2022 Madame Estes Quebec Program
| Travel Dates: |
June 14, 2022 -
June 21, 2022
Dates are tentative until dates are finalized
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| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$2,190 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Estimated Airfare: | $600 |
| Confirmed Airfare: | $547 |
Important Reminders
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Insurance Reminder
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What to Expect
Please read through all of the information below. More details will be added as your departure draws closer.
Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers and given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Charlotte - Quebec City | Today the group will travel from Charlotte to Quebec City. We will settle in to our accommodations upon arrival and get ready for tomorrow's adventures! | Concorde Hotel |
| June 15 | Quebec City | We will begin our morning with a traditional breakfast before walking to the center of Quebec City's famous old town. We will enjoy a guided tour as we stroll the cobble stone streets between towering classical French architecture. We will also begin to learn about the settlement of Quebec City and its unique history. After lunch, we will begin our French classes before a homestay orientation, after which we will be distributed to our respective families two to a home. The next four nights will be spent living the life of a local! | Homestays |
| June 16 | Quebec City | We will begin our day with our host families as we eat breakfast with our kind hosts and get ready for our first day of French classes. We will meet at our partner language school and be divided into groups based French level. After class we will go to Galeries de la capital to ice skate with local youth then watch an IMAX movie in French. We will return to our families' houses for the evening. | Homestays |
| June 17 | Quebec City | We will have breakfast with our host families and return to our partner school for French classes. In the afternoon, we will visit the Musée de la Civilisation in the old town to formally learn the history of the province. We will continue to Marché du Vieux-Port, a beautiful market along the St. Lawrence River where we can buy local goods and practice French. We will spend the evening with our homestay families. | Homestays |
| June 18 | Quebec City | After breakfast with our families, we will go to Village des Huron a cultural site honoring the history of the first people of the region. We will enjoy a hands-on educational experience and a traditional lunch. We will continue on to the Chutes Montmorency, the iconic and thundering waterfalls just north of the city. Afterwards, we will return to our host families for our final night together. | Homestays |
| June 19 | Quebec City, Mont Tremblant | This morning we will say goodbye to a wonderful hosts and make the pretty drive to Mont Tremblant, the crown jewel of the Laurentian Mountains. This is our chance to experience a Quebecois ski resort and have some adventure after our time in the city. Along the way, we will fuel up with a sugar shack menu, where we will sample maple butter and other local delicacies. Upon arrival to Mont Tremblant, we will unpack at our local hostel, then head out for dinner. After dinner, we will gather around a camp fire to eat smores and reflect on the homestay experience. | Le Grand Lodge |
| June 20 | Mont Tremblant | We will start the day with a private yoga class (in French!), then gear up for an exciting zip line adventure after lunch. Afterwards, we will return to the lodge to canoe and relax at a local pond, then have dinner. | Le Grand Lodge |
| June 21 | Mont Tremblant, Quebec City & USA | After breakfast we head back to Quebec City for our flight back to Charlotte. Until next time! | Your own bed, eventually! |
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Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe. We vet and inspect the accommodations to ensure they uphold the ethos of our programs, are great values for our travelers and nice places to rest after enriching days of travel.
Hotel Le Concorde
This 3-star hotel is the ideal place for an urban getaway in Quebec City. Its imposing structure offers a beautiful view of the majestic fleuve Saint-Laurent, of Quebec City and of its numerous parks and green spaces. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Le Grand Lodge
This Scandinavian-style lodge located on the shores of Lac Ouimet is only five minutes from the Mont-Tremblant resort. The cozy furnishings and design of the hotel provides a beautiful setting for relaxation. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the hotel to help everyone stay connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Homestay
This will be the best part of your trip! Staying with a host family immerses you in the language and culture of the destination, and can lead to deep and lasting relationships with your hosts. Initially intimidating but ultimately unforgettable, there’s no better way to begin to truly understand the place you’re visiting.
Group Flight
Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.
Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.
Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.
We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.
FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION
Air travel can be unpredictable. Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc. Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route. Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night. Our primary role will be to keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a quick and effective resolution.
