Cycling Le P’tit Train du Nord
I had the good fortune to cycle Le P’tit Train du Nord in September 2024 with one of my cycle clubs. This is a mostly paved, mostly flat 200 KM (124 M) route between Mont Laurier and St. Jerome in the lovely Laurentian Mountains just north of Montreal. It used to be a rail line (hence the “mostly flat” even though we are in ski country and so many of the towns have “Mont” in front of them).
The Parc Linéaire Le P’tit Train du Nord
You can find more details about the route here: https://ptittraindunord.com/
It’s a great trail to do alone, or with groups. It’s well maintained, and you really can’t get lost. It goes through charming communities in the heart of the Laurentians, including Mont Tremblant, one of the more well known downhill ski destinations in Quebec.
I just loved cycling this route – it brought back so many fond memories of winter ski trips with my dad and brothers. On Sundays we would head out to Sainte Agathe des Monts, or Sainte-Adèle, sometimes Mont Tremblant to spend the day skiing, returning home while enjoying the huge thermos of hot chocolate that my mother had prepared. It was so nice to see these places in the fall with the leaves just starting to turn. My downhill ski days are in the past but one day soon I will return for some cross-country skiing.
This is a linear trail, and you can start in either Saint Jerome (officially KM 0), or in Mont Laurier, which is the official end at 201 KM. Some people say it is a bit less hilly doing it backwards, but if you look at the elevation map it seems pretty equal to me (and still pretty flat as it is a rail trail).
Our group chose to do it backwards, and fortunately there is a wonderful (and reasonably priced) service that will take you and your bikes from the parking place in Saint Jerome to your hotel in Mont Laurier. This company will also transport your luggage from point to point so you don’t have to travel with a loaded bike. Wow – so convenient! You can check them out here: https://www.autobuslepetittraindunord.com/english/luggage-transport/
We had a bit of a slow start on our first cycling day as one of our group discovered a flat tire. This was a great reminder to me about why I preferred guided trips! Fortunately there was another member who had experience in changing tires, so once we had collectively found the right tools and a good pump, we were on our way.
We cycled about 55 KM through the trees with their changing leaves and along various lakes – the Laurentians are so beautiful. Today’s destination was Nominingue, where we would be staying at a very charming hotel that had been owned by the same family for more than 60 years. Our host was very willing to speak of its history and fame back in the day, when it was an important rail stop bringing people from Montreal up for vacations. You can see from the picture on his wall how close it was to the rails.
Our second day was our longest cycling day, heading to Saint Jovite, very close to Mont Tremblant. We had a little bit of drama on day 2 as well, as a part of the trail had been washed out due to some recent rains. Fortunately it was not a total surprise as the Parc website had warned us. There was a detour you could do, or you could just take your chances and climb through with your bike. We chose to haul our bikes through the mud, which was not so difficult as there were others there to help.
At Saint Jovite, our hotel was only accessible from the trail via a very steep uphill walk. Today was a day of pushing the bike! At least it would be an easier start in the morning.
On day 3 we had quite a bit of rain. We delayed the start, as we had mixed weather reports about when the rain would end. However – we had to get out of the hotel and everyone had come prepared with their rain gear, so we headed out. Definitely it is not as much fun to cycle in the driving rain. So unfortunately there were no pleasure stops that day – the goal was to get to the next hotel in Sainte Agathe to get dry. Fortunately we only had about 34 K to do that day.
The Scenery!
Fortunately the sun returned on our fourth and final cycle day and we spent a wonderful day cycling and enjoying more of the Laurentian scenery.
I am always amazed at bikes that I see en route wherever I go.
We finished cycling mid-day, knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us. We of course stopped for some celebratory photos, a bit of lunch, and then headed home.
Worth a Visit!
Overall, it was a very pleasant 4 days of cycling. I found it to be a gentle route, without steep climbs or difficult terrain. It is an elastic trail – you can make your own ride as long or as short as you like. Although 4 days provided our group with distances that we were comfortable with, others do it over 2 days, and some take 5. It all depends on the amount of time you have, and where you would like to stop along the way. There are people from all over North America who ride this route, and you tend to see the same people at various spots along the way. It felt like a community of like-minded people out to enjoy the marvellous fall weather in a beautiful setting.
There are accommodations to suit everyone – from standard hotels for larger groups such as ours, to some very delightful B and B’s more suitable for couples. The transportation service goes to those places as well. There are clean washrooms and bike service areas all along the trail. The interactive map on the website is great to help you plan your own trip so that you optimally enjoy the Quebecoise hospitality.
What a wonderful way to spend 4 days!
Where else can I ride my bike?
Please contact me if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!
