Tips for Traveling to Quebec City

Just returned from our Quebec City trip.  We had a great time.  Here are some of the things I learned on this trip.  
1) They speak French in Quebec as a first language, despite the fact that most of Canada speaks English.  I had no bad experiences since I always say "Bon jour, Hello" so they know I respect their language, but do not speak it well.  A primer in French sign meanings would be helpful if you are driving.  Be prepared for delays if you drive in August.  A lot of road construction happens in northern climates in the summer months.

In bars, I find it helps to ask for the local brew, rather than your hometown favorite.  They like that.   

2) These days, you need a passport to get into Canada and back into the US.  The border agents seem serious but did not hassle us on the way into Canada.  You cannot bring anything interesting over the border.  
 
3) Distance posted on Canadian highway signs are KM. I use my speedometer convert miles to KM.  100 KM is a little over 60 mph.     Temperatures are expressed in Centigrade.     The Conversion formula is: 9/5 of centigrade number plus 32."  So, when you see 20 in the thermostat,  9/5 of 20 = 36,  plus 32 = 68 F.  

4) Rest rooms  H=men   F= females 

5) Money:  Canadian Dollar is a few cents more valuable than USD. The smallest paper money is a $5.  $1 (Loonie)  and $2 (Twoonie) are coins.   The money is  funny.  The new bills are plastic and you need to be careful because they like to stick together.  Your hotel will exchange USD but will charge 5%.  Better to find a bank ATM and use a debit card, flat fee of about $4 regardless of amount.  

6) Weather: It was Mid August, so we packed a few "Fall" clothes and were very glad we did.  The weather in Quebec City can change several times during a day.  We had a cool and windy day on Tuesday, wed was mostly cloudy with showers in the afternoon, thurs was partly sunny and some showers.  Nights were cool, long sleeve, long pants, and light Jackets were employed each evening.   

7) I never saw any facility for doing laundry (including our hotel).  Fill-up your gas tank before you go to Canada, it is $6-7 per gallon there.  Also,  Liquor by the bottle  is more expensive in Canada.  

8) Don't buy anything at the farmer's market unless you are consuming it in Canada.   You cannot bring any produce or plant material back into USA.  

9) We walked a lot in QC.  For $10 per night we parked in lot across from hotel, and left it for  3 days.   It is a very walkable city, but there are some steep places.  The double decker bus city tour looked like fun.  We did a more structured guided tour which took us over to the Island (Orleans?) and to the big Falls.

10) Places we liked:  Lunch at Portefinos (Italian), Crepes at either of the creperies on Rue St Jean.  Steaks at Charbon (located in Train Station  terminal).  There are thousands of places, and I do not think you can go wrong anywhere...  
11) I am sure Canada has some beautiful countryside, but you would not know it by driving through Quebec province.  Spectacularly bad roads and boring views.  Except Route 40 which runs Montreal to Quebec City and is a pleasure to drive on.
12) We shut our phones off to avoid the roaming charges, and the battery wears down much faster when the phone is on and constantly looking for a signal.  Free WiFi is everywhere, and your hotel will have a public computer and printer.  Not checking mail and messages is relaxing.