En liberté Formula

A more flexible adventure

Before your departure, as for our other formulas, we plan everything: transportation, accommodations, meals and, of course, our exclusive itineraries. Once at your destination, however, you have more freedom organizing your day.

The En liberté bike trip experience is designed for independent cyclists on the route. By opting for this formula, without a guide or relief vehicle, you will receive all the information you need to ensure that your trip goes smoothly, as well as the daily itineraries. The latter propose routes of interest around certain stopover cities, chosen for their offer of services and their accommodations. The En liberté formula — a different kind of adventure that still has the Vélo Québec Voyages touch.

Choose your destination and departure date;
Travel with with your family, friends, work colleagues, cycling club...

Our En liberté packages include:

Baggage transportation (one bag per person: 20-kg maximum with air travel; 15-kg maximum without air travel);
Information to ensure that the trip goes smoothly: contact details and phone numbers to call if necessary — transportation providers for each destination, bike stores, travel consultant of our agency, emergency number, etc.
Plan of bike routes in the form of GPX data and paper maps;
The prices include taxes and the $3.50 contribution per $1,000 of services purchased to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents, from November 1, 2021.

IN NORTH AMERICA

Accommodations in two- to for-star hotels or inns, double occupancy;
All breakfasts.

IN EUROPE

Transfer between airport and hotel; as well as domestic flight (if necessary);
Accommodations in two- to for-star hotels, double occupancy;
All breakfasts and some evening meals (excluding all beverages, alcoholic or not).

IN GUADELOUPE

Click link above for further details.

NOT INCLUDED: equipment, such as a bicycle; the presence of a guide; mechanical assistance and access to a relief vehicle; costs of a mechanical or physical mishap.

Reservations
For all En liberté trips, please allow some time between your reservation request and your desired departure date, so that we can plan the details of your trip.

Packages of 3 to 6 days in Québec: up to 21 business days
Packages of 7 days or more in Québec, Ontario: up to 21 business days
Packages in Western Canada or the Maritimes: up to 28 business days
Packages in the United States, Europe and Guadeloupe: up to 28 business days

En liberté Price Package
Refer to the land portion "starting at" price for an idea of the cost of the trip. The land portion price indicated is for double occupancy and passenger, baggage and bicycle air transportation is not included. For further information, including the possibility of reserving a flight, please contact us.

General Conditions

ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND GENERAL CONDITIONS

The reservation constitutes a contract by virtue of which the traveller agrees to accept each of the following conditions, as well as those of the carriers involved (upon the purchase of a package with air transportation) and tour operators.

It is the responsibility of the traveller to carefully read and understand these general conditions, which come into effect as soon as a payment is made. It is also the traveller’s responsibility to be aware of the entry and exit conditions for the countries he/she is visiting or passing through, to obtain the necessary travel documents for entering and exiting the countries concerned, to verify the different clauses of his/her travel insurance coverage, mainly in the special context of COVID-19, and to comply with Public Health guidelines and directives.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

It is the responsibility of each traveller to obtain, at his/her expense, all the official documents required for the trip, which vary according to citizenship status and destination. Certain countries require passports to be valid up to 6 months beyond the planned date of return to Canada. Single parents travelling with a child under the age of 18 may be asked to present a sworn written statement, signed by the other parent, authorizing the child to travel.

In the context of COVID-19, it also the traveller’s responsibility to respect the requirements related to international travel or to present the relevant vaccination documents (vaccination passport) in order to have access to non-essential services.

The carrier or competent authorities may refuse any traveller access on board a plane or entry to a country, either arbitrarily, following a temperature reading or because of non-compliance with requirements (documents, authorization, vaccination, etc.), without involving the agency, suppliers or authorities concerned. In such event, the traveller must assume all costs incurred and will not be reimbursed or compensated by Vélo Québec Voyages. For further information on the travel documents required, go to the Government of Canada’s website at voyage.gc.ca.

