How to rent a car in Québec (and what to watch out for)

Is a car necessary in Québec?

The short answer: for Montréal alone, no. For Québec City alone, almost no. For Québec the province — yes.

Québec covers 1.5 million km². The distances between major attractions are real: Montréal to Québec City is 250 km (3 hours); Québec City to Tadoussac is 200 km (3 hours); Québec City to Percé in Gaspésie is 730 km (8-9 hours). Via Rail trains cover the Montréal-Québec City corridor, and a bus network exists, but for Charlevoix, Gaspésie, Côte-Nord, Lac-Saint-Jean, and the Laurentides backcountry, a car is essentially non-negotiable.

Even Île d’Orléans — just 15 minutes from Québec City — is awkward without a car (limited bus access to the island, infrequent service).

This guide focuses on the practical mechanics of renting a car in Québec, with specific attention to the rules and risks that catch visitors off guard.

Licence requirements

Your home driving licence is valid in Québec for up to 6 months from the date of arrival, for tourist use. This applies to licences from EU countries, the UK, Australia, the USA, and most other countries.

International Driving Permit (IDP): Not legally mandatory but strongly recommended for:

• Licences not in English or French (most European languages). Some rental companies and police will request a French or English translation.
• Licences from countries with unfamiliar formats.
• As a general safeguard in case your home licence is not accepted or understood by a rental desk agent.

How to get an IDP: Apply through your national automobile association (AA in the UK, ADAC in Germany, AAA in the USA, CAA in Canada). Cost is typically EUR 12-25. Process takes 15-30 minutes in person or 1-2 weeks by post. An IDP is valid for 1 year and works worldwide alongside your original licence. You must carry both.

Age requirements

Rental companies in Québec

International/national companies (airport and city locations):

• Hertz, Avis, Budget, National/Enterprise: All present at YUL and YQB. Competitive for online booking. Airport pickup convenient but slightly more expensive than city locations.
• Enterprise: Particularly useful for one-way rentals; wide network of drop-off locations.

Canadian/Québec-specific:

• Discount Car and Truck Rentals: Canadian chain with excellent rates and Québec-wide locations. Often significantly cheaper than international brands for comparable vehicles.
• Globe Car Rentals: Budget-oriented Canadian chain.
• Alamo: Good for online international bookings.

Booking tip: Book online in advance, not at the counter. Walk-up rental rates are typically 30-60% higher than advance online rates. Booking with a refundable option allows you to compare and change if a better price appears closer to your travel date.

Winter tyre law: non-negotiable

Québec Law 42 (Act Respecting Road Vehicle Licensing) requires winter tyres on all passenger vehicles from December 1 to March 15.

As a car rental customer: The rental company must provide a vehicle with four properly installed winter tyres during this period. When you collect the car, confirm this verbally and look at the tyres — winter tyres are labelled with a snowflake symbol on the sidewall.

Why it matters for you: If you are in a serious accident and the car did not have proper winter tyres, liability issues may arise. The rental company is responsible for compliance, but you should verify.

Driving with winter tyres: Winter tyres dramatically improve braking and handling on snow and ice. However, they are not magic — they improve grip, not invincibility. Reduce speed, increase following distance, and do not overestimate the protection they provide.

Insurance: the biggest financial decision

Car rental insurance is where most visitors either overspend (buying full coverage they already have) or take unnecessary risk (declining coverage they don’t have). Understanding the layers is important.

Layer 1: Third-party liability (obligatoire / mandatory)

Every rental car in Québec includes the mandatory third-party liability insurance required by Québec law. This covers damage or injury you cause to other people or their property. Minimum coverage is CAD 50,000, but reputable companies provide CAD 1 million or more. This is automatically included in the rental price — you cannot opt out of it.

Layer 2: Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) / Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)

This protects the rental vehicle itself from damage or theft. Without it, you are personally liable for the full cost of repairing or replacing the rental car if damaged.

If you decline CDW/LDW:

• You are financially responsible for any damage to the vehicle, even if the accident is not your fault (unless you can prove fault of the other party).
• The rental company can place a hold of CAD 2,000-5,000+ on your credit card as a deposit.
• Road surface damage, windshield chips, and tyre damage are typically excluded from CDW in any case — read the fine print.

Alternative: credit card rental coverage Many premium credit cards (Visa Infinite, Mastercard World Elite, and others) provide rental car damage coverage as a benefit. This can substitute for the rental company’s CDW — but with critical caveats:

• The card must be used to pay the full rental.
• The coverage must explicitly apply to Canada (some cards exclude certain countries).
• Some cards provide secondary coverage (they pay after your personal auto insurance) rather than primary coverage.
• The coverage amount must be sufficient for a total loss of the rental car.
• Time limits may apply (usually 15-31 consecutive rental days maximum).

