A Village étape (France) or a Village relais (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. Village étape 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 5000 A range of "basic" shops (butcher, baker, newsagent, grocer) A range of varied eating places A classified hotel A Tourist Information Point or Centre A shaded parking area A telephone A picnic area Public toilets A Cash machine The 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. Village relais The corresponding status in Québec is village relais. 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-relais may appear en route along any numbered Québec highway (not just a limited access "autoroute") but must offer at least the following: Restaurant Fuel, auto repair and towing Lodging Grocer, cash machine, toilets, public telephone Parking RV dump station, tourist info and wi-fi Minimum hours of operation for each service are specified for each of high season and off-season travel. Current villages-étapes 2014 Aumont-Aubrac - Lozère - A75 exit 35/36 Bédée - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN12 Bellac - Haute-Vienne - RN147 Bessines-sur-Gartempe - Haute-Vienne - A20 exit 24 Brens - Tarn - A68 exit 9 Charolles - Saône et Loire - RN79 exit 12 Dol-de-Bretagne - Ille-et-Vilaine - RN176 Dompierre-sur-Besbre - Allier - RN79 Donzenac - Corrèze - A20 exit 47/48 Ducey - Manche - A84 exit 33 Eguzon - Indre - A20 exit 20 Elven - Morbihan - RN166 Florac - Lozère - RN106 Gouzon - Creuse - RN145 Grand-Fougeray - Ille-et-Vilaine - N137 Joinville - Haute-Marne - RN67 Josselin - Morbihan - RN24 La Canourgue - Corrèze - A75 exit 40 La Rochefoucauld - Charente - RN145 La Souterraine - Creuse - RN145 Lapalisse - Allier