Visit France for a day from Canada – your Ultimate Travel Guide to St Pierre and Miquelon (2026)

Last updated on May 21st, 2026 at 09:32 am

Do you want to visit France from Canada….without a flight!

Sound crazy?

Well if you’re looking for a destination that feels completely different from anywhere else in North America, then tiny St Pierre and Miquelon is your answer.

Just off the coast of Newfoundland, it is a small French overseas territory which has colourful coastal towns, fresh seafood, rugged scenery and lovely hiking, and is a slice of France without crossing the Atlantic. It is France – right off the coast of Canada. And it is one of North America’s most unique destinations!

You can visit on a day trip or take a longer stay. Whichever you do, this St Pierre and Miquelon travel guide covers everything you need to know – from the best things to do, to when to visit, and travel tips to help you plan your trip.

First a few important links to use when you plan your trip. They are affiliate links, but I use them all for my travels, and if you do too it will help me keep producing this content – and at no extra cost to you. Cheers!

Plan for your trip to Canada and France’s St Pierre and Miquelon

Flights – use skyscanner or booking.com to find and book your flight – I often find the same flight for a lot cheaper than booking direct with the airline!

Insurance – Use EKTA or SafetyWing. TBH I usually use EKTA – they accept any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling – which is perfect for me!

Accommodation – use booking.com or for a hostel – Hostelworld. I use both.

Internet – buy a yesim eSim or Airalo before you go. I use both depending on where I am going.

Buses, trains, ferries – 12Go is always my first option for buses, ferries and trains.

Car rental – use DiscoverCars – they are my ‘go-to’ car rental site

Hiking – I use AllTrails for online and offline hiking trails – it means you know exactly where you are on the trail and makes getting lost a lot harder!!

Tours and Activities – book with Viator, GetYourGuide, or Eatwith.

Thanks so much if you use one of these links – it costs you nothing but helps me keep writing!

Exactly where is St Pierre and Miquelon?

Just 25 kms from Canada’s Newfoundland are the two little islands – St Pierre and Miquelon. There is a third island of sorts attached to Miquelon by an isthmus – named Langdale.

And odd as it may seem, they are technically are a part of France – the only French territory in North America other than Guadeloupe and Martinique in the eastern Caribbean.

The islands have a history of passing from French to British to French (and so on) governance, but finally in 1815 ended up with the French and they have been ever since! They are a part of France today.

Fun fact – the Miquelon and Langlade islands make up over 90% of the territory but they have only 10% of the total population and all of that is in the tiny village of Miquelon. Langlade has no permanent residents.

How to get to St Pierre and Miquelon

You can fly or ferry.

The most common route is to take the 1.5 hour ferry from Fortune in Newfoundland to St Pierre. There is also a summer only ferry (May to September) between Fortune and Miquelon.

Ferries run at different times on different days so spend a bit of time working out the best days for you to get to both islands.

You can also fly to St Pierre with Air St Pierre. Flights leave from Montreal, Halifax and St John’s all year round, and, from Paris in the summer!

Things to do in St Pierre

There is plenty to do – these are my recommendations:

1. Go hiking

I like to hike, so I’m going to start with that!

There are plenty of trails. All are beautiful and I recommend doing more than one of them. Literally walk from the ferry or your hotel and get hiking. You will find maps and signposts to help you on your way. These are some of the walks I did. I didn’t get to them all unfortunately – but there are more!

• The Anse à Henry – for wonderful views (and sounds) across to Grand Colombier Island, and views of Miquelon and Langford
• The Anse à Dinand – for three types of scenery – bog, the subarctic meadow and the undergrowth.
• Cap au Diable – stunning sea views and great to use to make a longer hike by joining the Anse à Henry path with the Anse à Dinand path.
• Valeé des 7 étangs (The Valley of the 7 ponds) – for lake views and watery views over to Ile aux Marins. Also great for bird lovers.

2. Get out on the water

Take a zodiac tour around the seabird (puffins included) colonies on Grand Colombier Island and the east coast of Langdale. I didn’t do this but the noise from that island and the amount of birds I did see from my hike to the hills opposite make me think it would definitely be a worthwhile experience.

Even better – head to Cap Percé on Langlade. From the boat, you can see the beautiful scenery of Miquelon and spot the white-tailed deer along the coastline.

You can also take a sailing tour, or just hire the gear to go snorkelling. All the info is here.

Alternatively take a Dory tour – on Thursdays only. Get out on the water in a dory – St Pierre and Miquelon’s traditional wooden fishing boats. You can even try out their traditional methods of cod fishing!!

3. Take the local ferry and spend time on the Île aux Marins

It’s cute and charming – but life must have been tough back in the day. Its definitely worth getting a little local ferry – that runs about every half hour – out to the Île aux Marins. You can take a guided tour (book at the museum) or go it alone – or both.