Check your specific card’s coverage document (the Certificate of Insurance, not the marketing summary) before relying on it.

Recommended practice: If you have verified primary rental car coverage through your credit card that explicitly covers Canada, declining the rental company’s CDW saves CAD 15-30/day. If in doubt, pay for the CDW.

Layer 3: Personal accident insurance (PAI) / Personal effects coverage (PEC)

These optional add-ons cover you and your passengers for medical costs and stolen personal items. They are usually unnecessary if you have:

• Travel insurance (covers medical costs — and you need travel insurance for Québec)
• Home/renter’s insurance (often covers belongings stolen from a car)

In most cases, decline PAI and PEC if you already have comprehensive travel insurance.

Driving rules in Québec

Speed limits:

• Urban areas: 50 km/h
• Rural two-lane roads: 90 km/h
• Highways (autoroutes): 100 km/h (110 km/h where posted on some sections)

Right turn on red: Allowed in Québec, except within the island of Montréal where it is prohibited (even where there is no sign — the prohibition is blanket on the island). This is a common confusion for visitors from the rest of Canada and the USA.

Mobile phones: Handheld use while driving is prohibited. Fine: CAD 300-600 + demerit points. Use a hands-free mount.

Alcohol limits: The blood-alcohol limit for drivers over 21 is 0.08% (80 mg/100 mL). For drivers under 22, the limit is zero tolerance (0.00%). For drivers 22+ in the probationary licence period, also 0.00%. Enforcement is taken seriously.

Seatbelts: Mandatory for all occupants. Children must use appropriate child seats — the rental company will rent child seats but they must be booked in advance and may cost CAD 8-15/day.

Stop signs: A full stop is legally required. Rolling stops are issued fines.

School buses: When a school bus has its amber warning lights activated, all traffic in both directions must stop (not just behind the bus). When flashing amber lights change to red (doors open), everyone must remain stopped.

Wildlife: Moose warning signs indicate genuine risk. Moose can appear suddenly on rural highways at night. Drive at or below the speed limit and scan the road edges at dawn, dusk, and night.

Toll roads

Québec has very few toll roads. The main ones:

• Autoroute 25 (Île-aux-Tourtes bridge) Montréal: Electronic toll. No cash booth. Must have a transponder (available from the rental company — add CAD 5-10/day) or pay a fee afterwards via the A25 website.
• Autoroute 30 (bridge section): Electronic toll only. Same process as A-25.
• Champlain Bridge: Currently no toll.

Avoid the hassle: Ask the rental company about toll road equipment when picking up. If you are not using A-25 or A-30, you may not encounter tolls at all.

Fuel and refuelling

Fuel prices in Québec fluctuate but were approximately CAD 1.60-1.80/litre for regular gasoline in 2026. Prices in Montréal are often slightly lower than rural areas. Fuel is sold by the litre, not the gallon.

Most rental cars use regular unleaded (octane 87 in North American rating = equivalent to 91 RON in European terms). Do not put diesel in a petrol car or vice versa — verify fuel type at pickup.

Refuelling policy: Return the car with the same fuel level as at pickup (almost always a full tank). Returning it below full will result in the rental company charging for fuel at CAD 2.50-3.50/litre — significantly above pump prices.

Practical road trip tips for Québec

• Download offline maps (Google Maps offline area) before leaving the city — cellular coverage is limited in Charlevoix backcountry, Gaspésie interior, and Côte-Nord.
• Carry a car emergency kit in winter: small shovel, ice scraper + brush, booster cables, blanket, candles, emergency snacks. Rental companies provide cars without these — buy them if you plan winter driving in rural areas.
• Check road conditions before driving in winter at transportsquebec.gouv.qc.ca.
• Parking in Montréal: The island of Montréal bans parking during snow clearing — signs indicate alternating side schedules. Getting towed during a snow clearing operation costs CAD 100+ to retrieve.

Plan your trip

• Is Québec safe? — winter driving and wildlife risks
• Québec weather month by month — driving conditions by season
• Canadian dollar tips for Europeans — paying for fuel, tolls, and more
• Québec travel insurance — covering car accidents
• 7-day Québec classic loop — road trip itinerary
• 7-day fall foliage road trip — autumn driving
• Gaspésie 7-day loop — the long drive
• Montréal YUL airport guide — picking up a rental at the airport

Once you arrive in Québec City, explore Old Québec on foot — no car needed in the historic district:

And if you visit Île d’Orléans near Québec City, an e-bike tour is a great alternative to navigating by car:

Top experiences

Bookable activities with verified prices and instant confirmation on GetYourGuide.

The Original Old Montréal Walking Tour

• GetYourGuide

⏱ 2 hours

Île d'Orléans Guided E-Bike Tour with Tastings

• GetYourGuide

⏱ 4-6.5 hours From $80