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Cycling Le P’tit Train du Nord
I had the good fortune to cycle Le P’tit Train du Nord in September 2024 with one of my cycle clubs. This is a mostly paved, mostly flat 200 KM (124 M) route between Mont Laurier and St. Jerome in the lovely Laurentian Mountains just north of Montreal. It used to be a rail line (hence the “mostly flat” even though we are in ski country and so many of the towns have “Mont” in front of them).
The Parc Linéaire Le P’tit Train du Nord
You can find more details about the route here: https://ptittraindunord.com/
It’s a great trail to do alone, or with groups. It’s well maintained, and you really can’t get lost. It goes through charming communities in the heart of the Laurentians, including Mont Tremblant, one of the more well known downhill ski destinations in Quebec.
I just loved cycling this route – it brought back so many fond memories of winter ski trips with my dad and brothers. On Sundays we would head out to Sainte Agathe des Monts, or Sainte-Adèle, sometimes Mont Tremblant to spend the day skiing, returning home while enjoying the huge thermos of hot chocolate that my mother had prepared. It was so nice to see these places in the fall with the leaves just starting to turn. My downhill ski days are in the past but one day soon I will return for some cross-country skiing.
This is a linear trail, and you can start in either Saint Jerome (officially KM 0), or in Mont Laurier, which is the official end at 201 KM. Some people say it is a bit less hilly doing it backwards, but if you look at the elevation map it seems pretty equal to me (and still pretty flat as it is a rail trail).
Our group chose to do it backwards, and fortunately there is a wonderful (and reasonably priced) service that will take you and your bikes from the parking place in Saint Jerome to your hotel in Mont Laurier. This company will also transport your luggage from point to point so you don’t have to travel with a loaded bike. Wow – so convenient! You can check them out here: https://www.autobuslepetittraindunord.com/english/luggage-transport/
We had a bit of a slow start on our first cycling day as one of our group discovered a flat tire. This was a great reminder to me about why I preferred guided trips! Fortunately there was another member who had experience in changing tires, so once we had collectively found the right tools and a good pump, we were on our way.
We cycled about 55 KM through the trees with their changing leaves and along various lakes – the Laurentians are so beautiful. Today’s destination was Nominingue, where we would be staying at a very charming hotel that had been owned by the same family for more than 60 years. Our host was very willing to speak of its history and fame back in the day, when it was an important rail stop bringing people from Montreal up for vacations. You can see from the picture on his wall how close it was to the rails.
Our second day was our longest cycling day, heading to Saint Jovite, very close to Mont Tremblant. We had a little bit of drama on day 2 as well, as a part of the trail had been washed out due to some recent rains. Fortunately it was not a total surprise as the Parc website had warned us. There was a detour you could do, or you could just take your chances and climb through with your bike. We chose to haul our bikes through the mud, which was not so difficult as there were others there to help.
At Saint Jovite, our hotel was only accessible from the trail via a very steep uphill walk. Today was a day of pushing the bike! At least it would be an easier start in the morning.
On day 3 we had quite a bit of rain. We delayed the start, as we had mixed weather reports about when the rain would end. However – we had to get out of the hotel and everyone had come prepared with their rain gear, so we headed out. Definitely it is not as much fun to cycle in the driving rain. So unfortunately there were no pleasure stops that day – the goal was to get to the next hotel in Sainte Agathe to get dry. Fortunately we only had about 34 K to do that day.
The Scenery!
Fortunately the sun returned on our fourth and final cycle day and we spent a wonderful day cycling and enjoying more of the Laurentian scenery.
I am always amazed at bikes that I see en route wherever I go.
We finished cycling mid-day, knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us. We of course stopped for some celebratory photos, a bit of lunch, and then headed home.
Worth a Visit!
Overall, it was a very pleasant 4 days of cycling. I found it to be a gentle route, without steep climbs or difficult terrain. It is an elastic trail – you can make your own ride as long or as short as you like. Although 4 days provided our group with distances that we were comfortable with, others do it over 2 days, and some take 5. It all depends on the amount of time you have, and where you would like to stop along the way. There are people from all over North America who ride this route, and you tend to see the same people at various spots along the way. It felt like a community of like-minded people out to enjoy the marvellous fall weather in a beautiful setting.
There are accommodations to suit everyone – from standard hotels for larger groups such as ours, to some very delightful B and B’s more suitable for couples. The transportation service goes to those places as well. There are clean washrooms and bike service areas all along the trail. The interactive map on the website is great to help you plan your own trip so that you optimally enjoy the Quebecoise hospitality.
What a wonderful way to spend 4 days!
Where else can I ride my bike?
Please contact me if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!