PRICE INDICATED

All the prices on our website at explorebybike.com are valid for one person and they are in Canadian dollars. The prices include taxes and the $3.50 contribution per $1,000 of services purchased to the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents, from November 1, 2021. The prices indicated on our website at veloquebecvoyages.com are valid if you purchase services during the same web session. If you log off our website, the prices may differ during your next session. Prices may be subject to change in the event of the imposition or increase of a government tax, a carrier surcharge or an exchange rate increase. In such case, if the change stems from a carrier surcharge or an exchange rate increase and generates a price increase of less than 7%, excluding GST and PST, the client agrees to pay the difference. However, if the change generates in a price increase of 7% or more, excluding GST and PST, the client can then opt to either (1) cancel the present contract and get a full refund, or (2) accept the alternative services that may be offered; otherwise the price difference shall be covered entirely by the client.

An insufficient number of travellers can be a valid reason for cancelling a trip. In such case, travellers will be notified as soon as possible and Vélo Québec Voyages will reimburse the trip payments in full. No other type of compensation can be claimed by the traveller.

If there is a difference between the information presented on our website at explorebybike.com and that contained in the detailed program distributed to travellers upon departure, the content of the latter shall prevail.

EXTRA SERVICES
Any extra airline services, such as upgrades, deferred departures or returns, etc., are neither transferable nor refundable.

UNUSED SERVICES

Vélo Québec Voyages will issue no refunds for services not used during the trip.

PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD

By authorizing the use of their credit-card number, travellers agree to respect the reservation conditions, even if the appropriate form has not been signed. Verbal authorization is sufficient confirmation for a payment by credit card and for the purchase of a trip. By making an initial payment, the customer acknowledges and accepts these general conditions.

TRAVELLER'S LIABILITY

The traveller absolves Vélo Québec Voyages of all responsibility for any damages resulting from injury, accident, death or loss of amenities associated with this activity. Travellers must ensure that they are in sufficiently good health and autonomous enough to embark on a cycling trip. The traveller is also responsible for verifying whether vaccinations are required for the places visited and for having documented proof of vaccination in his/her possession. The traveller is obliged to respect the health measures put into effect (masks, vaccinations, health checks) by the different providers (air carriers, shuttles, hotels, restaurants, etc.). Measures may be modified by the providers without notice.

Furthermore, the traveller absolves Vélo Québec Voyages of all responsibility for any damages resulting from fortuitous events or superior force, including—but in no way limiting the generality of the foregoing terms— pandemics, strikes, governmental constraints, terrorist acts, wars, and weather and road conditions. In case of a fortuitous event, Vélo Québec Voyages reserves the right to cancel, change or modify any part of the trip and will make every effort to offer equivalent services.

The travellers acknowledge that their baggage/bicycle will be transported and handled at their own risk and that under no circumstances can Vélo Québec Voyages be held responsible for delays or damages, including damage to or the theft or loss of this baggage or of a participant’s bicycle.

The air carrier can modify the flights at any time, and these modifications can affect the schedules, the types of equipment, the days of travel, the flight routes, etc. These changes can be made without notice and are not the responsibility of Vélo Québec Voyages.

Travellers who engage in conduct that is injurious to other travellers or service providers may be required to leave the trip. Vélo Québec Voyages will issue no refunds for any of the expenses or losses resulting from this conduct. Vélo Québec Voyages also reserves the right to refuse to allow individuals or groups to register for a trip.

PAIRING OF INDIVIDUAL TRAVELLERS

For trips offered in the Vélo Québec Voyages formula, we offer, without exception*, the double occupancy rate for a room reservation by pairing individual travellers with a person of the same sex. However:

Less than 70 days prior to the departure date of a trip involving air transportation, individual travellers who have reserved a package must assume the costs associated with single occupancy if no possible pairing is anticipated.
Less than 31 days prior to the departure date of a trip not involving air transportation, individual travellers who have reserved a package must assume the costs associated with single occupancy if no possible pairing is anticipated.

For trips offered in the En liberté formula, individuals travelling alone must assume the cost of single occupancy at the time of reservation.

*Vélo Québec Voyages reserves the right to stop offering the pairing option, in order to comply with the sanitary measures put into effect by our accommodation providers in the country or province concerned.

CHANGE IN NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS
In case of cancellation by one or more travellers sharing the same room, the rate charged to the remaining member(s) of the group will be increased accordingly. In addition, the travellers who cancel will have to pay the applicable cancellation fees.

