Some Information for Your Trip to Iles-de-la-Madeleine

Getting there: Air Alliance, Intair and Air Atlantic serve Iles-de-la-Madeleine from the mainland. Air Canada, USAir, American and Delta fly from Los Angeles to Toronto, Montreal or Boston for connections to the islands. Rates vary slightly from $690 to $760.

Lowest fares are non-refundable, non-changeable and require a 14-day advance purchase.

Daily ferry from Prince Edward Island (230 miles north of Boston) costs $26 per adult, $13 per child (ages 5 to 12) and $49.50 per automobile.

Visas: U.S. citizens do not need proof of citizenship to enter Canada, but a certified copy of a birth certificate or a baptismal certificate is sometimes necessary for re-entry.

When to go: Sunshine and warm temperatures often last through September.

What to do: Low tides and shallows near the islands make for warm water, and with constant breezes the conditions are frequently good for sailing, kayaking and windsurfing.

To visit harp seals in their natural environment and to discover the islands in winter, contact Nortour at (514) 875-7400 or Sealwatch at (800) 543-8917.

The annual sand castle contest on Havre Aubert will take place this year on Aug. 11.

What to take: Daytime attire is casual, but you may want to dress more formally for dinner. Evenings are cool. Take a jacket or sweater for summer nights and for boating.

Where to eat: Restaurants range from traditional home cooking to classic cuisine, always emphasizing seafood.

Dinner for two with wine at La Table des Roy or La Maison de Rosee costs about $100 U.S.; reservations are essential. Fresh lobster is available at the Cooperative de Gros-Cap for $7.

Touring the islands: Several options are available: a guided bus tour, sightseeing and fishing excursions and a sightseeing flight. Contact the Cap-aux-Meules Tourism Office, C.P. 1028, Cap-aux-Meules, Iles-de-la-Madeleine GOB IBO, (418) 986-2245.

Sunset Bicycle Tours, based in Toronto, operates the only guided bicycle tour company on the islands. The eight-day tour (accompanied by van) costs $1,439 plus bicycle rental of $109. (Add $260 for solo travel and private rooms.) Price includes accommodations and meals, theater tickets and other amenities.

Departure dates: Aug. 12 and 26. Contact Sunset Bicycle Tours c/o Murphy Tour Service, 375 Grafton St. East, Charlottetown, PEI, CIA 1M1, (902) 892-0606.

Some cars are available. Contact BC Car Rental at (418) 969-2590.

Where to stay: Accommodations are good but sparse. Of the two inns, L’Hotel au Vieux Couvent, a restored convent on Havre-aux-Maisons, costs about $40 per night. Auberge chez Denis a Francois is $30.

On a grander scale are the two largest island hotels: Hotel Chateau Madelinot, $80-$90, and the Auberge Madeli on Cap-aux-Meules, from $69.

Many Madelinots rent rooms or cottages, sometimes even houses--a delightful way to get to know the islands and their people.