Taxes:
Two taxes, the federal goods and services tax (GST) and the Québec sales tax (QST), are added to the selling price of most goods and services. Several tourist regions charge a specific tax on accommodations. The amount is $2 or $3 a night or 3% of the price of the room per night, before the GST and QST are added.
Tipping:
You must leave a tip on service provided in restaurants and bars and by taxi drivers and hairdressers. The amount, which is not included in the bill, generally represents 10% to 15% of the total bill (before taxes). Here in Québec, for a restaurant bill, we usually add the amounts of the two taxes (GST and QST) together, the sum of which equals approximately 13%. Tipping bellhops or porters is at your discretion (generally, $1 per bag carried).
Weather:
Most of Québec’s cities enjoy a humid continental climate, with four very distinct seasons and significant differences in temperature marking each one. Summer is hot, while winter sees a considerable amount of snow fall. In fact, Québecers owe their legendary joie de vivre to these climatic variations!
Québec’s Great North is characterized by arctic and subarctic climates. The ancestral land of the Cree and the Inuit is known for its lengthy winters and brief summers.
Driving:
Visitors holding a driver’s licence from their country of origin can drive on Québec’s roads for a maximum period of six months. This means you don’t have to obtain an international driving permit, although if your papers are in a language other than French or English, it is highly recommended that you do so.
By law, all vehicle occupants must wear a seat belt.
Consuming alcohol or having alcoholic beverages present in a moving vehicle is strictly prohibited under Québec’s Highway Safety Code. Furthermore, a person suspected of driving under the influence will have to submit to a breathalyzer test. If the test reveals a concentration of alcohol in that person’s blood of 80 or more milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, his or her driver’s permit will be immediately revoked for a 30-day period.
Although the minimum age for driving a car is 16, some car rental companies require that the driver be at least 25, while others charge higher rates for drivers under the age of 21.
The electric current is 110 volts/60 cycles, as it is throughout North America. Because the outlets cannot accommodate European plugs, you’d best bring or buy an adaptor.
Banking & Currency:
The legal tender is the Canadian dollar, which is divided into 100 cents. Bank notes are available in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, and coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 cents and 1 and 2 dollars.
The leading credit cards are accepted everywhere, namely Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Traveler’s cheques are generally accepted in large hotels, some restaurants and major stores. Otherwise, they must be cashed at an exchange office or bank.
There are numerous exchange offices in Québec’s main cities. Airports also offer exchange services. Some businesses accept American money, but they offer a less competitive rate than the exchange offices.
Banking institutions are generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can withdraw cash from most automatic teller machines (linked to the Cirrus, PLUS System or Interac networks) any time, seven days a week.