LAND PORTION
The traveller who purchases only the land portion of the trip is responsible for:

Ensuring that the trip is confirmed before reserving air transportation, etc.;
Meeting the group according to the date, time and place scheduled by Vélo Québec Voyages.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

In order to leave with peace of mind, travellers should always have travel insurance (trip cancellation or interruption and healthcare) when travelling outside of Québec. If travellers are insured through their credit card, group plan at work or any other personal coverage, it is their responsibility to verify the insurance contracts in question and, if necessary, purchase additional insurance in order to be adequately covered. Travel insurance can be obtained at the time the reservation is made. Feel free to contact a Vélo Québec Voyages consultant for further information.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The travel adviser undertakes to respect the confidentiality of the personal information provided by customers.

FLEXIBILITY MEASURES REGARDING RESERVATION CONDITIONS
Due to the current pandemic context, Vélo Québec Voyages is offering more flexibility to travellers wishing to reserve the 2022 packages WITHOUT AIR TRANSPORTATION in Québec and elsewhere in Canada, as well as the United States, in the Vélo Québec Voyages, En liberté or Customized Group formulas and the 2022 EVENTS packages including Petite Aventure and Grand Tour.

Flexibility measures regarding the General Conditions for the current year are valid for new reservations made as of January 31, 2022. In all cases, once the final payment is made, the regular 2022 General Conditions apply.

DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT / CANCELLATION, TRANSFER AND CHANGE POLICY PACKAGES WITH AIR TRANSPORTATION (including trips taking place according to the Vélo Québec Voyages, En liberté and Customized group formulas)

In case a trip cannot take place following an official notice by government authorities prohibiting travel to a country or region, the amount paid for the trip will be applied to a future trip with Vélo Québec Voyages, with the exception of plane tickets and extra services (upgrades, deferred departures or returns, etc.) which are non-refundable and non-transferable, unless otherwise indicated by the airline. No refund can be claimed by the traveller.

Deposit required upon reservation:

$500 if the price of the package is less than $5000;
$800 if the price of the package is more than $5000 or if you reserve an En liberté or Customized group package.

The final payment must arrive at Vélo Québec Voyages at least 70 days prior to the date of departure. If the reservation is made less than 70 days prior to departure, the traveller must immediately pay the full price of the package.

Once the final payment period has passed, or 70 days before departure, Vélo Québec Voyages retrocedes the unsold plane tickets of the package. Travellers who reserve their trip past this date must then assume the difference in the cost of the plane ticket, which will have to be purchased on an individual basis.

Purchasing restrictions and conditions may apply for the plane ticket (non-refundable and non-transferable) based on the reservation conditions of the airline.

Purchase of land portion of trip: the same rules apply for the deposit and final payment, as well as the cancellation, transfer or change policy

Cancellation Fee

Up to 70 days prior to the date of departure: no refundable deposit.
From 69 to 32 days prior to the date of departure: 50% of the price of the package. Cuba Packages: 75% of the price of the package.
31 days or less prior to the date of departure: no refund.

Transfer of reservation from one person to another

Individuals who want to transfer their reservation to another person are responsible for finding their replacement. Certain restrictions may apply to situations where travellers are paired up.

Up to 70 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $100 will be charged.
69 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

Change of reservation from one trip to another

Depending on availability, a reservation for a trip involving air transportation can be changed to another trip involving air transportation during the current season, up to 70 days prior to the departure date of the trip for which the customer initially reserved.

Up to 70 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $100 will be charged for the change, and the price of the new trip will apply.
69 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

EN LIBERTÉ PACKAGE
Cancellation Fee

Up to 70 days prior to the date of departure: no refundable deposit.
From 69 to 32 days prior to the date of departure: 50% of the price of the package.
31 days or less prior to the date of departure: no refund.

Transfer of reservation from one person to another

No transfer possible.

Change of reservation from one trip to another

No change of reservation possible.

DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT / CANCELLATION, TRANSFER AND CHANGE POLICY

PACKAGES WITHOUT AIR TRANSPORTATION (including trips in the Vélo Québec Voyages and En liberté formulas)

In the event that a trip cannot take place, exclusively following an official notice issued by government authorities prohibiting travel to a province, a region or the United States (lockdown or border closure), the following flexibility measures apply regarding the deposit made at the time of the reservation:

45 days or more before the departure date: reimbursement of 100% of the package deposit ($150), without file processing fees. The client can also opt to apply the deposit to a future trip with Vélo Québec Voyages.

