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We are extremely delighted with DialAFlight. Tristan has always been very courteous and helpful and has provided us with the best support, advice and prices, which is why we will continue to use DialAFlight for many years to come.
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Would it not be possible to have family areas for seating? Anyone with children one end of cabin childless the other? Both ways we had screaming, kicking children behind us making the trip very uncomfortable.
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Room was very small - don't recommend Ibis. Otherwise fantastic as always.
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We had a wonderful holiday thanks to Simon Pitman who once again gave us valuable advice & assistance. We have already booked another holiday with Simon next month.
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Another fantastic trip from Austin
We were very impressed with the eficiency of Vueling Airlines. They were very courteous, prompt, & despite being 20 minutes late in taking off from Malaga, got us back to Gatwick right on the dot of the expected time !
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Amanda & Harry delivered on all fronts
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Everything ran smoothly with our short break. Care and attention from Simon in booking the holiday and follow up running up to it were excellent. The hotel suggested by Simon was fantastic. We were very happy with how the trip went.
In the summer of 1842, a traveller from London wrote a letter describing his first transatlantic visit. It talked in glowing terms of one particular city, describing its 'giddy heights; its citadel suspended, as it were, in the air; its picturesque steep streets and frowning gateways; and the splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn'.
That smitten tourist was none other than Charles Dickens. And the subject of his affection? The old capital of New France: Quebec City.
Today it remains every bit the dazzler that Dickens described. Just walking its chattering streets - past antiquated stone houses, proud spires and secret squares - feels like stepping on to the pages of a historical romance. It's a backdrop so enchanting that it's frequently voted among the most beautiful cities on the planet and is protected as a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
And British travellers can easily follow in Dickens' flabbergasted footsteps, as direct flights from London to the so-called 'Paris of North America' are now available with Canadian airline Air Transat.
At the heart of this city's appeal is its walled core, Old Quebec, with twisting alleyways, welcoming cafes and colourful boutiques. Split into Upper and Lower Towns on the banks of the St Lawrence River, it feels charmingly out of place and time - as if it belongs in the Loire Valley of the 18th Century and not here, 90 miles north of the modern US border.
Canadians are notoriously friendly, but the Quebecois elevate amiability to an entirely new level. They're infused with a joie de vivre that's hard to find anywhere else in the world.
Many residents I meet identify as Quebecois first and Canadian second - a sentiment underscored by the Quebec flags fluttering across Old Quebec which outnumber the Maple Leaf by at least five to one.
Centred on a blue and white cross, it's reminiscent of Scotland's Saltire - and the independence movement has followed a similar path here too. Despite sizeable separatist sentiment, the last referendum (in 1995) delivered a narrow victory for those wishing to stay part of a united Canada.
Away from the underbelly of politics, Quebec City has a genuine claim to being one of the most camera-friendly places. At its heart is the world's most-photographed hotel: the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.
This towered and turreted grande dame looms gracefully over Old Quebec from a rocky bluff which is one of the most popular places in Canada to pop the question. According to Diane Gauthier, its head concierge, they average a proposal a week, all while hosting an endless flow of weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries.
Quebec City doesn't just look good, it tastes good too.
In Canada, the loftiest culinary award is AAA Five Diamonds, and out of only four restaurants to have made it to that level, two of them are here, in the nation's undisputed dining capital.
Both - the inventive Taniere³ and immaculate Laurie Raphael - are worth the trip alone, but there are plenty more affordable options clustered within the city walls. Most notably, the reimagined indigenous fare at Restaurant Sagamite and the legendary tableside flambe at Le Continental.
Once you've eaten your fill - be that a multi-course tasting menu or a steaming bowl of poutine (Canada's feel-good national dish, consisting of fries, squeaky cheese and rich gravy) - then you're in the perfect place to walk it off.
Explore the pretty Rue du Petit-Champlain, with its parade of artisanal stores, art galleries and fudge shops; the Rue Sous-le-Cap under the cliff face, with its jaunty balconies and bistros; or even hipster-friendly Saint-Roch, a ten-minute stroll outside the old walls and home to a collection of bars and microbreweries.
There are plenty of traditionally romantic cities in North America, from Napa to Newport, but none have the consummate fortified charm, the easy walkability and the universal conviviality of Quebec City.
Whisper it, but the Paris of North America is far friendlier than the Paris of Western Europe.
This is a place for lovers, certainly. But also for lovers of history, lovers of art and lovers of good food. Not to mention lovers of beauty. I'm with Charles Dickens.
First published in the Mail on Sunday - May 2023
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