Host Community and Project Details
Quebec City is the ideal location to truly immerse yourself in French Canadian culture. We have partnered with a local language school to provide the perfect host family experience to maximize your language learning while in Quebec City. Students will live with families which are located close to the language school near downtown. You will find that homes in Quebec City are very similar to homes in the United States. Some homes may be hundreds of years old and date back to the colonial past of Quebec, while others may be homes built within the past few decades. Quebec City is full of history and provides the perfect setting to transport yourself back in time to the early colonial days.
Packing List
Below is a sample packing list that is provided as a guideline. If something is required it will be specified, otherwise feel free to adjust as necessary. We recommend you bring one larger piece of luggage like a backpack, duffle or suitcase alongside a smaller backpack that you can use on the flights and hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.
“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all travelers. We suggest bringing only as much as you are able to carry on your own.
Finally, a few days before departure, it’s a good idea to consult a weather forecast for your destination. If you have questions about what to bring or how to bring it, just ask!
CLOTHES
- Underwear
- Socks
- T-shirts, tank tops
- Long sleeve shirts
- Sweatshirt/sweaters
- Shorts
- Jeans/pants
- Swimsuit
- Rain jacket
- Sturdy shoes (appropriate for lots of walking)
- Sports sandals ie Chacos/Tevas etc. (optional)
- Flip flops (optional)
- Hat/s
BRING THE BASIC TOILETRIES YOU NEED PLUS:
- Sunscreen
- Face masks
- Mosquito repellent
- Band Aids and Neosporin, basic first aid kid
- Hand Sanitizer
- Medication in properly marked original container
MISCELLANEOUS
- Sense of adventure!
- Passport
- Student ID
- Sunglasses
- Journal and pen
- Simple gift for host family
- Book/s
- Camera
- Power Converter
- Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $50-$150, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
- Durable water bottle
- Quick-dry towel
- Flashlight/headlamp
- Deck of cards or other portable games
- French/English Dictionary
Support Team
At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.
Fabiola Hudicourt
Canada Country Director, Program Leader
University of Montreal – B.S. International Relations
Institute of Development Studies in Switzerland – Masters in Development Studies
Fabiola grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, until she was eighteen. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Montreal, Canada, and a Master’s in Development Studies from the Institute of International Relations and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Fabiola has been traveling since she was five years old but her passion for traveling started when she spent time in Barcelona to study Spanish. She has been travelling ever since on a regular basis and has been to 20+ countries, across Canada and the U.S. She has volunteered for many organizations, including the Canadian Council for International Relations in Montreal, the Canadian Red Cross and Ten Thousand Villages in Vancouver. She has worked as a fair trade development agent in Quebec City and as a project manager for development projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. She has a passion for languages and speaks fluently French, English, Haitian Creole and conversational Spanish. She is currently learning German, too! A mother of two, she is looking forward to discover the world with her children.
Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History
During college, Luke spent a semester living and traveling in rural Mexico. His experience sparked a fascination with Latin America and a commitment to community service that continues to this day. Upon graduating from college, he joined WorldTeach and lived with a local family in a small village in Costa Rica while teaching elementary English. After this experience, he moved to San José, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and wrote for The Tico Times newspaper. Luke has since traveled to over 60 countries on five different continents. Now settled in Denver with his family, he continues to crave massive helpings of rice and beans.
Group Roster
Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.
- 1 Bonnie Estes (Group Organizer)
- 2 Laura-Clare Moore
Blog and Communication
During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program. Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.
Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.
GLC Curriculum
Walking Tree has developed a curriculum of activities meant to help travelers get the most out of their trip before departure, during travel and after they return home. These simple and engaging activities are meant to spark discussion, frame experiences, and prepare participants to travel ethically and effectively both on this trip and on future adventures.For more information about student learning objectives and the format of the curriculum, click on the ‘learn more’ button below.
To view and complete the Pre-Program Activities, visit our online portal at the button below.
Standards of Behavior
In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.
ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL
- Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
- This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE
- Getting a piercing or tattoo.
- Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
- Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
- Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
- Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
- Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
- Breaking group rules.
These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.
Health and Safety
We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Canada website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.
Our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.
Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.
We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.
Insurance
While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.
To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry. Begin by getting a quote here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.