Trip to Quebec City.

Doughnuts kick ass

Come March Break most of my classmates and I will be heading to Quebec City for the week. Most of them plan to drink the whole time thanks to the lower drinking age , but I would like to see some sights and maybe do some shopping also. Unfortunately last week I broke my ankle playing hockey so I will be using crutches to get around.

I have a few questions:

Does anyone know of any cool stores,bars,clubs,things in the city?

Will I have trouble with the language barrier?

Is there any cultural things I need to know about when dealing with the locals?

Thanks in advance

GrimmyTOA

Are you Canadian or American?

I've been to Quebec City a few times, and I'll give you this advice: If you've got any French, at least make an effort. It really cheers people up, especially if you're Canadian. If you're American, it's not a huge deal if you don't speak any French, but I'm sure the effort would be appreciated.

You shouldn't have much trouble getting your point across. Most people who work in the service industry in Quebec speak and understand at least some English. Just try and be respectful, obviously. Quebecois are wonderful people, by and large, but (especially around Quebec City) there can be a bit of Anglophobia.

You might have trouble with the crutches. Quebec's built on a hill, and the transition between the Lower town and the Upper town can be problematic, especially in winter. The Lower town's a lot of fun (bar & restaurant & touristy stuff-wise) -- I'd recommend spending a good deal of your time there, and either cabbing or bussing your way back to wherever you're staying.

I can't really recall any specifically good places. Sorry 'bout that. Have a good time in Quebec. It really does feel like a different world sometimes, especially in winter.

P.S. --> There's a provincial election coming up, & Qubec City is (naturally) the capital of Quebec. Avoid political discussions unless you want to get talked to (or at) for a long time. Politics in Quebec are ... intense.

Mr. Az

As a proud citizen of Quebec City (since June last year...), I guess I can answer some of these.

When it comes to stores, if you want anything out of the ordinary, just go around the Vieux-Québec (Old Québec) area. This area is really the place for tourists to spend time in (there's probably at least 20 gift shops in a ½ mile radius).

The most frequented (and known) bar/pubs are also in that area. You have the St. Alexandre and the St. Patrick (both will be in full activity with the coming St. Paddy). There's also a couple smaller places (mainly populated with "regulars") around town.

For clubs, the main one is the "Dagobert" on the Grande Allée. Most people can probably give direction to the place. On that same street are a couple other clubs and bars (Maurice, Ozone, etc.)

People can usually understand English, the main problem with the folks on the street though is that may not speak it really well. But, when it comes to the service industry, we're all at least bilingual.

Don't be afraid of talking to people, we're usually happy to talk about our town. Don't come off as too rude and you shouldn't have much of a problem in town. Be aware though that you might hear the F-bomb thrown a couple of times, don't get on your high horse and everything should be fine.