Traveler's Guide

For information on how the days will unfold, the activities offered in the Village and the services available to you, visit the information booth set up in each Village.

At the tourist kiosk, you can obtain information on the stopover city and its attractions (beaches, parks, restaurants, museums, historical sites, outdoor activities, etc.). Don't forget to visit the kiosk to learn about all the surprises and little touches our hosts have in store for you, and to register for the activities offered, if any.

During events, we partner with a team of experienced mechanics. Every day in the Village, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. (7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Petite Aventure) and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., they can fix minor problems (free of charge, except for parts) or major ones (charges for labour and parts). It is also possible to inflate your tires at the mechanical booth.

Le Déchaîné is the official digital newspaper of the Grand Tour, while you will find the Petit Déchaîné during the Petite Aventure. Published one week before your event and updated until the start, it includes the latest news on the route (changes or places not to be missed), activities and the evening menu in the Village.

Opening at 1:00 p.m., the Bistro is the meeting place for travelers. We discuss the day's adventures and relax with a drink. The scene also comes alive in the evening with the sound of bands and DJs. In the dining room, you can appreciate the large choice of products offered at the wine counter each day.

There are clearly identified sections for early birds (before 7:00 a.m.) and late risers (after 7:00 a.m.). At the Petite Aventure, there is also a "family" section. Regardless of which section you camp in, whispering is a must between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. Rental tents are set up and grouped together in one location in the camping area.

We also reserve a small section of the campground for our staff, cycling coaches and volunteers. Most of them stay up late and get up at the sound of the rooster. Finally, we remind you that recreational vehicles are not allowed on the Village grounds.

You have access to showers and toilets in the establishments where the Village is located as well as 2 Festidouches - shower trucks accessible each day on the Village site. Portable toilets are added in the camping areas.

As a road user, you are subject to the Highway Safety Code. You must :

• Respect road signs (traffic lights, stops, etc.)
• Drive on the right-hand side of the road, in the direction of traffic
• Queueing
• Equip your bike with mandatory reflectors
• Have an active lighting system (white light at the front, red at the rear) if you plan to ride at night.

We've noticed that some cyclists are making themselves at home on the road and mobilizing the carriageway by riding 3 or 4 wide. This complicates the work of our escort vehicles and is detrimental to everyone's safety. Not to mention that it doesn't put the police authorities on our side. Thank you for thinking about this. Please also watch out for cyclists going slower than you.

If you bring your children to Petite Aventure, introduce them to the basics of bike safety and have them ride close to you.

Traffic signs

The route is signposted to make it easy for you to find your way. Our signs announce the lunch stop. Some indicate restrooms and water points. It's also worth mentioning that all support vehicles on the route always have water on board. Don't hesitate to flag them down if you need to.

Last-minute detour may occur, due to unforeseen roadworks or poor road conditions. In such cases, we will inform you with signs bearing the word DETOUR.

Optional courses

Each day, you can do more by following optional routes. These routes allow you to see magnificent sites or panoramas, but they imply a longer route or a higher level of effort. They are for cyclists who really want more. Be aware that they are only signposted at bends, and that patrols are less frequent. Using the maps in your logbook or your route on the Ride with GPS app, however, you should easily find your way.

Every year, many municipalities and their residents welcome us along our routes with warmth and enthusiasm. To leave them with a good impression, we ask you to be civic-minded and courteous on the road at all times. A pretty apple tree, a shady flowerbed or a garden hose are always tempting, but they certainly belong to someone else. Please respect private property.

Need a hand? Thumbs down!

If you need help, just give us a thumbs-down. Organization-identified vehicles and certified cycling coaches - recognizable by the red pennant attached to their bikes - are present all along the route. Our vehicles are linked by communication systems and we can intervene promptly to provide assistance.

If you can't make it through the day, you can take a seat in a support vehicle with your bike. Don't hesitate to use it in case of a serious problem.

Children who give up on the course

In the event of abandonment on the course, a child under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent in the support vehicle.

Vélo Québec's certified cycling coaches are travelers selected for their recognized skills in first aid, bike mechanics and road cycling coaching. Through their commitment, they combine a sense of helping others with the pleasure of traveling.

It is your responsibility to arrange adequate insurance coverage for your luggage, bicycle and cancellation insurance. Vélo Québec Voyages assumes no responsibility for loss, theft or damage to your luggage or personal effects (including your bicycle) during your entire trip, including transportation of your bicycle by our services, if applicable. Note that many home insurance companies cover property damaged or stolen outside the home. Check with your company.

