quebec city on a shoestring: surviving the 8°C chaos
so i'm quebec city, and man, it's cold. like, really cold. i just checked the temp and it's hovering around 8°C, hope you brought a thick coat. the humidity is making everything feel damp, which is great for my student budget because i can skip buying moisturizer? not really. but anyway, i got here using this weird number: 6174151. turns out it was the bus stop code for the hostel i found on [hostelworld link]. and then there was this other number, 1124149787, which i thought was a phone number but actually it's a discount code for the musée de la civilisation! score.
the hostel, [hostelworld link], was actually pretty decent for the price. i shared a room with three other people and one of them snored like a chainsaw. but whatever, it's quebec city. if you tire of this place, montreal is only a couple hours away by bus, so you can always escape for a day. but honestly, quebec is pretty cool. the old town is like stepping back in time, but with modern stuff too. [old quebec link] has all the touristy stuff, but it's worth it. the buildings are old and charming, and there are these cute little streets with shops and cafes. i spent a whole day just wandering around.
food has been cheap. i found this place near the old port that serves poutine for like $5. someone told me that the poutine at le chic resto is the best, but i tried that and it was just okay. i heard that the real gem is a tiny place called la banquise, but it's open 24/7 and always packed. i went at 2am and it was still busy. the line was long but worth it. [yelp link] has a list of cheap eats, but i mostly just went to la banquise and this other place called petit champlain that had this awesome sandwich. also, i found this little grocery store where i could get cheap bread and cheese for breakfast. saved a lot of money that way.
i also visited the [tripadvisor link] for the citadelle. someone told me that the guided tour is a bit dry, so i just wandered around. the views of the st. lawrence river are amazing, even in the cold. and the grounds are huge, so it's free to walk around if you skip the tour. i spent a good two hours there and didn't spend a dime. student life. there were these cannons and old buildings, and it was all snow-covered. very picturesque.
the weather has been consistent: cold, damp, and not changing. i checked the pressure and it's 1010, which apparently means it's not going to rain, but it's going to feel like it's raining because of the humidity. whatever, i'm a student, i don't care about pressure. i care about not spending money. i found this little cafe that has free wifi and cheap coffee. [local board link] said it's a student hotspot, and they were right. i've been spending hours here writing my essay and pretending to study. the coffee is okay, but it's cheap. and they have pastries that are half off after 5pm. i live for half off pastries. i also met a guy here who told me about this free walking tour that starts at the château frontenac. i went and it was great. the guide was funny and informative, and it was free. you just tip at the end.
overall, quebec city is a great place for a budget student. just remember to bring a coat and some patience for the cold. and maybe some earplugs if you're staying in a dorm. the snoring was real. also, download the bus app because it's super useful and saves you from having to figure out the bus stop codes like i did. but hey, it worked out.
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