The old schoolhouse is now a museum on the island and you can visit it and the church while you walk around. You will also see the oldest grave on the island and a war memorial and graves of two soldiers from the island that died in WWI.

The island is also great for a beach picnic and swim.

Note: You need 8 euros cash for the ferry (return)!

4. Wander the colorful streets of St Pierre’s town – check for the mirrors!

As colorful as St John’s Jellybean Row – the brightly painted houses are enough to lift anyone’s spirits! You can spend quite some time wandering in and out of the narrow lanes – look for the mirrors for cars to see around the corners as you go.

5. Eat like in France!

Need I say more. They stick to their traditions here – and that includes food. There are restaurants like le Feu de Braise that specialize in traditional French cuisine, as well as dishes with a local twist.

Don’t forget to line up early for your fresh breads and baked goods at the pâtisseries too.

Note that many (but not all) restaurants close during 12-2pm – très European!

6. Climb to the lookout for a top down view – and carry on for wild views from the Anse à Pierre lookout

Even if you don’t do hiking – walk up to the lookout above the town. See the colours and get a vista from above. If you don’t mind a bit of walking – about 3.5 km, then carry on along the road to the Anse à Pierre lookout on the other wild side of the island! You might even manage to hitch a lift with a local!

7. Take a tour of the island of Saint-Pierre

Go on a guided bus tour of the island. It takes about 75mins and gives a good overview of what the island has to offer as well as some history. You can arrange this when you arrive at the ferry terminal. I didn’t make it but I heard it was good!

8. Visit the museums

Learn about the wild past of the islands – France to Britain to France. Not to forget the cod fishing, smuggling, and being the only place in North America where an execution by guillotine was carried out – at the Musée Heritage and the (surprisingly large) Musée de l’Arche.

P.S. You can see the actual guillotine at the Musée de l’Arche!
And don’t forget the museum in the schoolhouse on the Île aux Marins.

9. Watch a game of Basque pelota in the center of St Pierre – if you’re lucky

As I said – they stick to their traditions – including the game of Basque pelota. If you are there for a weekend or in the evening, head to the towns fronton and hopefully you will catch the locals at play! During the Basque Festival, or on Bastille Day this is almost guaranteed!

Things to do in Miquelon

1. Take a genuinely cheap and scenic flight to get there!

The flights from St Pierre to Miquelon are quite the bargain – 32 Euro return or 19.50 for seniors and children – at the time of writing! Pretty good – right?

2. Visit the Maison de la Nature et de l’Environnement

The Maison de la Nature is a short walk from the airport and has a very interactive exhibition – learn about the history, geology, climate and biodiversity of the archipelago. 

3. Go on a guided tour of the village

Head off with a local guide to discover Miquelon – including the washed up hulk of Le Muscadin, the museum and the (huge for the size of population) church. See the different architecture from St Pierre. Here the houses all started as one-storey homes, with some getting a second floor added later.

4. Bike the islands (or take a tour)

You can also take a tour of Miquelon and Langlade by minivan, seeing the lighthouse and viewpoint above the town in Miquelon, then passing through the famous sandy isthmus to Langdale.

6. Go for a hike on the Island

Take a hike – there are a few options but the Cape is the easiest to get to!

• The Cape – on the 10km Cape Walk, in the north of the island near the town, you have constant sea views and you might see the White-tailed Deer and the local horses on the island!
• Le Chemin de Bœufs – the path of the oxen is a short uphill trail giving great views over the coastline below. Start from the end of the Route de Mirande (near the campsite)
• Belliveau – follow the coastline from the end of the Route de Mirande (near the campsite). You can walk back the same way or make a loop coming back via the hills of les Buttes à Sylvain, and les Buttes de Michaux.

5. Walk across the Miquelon-Langlade Isthmus

You’ll probably go across this on a tour but if you get a chance – walk or bike it.

The Miquelon-Langlade Isthmus is a tombolo – linking the two peninsulas of Grande Miquelon and Langlade – its pretty cool to walk from one to the other! Stop at the Chapelle/La Croix – cross above the isthmus before you go!

But if you brought your bike this would be a great days biking too (and there is a campsite on both Miquelon and on Langdale)!

7. Visit the Grand Barachois to meet a colony of seals

You can take a zodiac or walking trip to the large Grand Barachois estuary and get close to the seal colony, but for birders there is also the Observatoire du Grand Barachois perched above all the seabirds and Canadian geese that gather here. Either way its a good spot for for some bird/wildlife viewing.

Mini 5-7 day itinerary for St Pierre and Miquelon

Day 1:
Arrive in the morning in St Pierre. Take the bus tour of the island to get your bearings. Explore the town and choose your dinner location!

Day 2:
Spend the day on Île aux Marins. Take a picnic – slow down and relax. (Of course I am assuming a sunny day!)

