GET ACTIVE IN QUEBEC

cruises work as part of longer itineraries, with Georgian Bay Islands National Park (gc.pc.ca) a superb add-on.

St Lawrence Cruise Lines (001 613 549 8091; stlawrencecruiselines.com) offers eight St Lawrence cruises, from the four-night Upper River Expedition ( from £1,178 per person) to an eight-day trip between Lake Ontario and Montreal ( from £2,292). Prices include full board, tours and transfers.

Or travel with Viking (0800 298 9700; vikingcruises.co.uk) in September 2023 on its 13-day Eastern Seaboard Explorer between Montreal and New York, with nine days in Canadian waters, from £4,990 per person, including return flights, gratuities and seven land tours

No problem finding space in Quebec (bonjourquebec.com) – it’s around six times the size of the UK. But most visitors venture no further than its key cities, Montreal and Quebec, missing out on countless unsung destinations and activities. Try the beautiful Appalachian countryside of the Eastern Townships (easterntownships.org), perhaps following a route through the region’s vineyards (laroutedesvins.ca), or the more rugged landscapes of the Gaspé Peninsula and Forillon National Park (pc.gc.ca). Hike the 60-mile Traversée de Charlevoix (traverseedecharlevoix.qc.ca), one of eastern Canada’s best walking trails, or cycle Le P’tit Train du Nord (ptittraindunord.com), a standout (and family-friendly) section of the Green Route (routeverte.com), a spectacular 3,293-mile cycle network running across the province.

Cox & Kings (03301 737243; coxand kings.co.uk) has a 14-day Quebec & the Gaspé Peninsula tour from £1,695 per person, including room-only and car hire but not flights. World Expeditions (0800 074 4135; worldexpeditions. com) offers six days’ self-guided walking on the Traversée de Charlevoix from £1,453 per person, including full board. Great Canadian Trails (00 1 866 305 2257; greatcanadiantrails.com) has self-guided cycling trips across the province, including four days on Le P’tit Train from £690, B&B