September 2, 2010

All the Village étapes in the national network must offer the following services:

  shops offering "basic" requirements (baker, butcher-delicatessen, grocer, newsagent)
  a range of varied eating places to enable you to discover the culinary traditions of each village
  classed hotels so you can rest without disturbance
  a 2* Tourist Office or a Tourism Information Point
  shaded parking places
  a telephone kiosk
  a developed and shaded picnic area
  24-hour-accessible toilets
  a cash point

Certain villages can also offer you:

  play areas for all ages
  a dedicated camping car space (waste drainage points, water points)
  a classed campsite (open from at least June to September)
  B&Bs and gîtes
  a chemist’s
  a post office
  various services (doctor, vet etc.)
  particular arrangements to help you discover the village (walks, heritage trails etc.).

The shopkeepers, hoteliers or restaurant keepers involved in the Village étape movement have all signed the Villages étapes quality charter.

They can be easily identifiable by the sticker displayed in their windows. It’s Philémon the hedgehog who welcomes you with open arms in all the shops, hotels and restaurants in the Villages étapes national network.