Fast Facts

AAA -- Members of the American Automobile Association (AAA) are covered by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) while traveling in Canada. Bring your membership card and proof of insurance. The 24-hour hot line for emergency service is tel. 514/861-1313 in Montréal, tel. 418/624-4000 in Québec City, and tel. 800/222-4357 in the rest of Québec province and Canada. Most mobile phones can call tel. *CAA (*222) to reach emergency road service. See www.caaquebec.com for more. The AAA card will also provide discounts at a wide variety of hotels and restaurants in Québec province.

American Express -- In Montréal, there are 10 travel agencies that are licensed to provide American Express Travel Services. One centrally located agency is Excellent Travel at 383 rue St. Jacques (tel. 514/345-1121) on the northern edge of Vieux-Montréal. To find other agencies and for general information, call tel. 800/668-2639. There are no agencies in Québec City. For lost or stolen cards in either city, call tel. 800/869-3016.

Area Codes -- The Montréal area code is 514, and the Québec City code is 418. Outside of Montréal, the southern part of the Laurentides is 450 and the northern part, from Val-David up, is 819. The Cantons de l'Est are the same: 450 or 819, depending on how close you are to Montréal. Outside Québec City, the area code for Ile d'Orléans and north into Charlevoix is 418, the same as in the city. You need to dial the area code in addition to the seven-digit number even when calling within the city.

Business Hours -- Most stores in the province are open from 9 or 10am to 6pm Monday through Wednesday, 9am to 9pm on Thursday and Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturday. Many stores are now also open on Sunday from noon to 5pm. Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 8 or 9am to 4pm. Bankers' hours in Québec City are shorter, from 10am to 3pm.

Dental Emergencies -- In Montréal: tel. 514/721-6006; www.carrefourdentaire.com. In Québec City: tel. 418/524-2444 Monday through Friday, or tel. 418/656-6080 on weekends.

Discount Theater Tickets -- In Montréal, a new discount ticket office for cultural events opened in summer 2007. Called Vitrine culturelle de Montréal ("cultural window of Montréal"), it's located at 145 rue Ste-Catherine ouest in Place des Arts (tel. 514/285-4545; www.vitrineculturelle.com). Along with last-minute deals, the central information office sells full-price tickets.

Drug Laws -- Note that penalties for possession, use, and dealing in illegal drugs are strict in Canada. If you have had a prior conviction, you may be denied permission to enter the country. A waiver of exclusion may be obtained from a Canadian consulate in your home country for a fee. Expect several weeks for processing.

Drugstores -- A pharmacy is called a pharmacie, a drugstore is a droguerie. An important chain in Montréal is Pharmaprix. Its branch at 5122 Cote-Des-Neiges (tel. 514/738-8464; www.pharmaprix.ca) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has a fairly convenient location. In Québec City, Caron & Bernier, in the Upper Town, 38 Côte du Palais (at rue Charlevoix; tel. 418/692-4252), is open 8:15am to 8pm Monday through Friday, and 9am to 3pm on Saturday. Pharmacie Brunet, in the suburbs in Les Galeries Charlesbourg, 4250 av. Première, in Charlesbourg (tel. 418/623-1571), is open 8:30am to 10:30pm 7 days a week.

Electricity -- As in the U.S., Canada uses 110-120 volts AC (60 cycles) compared to 220-240 volts AC (50 cycles) in most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. If your small appliances use 220-240 volts, you'll need a 110-volt transformer and a plug adapter with two flat parallel pins to operate them in Canada.

Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are in Ottawa, the national capital. The U.S. has a consulate office in Montréal at 1155 rue St-Alexandre (tel. 514/398-9695) and in Québec City, on Jardin des Gouverneurs at 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin (tel. 418/692-2095). The United Kingdom has a consulate general in Montréal at 1000 rue de la Gauchetière ouest, Suite 4200 (tel. 514/866-5863) and in Québec City in the St-Amable Complex, 1150 Claire-Fontaine, Suite 700 (tel. 418/521-3000).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 911 for the police, firefighters, or an ambulance. Québec Poison Control Centre is at tel. 800/463-5060.

Holidays -- The important public holidays are New Year's Day (Jan 1); Good Friday and Easter Monday (late Mar or Apr); Victoria Day (the Mon preceding May 25); St-Jean-Baptiste Day, Québec's "national" day (June 24); Canada Day (July 1); Labour Day (first Mon in Sept); Canadian Thanksgiving Day (second Mon in Oct); and Christmas (Dec 25).

Hospitals -- In Montréal, hospitals with emergency rooms include Hôpital Général de Montréal, 1650 rue Cedar (tel. 514/934-8090), and Hôpital Royal Victoria, 687 av. des Pins ouest (tel. 514/934-1934), both of which are associated with McGill University. Hôpital de Montréal pour Enfants, 2300 rue Tupper (tel. 514/412-4400), and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine (tel. 514/345-4931), are children's hospitals.

In Québec City, go to the Centre Hospitalier Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, 11 côte du Palais (tel. 418/525-4444).

Hot Lines -- Alcoholics Anonymous is at tel. 514/376-9230 in Montréal and tel. 418/529-0015 in Québec City. Poison Control Centre is at tel. 800/463-5060 throughout the entire province. Tel-Aide, for emotional distress including anxiety and depression, is at tel. 800/567-9699, daily 7am to 2am. Sexual Assault victims can get bilingual help 24 hours a day at tel. 514/934-4504. U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hotline: tel. 404/332-4559.

