Overview
** QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC **
Read travel tips for Quebec City, Quebec from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit Quebec City, Quebec. Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Quebec City, Quebec, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Quebec City, Quebec. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
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b) Venice, Italy
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d) Johannesburg, South Africa
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I visited Montreal and Quebec City in 2016. I loved it. Funny enough I went with a friend of mine because we had both just broken up with our boyfriends so we decided to get away on a girls’ trip. We both lived in NJ at the time so it was easy to get to on AMTRAK. From the moment I stepped outside from the train station I was in love. It was beautiful. I went in late summer so the weather was lovely, which was one of the reasons we chose to go there as it was stifling hot where we lived and we knew it would be cooler further north. It was very affordable as the exchange rate for the dollar was much in our favor. People were nice and it was just so picturesque. I told my friend I had a great time with her, but if I ever come back it will be with a guy Lol. It is just so romantic. And, you don’t need to spend a whole lot of time there. A long weekend is really all you need. Just like old town Montreal, which was also incredible, you really feel like you’re in Europe. Love Quebec City and would definitely go back, even without a guy. Lol.
Overall I enjoyed Quebec City and felt comfortable. If you live in the United States and haven’t traveled to another country, particularly one whose primary language is not English, this is a great place to start as preparation to travel overseas. Old Town Québec in particular has the old world feel of a European city.
I recommend researching the culture of places before you go and this was useful for me here. The people of Quebec Province lean into speaking French primarily. English is spoken and signs are in both languages. But the farther you go into the countryside you are less likely to find people speaking English. Cab drivers may not even speak English but I found that some try. Others will be pleasant but point to the English signs in the cab. It may seem rude to some, but it felt like it was more about efficiency. Learning a few French phrases (in Quebecois French) is helpful to warm local people up a little bit.
In general, the local people are proud and reserved with all foreigners. Tourists and people working in tourism are quite friendly. I ran into one Black American couple but most black people I saw where either of Caribbean or African ancestry and working in housekeeping at the hotel.
There is a cultural expectation that the customer entering a store speaks first in Quebec. Store employees will not run up to greet you for ask if they can help you. It is different from the US. I liked that because I hate people bothering me while I browse. I did have an incident in one store where I felt the salesperson was following only me and I left the store letting the person know they had lost a sale.
As a black person you will stand out. I was on a group tour to the Quebec countryside and a group of women from the Midwest US commented they had seen me on the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. I didn’t remember seeing them at all! But they became tour buddies to take photos for me since I was traveling solo. I used Viator.com to book tours and Expedia to book Hotel 71.
It was not my choice to go to Québec City, but this was a surprise gift from my bestie who is Puerto Rican. She happens to speak French fluently and always wanted to go here. She also knew I’d love the old world feeling you get in this city. So, traveling while black. I’ve been to 9 countries at this point, and never have I been stared at so much. It was very comfortable. Also I would’ve been a little lost without my bestie because I don’t speak French. Everything here is in French and it’s the primary language spoken in this province. There were few other black people around. The ones I did see were clearly African immigrants. Who also looked surprised to see me. I grew up in a predominantly white community, so being the only brownie in a sea of milk isn’t anything new or uncomfortable for me. But the staring was super rude and off-putting.
Quebec City, Quebec is an incredible destination with lots to offer travelers. The city has numerous beautiful hotels and luxury travelers will love the amenities, convenience, service and location of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in the walled city overlooking the St. Lawrence River. During my trip to Quebec I enjoyed amazing meals and local cuisine like poutine. There are several fine dining restaurants, pubs and even walking food tour operators offering travelers a taste of the region. Drinks at the Ice Hotel bar just outside of the city is a must during a winter getaway to Quebec City and adventurers will love activities like snowmobiling, dogsledding skiing and snowboarding.