narrow, resident-permit-only lanes inside the Old Quebec walls. Instead, drive straight into one of the 24-hour SPAQ / City Hall Municipal Underground Car Parks, such as Stationnement de l'Hôtel de Ville under City Hall, Place D'Youville at St. John's Gate, or the outdoor port car parks along Rue Dalhousie in Lower Town.