Choosing your luggage

Remember that the ideal piece is light and easy to handle, both for you and for our baggage handlers.

Tip: when choosing your piece of luggage, weigh it to choose the lightest models.

If you're staying in a tent, choose a sports bag without wheels or rigid frames, with a capacity of around 100 liters and sturdy handles that can support a maximum weight of 22 kg when full.

If you're staying at a hotel, use a piece of rolling luggage weighing no more than 15 kg when full.

Identify and personalize your luggage

Please include your name, address and telephone number. And don't forget: we'll only transport it if it's wearing the luggage bracelet.

Keeping your luggage dry

Because of the large volume of luggage and the space required to store it when we arrive at a stopover town, luggage is always stored outside, rain or shine. That's why it's important to place your clothes, personal belongings, sleeping bag and tent in several waterproof plastic bags before packing them.

Vélo Québec shares more tips and tricks in its Bicycle Touring Toolbox.

You will find :

• Checklist for packing your luggage
• Family and bicycle touring
• Sleeping in a tent
• Riding in the rain

Tent number and luggage identification

Two weeks prior to the event, you will receive a luggage tag with the number of the tent assigned to you for the duration of your trip. Only luggage with this tag will be transported in the trucks assigned to the tent rental service.

Availability of the tent and delivery of the luggage

Each day of travel, tents are available at 1:00 p.m. Your luggage is placed inside your tent. Each day of travel to a new stopover city, you must vacate your tent by 9:30 a.m. Your tent will be available again at 1:00 p.m. and your luggage will be stored inside. Tents are rented and grouped together in one place in the camping area. Please note that the tents are not designed to house your bicycle. Please lock it outside.

Day to day luggage transport

At the departure site, drop off your luggage at one of the two cubicle trucks assigned and identified to the tent rental service. On each day of the trip, the tent rental service team is on site as early as 6:30 am. On nice days, you must leave your luggage outside your tent at the door. Luggage will be picked up on site by the tent rental service team. On rainy days, you must leave your luggage inside your tent (door and screen closed) and notify the tent rental service team when your luggage is ready to be picked up (mention your tent number).

(Package not offered at Petite Aventure)
At check-in on the first day of the event, you will receive a list of hotels and their contact information, as well as a personalized label with your name on it, showing your hotel assignments for the week. This same label is affixed to your baggage identification.

You will also receive all the details concerning the shuttles to the hotels, breakfasts and bicycle lockers in the Village, if applicable. All hotels booked by the Grand Tour will be indicated on the route maps, included in the tour booklet that you will receive two weeks before the event.

Accomodations

The Grand Tour Sous la Couette package offers accommodations, generally of the motel, hotel, inn or B&B type, which vary from one stopover town to another, depending on the region visited. Accommodation is usually within a few kilometers of the Village. You can easily locate your hotel on the route maps in the hiking booklet, and follow the signs to get there.

What about your bicycle? Your bicycle spends the night in your room or in a safe place provided for that purpose. It is strongly recommended to lock it at all times.

Luggage transport

We transport your luggage from one hotel to another. Your bag is waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel. On the mornings when we change stopover cities, you leave it at the place indicated to you on site. Only luggage marked with the appropriate label is transported between sites and hotels.

Arrival at the hotel and departure

Generally, rooms are available from 3:00 pm, sometimes 4:00 pm. Please check in by 10:00 p.m. as some hotels do not offer reception and key collection services after this time. When you leave the hotel, you must return your key to the front desk and pay the bill for any products and services purchased at the hotel (e.g. telephone calls, minibar, etc.).

Breakfast

When a hotel does not offer a catering service, breakfast is served in a nearby restaurant and, in some cases, at the Grand Tour Village. You'll find the appropriate coupons in the envelope given to you at check-in. Breakfast
in the hotel restaurant are usually served between 6.30 and 9 am.

Information board

An information bulletin board posted at your hotel's reception desk provides you with the following information:

• Where to pick up your luggage;
• Where to leave your luggage when you leave;
• Where to store your bike;
• Breakfast time and place;
• The schedule and details of shuttle services to the Grand Tour Village;
• Activities at the Grand Tour Village;
• Organizational messages, if any.

Shuttle bus between village and hotel

Shuttles run daily between your hotel and the Village. In some cases, due to the remoteness of certain hotels from the Grand Tour Village, a bicycle locker may also be set up at the Village due to the distances involved. These details will be sent to you when you check in. The full schedule will also be posted on your hotel's information board. Each municipality also has a cab service, details of which are available at the information desk and at the hotel.