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 5000A range of "basic" shops (butcher, baker, newsagent, grocer)A range of varied eating placesA classified hotelA Tourist Information Point or CentreA shaded parking areaA telephoneA picnic areaPublic toiletsA Cash machineThe 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:
RestaurantFuel, auto repair and towingLodgingGrocer, cash machine, toilets, public telephoneParkingRV dump station, tourist info and wi-fiMinimum hours of operation for each service are specified for each of high season and off-season travel.
2014
Aumont-Aubrac - Lozère - A75 exit 35/36Bédée - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN12Bellac - Haute-Vienne - RN147Bessines-sur-Gartempe - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 24Brens - Tarn - A68 exit 9Charolles - Saône et Loire - RN79 exit 12Dol-de-Bretagne - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN176Dompierre-sur-Besbre - Allier - RN79Donzenac - Corrèze - A20 exit 47/48Ducey - Manche - A84 exit 33Eguzon - Indre - A20 exit 20Elven - Morbihan - RN166Florac - Lozère - RN106Gouzon - Creuse - RN145Grand-Fougeray - Ille-et-Vilaine - N137Joinville - Haute-Marne - RN67Josselin - Morbihan - RN24La Canourgue - Corrèze - A75 exit 40La Rochefoucauld - Charente - RN145La Souterraine - Creuse - RN145Lapalisse - Allier - RN7Launois-sur-Vence - Ardennes - A34 exit 13/14Le Caylar - Hérault - A75 exit 49Ligny-en-Barrois - Meuse - RN4Magnac-Bourg - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 41Massiac - Cantal - A75 exit 23/24Montmarault - Allier - RN79Pierre-Buffière - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 40Plélan-le-Grand - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN24Plombières-les-Bains - Vosges - RN57Pougues-les-Eaux - Nièvre - A77 exit 31/32Rocroi - Ardennes - RN51Saint-Brice-en-Coglès - Ille-et-Vilaine - A84 exit 31Saint-Thégonnec - Finistère - RN12Torigni-sur-Vire - Manche - A84 exit 40Tourouvre - Orne - RN12Uzerche - Corrèze - A20 exit 44/45Vatan - Indre - A20 exit 10a/10bVilledieu-les-Poêles - Manche - A84 exit 37/38Villers-Bocage - Calvados - A84 exit 43/44Vivonne - Vienne - RN10Vouillé - Vienne - RN149Aug 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.
