Saguenay (La Baie) Cruise Port Car Service & Fjord Shore Day

Saguenay cruise port car service from the bay at La Baie

The Saguenay Fjord is one of the great waterways of eastern Canada, and the cruise ships that come up it anchor in a sheltered bay at the head of the fjord's long reach. The International Cruise Terminal at Quai de Bagotville, in the La Baie borough of Saguenay, is the arrival point for passengers, and the village portuaire beside it is the first thing most guests see. After that, the question is where to go in a few hours.

A Saguenay cruise port car service from LimousineCanada.ca answers that question with a chauffeur who meets you at the quay, a vehicle you chose in advance, and a fare range you saw before you booked. The day is planned backwards from your ship's last tender, with a margin for the tide, the traffic and the pleasure of the place. It suits couples who want a quiet day, families who want a short drive, and small groups that prefer not to join a coach.

Get an instant fare

Where do you land, and where does the car meet you?

The Port of Saguenay's cruise page, at portsaguenay.ca, describes the setup in detail. The terminal sits on the Saguenay River about 54 nautical miles from where it meets the St. Lawrence. It lists a quay front of 196 metres, a total length of 355 metres with four mooring dolphins, a maximum draft of 12 metres and anchorage sites less than 500 metres from the quay. A landing barge with ramps that adjust to the tides and floating pontoons that can handle tender shuttles from several ships at once give passengers direct access to the quay.

The terminal and the village portuaire

The port's page says a permanent welcome pavilion in the village portuaire has restaurants and shops, and that the terminal is run by the Administration portuaire du Saguenay. It records that the first international cruise ships anchored in the bay in 2006 and that the terminal opened in 2009. More than 200 cruise ships have called since 2006, nearly 60,000 visitors came in 2019, and when the Queen Mary 2 made its first call in October 2016, more than 40,000 people came to the village portuaire. The port itself is at portsaguenay.ca.

The port's page gives the terminal's coordinates (48°20'42" N, 70°52'42" W) but no street address, and it does not publish a season. Ship arrival times are on the regional tourism site, so use that and your cruise line's guidance. When you book with us, give the ship's name and its last tender time, and we will set the return accordingly.

Saguenay cruise port car fares

Québec trips are priced from the same published rate card as the rest of Canada. The first rows in the table sit on the minimum transfer. Distances are approximate road distances from the quay, and the booker returns the exact all-in fare for your address.

Taxes are extra, and any gratuity is discretionary. For a full day with several stops, check the hourly pricing on the rate card: an Executive Sedan is $135–$165 per hour with a two-hour minimum, and a Luxury SUV $175–$210 per hour with a two-hour minimum.

Chicoutimi and the La Baie borough

Saguenay is a city of boroughs, and Chicoutimi is the one with the largest downtown, a short drive from La Baie along the river. It is a good option for guests who want a café stop, a market or a look at the river city, with an easy return. In the La Baie borough itself, the regional tourism site lists La Fabuleuse Histoire d'un Royaume among its attractions. Check the current season and schedule before you plan around it.

For travellers on a short call, the best plan is often to stay within the borough, spend an hour or two at the village portuaire, and use the car for one nearby excursion rather than three distant ones.

The Saguenay Fjord

The Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay is in Rivière-Éternité, according to the regional tourism site at saguenaylacsaintjean.ca, which lists it as a must-see. It sits along the fjord, a long drive from La Baie, and a visit consumes much of a ship day. The same site lists Navettes maritimes du Fjord, which are boat shuttles that start from the Chicoutimi borough. If you want to see the fjord from the water, book that shuttle and let us handle the road leg to the departure point.

We advise guests to choose between the fjord park and everything else. A visit to the park is rewarding on its own; trying to combine it with Chicoutimi and a long lunch leaves little margin.

Val-Jalbert and the Lac-Saint-Jean side

The regional tourism site lists the Village historique de Val-Jalbert in Chambord and the Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien in Saint-Félicien, both as must-sees. Val-Jalbert is the nearer of the two at about 135 km, and it is a day trip by itself. For most ship calls, it requires a long day and an early start. If you are staying before or after the cruise, a full-day hourly booking with an Executive Sedan or Luxury SUV is the most flexible way to visit.

Shore-day options compared

The right option depends on your group and the ship's timing.

If you are one or two people and the ship offers an excursion that matches your interests, take the excursion. If you are three or more, or if you want to split a day between two places, a private car is more flexible. See limo versus rideshare for a fair look at the differences.

A timed half-day from La Baie

Here is how a typical half-day works when the ship is at anchor for eight hours and the last tender is an hour before sailing.

1. Take an early tender and meet your chauffeur at the village portuaire.
2. Drive to Chicoutimi, about 25 km, and spend 90 minutes in town.
3. Return to La Baie for lunch at the village.
4. Walk the quay and shop in the pavilion.
5. Board a tender with a comfortable margin before the last one.

The chauffeur tracks the time and tells you when to turn around. Tenders depend on the tide and the wind, so give yourself more margin than you would at a docked port.

Airport and city transfers

The Saguenay–Bagotville Airport lies close to La Baie, and a transfer is under the minimum transfer. For guests continuing to Québec City, the drive is about 225 km and takes roughly two hours forty-five minutes; a sedan is typically $1,045–$1,250. Our Montréal to Québec City route page covers the next leg, the Québec City limo page lists city services, and the Québec City airport page covers arrivals at the other end. If your ship sails from or to the provincial capital, see the Québec City cruise terminal page and the Old Québec walking guide.

Seasons, weather and the fall colours

The Saguenay region is cold in winter and can be changeable in spring and autumn. On days of rain or wind, tenders may be delayed, and a car provides a comfortable base. In early autumn, the hills along the fjord turn colour, which is a good reason to leave the village portuaire for the road.

Vehicles, luggage and child seats

The Executive Sedan is sized for three people with two large bags and two carry-ons. The Luxury SUV is the six-seat option, with room for five or six large bags. The Executive Sprinter seats twelve to fourteen with twelve or more bags, which suits a family reunion or a small-ship group. Ask for a child seat when you book; there is no charge. The fleet page shows each vehicle.

Get an instant fare

Tender days: how the plan changes when the ship is at anchor

A port with a pier lets you walk off whenever you wish. A port where ships anchor does not. At Saguenay, the port describes anchorage sites within 500 metres of the quay and pontoons for tender shuttles, which means the pace of the morning depends on how quickly the ship can ferry its passengers. Your cabin deck or your tour group may be called in waves, and the first tender is not always the right one for you.

Our advice is simple. Do not book the car for the minute the first tender leaves the ship. Ask the cruise line for your estimated landing time, add a margin, and give that time to us. If you are on a tour with a fixed meeting time elsewhere, tell us. We shift the pickup after the tender lands, not before.

Combining a cruise with a stay in Québec City

Many guests pair a Saguenay call with time in Québec City, whether before the voyage or after. The drive between the two is about 225 km and roughly two hours forty-five minutes, and it can be a comfortable private transfer at the start or end of the trip. The Québec City weekend guide and the Montmorency Falls guide suggest what to do in the capital, and we can plan the transfer around hotel check-in or a flight.

How to book a Saguenay port pickup

Tell us the ship's name, the arrival date, the last tender time, the number of passengers, your preferred destination and any stops. Confirmation comes in writing, with your chauffeur's details. The online booker returns the exact all-in fare for your itinerary, which you can set against the table above. Other terminals are listed on the cruise ports hub.