Travel Guide to Canada (TRAVEL DOCUMENTS) - Travel Tips

1. The time difference between Ottawa and China is -13 hours (-12 hours in daylight saving time).

2. The Ottawa area of Canada has a temperate continental humid climate with a large temperature difference between morning and evening. If you will stay outdoors late, it is best to bring a hoodie with you to keep warm.

3. Parking fees are required in most areas of Ottawa, but many restaurants, shopping malls and other places provide validation. It is recommended to ask when parking. After getting validation, the parking fee may be reduced a lot, or even free.

4. The signs for street parking (i.e. "street parking") in the Ottawa area are quite complicated. Be sure to pay attention to the signs when parking, calculate the parking time, and then pay or park somewhere else. If you violate the regulations, you may receive a ticket.

5. All restaurants, shopping malls, and entertainment venues in Ottawa are basically equipped with free toilets, but some restaurants (including some Starbucks and Subway) have toilets marked "For Customer Only". Some gas station toilets require keys to enter, which can be obtained from the staff at the gas station convenience store.

6. If you are staying in a homestay, you need to communicate with the landlord in advance about the precautions. If the party or other activities are too noisy at night, the neighbors may call the police.

7. Smoking is not allowed in Canadian government buildings, most transportation vehicles, public places, and most indoor places. Please comply with local smoking regulations. Violation of smoking regulations will cause the smoke detector to alarm, and you will be responsible for it.

8. In Canada, almost all services provided to individuals are expected to be tipped by the service recipient (unless it is fast food, buffet, or if Gratuity is stated on the bill, then no tip is required). If you do not tip, it means that you are extremely dissatisfied with his or her service. If there is no problem with the service itself and you do not tip, you may be refused service next time.

9. Tipping Guidelines for Canadians Tipping in Canada is a very common and natural courtesy. Generally speaking, the tip is 10% to 15% of the consumption, but people often like to give more. Some restaurants have a special item for tips when paying the bill, which must be paid. Other situations where tipping is required include taking a taxi and asking someone to carry your luggage at a hotel.

①Restaurants:

Q: Which restaurants require tipping?

A: When dining in a restaurant, if a waiter comes up to ask you what you want to order, you must tip. However, if you dine in a fast food restaurant, such as McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, etc., you don't need to tip. After ordering at the counter, you can just go find a seat. There is also a type of restaurant in Canada called Food Court (a place where fast food restaurants gather), just like the food court in China, where you also order with a tray, and you don't need to tip in this case either.

Q: How much should you tip in a restaurant?

A: Generally, there are differences in tips for lunch and dinner. You should tip 10-15% of the meal cost for lunch and 15-20% for dinner. However, if there are more than 5 people dining, you must tip 18%. But you don't have to worry about not remembering these, because in case you forget, the waiter will remind you. If the service is very good, or the restaurant is high-end (consumption per person is more than 30 Canadian dollars), you should tip 20%. It is worth noting that Canadian restaurants often have only one waiter per table. When you order food at the beginning, you will find the person who will give you the menu. If you need any service later, you can find him. Unlike in China, you can just shout at the waiter when you see him, because you only tip him, and other waiters are not responsible for serving you. If you call a waiter at random, he will still call the waiter you tipped to come and serve you.

②Hotels:

Q: How to tip when staying in a hotel?

A: The place where tourists need to pay tips the most during travel is the hotel. In many countries, hotel staff rely mainly on tips to increase their usual meager income. When traveling, you should regard tipping waiters as part of your consumption and be prepared to put the money in an easy-to-reach place before entering the hotel. The amount of tipping for the doorman depends on the amount of luggage. The doorman who takes your luggage and hands it to the porter should be tipped 1 to 2 Canadian dollars. If you don't have luggage, you usually don't have to tip them. When you are ready to leave the hotel with your luggage, and the doorman takes the luggage from the porter and helps you put it in the car, you should also tip him. When the doorman calls a taxi for you, you should give him 1 to 3 Canadian dollars. The porter should be tipped 1 Canadian dollar per bag, but the porter who delivers the luggage to the room should be tipped more than 2 Canadian dollars. When the porter does something special for you, such as shopping for you or delivering what you need to the room (but not belonging to the scope of room service), he should get a tip of 2 to 3 Canadian dollars. Room Cleaning Regular hotel waiters can get a $2 tip per person per day. You can tip them in person or put the money in an envelope and seal it with "For Room Cleaning" written on it. This is more decent. If you are in a hurry, you can also put $2 on the pillow or on the bedside table. Laundry Service The cost of cleaning and ironing your clothes will be added to your bill, so you don't need to tip if your clothes are left in your room while you are away. If you are in your room when the waiter delivers your clothes, you can pay them $1 for their delivery service. Restaurant Waiters The amount of tips paid to hotel restaurant waiters is comparable to the amount of tips received by waiters in other restaurants, both of which are 15% to 18%, while some very luxurious and high-end restaurants tip as much as 18% to 20%. Of course, if you think the hotel service attitude is poor, the quality is poor, and the food tastes ordinary, you don't have to tip. Visitors need to understand that tips represent appreciation and recognition, so please pay tips to those who work hard.

③ Luggage handling at the airport: Except in hotels and restaurants, in most international airports abroad, porters are tipped by piece, and the tip for each piece of luggage is generally 1 Canadian dollar. If there are many pieces, each piece should be no less than 50 cents. At the train station, porters are also tipped by piece.

④ Tipping in a taxi: Tip the taxi driver, generally 10% of the transportation fee. In addition, if you need the driver to help with luggage, you should tip an extra 1 Canadian dollar for each piece of luggage. Note that it is "each piece of luggage", not all luggage. There are generally two ways to tip the taxi driver. You can tell the driver to "Keep the change" and use the change as a tip; or after paying the transportation fee, give him extra banknotes and say something polite like "Thank you, you've worked hard".

2. Practical Information

Internet All public libraries in Ottawa, as well as most restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, and hotels have free Wi-Fi, but some hotel rooms require purchase of Wi-Fi. Most Canadian airplanes also offer paid Wi-Fi services. Telephone Canada's major telephone companies are Rogers, Bell, Telus, and Freedom. Phone cards basically provide unlimited calls and text messages. Among them, Rogers has the widest signal coverage, and Freedom's packages are relatively cheap. You can buy prepaid phone cards (Pre-paid) for short or long trips in Canada, and real-name registration is not required. Consumption Index Ottawa's consumption tax is 13%. Exchange Canadian dollars If you need to exchange Canadian dollars, it is recommended to exchange them in advance in China, which is the most cost-effective. You can also go to a bank in downtown Ottawa to exchange. When exchanging currency, you usually need to show your passport. TD, CIBC, RBC, BMO, and Scotia Bank are recommended.

3. Practical Information

UnionPay: You can use UnionPay cards to withdraw cash at any ATM with the UnionPay logo, but a certain fee will be charged. The number of shops in Ottawa that accept UnionPay cards has gradually increased in recent years, and many shopping malls have also launched UnionPay card discounts. You can ask the store staff before making a purchase. (The specific bank withdrawal fee is subject to the bank's regulations.) Credit cards are very popular in Ottawa. Except for a few small restaurants marked "Cash Only", they can be used in almost all shops. Visa and MasterCard credit cards are recommended.