Day 3: Get out on the water on a zodiac, sailing or a dory tour (Thursdays). Go on one of the hikes in the afternoon.

Day 4: Visit the museums in the morning and go on another hike in the afternoon.

Day 5: Fly to Miquelon. Go on a tour of the village and the island and visit the museum.

Day 6: Hike to the Cape. Fly back to St Pierre in the evening or stay another night.

Day 7 Fly back to St Pierre. Enjoy a last hike or take the ferry back to Fortune – depending on your travel arrangements.

Frequently asked questions about St Pierre and Miquelon

Q: When is the best time to go to St Pierre and Miquelon
A: Summer is best (June to September) – especially if you are short on time. It gives you the maximum chance of fine weather and there are more transport options. If you can time it right, a trip during the week long Basque Festival, or on Bastille day – 14th July, would be an excellent time to go!

Q: How long do you need in St Pierre and Miquelon?
A: This depends entirely on what type of person you are. If you are an avid hiker / outdoors person, then you can easily spend 5-7 days in the islands. If you just want to have a look at St Pierre and tick it off your list then a day trip is enough.
I like to hike and there is plenty of it in St Pierre and in Miquelon. A week also gives you time to try the restaurants, visit the Ile au Marins, hopefully see a game of Basque pelota at the fronton, go on a tour or fishing or whale watching trip, see white tailed deer and seals, and check out the memorials, and, the museums – which are even somewhat interesting for a heathen like me that doesn’t generally do museums!

Q: Is St. Pierre and Miquelon part of Canada or France?
A: St. Pierre and Miquelon is officially and Overseas Collectivity of France. Its citizens are French, hold EU passports, and use the Euro, but the archipelago has a special status. It is considered an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) of the EU. It is not a part of the Schengen Area and is not a Department of France like Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Q: Do you need a passport to visit St. Pierre and Miquelon?
A: You are leaving Canada and entering France. Bring your passport – unless you are Canadian and your drivers license will be ok. You will be processed at immigration in the same way as crossing any other country border.
What about a USA drivers license? No – you need your passport too.

Q: What money do you use in St. Pierre and Miquelon?
A: They use the euro in St Pierre and Miquelon. There are ATMS on the island where you can withdraw euros.

Q: Do they speak English in St. Pierre and Miquelon?
A: The people speak French – with much more of a French accent than a Quebecoise one. They are French after all! Some younger people speak some English, and tourist facing staff will usually speak some English, but its best if you learn a little basic French before you go. Knowing a few words like bonjour, merci, and parlez-vous anglais? goes a long way!

Q: Is St. Pierre and Miquelon expensive?
A: It is relatively expensive because many goods are imported. Accommodation and dining prices seem more European than Canadian. Budget travellers should plan ahead and book early. You can bring food with you into the islands (but not take it back to Canada).

Q: Is St. Pierre and Miquelon safe for tourists?
A: Yes – with normal precautions, it is very safe.

Important travel tips for St Pierre and Miquelon

• Book well ahead for accommodation – see below for where to stay. Book your accommodation before you book a ferry. Book the ferry well ahead in summer too.
• You need 6 euro cash to go on the little ferry to Ile au Marins – to note if you are only going for a day and not planning on getting any euros.
• They use French electrical sockets so you need to bring an adaptor for you phone and computer etc.
• Don’t expect to use your Canadian sim in your phone on St Pierre – unless you check first the coverage and don’t mind the roaming bill you are likely to get. Download your maps and anything else you need before you leave Canada.
• Don’t bring food such as meat or diary or fruit back from St Pierre to Canada – it is not allowed. You can take food with you to St Pierre.
• You do not need a car in St. Pierre as you can walk pretty much everywhere and take guided tours. In Miquelon you can also arrange for a guided tour but if you have a bike – do bring that!
• Wear comfortable walking shoes to explore the towns – or boots if you are hiking!
• One of the biggest bargains in the world is the flight from St Pierre to Miquelon!! Even if you just stay on the plane and return on the next flight it is the cheapest scenic flight you are likely to ever get!

Where to stay St Pierre and Miquelon

There are no real budget options on St Pierre – but there are hotel and guest house options! The most budget options I found were bnbs on booking.com like Chez Marie Jo.

Highly recommended (by others) was Auberge Saint-Pierre, and, for a luxury stay in the top place in the islands, try St Pierre’s Les Terrasses du Port!

In Miquelon there is an official campsite on each of Miquelon and Langdale – perfect! If you are without a tent, the Auberge de L’ile is recommended.

Related Posts

25 unmissable wild things to do in Newfoundland, Canada

A three-day itinerary for St John’s Newfoundland

15 unusual things to do in Montreal – and 15 usual ones too!

13 great nature and outdoor things to do in Montreal – that most tourists don’t do