Begin with a Saturday night stay in the heart of Old Montreal, and a Sunday morning guided cycling tour of this grand city, followed by a gorgeous 4-day ride through Quebec's quiet forests beside lakes & rivers and through small towns...
Female Roommate wanted
Le P'tit Train du Nord was a railroad built between 1890 and 1909 by the former Canadian-Pacific Railway that played a major role in the economic development and population of the region north and west of Montreal. Converted to a multi-use recreational trail in the 1990s, it travels through the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec past Mont Tremblant. We ride southeast from its northern terminus, the town of Mont Laurier to the Montreal suburb of St. Jerome, covering 128 miles (206 km) over 4 days. The region is French and the landscape is spectacularly scenic.
To provide even more value and enjoyment on this tour, in 2024 we will convene on Saturday afternoon in Montreal to get acquainted and enjoy some sights and tastes of Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal). On Sunday morning we'll take a specially guided, 3.5 hour cycling tour of Montreal, visiting highlights such as Griffintown, Canal Lachine, Atwater Market, Habitat 67 site, Old Montreal highlights including Pointe-à-Callière, Notre Dame Basilica, Jacques Cartier plaza, Bonsecours Market, the Old Port area including riding next to the Saint Lawrence river, and 3 stops in the Plateau Mont-Royal-Square Saint-Louis area to see some of the typical houses,, explore some of the neighborhoods' public art, and visit to the base of the Mont Royal. Our loop will be completed by entering the downtown area through McGill University and Peel Street. Of course our guide will provide historical information, but also talk about food, urbanism, Montreal culture and way of living, English-French relationships and specific aspects that make the city a special one in North America.
After ending our tour with lunch, we'll load into the van & trailer and make the 2 hour, 45 minute drive northwest to Mont Laurier, where we'll check into our hotel and then have dinner, eagerly anticipating the next four days' riding.
Le P'tit Train du Nord is 50% paved and 50% stone dust, smooth enough even for a road bike. The trail winds beside Riviere Rouge in the north and Riviere du Nord in the southern part of the trail. And this is lake country. We ride past Lac Nominingue, Lac Tremblant, and Lac Carre as well as smaller lakes. This is stunning north country with forests and waterways filling the landscape.
We also encounter many villages along the trail. Nominingue, Riviere-Rouge, Macaza, La Belle, Mont Tremblant (Saint Jovite), St Faustin Lac-Carre (Mont Blanc), Ste Agathe-des Monts, Val-David, Mont-Rolland, all lie either directly beside or just off the trail. Many of these locations have restored the train stations originally built for the old railway. These now serve as trailhead facilities.
Included
- Area-knowledgeable and cycling expert tour guides
- 6 nights lodging in 3 and 4 star hotels or inns
- 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners;
- Gratuities for included meals and accommodations
- 3.5 hour guided/narrated cycling tour of Montreal on Day 2
- In-ride drinks and snacks
- Van/sag support (mechanical assistance and van ride, if needed)
- Luggage transportation
- Daily post-ride informal gathering with light snacks light snacks (fruit, cheese, crackers, chips, nuts etc.) and non-alcoholic beverages
Not Included:
- Airfare/transportation to and from Montreal
- Alcohol with meals
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry
- Gratuities for guides
- Travel protection plan
- Pre-& post-trip hotel
- Bike rental
Itinerary
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Day 1 - Saturday
Arrive in the grand city of Montreal! See below for logistical information whether you are arriving by car or by plane. We'll convene at 5:00 pm in the lobby of the Springhill Suites by Marriott Old Montreal to get acquainted and go to dinner together in the old city. After dinner you'll be free to explore the lively area on your own.
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Day 2 - Sunday
After breakfast at our hotel, and then checking out, we'll embark on a 3.5 hour guided cycling tour of the beautiful and fascinating city of Montreal. We'll conclude our tour with a cafe lunch, then load into the van for the 2.5 hour ride northwest of Montreal to Mont Laurier, the start of the Petit Train du Nord. We'll check into our hotel there and go to dinner at local brewpub, then get a good sleep in anticipation of our four day journey ahead!