44 days or less before the departure date: application of the deposit and the amount paid when the package was purchased to a future trip with Vélo Québec Voyages. The General Conditions apply.

The final payment for the trip must reach Vélo Québec Voyages at least 45 days before the departure date.

Deposit required upon reservation: $150.

The final payment must arrive at Vélo Québec Voyages at least 45 days prior to the date of departure. If the reservation is made less than 45 days prior to departure, the traveller must immediately pay the full price of the package.

Cancellation Fee

Up to 45 days prior to the date of departure: no refundable deposit(s).
From 44 to 22 days prior to the date of departure: 50% of the price of the package.
21 days or less prior to the date of departure: no refund.

Transfer of reservation from one person to another

Individuals who want to transfer their reservation to another person are responsible for finding their replacement. Certain restrictions may apply to situations where travellers are paired up.

Up to 22 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $75 will be charged.
21 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

Change of reservation from one trip to another

Depending on availability, it is possible to change a reservation for a trip without air transportation to another during the current season, up to 45 days prior to the date of departure of the trip for which the customer initially reserved.

Up to 45 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $50 will be charged for the change, and the price of the new trip will apply.
44 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT / CANCELLATION, TRANSFER AND CHANGE POLICY
EVENT FORMULA (including the Petite Aventure and the Grand Tour)

In the event that the Petit Aventure and Grand Tour events scheduled for the summer of 2022 cannot take place following an official notice issued by government authorities, the deposit or amount paid for any of the packages will be refunded.

The Petite Aventure and Grand Tour will take place in accordance with the health measures in effect at that time. Based on the guidelines announced on February 15, the vaccine passport required for participants 13 years and over will no longer be required as of March 14, 2022.

Deposit required upon reservation for the Petite Aventure Package: $50 per person (for children 17 years and under: $25 per child).

Deposit required upon reservation for the Grand Tour Package: $150 per person.

For each extra service offered, the deposit required at the time of reservation is: $50 (tent rental); $25 (bus shuttle).

The final payment must arrive at Vélo Québec Voyages at least 55 days prior to the date of departure. If the reservation is made less than 55 days prior to departure, the traveller must immediately pay the full price of the package.

Cancellation Fee

Up to 55 days prior to the date of departure: no refundable deposit(s).
From 54 to 35 days prior to the date of departure: 30% of the price of the package.
From 34 to 22 days prior to the date of departure: 50% of the price of the package.
21 days or less prior to the date of departure: no refund.

Transfer of reservation from one person to another
Individuals who want to transfer their reservation to another person are responsible for finding their replacement. Certain restrictions may apply to reservations for the Grand Tour Under the Covers and to situations where travellers are paired up.

Up to 22 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $75 will be charged.
21 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

Change of reservation from one trip to another
Depending on availability, it is possible to change a reservation for a trip without air transportation to another during the current season, up to 35 days prior to the date of departure of the trip for which the customer initially reserved.

Up to 35 days prior to the date of departure: transfer possible; a fee of $50 will be charged for the change, and the price of the new trip will apply.
34 days or less prior to the date of departure: no transfer possible.

The level of difficulty of each of our routes is rated from 1 to 6. These ratings take into account the terrain and the daily distances travelled. The proposed ratings and distances, established according to the basic route, serve as a guide only. Weather conditions (sun, rain, wind direction, temperature and altitude can also affect the amount of excursion required on a given day. To select the route that is right for you, contact one of our travel consultants.
1	Easy and flat route; presents few difficulties; from 30 to 60 km.
2	Relatively easy route; includes some gentle slopes; from 40 to 70 km.
3	Route of average difficulty; rolling, occasionally hilly terrain; from 50 to 80 km.
4	Relatively difficult route; rolling and hilly, with slopes that are quite steep; from 50 to 90 km.
5	Difficult route; repeatedly requires a significant amount of effort; from 60 to 110 km.
6	Very difficult route: requires constant effort, repeated climbs (passes) as well as advanced training; from 70 to 165 km. The proposed levels of difficulty and distances are provided as references only.

Winter Getaway in Outaouais en liberté

Explore snow-clad trails

Photo credit: Shutterstock

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Winter Getaway in Outaouais en liberté

Explore snow-clad trails

Photo credit: Shutterstock

From day to day

Partagez avec nous votre voyage de rêve!

About Us

Destinations

Contact Us

Follow Us