Touring - Anyone have info on La Route Verte in Quebec?

Hello all,

I'm planning my first ever bike tour in Quebec and I'm wondering if anyone here has done this route. I'm starting in Riviere du Loup, heading east to Rimouski on the Route Verte. Then I'll take the 132 south, through Amqui, down to Carleton in the Baie des Chaleurs.

Is this route very hilly or windy? Do I need to book B&Bs and hotels in advance, or can I just show up? Is it easy to pick up food and water along the route? How is the traffic? Anything I should check out along the way?

thanks so much! Sarah

There is a book called "Cycling in Quebec" that is a comprehensive guide to the route verte. It has maps, lists lodging, food, all services. An excellent resource. Published by Velo Quebec editions, 2010. I think my wife found it on Amazon.

I've cycled the Route VErte, but only in the Eastern Townships. I found the Velo Quebec web site very helpful in planning my trips.

Highway 132 can have a lot of traffic but it has good shoulders and is usually flat with a good tailwind along the St-Lawrence river. The Route Verte between Trois-Pistoles and Saint-Fabien follows some gravel roads at times and some streches are quite hilly. There's a bike trail between St-Simon and St-Fabien with hard but kinda rough surface with very steep climbs (20%). That trail has some great views (http://www.borealphoto.com/Cycling/Bas-St-Laurent-Cote-Nord/Bas-St-Laurent-C%C3%B4te-Nord/DSC44489a/971383446_VyUrx-XL.jpg) though and well worth riding.

I only drove once from the St-Lawrence to Amqui a long time ago. I think you should expect a gentle climb to Amqui and a gentle descent along the Matapedia river.

There are lots of places for food and lodging but wether you need reservations or not depends on when you plan on going. The tourist season really begins at the end of june and peaks in second half of july and early august. It slows down considerably in the second half of august.

re:Amqui, I rode from Amqui area out to the St. Lawrence and then off towards Gaspe. Going along from Amqui, I looked at the map and saw a side road that looked like a shortcut to the St Lawrence, and it ended up having some quite steep sections, so keep that in mind just so you dont make the same mistake.
As stated, Velo Quebec should be a good resource for your specific questions.

I have travelled the Route Verte many times: Quebec City area, the Eastern Townships, Chaudiere River, Charlevoix, and the south shore of the St. Lawrence between Rimouski and Levi. The routes have been mostly excellent, but I have found there are times when I wanted to leave the marked routes. There are many roads suitable to cycling that are not part of the Route Verte system.