Banks: 10.00 to 16.00, Monday to Thursday; 10.00 to 17.00/18.00, Fridays
Post Offices: 08.30 to 17.30, Monday to Friday
Government Offices: 09.00 17.00, Monday to Friday
Business Centres: 09.00 to 17.00, Monday to Friday
Shops: 09.00 to 18.00, Monday to Wednesday; 09.00 to 21.00, Thursdays and Fridays; 09.00 to 17.00, Saturdays and Sundays
As big cities go, Quebec City is not an especially dangerous destination and visitors will not have to contend with anything more than the kinds of petty criminals that all urban areas attract. Stay alert and keep cash and valuable items in secure and hard to reach places and your chances of being targeted are fairly slim. Travelling on public transport at night is generally safe, but single females should do so with some degree of caution.
120V, 60Hz; plugs have two flat blades
There are few health-related issues for visitors and fortunately, anyone requiring medical treatment for whatever reason will find a high standard of care on offer in the city’s hospitals. There is no provision for free medical treatment for foreigners under the Canadian healthcare system, so it’s imperative that all visitors have holiday insurance with medical cover included.
Centre Hospitalier Jeffery Hale: +1 418 684 2252
Emergency services: 911
French is spoken by the majority of citizens in Quebec City, although English is the preferred language of business.
Canada uses the Canadian dollar as its currency, with C$1 equal to 100 cents.
Non-Canadians may bring the following into the country without incurring duty payments: 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 200 grams of loose tobacco, one bottle of wine or spirits, 24 bottles or cans of beer and a reasonable amount of perfume. Gifts with a value not exceeding C$60 per item are also permitted.
Quebec City’s residents are predominantly French-speaking and have a distinct sense of pride in their heritage. Visitors may experience reluctance on behalf of the locals to speak English, making it advisable to learn some basic French phrases to begin conversations with. Quebecois may appear reserved and initially unfriendly, but formalities are generally dispensed with fairly quickly and give way to more amiable behaviour. Initial meeting and greeting is generally observed with a handshake.
Visitors from the US, the UK, Australia and most EU countries do not require a visa to enter Canada—a passport valid for at least one day beyond the visitor’s intended departure date is sufficient. The majority of other visitors require a visa; these can be obtained from Canadian embassies in major cities around the world.
Quebec’s tourist information office is located at 399, Saint-Joseph Est and can be contacted at +1 877 783 1608.
