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Practical information

There is much to discover in Monreal! Get more information from Tourisme Montréal and enjoy your stay. 

Canadian currency

The Canadian monetary system is based on dollars and cents. Legal tender is the Canadian dollar, which is divided into 100 cents.

Taxes

  • On lodging: 3.5% city tax, 5% Goods & Services Tax plus 9.975% Québec Sales Tax.
  • On purchases (supplies, food & beverages, catering services and rentals): 5 % Goods & Services Tax plus
  • 9.975% Québec Sales Tax.

Languages

Though French is the official language in the Province of Québec, most Quebecers speak fluent English and are comfortable communicating in either language. Representing the rich mix of Montréal’s 80 different cultural communities, a number of other languages are spoken as well, including Italian, Greek and Chinese.

Transportation

Montréal is an eminently accessible city. Its subway system, called the Métro, is a network of 65 well-located stations
covering the city covering most of the city and beyond... Eighteen miles (30 km) of underground pedestrian
passageways—designed with Montréal’s winters in mind—link shopping centres and other institutions in the downtown
core. Above ground, public buses run frequently—24 hours a day on some lines—and taxis are always available.

Medical services

In case of accident or sudden illness, eight major hospitals are located in or near the downtown area, some of them
affiliated with leading Montréal universities.

Seasons and average temperatures

Montréal has four distinct seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. Average monthly temperatures are as follows:

January-4 °C (23 °F) July26 °C (79 °F)
February-4 °C (23 °F)August25 °C (77 °F)
March3 °C (37 °F)September20 °C (68 °F)
April11 ºC (52 °F)October13 °C (55 °F)
May19 °C (66 °F)November 5 °C (41 °F)
June24 °C (75 °F) December -3Cº (27 °F)

Time zone

Located in the Eastern Time zone, we adopt Eastern Daylight Savings Time on the second Sunday in March and revert to
Eastern Standard Time on the first Sunday in November.

Electricity

As elsewhere in North America, the standard current is 110 volts (60 cycles).

Weights and Measures

Canada uses the metric system of weights and measures.

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