- Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 23rd – Thursday, Oct. 9th, 2014
- Tour Leader: Jenny McDonell (assisted by Mike O’Fallon) 250-545-2850; jennyzmcd@gmail.com
- Tour Rating: Intermediate
- Participant number: 12
- Tour Fees: $1,700.00
- Registration Opening: Wed., Feb.19th, 2014 @ 1700h (5:00 pm) PST. Registration will take place at http://tinyurl.com/m9dw6g at a cost of $2.00, and all Tour Fee installments will be paid at this website.
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Participant Selection Criteria: Participants will be selected on the basis of date and time of registration, and their experience and fitness level in relation to an intermediate-classed CCCTS cycle tour. Extra consideration will be made for two participants (first to register) who can speak fluent French.
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Payment: Within 72 hours of registering, registrants will be contacted, and if accepted will pay the first installment of $500. Those canceling will not be refunded those monies spent on their behalf, to cover fixed costs, unless a replacement is found; and -A final deposit of $1,200 will be paid May 1st, 2014.
Description: This tour is more of a cultural experience than a fast-pedaling work-out. Nearly half of the tour will be spent exploring the two charming cities of Montreal and Quebec City. Both cities have extensive bicycle path systems covered by La Route Verte mapping system. Nine days will be spent cycling 442 km. between the two cities on a section of Quebec’s La Route Verte (www.routeverte.com), much of which is paved and located away from vehicular traffic. The daily rides will range from 50 km. to 80 km. and will visit some of Quebec’s quaint Eastern Townships before turning northeast at Sherbrooke toward Quebec City. Most of the terrain will be gentle grades with only one day of hill climbing. After exploring Quebec City, participants will return to Montreal on the Via Rail train. Lodging for the tour will be at hotels, inns and motels; occupancy will be two persons/room. Some rooms will not have two separate beds.
A medium-sized support van will accompany participants while on La Route Verte, to carry luggage (one soft-sided, easy to handle bag per person weighing no more than 18kg [(40lbs) packed], a cooler, and appropriate bike tools, a floor pump, and first-aid kit. Participants will take turns driving the van and, when driving will also purchase happy hour supplies for that day and lunch supplies for the following day. Two volunteers, at Tour’s end, are required to drive the van back to Montreal.
The route has not been ridden by the tour leader, but she will be following an excellent resource book, “Cycling in Quebec” (6th Edition).
The tour fee covers all breakfasts, 9 lunches (sandwich, fruit, and a bar), 15 nights lodging, bike box storage, Via Rail tickets, van rental, insurance and fuel, and recompense (one tour fee to a maximum of 5% of the total tour costs) for one tour leader.
The tour fee does not cover dinner costs, happy hour drinks, lunches in Montreal and breakfasts and lunches in Quebec City or any personal tours, airport shuttle or other personal costs, etc.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (Wed., Sept.23rd) – Arrive in Montreal. Lodging at Travelodge Montreal Centre
Day 2 – Meet and Greet, assemble bikes, explore Montreal on your own. Happy hour and dinner together (every night, hereafter).
Day 3 – Montreal to Saint Jean sur Richelieu ( Auberge Harris). 52 km.
Day 4– St. Jean sur Richelieu to Waterloo (Motel and Chalets Waterloo). 79 km.
Day 5 – Explore the Waterloo area with possible visits to the nearby town of Bromont, chocolate museum, or wineries.
Day 6 – Parc National du Mont-Orford (a hilly section) to Magog (Motel Outlet). 54 km.
Day 7 – Explore Magog area. Possibilities include a marsh nature walk, visits to an apple orchard, and/or a sugar shack, winery.
Day 8 – Magog to Sherbrooke (Hotellerie Jardins deVille). 61 km.
Day 9 – Sherbrooke to Danville (Auberge Jeffery). 61 km.
Day 10 – Danville to Plessisville (Motel de la Fontaine). Possible side trip to Kingsey Falls. 56 km.
Day 11 – Plessisville to Quebec City (Hotel Acadia). 80 km.
Day 12/13 – Explore historic Quebec City – self guided.
Day 14 – Return to Montreal on Via Rail. Lodging at Travelodge Montreal Centre
Day 15 – Explore Montreal on your own, pack up bicycles in afternoon.
Day 16 (Thursday, October 9th) – Return home.