Craving the romance of Paris without the jet lag or legions of other people? The City of Light welcomed nearly 30 million visitors in 2023, and even more admirers plan to travel there since the 2024 Summer Olympics and reopening of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Canada’s Québec City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with French roots, emanates European elegance yet welcomes about a fraction of the visitors as Paris. Flights from the United States clock much shorter times too, providing travelers with Old World charm minus the travel fatigue.

French, British, and North American cultures weave together in this walkable, refined city. “Québec City is French-speaking, but it’s North American, and it’s unique,” says David Mendel, an author and historian who has lived in Paris and has also resided in Old Québec for almost 50 years.