Health & Insurance

Insurance

Medical Insurance -- Medical treatment in Canada isn't free for foreigners, and hospitals make you pay your bills at the time of service.

Check whether your insurance policy covers you while traveling in Canada, especially for hospitalization abroad. U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the U.S. Many other policies require you to pay for services upfront and, if they reimburse you at all, will only do so after you return home. Carry details of your insurance plan with you, and leave a copy with a friend at home.

U.K. nationals also have to pay for medical treatment in Canada. Carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111. More details are at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.

As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance. Options include MEDEX Assistance (tel. 410/453-6300; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com).

Travel Insurance -- The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the destination, the cost and length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of trip you're taking, but expect to pay between 5% and 8% of the cost of the vacation. You can get estimates from various providers at www.insuremytrip.com. Enter your trip cost and dates, your age, and other information, for prices from more than a dozen companies.

U.K. citizens and their families who make more than one trip abroad per year may find that an annual travel insurance policy works out to be a better deal. Check www.moneysupermarket.com, which compares prices across a wide range of providers for single- and multi-trip policies.

Most big travel agents offer their own insurance and will probably try to sell you their package when you book a holiday. Think before you sign. Britain's Consumers' Association recommends that you insist on seeing the policy and reading the fine print before buying travel insurance. The Association of British Insurers (tel. 020/7600-3333; www.abi.org.uk) gives advice by phone and publishes Holiday Insurance, a free guide to policy provisions and prices. You might also shop around for better deals: Try Columbus Direct (tel. 0870/033-9988; www.columbusdirect.net).

Trip Cancellation Insurance -- Trip-cancellation insurance will help retrieve your money if you have to back out of a trip or depart early, or if your travel supplier goes bankrupt. Trip cancellation usually covers such events as sickness and natural disasters. The latest news in trip-cancellation insurance is the availability of any-reason cancellation coverage, which costs more but covers cancellations made for any reason. You won't get back 100% of your trip's cost, but you'll be refunded a substantial portion. TravelSafe (tel. 888/885-7233; www.travelsafe.com) offers both types of coverage. Expedia also offers any-reason cancellation coverage for its air-hotel packages. For details, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (tel. 866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com); Travel Guard International (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com); Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com); or Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com).

Health

General Availability of Healthcare -- Canada has a state-run health system, and Québec hospitals are modern and decently equipped, and staffs are well-trained.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers food-safety tips (though you're unlikely to get sick from Canada's food or water). You can find listings of reliable medical clinics at the International Society of Travel Medicine (tel. 770/736-7060; www.istm.org).

What to Do If You Get Sick Away from Home -- Familiar over-the-counter medicines are widely available in Canada.

If there is a possibility that you will run out of prescribed medicines during your visit, take along a prescription from your doctor. Carry the generic name of prescription medicines in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name. Prescription drugs are usually less expensive in Canada than in the U.S.

Remember to pack your medications in your carry-on luggage and have them in their original containers with pharmacy labels -- otherwise, they may not make it through airport security. If you're entering Canada with syringes used for medical reasons, bring a medical certificate that shows they are for medical use and be sure to declare them to Canadian Customs officials.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before departure.

Safety

Staying Safe -- Montréal and Québec City are far safer cities than their U.S. or European counterparts of similar size, but common sense insists that visitors stay alert and observe the usual urban precautions. It's best to stay out of parks at night, for example, and to take a taxi when returning from a late dinner or a club in a dicey area.

There have been recent reports of escalating road-rage incidents, so think twice before expressing impatience or anger with the actions of other drivers.

Québec is one of Canada's more liberal provinces; its residents often strongly disagree with U.S. policies, but mass demonstrations are rare and political violence is unusual.

Tolerance of others is a Canadian characteristic, and it's highly unlikely that visitors of ethnic, religious, and racial minorities will encounter even mild forms of discrimination. That applies to sexual orientation as well, especially in Montréal, which has one of North America's largest gay communities.