quebec city

[scwtraveler]

we are staying in quebec city before our cruise? any problem with the french speaking english??

[sapper1]

we are staying in quebec city before our cruise? any problem with the french speaking english??

You will find that the French Canadian people you will have dealings with will be most gracious and will speak English to you.

[mr green]

As a Canadian I regret to say that I have only been in Quebec City once. I never had any trouble, English was widely spoken, and I have never been in a more friendly city, and it was also, in my opinion the safest city that I have ever been in.

My wife asked me to go downtown for something one evening, after dark, and, I encountered groups of teenagers at almost every corner, who all greeted me in a friendly way, and then went back to their activities.

 

john

[sail7seas]

I wish I could speak French as well as the kind people of Quebec City speak English. They are most gracious and friendly and you should have no difficulty.

 

When you enter a store or restaurant, try saying Bonjour,,,,,, they will be pleased you made the effort. A pleasant merci...... goes a long way. :)

[CapeCodCruiser]

You will love Quebec City & the Quebecois! As previously stated - it is customary to greet a storekeeper with "bonjour" upon entering the store and "merci" when leaving. Have fun!

[Silvermist]

we are staying in quebec city before our cruise? any problem with the french speaking english??

 

No problems at all. Especially in the tourist areas - I was told the closer you got to downtown, the less likely you are to hear English. Menus and many signs are in French first, then English. The price of things are usually written in French but that's super easy to figure out. If it's $1.99 for something it will say 1,99$. If you know absolutely no French at all, learn a few of the basics. Like most washrooms (that's Canadian for restrooms) will have a picture of a male or female on the door, but just to be safe know the difference between hommes and femmes. ;)

[Putterdude]

Over the years I have been a frequent visitor to Quebec including Quebec City. Most in the hospitality industry can speak English, certainly enough to get along. It never hurts to make a gesture by saying "bonjour" and then you are visiting from ....Whereever....and you don't speak French after that you will find that they will be most accommodating.

[bcscot]

We have been in the Province of Quebec for the last two weeks & have been very pleasantly surprised at how friendly, gracious, polite & helpful everyone has been. I try my best with my VERY poor schoolboy French. If that is inadequate, the other person will often start speaking English without being asked. If their English is poor, then we have fun communicating in sign language & 'Franglais'. :)

[Langley Cruisers]

I agree with the others who have replied. We found the people of Quebec City to be absolutely charming and polite. They will speak English, but because I wasn't sure (first time there, two years ago), I asked, "En anglais, s'il vous plait?" and she replied in English. I know a bit of basic French, but it wasn't needed. I agree with saying "Bonjour" when you encounter a shopkeeper or other local. It's just polite. :)

 

Enjoy your time in Quebec City! It is absolutely beautiful there and we wouldn't hesitate to return.

[LindaKE]

We got a taxi driver who spoke no English. We wanted to go to Montmorency Falls. When he couldn't understand us, he drove down the street until he could flag another taxi over and asked that driver to tell him where we wanted to go. (He finally understood "Les Chutes", but had no clue about "Montmorency".) He was the only one we encountered who didn't speak English and speak it very well. It wasn't a big problem, but it was frustrating trying to tell him what we wanted.

[MM42]

It wasn't a big problem, but it was frustrating trying to tell him what we wanted.

 

The guy lives in a French speaking Province so he doesn't have to speak English. You should have asked him if he spoke English before taking the taxi. That's what I do when I visit a country where I don't speak the language.

[bcscot]

The guy lives in a French speaking Province so he doesn't have to speak English. You should have asked him if he spoke English before taking the taxi. That's what I do when I visit a country where I don't speak the language.

 

If you are in a French speaking Province, then why expect an English speaking cabbie? When I was in China, if I had waited for an English speaking taxi driver, it would have been a LONG wait! ;) :D

 

It can be helpful to have your destination written down or have a brochure, guide book etc to show them (they might at least recognise the picture!). :)

[LiftLockCouple]

The guy lives in a French speaking Province so he doesn't have to speak English. You should have asked him if he spoke English before taking the taxi. That's what I do when I visit a country where I don't speak the language.

 

:) I hope this is tongue in cheek. Many Quebec residents are much more gifted than we in English Canada since a large percentage are bilingual. I have transited and stayed in Quebec on many, many occasions over the past 35 or so years since we live in Ontario and have family in Moncton. Service in English in the tourist areas of Quebec City is very common. Unlike Toronto or other English cities where French service is very rare. The poster said it was no big deal but a little frustrating. I can understand that. Unlike other countries, Quebec does a great job of providing english service to their visitors. The poster actually had good reason to expect that the cabbie would be able to function in English, obviously did not happen but still was a high probability when they got into the cab. I concur with the majority of posters here regarding the Quebec peoples hospitality and welcoming nature. We stayed in Quebec City at the Chateau Frontenac this past Christmas for one night while in transit, it was snowing lightly and was magical. I have stayed in most major cities in Canada from St. John's NL to Vancouver and Victoria. Quebec City is one of my favorites. Very special, and have always had kind service in English, which is a great benefit since I can't speak french to even order french fries !! Cheers

[maryann ns]

As you can see, this is a sensitive issue for many Canadians. French is the official language in the province of Quebec. Many people in Quebec City can speak English. However, it should not be assumed.

[MM42]

:) I hope this is tongue in cheek. Many Quebec residents are much more gifted than we in English Canada since a large percentage are bilingual. I have transited and stayed in Quebec on many, many occasions over the past 35 or so years since we live in Ontario and have family in Moncton. Service in English in the tourist areas of Quebec City is very common. Unlike Toronto or other English cities where French service is very rare. The poster said it was no big deal but a little frustrating. I can understand that. Unlike other countries, Quebec does a great job of providing english service to their visitors. The poster actually had good reason to expect that the cabbie would be able to function in English, obviously did not happen but still was a high probability when they got into the cab. I concur with the majority of posters here regarding the Quebec peoples hospitality and welcoming nature. We stayed in Quebec City at the Chateau Frontenac this past Christmas for one night while in transit, it was snowing lightly and was magical. I have stayed in most major cities in Canada from St. John's NL to Vancouver and Victoria. Quebec City is one of my favorites. Very special, and have always had kind service in English, which is a great benefit since I can't speak french to even order french fries !! Cheers

 

I live in Quebec City. Your words are wery heartwarming. Thank you and thanks to the others who had kind words to say about my city. I love this city and even though I do a lot of travelling, I'm always glad to come home.

 

I always say that you don't have to cross the ocean to go to Europe. That's what Old Quebec is to me... my part of Europe in Canada.

[manoftheworld]

i live in Montreal and and most people speak English around here so enjoy your time and feel relaxed. Montreal is a multicultural city

[Thoth]

I wish I could speak French as well as the kind people of Quebec City speak English. They are most gracious and friendly and you should have no difficulty.

 

When you enter a store or restaurant, try saying Bonjour,,,,,, they will be pleased you made the effort. A pleasant merci...... goes a long way. :)

Thanks ! I'll make sure to remember to say "Bonjour" and "Merci" next year when I visit Montreal and Quebec City.