Hi Kelly,

They are no shuttles, but the concert is right in downtown (close to the Hotel Clarendon), so any transportation to downtown would do.

For that matter, public transit routes 800 and 801 are your best pick. They will add more buses for the evening of the concert, and both routes connect downtown with the western suburb, where you would find a lot of fine and affordable hotels (along Laurier boulevard - provincial road 175 on road maps). Consider Hotel Quartier (http://www.hotelquartier.com/index_en.html), Hotel Quebec (http://www.hotelsjaro.com/index-en.aspx), Hotel Gouverneur Ste-Foy (http://www.gouverneursaintefoy.com/) or others close by. Just look around the "Sainte-Foy" area, which is the name of the suburb. And the buses pass right by the hotels in that area.

It's an area on your right side when you cross the bridges from the south shore, so you won't look around a lot to get there by car.

And make reservations fast 'cause it's gonna be sold out for sure the whole week-end.

Are reservations required for the concert? If so, how do I make reservations?

NO reservation, no tickets are required for the concerts.

If you stay on the south shore, get across the bridge and park at the Aquarium. There is a Shuttle there (2.00$ for a all day ticket) it will bring you down the hill of the old city. From there you can walk up the battkefields or take the free Electrobus(alwys crowded and it is small) to the a stop close to the park.

They will open the site after sound check (around 5 pm if all goes well) Massive crowds will gather at the east (near Parliment) or west(near Hotel Le Concorde) entrace of the site. These are the only two entrace.

Don't expect to be allowed to camp in the park.

You are not allowed to bring glass bottles or cans. Bags will be search.

No CHAIRS will be allowed on the site either. Not enough room.

85,000 to 90,000 spectators will have a view of the stage. The others will have giant screens to watch the show.

Is there updated information about getting into the concert? Will people be allowed to line up on the street during the soundcheck? Will there be extra busses? Changed the date of my annual visit for the concert and the best we could do last minute is a room about 6 miles away on Rue Bouvier, not my usual digs in Old Town, but at least I'll be there!I'm not familiar with the bus routes as I usually walk everywhere. Extra taxis, maybe? I'm bringing along 4 first-time visitors and I want them to love Quebec City like I do - despite the assumed insanity of this weekend!

Merci!

I have heard on the radio that there will be some kind of ‘waiting rooms’ for the 1st ones to arrive, so that the waiting lines do not end up jamming ALL the streets around all day long. They mentioned one location would be behind the Loew’s Le Concorde Hotel, not far from one of the 2 entrances that will be opened at first; I do not know of other ones. Traffic will be progessively closed, starting at 6AM in the immediate vicinity of the Battlefields. If I were you, I would not count on taxis. The streets in the whole area are going to be closed, and even the buses will struggle to be able to drive on their designated lanes, as humans will occupy the streets (based on what happened, late, on July 3, the official birth date of the cities – people have complained that they could not reach their homes until 3AM, the buses just could not operate properly).

There will indeed be extra buses from noon on high frequency traffic lines, and added buses from the end of the afternoon from Beauport, Charlesbourg and Ste-Foy neighbourhoods (normally, by the end of the afternoon on weekdays, buses on these lines are busy transporting people from downtown to these suburbs, Sunday it’s going to be the other way around). After the show, you will be happy that you do not use a car or a taxi.

There will be 2 giant beamlights from above, to direct the human traffic (using the “metrobus” lines) according to their destinations: a YELLOW light will show the direction for Ste Foy and a BLUE one will show the direction of Charlesbourg and Beauport neighbourhoods. The street where your hotel is located is technically in Québec City, but it’s probably considered, among the 3, towards Charlesbourg (confirm this with your bus driver when you board on the bus, when leaving your hotel).

All of this adding to the crowds for the 400th anniversary, and the crowds who will be in Lower Town to witness the deaprture of the ‘Transat Québec > St-Malo’ (France) boat race … If you ask me, it’s going to be total madness, trafficwise, so I’d say that the insanity of the upcoming week-end is not assumed, but real. Expect to be in bed early morning on Monday.

I can confirm Eirelover's verdict as to bus route. From downtown, you can pick up bus 801 towards Charlesbourg, but, while you'll be closer to your hotel, this bus doesn't go close to the hotel (not walkable distace), you'll have to change route to bus 60 further down. Problem is, while buses on route 801 will be on extra service, route 60 will not and will likely not even run anymore by the time you get to the connection point.

There's another option. The public transit authorities are setting up shuttle services from several car pools to downtown. One is leaving from (and returning to) Hydro-Quebec's building, at 2625 Lebourgneuf. I don't know exactly the street adress you're on Bouvier, but if you mapquest both adresses, you'll know the distance apart and you'll probably have a decent walk left, but you'll able to avoid looking for taxis. It's worth a try.

reat advice about the shuttle - thank you! Hydro Quebec is only 2 mi. from the Quality Suites and that is easy enough to walk. Where will we find the return shuttle? I expect we'll get into town any way we can early in the day, it's getting back that we are most concerned with.

Eirelover (you must have Irish roots!) Thank you for the information! This will be an adventure: my all-time favorite musician in my all-time favorite city!

I expect it will be worth the madness!

Slainte to you!

It says on their website (in french only, so won't link this) that the Hydro-Quebec shuttle will pick-up from "avenue des erables". I suggest you grab a small map of downtown and have the driver who takes you downtown mark the exact spot - des Erables is west of historic downtown, but when you're in a large crowd, that doesn't mean a lot.

Ok, I think I know where ave des erables is. I do have a map here and we will do some reconnaissance when we arrive tomorrow Many, many thanks for your help!