Post office opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm, though a few places open on Saturday between 9am and noon. Offices are sometimes found inside larger stores, so look out for Canada Post signs, or Postes Canada in Québec.

Stamps can also be bought from automatic vending machines, the lobbies of larger hotels, airports, train stations, bus terminals and many retail outlets and newsstands. Within Canada, letters and postcards up to 30g cost 46¢, to the US 55¢ for under 30g, and international mail up to 20g is 95¢. If you're posting letters to Canadian addresses, always include the postcode or your mail may never get there.

Letters can be sent poste restante to any Canadian main post office by addressing them c/o General Delivery or c/o Poste Restante in Québec. Make a pick-up date if known, or write "Hold for 15 days", the maximum period mail will usually be held. After that time the post is returned to sender, so it's a good idea to put a return address on any post.

Take some ID when collecting. Letters will also be held by hotels; mark such mail "Guest Mail, Hold for Arrival". If you have an American Express card or travellers' cheques, you can have mail marked "Client Mail Service" sent to Amex offices throughout Canada. Others can pick up mail from Amex for a small fee.

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