In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Richmond
Give Richmond one night, or a half-day stop on the Cantonnière bike trail: the slate downtown and river park are done in 3–4 hours.
Richmond is a small Eastern Townships town on the St. François River, about 30 minutes south of Autoroute 20/55 near Drummondville. Its draw is a compact slate-and-brick main street, two old bridges and a riverfront park with kayak tours. No passenger train stops here, so you arrive by car, bus or bike. Most travellers see it in half a day or use it as a quiet one-night base between Drummondville and Sherbrooke.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the river and bike trail; late Sep for the fair; Jan–Mar for cross-country skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and early Apr (mud, closed seasonal sites); deep cold snaps in Jan–Feb
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$150–230 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Info-Santé (24 h health advice) 811 · Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency) 310-4141
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and pastry | C$4–8 |
| Poutine or a diner main | C$14–22 |
| Pizza, one large | C$18–30 |
| Draught beer in a pub | C$7–10 |
| Cross-country ski day ticket, adult | C$20 |
| Expo Richmond Fair, adult | C$20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YUL · Montréal-Trudeau
- About 1 h 30 min by car via Autoroute 20 and 55; the usual gateway for the region.
- YQB · Québec City Jean Lesage
- About 2 h by car; a second option if you fly into Québec City.
Typical fares
- Bus Sherbrooke → Richmond, Autobus La Québecoise
- about C$15, roughly 1 h (check)
- Taxi within Richmond
- C$10–20 (check)
- Drive Montréal → Richmond
- about 1 h 30 min via Autoroute 20 and 55
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is walkable and bikeable, about 3 km (1.9 mi) across, but streets climbing from the river are steep. Two bridges cross the St. François: the one-lane Mackenzie Bridge and the higher Pont Frédérick-Coburn. A car helps for Melbourne, the ski centre and day trips; the Cantonnière bike trail runs through town.Downtown is walkable and bikeable, about 1.9 mi (3 km) across, but streets climbing from the river are steep. Two bridges cross the St. François: the one-lane Mackenzie Bridge and the higher Pont Frédérick-Coburn. A car helps for Melbourne, the ski centre and day trips; the Cantonnière bike trail runs through town.
See and do
Known for
- Slate-fronted historic downtown
- Mackenzie Bridge (1905)
- St. Patrick's Day parade
- Parc Nautique and St. François River
- Expo Richmond Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Drummondville | Autoroute 20/55 north by car, or Autobus La Québecoise | About 30–40 min by car |
| Sherbrooke | Autoroute 55 south by car, or Autobus La Québecoise | About 45 min by car |
| Valcourt | Route 243 and local roads by car | About 45 min by car |
| Danville | By car toward Val-des-Sources | About 30 min by car |
| Windsor | By car upriver | About 20 min by car |
Sleep
- Rue Principale Nord (downtown)
- Walk to restaurants, the bridges and the river park; hotel and motel rooms on the strip.
- Melbourne side (Route 243)
- Quieter, across the river; city hall and the farmers' market are a 20–30 min walk from downtown, with poor pedestrian access on the last kilometre.
- Camping and gîtes outside town
- Seasonal campgrounds and B&Bs in the surrounding township; you need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ?pweezh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
| I don't speak French | Je ne parle pas françaiszhuh nuh PARL pah fran-SAY |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- No passenger rail service to Richmond; the nearest Via Rail station is Drummondville.
- Route 243 toward Melbourne has poor pedestrian access on the last kilometre: walk with care or drive.
- The Mackenzie Bridge is one lane: yield and cross slowly.
- The St. François River is too shallow for boats other than kayaks and canoes.
- Don't confuse this Richmond with New Richmond on the Gaspé Peninsula, about 750 km away.
A quiet, low-crime small town. The real risks are winter driving on Route 243 and Autoroute 55, steep icy sidewalks, and unlit road shoulders toward Melbourne: drive or take a taxi after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Richmond yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Slate-fronted historic downtown
- Mackenzie Bridge (1905)
- St. Patrick's Day parade
- Parc Nautique and St. François River
- Expo Richmond Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Richmond — Parc Nautique and kayak tours: www.ville.richmond.qc.ca/en/canot-kayak/
- Tourisme Eastern Townships — Cantonnière bike trail: www.easterntownships.org/things-to-do/150/la-cantonniere-sentier-de-la-vallee
- Autobus La Québecoise — regional routes: www.autobus.qc.ca/en
- Expo Richmond Fair: www.exporichmondfair.com/
- Richmond St. Patrick's Day parade: richmondstpats.org/
- Sentiers de l'Estrie — hiking network: www.lessentiersdelestrie.qc.ca/
- Wikivoyage: Richmond (Quebec), revision 5005330 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5005330
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Richmond
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Info-Santé (24 h health advice)811
- Sûreté du Québec (non-emergency)310-4141
No embassy in Richmond; the US consulate general is in Montréal, and most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa or consulates in Montréal (check).
About 25–30% of residents speak English as a first language, the highest share in most of the Eastern Townships, but French is still needed for many transactions.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/richmond-quebec). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.