Getting around in Montréal
Currency
The unit of currency is the Canadian dollar. Coins are in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents, and $1 (a large gold-colored coin) and $2 (a large bimetallic coin). Bills in $5 (blue), $10 (purple) and $20 (green) are in common circulation and you can get $50s (red) and $100s (brown) from banks, though not from automatic teller machines (ATMs). Some stores are cautious about accepting bills larger than $20 because of counterfeits.
Stores in tourist zones are usually happy to accept U.S. currency and will often post the exchange rate they are offering. Normally this will be a few percentage points less than the bank rate. Major travelers' cheques are accepted in places that accept credit cards, but are not universally accepted as cash.
VISA and MasterCard
Most stores and restaurants accept VISA and MasterCard and often accept American Express. You usually get the most favorable exchange rate by using your credit card. Most ATMs are networked to Cirrus and Interac and accept major credit cards if you have a PIN number to enter into the machine.
Currency Exchange Centers
There are currency exchange centers throughout the downtown area (Check out Ste-Catherine Street!). They either charge a fee or take a couple of percentage points off the exchange rate for their services. Banks can usually handle U.S. funds without any problem but may not be prepared to handle other currencies. Bank branches are usually open from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. during the week, often with extended hours on Thursday or Friday, but it must be noted that all Canadian banks have reduced the number of their branches in recent years and, in some cases, reduced the hours of existing branches.
Taxes
Most goods and services in Québec are subject to two taxes, a federal Goods and Services Tax of 7% (GST, usually listed as TPS on receipts) and a provincial sales tax of 7.5% (TVQ on receipts). Books are not provincially taxed, and most groceries are not taxed at all unless something counts as ready-to-eat.
Non-residents may reclaim the sales taxes they have paid on some goods and services, so you're advised to keep your bills and receipts. You can get copies of the necessary forms at customs, tourist information centers, hotels and some department stores. For more information, check out how you can save here.
Tipping
A tip of 15% is customarily left for waiters and waitresses at the table, calculated on the pre-tax total of your bill. It will not be calculated for you, and you are free to leave more or less than this if circumstances warrant. In bars, the tip is handed over immediately as you pay for each drink or round. Taxi drivers also normally get a tip of 15%.
Store Opening Hours
In general, stores are open from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.. There are exceptions: many large pharmacies, some grocery stores and some bookstores stay open late all week, and some smaller boutiques may open their doors later in the morning. If you are uncertain about a store's hours it is wise to phone ahead.
Postal
services
Main post offices are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. There are also numerous postal counters in convenience stores which may have other schedules. Downtown post offices: Downstairs from Guy-Metro Station: 1250 University (just south of Ste-Catherine): 3575 Avenue du Parc: 900 de la Gauchetière Street West: 1250 Ste-Catherine Street Est.
Within Canada letters (up to 30 g) cost 51 cents. To the U.S., letters are 89 cents and elsewhere 149 cents. There is no postcard rate - a postcard counts as a letter. Other rates can be looked up on the Canada Post Website.
Internet
Montréal has a range of Internet cafés and business centers with terminals - please consult our list.
Holidays
Legal holidays in 2005:
January 1: New Year's Day
March 25: Good Friday March 27: Easter March 28: Easter Monday May 23: Victoria Day
June 24: St-Jean-Baptiste/Fête Nationale (Québec national day) July 1: Canada
Day (also, widely, moving day) September 5: Labor Day October 10: Thanksgiving
November 11: Veterans' Day December 25: Christmas December 26: Boxing Day
(Shopping!)
Some stores open on holidays, although Christmas is all but universally a closing day. Boxing Day, Dec. 26, is commonly given as a holiday, as is January 2. Easter Monday seems to be declining in importance. Government offices still close on Remembrance Day, November 11, on which services honoring war veterans are held in various parts of town and a minute of silence is traditionally observed at 11 a.m.
Other Holidays:
Montréalers
also observe Valentine's Day (February 14)
, Mother's Day (May 8), Father's Day (June 19) and Halloween (October 31), although these are not legal
holidays. Depending on their origins, Montréalers might also celebrate Jewish
holidays, the Asian lunar New Year, or various other national holidays.
Moving Day and Vacation:
Montréal has a long-standing tradition of ending residential leases on June 30. As a result, July 1 is moving day for a significant percentage of tenants in the city. The last two weeks of July are the construction holiday, and many other unionized workers take these two weeks off as well.
Public Transit
Montréal has an excellent public
transit system, the STCUM (Société des Transports de la Communauté Urbaine de
Montréal) consisting of a subway system (see map), 140 bus routes (20 all-night routes), and two major commuter train lines. Telephone A-U-T-O-B-U-S for information
about getting around on the system or check the STCUM website. Maps and information about the system are available in every Metro station.
The metro lines shut down around 12:30 a.m., after which the system shifts over to night bus lines until around 5:30 a.m.
A monthly pass giving full access to the system costs $63.00 CAN. You can also purchase a 1 week pass at $18.50 or $11.50 for 6 tickets. One ticket costs $2.50 CAN. Bus drivers do not make change and do not sell tickets, but all metro stations have ticket booths and some convenience stores sell tickets and passes.
If you're using tickets or paying in cash, it's important to get a transfer, which will permit you to change from metro to bus or from bus to bus. You do not need a transfer to exit the metro system as you do in London or Paris - it's only needed if you want to be able to connect to a bus from the metro system.
People who are not Montréal residents don't qualify for seniors' reductions or student fares.
Tourist centers
The main tourist information center in Montréal is located near the corner of Peel and Ste-Catherine at 1001, rue du square Dorchester (corner Metcalfe), metro Peel, 514-873-2015. It is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the summer, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from September till June.