A Village étape (France) or a Village rélais (Québec) is a small town, typically under five thousand people, designated to provide a complete set of services for national or provincial highway travellers. While most do provide natural or cultural landmarks, activities or attractions in some form, the core requirements address quality or hours of operation for amenities such as restaurants, grocers, lodging and tourist information.
In France, a village étape is a village standing or just off a motorway or national dual-carriageway that has been accepted by the "Village étape" Association as meeting the following criteria:
Population under 5000
A range of "basic" shops (butcher, baker, newsagent, grocer)
A range of varied eating places
A classified hotel
A Tourist Information Point or Centre
A shaded parking area
A telephone
A picnic area
Public toilets
A Cash machine
The shopkeepers, hoteliers or restaurant keepers involved in the Village étape movement have all have to sign the Villages étapes quality charter.
They can be easily identifiable by the "Philémon the hedgehog" sticker displayed in their windows.
The corresponding status in Québec is village rélais. Québec's programme is based on the original French "village étape"; its criteria, as defined by the provincial transport ministry (MTQ), are similar but not identical.
A village-rélais may appear en route along any numbered Québec highway (not just a limited access "autoroute") but must offer at least the following:
Restaurant
Fuel, auto repair and towing
Lodging
Grocer, cash machine, toilets, public telephone
Parking
RV dump station, tourist info and wi-fi
Minimum hours of operation for each service are specified for each of high season and off-season travel.
2014
Aumont-Aubrac - Lozère - A75 exit 35/36
Bédée - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN12
Bellac - Haute-Vienne - RN147
Bessines-sur-Gartempe - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 24
Brens - Tarn - A68 exit 9
Charolles - Saône et Loire - RN79 exit 12
Dol-de-Bretagne - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN176
Dompierre-sur-Besbre - Allier - RN79
Donzenac - Corrèze - A20 exit 47/48
Ducey - Manche - A84 exit 33
Eguzon - Indre - A20 exit 20
Elven - Morbihan - RN166
Florac - Lozère - RN106
Gouzon - Creuse - RN145
Grand-Fougeray - Ille-et-Vilaine - N137
Joinville - Haute-Marne - RN67
Josselin - Morbihan - RN24
La Canourgue - Corrèze - A75 exit 40
La Rochefoucauld - Charente - RN145
La Souterraine - Creuse - RN145
Lapalisse - Allier - RN7
Launois-sur-Vence - Ardennes - A34 exit 13/14
Le Caylar - Hérault - A75 exit 49
Ligny-en-Barrois - Meuse - RN4
Magnac-Bourg - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 41
Massiac - Cantal - A75 exit 23/24
Montmarault - Allier - RN79
Pierre-Buffière - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 40
Plélan-le-Grand - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN24
Plombières-les-Bains - Vosges - RN57
Pougues-les-Eaux - Nièvre - A77 exit 31/32
Rocroi - Ardennes - RN51
Saint-Brice-en-Coglès - Ille-et-Vilaine - A84 exit 31
Saint-Thégonnec - Finistère - RN12
Torigni-sur-Vire - Manche - A84 exit 40
Tourouvre - Orne - RN12
Uzerche - Corrèze - A20 exit 44/45
Vatan - Indre - A20 exit 10a/10b
Villedieu-les-Poêles - Manche - A84 exit 37/38
Villers-Bocage - Calvados - A84 exit 43/44
Vivonne - Vienne - RN10
Vouillé - Vienne - RN149
Aug 2014:
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: Duhamel-Ouest, La Sarre, Témiscaming.
Bas-Saint-Laurent: Amqui, Dégelis, La Pocatière, Mont-Joli.
Capitale: Baie-Saint-Paul, Deschambault-Grondines, Saint-Siméon.
Chaudières-Appalaches: La Guadeloupe.
Côte-Nord: Les Escoumins, Forestville, Rivière-au-Tonnerre, Sacré-Coeur-sur-le-Fjord-du-Saguenay.
Est-de-la-Montérégie: Acton Vale.
Estrie: Danville, Stanstead, Stornoway, Weedon.
Gaspé: Cap-Chat, Chandler, Grande-Vallée, Murdochville, Paspébiac, Pointe-à-la-Croix, Rivière-au-Renard, Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis.
Laurentides–Lanaudière: Berthierville, Labelle, Rivière-Rouge (Sainte-Véronique).
Mauricie - Centre du Québec: Nicolet, Yamachiche.
Outaouais: Maniwaki, Montebello.
Nord-du-Québec: Chapais, Chibougamau, Matagami.
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean: La Doré, L'Anse-Saint-Jean, Hébertville, Saint-Fulgence.