Language -- Canada is officially bilingual, but Québec province has laws making the use of French mandatory in signage. Still, nearly 20% of Montréal's population has English as its first language (about 5% of Québec City's population does) and an estimated 4 out 5 Francophones speak at least some English as well. While hotel desk staff, sales clerks, and telephone operators nearly always greet people initially in French, they usually switch to English quickly. Outside of Montréal, visitors are more likely to encounter residents who do not speak English. If smiles and sign language don't work, look around for a young person -- most of them study English in school.

Laundromats -- Found primarily in residential neighborhoods, laundromats aren't thick upon the ground in tourist districts. In Montréal, one option is Baunderie Net-Net in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood at 310 rue Duluth est (tel. 514/844-8511), which provides wash-and-fold services as well as self-operated machines. In Québec, try Lavoir St-Ursule, at 17B St-Ursule (no phone) in the Haute-Ville section of Vieux-Québec, or Lavoir La Lavandière at 625 rue St-Jean, near rue Ste-Marie (tel. 418/523-0345), in the Parliament Hill area. Ask your hotel for options, too -- many provide laundry service.

Legal Aid -- Your country's embassy or consulate can provide the names of attorneys who speak English. See "Embassies & Consulates," above. The U.S. Embassy information line tel. 888/840-0032 is available from either the U.S. or Canada and costs C$1.59/minute (US$1.40/minute).

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age in the province is 18. All hard liquor and spirits in Québec are sold through official government stores operated by the Québec Société des Alcools (look for maroon signs with the acronym SAQ). Wine and beer can be bought in grocery stores and convenience stores, called dépanneurs. Liquor is sold every day of the week in SAQ stores. Bars stop pouring drinks at 3am, but often stay open later.

Note that penalties for drunk driving in Canada are heavy.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.

For lost or stolen American Express cards, call tel. 800/869-3016. For lost or stolen Visa cards, call tel. 800/847-2911. For lost or stolen MasterCards, call tel. 800/307-7309. If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- All mail sent through Canada Post (tel. 866/607-6301; www.canadapost.ca) must bear Canadian stamps. That might seem painfully obvious, but apparently large numbers of visitors, especially from the U.S., use stamps from their home countries. To mail within Canada, letters cost C52¢ (US45¢/22p). A letter or postcard to the U.S. is C93¢ (US81¢/40p]). A letter or postcard to anywhere else is C$1.55 (US$1.35/67p). FedEx offers service from Canada (tel. 800/463-3339; www.fedex.com/ca).

Newspapers & Magazines -- Montréal's primary English-language newspaper is the Montréal Gazette (www.montrealgazette.com). The Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com) is a national English-language paper. The leading French-language newspaper is Le Soleil. For information about current arts happenings in Montréal, pick up the Friday or Saturday edition of the Gazette. Most large newsstands and those in the larger hotels carry the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the International Herald Tribune. Major newsstands include the multi-branch Maison de la Presse Internationale, in Montréal at 1166 rue Ste-Catherine ouest (at rue Stanley) and in Québec City at 1050 rue St-Jean inside the walls of Vieux-Québec.

Passports -- Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing in the U.S. can take 10 weeks during busy periods (especially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee. If you lose your passport while traveling, contact your embassy or consulate.

For Residents of the United States: Whether you're applying in person or by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Department website at http://travel.state.gov. To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

For Residents of the United Kingdom: To pick up an application for a standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410 or search its website at www.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of Australia: You can pick up an application from your local post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of Ireland: You can apply for a 10-year passport at the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (tel. 021/272-525) or at most main post offices.

For Residents of New Zealand: You can pick up a passport application at any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

Pets -- In public areas, dogs must be kept on leash (maximum length 6 ft.). Dog owners must clean up after their pets. For emergency veterinary services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call tel. 418/872-5355.

Police -- Dial tel. 911 for the police. There are three types of officers in Québec: municipal police in Montréal, Québec City, and other towns; Sûreté de Québec officers, comparable to state police or the highway patrol in the United States; and RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), who are similar to the FBI and handle cases involving infraction of federal laws. RCMP officers speak English and French. Other officers are not required to know English, though many do.

Restrooms -- Tourist offices are often the best place to find public restrooms.

Smoking -- Smoking was banned in the province's bars, restaurants, and some other public spaces in May 2006. Although enforcement is sometimes spotty, all restaurants, bars, clubs, and casinos are officially smoke-free.

Taxes -- Most goods and services in Canada are taxed 6% by the federal government (the GST, or Goods and Services Tax). On top of that, the province of Québec has an additional 7.5% tax (the TVQ). A 3% accommodations tax is also in effect in Montréal.

Nonresident visitors used to be able to apply for a rebate on the GST tax they paid on most items they purchased in Québec as well as on the taxes on lodging. No longer. The Visitor Rebate Program was eliminated in April 2007. A new Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program will provide limited rebates on the GST for services used during foreign conventions held in Canada, for nonresident exhibitors, and for the short-term accommodations portion of tour packages for nonresident individuals and tour operators. Details are at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/visitors.

Time Zone -- Montréal, Québec City, and all the regions listed in this book as side trips are all in the Eastern Time zone. Daylight saving time is observed by moving clocks ahead an hour on the second Sunday in March and back an hour on the first Sunday in November.

Tipping -- Practices are similar to those in the U.S.: 15% to 20% of restaurant bills, 10% to 15% for taxi drivers, C$1 (US87¢/43p) per bag for porters, C$5 (US$4.35/£2.15) per night for the hotel room attendant. Hairdressers and barbers expect 10% to 15%. Hotel doormen should be tipped for calling a taxi or other services.