Biking Miles: 20
Accomodations: Best Western Plus Mont Laurier
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Day 3 - Monday
We bike from Mont Laurier to Lac Nominingue with a picnic lunch beside the trail. Our night's stay is on a beautiful lake; the hotel has a spacious porch where'll we'll enjoy a post-ride happy hour.
Biking Miles: 34
Accomodation: Hotel de Golf Nominingue
Meals Included: Breakfast (at hotel), Lunch, Dinner -
Day 4 - Tuesday
We leave Nominingue and bike to the resort of Mont Tremblant, where we'll stay for two nights and have a day to enjoy and explore the beautiful area, perhaps taking a gondola ride to the peak. We have a picnic lunch just off the trail.
Biking miles: 40
Accomodations: Ermitage du Lac - Les Suites Tremblant
Meals Included: Breakfast (at hotel), Lunch -
Day 5 - Wednesday
The day is yours to explore and enjoy the bustling resort village of Mont Tremblant. The website GoBiking.ca describes it thusly: "It is the eastern equivalent to the Whistler Resort on the west coast, and it offers a Disneyland-like recreation of an alpine town. Although built to be next to the large ski hills, it operates as a year round resort. It is big, busy, and somewhat expensive. Needless to say, it is overflowing with specialty boutiques, stores, hotels, restaurants, and, of course, tourists." You're welcome to take your bike to explore the original village and the area, or you may opt to hike or ride the gondola to the summit for a panoramic view of the region we're riding.
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Day 6 - Thursday
Today's ride features a gentle climb through lush forests as we skirt the shoulder of Mont Blanc. We stop in the vicinity of St Faustin for a picnic lunch at one of the many stations along the trail. After lunch we will continue on to Saint Agathe-des-Monts for our final night's stay of the tour at the luxurious Manoir Stonehaven, on the shore of Lac des Sables. Enjoy the lake with just a stroll, a visit to the municipal beach, or rent a kayak or paddleboat for a different view!
Biking miles: 33
Accomodations: Le Manoir Stonehaven
Meals Included: Breakfast (at hotel), Lunch, Dinner -
Day 7 - Friday
33 miles –On our last day we bike from St. Agathe to St. Jerome, the official end of the trail for us. Some riders stop for lunch in the town of Prevost but most choose to wait and enjoy lunch at one of St. Jerome’s cafes. Those who drove to the tour will find their car waiting; we'll ensure those who flew to the tour have transportation to the airport.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
The city tour of Montreal will be on paved paths and streets (in marked bike lanes). The P'tit Train du Nord trail has a crushed stone surface. It is quite smooth and suitable for all bicycles, but a larger tire will provide more stability.
Suggested bicycle: Touring bikes, road bikes, hybrids
Suggested tire size for this tour: 28mm – 37mm (or larger)
Pricing
$2,950 (USD) per person (based on double occupancy)
$780 – Single Supplement (extra price to have your own room)
$150 – Bike Rental
Your Travel Plans
If you are driving: Because it would be expensive and difficult for you to leave your car at our downtown Montreal hotel, only to have to retrieve it from there at the end of the tour, we will meet you in the large parking lot at the St. Jerome Transportation Center at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday August 3. You'll pay a very reasonable fee to leave it parked there for the duration of the tour, and it will be waiting for you when we finish our cycling at St. Jerome mid-day Friday.
If you are flying, use Montreal Pierre Trudeau International Airport. Use ground transportation to meet us at the Springhill Suites Old Montreal, 445 Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Montréal. More details will follow prior to the tour.
At the end of the tour we will arrive by bicycle back at the St. Jerome Transportation center public parking lot.
Two August dates available for 2024
Female Roommate wanted
