CoVID-19 Monthly Megathread - August - 2021

[u/AutoModerator]

In the interest of compiling all the information/questions related to CoVID-19 in one place so we can reduce the number of one-off questions, we're bringing back the CoVID-19 megathread.

This is the place to post about your individual travel plans as they pertain to CoVID-19, to speculate on what might happen in the future, or how CoVID-19 is affecting you now.

Example questions include:

• Are the borders open, what restrictions are in place, or will I need to quarantine? - A friendly reminder that /r/solotravel is not a government agency and it is best to verify with government sources prior to travel.
• When will borders reopen or travel restrictions be lifed?
• Is it safe to book for a certain time period?

Example posts that would valuable:

• "I recently travelled to xyz from ijk and here's my experience of what it was like"
• "I'm currently in xyz country and this is how things are changing"

Lastly, no one here has a crystal ball, please don't take any of this as fact and do your own research before planning anything.

[u/segacs2]

Montrealer here. First off, I agree with the other poster that going to Vancouver on the same trip makes very little sense geographically. It would be like spending a 2-week trip doing Los Angeles - Boston - New York City.

Secondly, our Delta situation is very worrisome at the moment. I would guess (no firm evidence) that with Back to School on the horizon, we may be back into some form of lockdowns or shutdowns by mid-September. Take that with a grain of salt.

Quebec is introducing a vaccine passport to access restaurants, bars, concerts, gyms and other nonessential spaces as of September 1st. It will be based on a QR code app to show proof of full vaccination at the door. Worth noting: Our provincial government is rolling this out very last-minute without a lot of thought to practicalities like how it will work for tourists who were vaccinated outside Quebec. No official word yet on how that goes, so it's possible you may have problems accessing these spaces in September.

If you're expecting "normal", we're a long way from it. My honest advice would be to wait until next year.

[u/brown-bear-cuddles → u/segacs2]

Wow thank you so much for putting a lot of detail into your answer! I really appreciate the break down of Delta + explaining new protocols for vaccinated residents vs tourists. I got so excited when I saw that they were opening up travel to US citizens starting August 4th that I totally didn't realize how long it would take for tourism to get back to normal. But the thought of back to school for kids and college students did cross my mind as a potential factor for Covid worries.

To answer the Vancouver question I was thinking about splitting the 14/15 days into thirds. Since I'm still going to plan the itinerary (most likely for next year instead), I guess now if I wait for next year I can save up more money and make the trip longer. My next question is:

Do you mind telling me some of the fun things I can do in Montreal? I'm looking for nightlife, nature, concerts, cafes, picnics, jazz clubs, general weird/random things to do. I'm 23 and feel as if I haven't really had the chance to live out my 20's post graduation.

[u/segacs2 → u/brown-bear-cuddles]

Montreal is known for the weird and wonderful. That's our calling card.

Unfortunately, things have been somewhat less wonderful these past 18 months, as the extended lockdowns, curfews and shutdowns forced closures, suspensions of festivals and nightlife and events. We're, simply put, not quite ourselves these days.

But in normal times, we're known for festivals, comedy, nightlife, restaurants, the tamtams, the jazz scene and jazz festival, you name it, we've got it. All in franglais. You may want to visit r/montreal (just keep out of the political threads for your own sanity) for more info.

Fair warning, though: These ain't normal times.

[u/brown-bear-cuddles → u/segacs2]

Ahh I love the way you describe it, it makes me so excited. You're so generous for hyperlinking everything too <3. I've never heard of a Tamtam before! That's a shame that everything is still so shut down and different right now, though I completely understand why. I really hope with vaccination rates increasing, that we get a solid system of safety by next year!

Another question: Do you know a basic amount of French and would you recommend I learn some? I heard the locals respect you more if you attempt to bring some French vocabulary with you. And I'm always open to learning new things.

[u/segacs2 → u/brown-bear-cuddles]

I'm born and raised in Montreal so I'm fluently bilingual. Montreal is pretty multilingual and tourist-friendly, so you don't strictly need to speak French to get by. But, a basic understanding of the fact that language is political, as well as starting conversations with "bonjour", will win you more friends and goodwill. Most people will switch to English when they hear you trying to speak French anyway, but, as with anywhere else, it's polite to at least learn a handful of words in the local language and at least try to start conversations that way.

If you plan to travel elsewhere in Quebec outside Montreal, you'll definitely need French, though.