To make sure you're perfectly prepared for your flight this summer, here's some practical information to help you enjoy this magical experience with complete peace of mind, as if you were already in the air!
Before the big day, you'll receive an e-mail to fill in a form with passenger information such as weight, language spoken and age. These details are essential for assigning you to a hot-air balloon. If you are more than 4 passengers, you will also be able to specify whether you would like your group to be in the same balloon*.
*Groupbooking
Youmust make a single transaction that includes all passengers in your group. Please note that we cannot guarantee that you will all be assigned together, so you may be split into sub-groups.
To check in, you'll need an ID card and the confirmation e-mail for your flight, either printed out or downloaded to your phone. You will then receive your boarding pass and be asked to sign the liability waiver.
Your pilot will pick you up in the take-off zone. Stay alert and follow the pilot's instructions. If you wish, you can help inflate the balloon! If the take-off takes place in a nearby park, you'll go with the pilot and his team in a pursuit vehicle.
Please note that groups of more than 4 people will be divided into sub-groups in the hot-air balloons.
You can bring your own camera to immortalize your experience. Please note that we are not responsible for loss or damage. You must ensure that you only carry what you need for your flight.
There will be no space to leave your personal belongings on site. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. It is forbidden to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
On landing, you can expect an impact similar to a jump from a kitchen chair.
Once again, pay close attention to your pilot's instructions. Once the envelope and equipment have been repatriated, the chase team will take you back to the festival site.
In the event of cancellation, you must arrive on the same day to reschedule your flight or request a refund at the passenger kiosk. Please note that we do not accept requests for refunds or rescheduling of flights by telephone or e-mail.
Refunds will only be issued upon presentation of the credit card used for the original transaction. Please note that flight postponements can only be made for the 2025 edition. If there is no availability, you will receive a refund.
On sale now! Morning flights, scheduled between August 9 and 17, are on sale at our Envolées ticket office. Evening flights will be available soon. Stay tuned!
This ticket only includes your flight, scheduled for around 4:45 a.m., for the day of your choice. It does not give access to general admission when the site opens in the afternoon.
It is not possible to transfer your Flight ticket to Ticketmaster. On the day of your flight, it is therefore important that your entire group is present at the same time.
Your hot-air balloon flight can be rescheduled during the festival or refunded. However, you must go to the Take Wings box office to arrange a discount or receive a refund.
Yes, a few weeks before your flight, you will receive a form by e-mail to indicate the weight, language spoken and age of the passengers. This information is required to assign you to a balloon.
Group reservations
If you are more than 4 passengers or if you absolutely must be accompanied, you can specify this on the same form. A customer service agent will then contact you.
No. However, there are four criteria that must be met:
The hot-air balloons that fly during the festival generally accommodate between 2 and 4 people.
For groups of more than 4 people, you will be divided into sub-groups.
At the Passenger Kiosk, located on the festival site.
As your flight approaches, an e-mail will be sent to you with all the information you need to know about your arrival at the festival.
Hot-air balloon gondolas are equipped with either a door or a step allowing passengers to climb inside. As it's impossible to choose your balloon, all passengers must be able to use the footboard to step over the edge of the basket (average basket height = 3.5 feet).
The important thing is to be comfortable. As it's often cooler at higher altitudes and you'll be landing on farmland, remember to bring long clothes that will keep you warm and protect you from mosquitoes. With a pair of comfortable shoes, you'll be ready for your adventure!
Of course! We strongly encourage you to bring a camera so you can capture this magical moment.
Please note that neither we nor the driver and his team can be held responsible for any lost or dropped items.
No, you need to make sure you only carry what you need for your flight.
Usually, the landing takes place in a field close to a road or path to facilitate recovery of the balloon. That said, since the strength and direction of the wind have a major influence on a hot-air balloon's route, each departure leads to a different destination.
Thanks to tracking teams. One team follows the balloon from the moment it leaves and stays in communication with the pilot throughout the flight. On landing, they help the pilot repack the envelope and return the equipment to the trailer. Everyone then returns to the starting point in the pursuit vehicle.
To make the most of your hot-air ballooning experience, you can help the pilot and his team repatriate all the equipment. However, please make sure you have the pilot's permission!
Before departure, you will be asked to sign a liability waiver form, which releases International Balloon Club and the pilot from all liability. Please bear in mind that flying is an activity with inherent risk.
No or too strong winds (more than 12 km/h), rain and thunderstorm cells within a 50 km radius are unfavorable conditions for take-off.
Sometimes the conditions do not seem favorable during the hours preceding the flight and the flight still takes place. The opposite is also likely. Flight directors (balloonmeisters) analyze the weather conditions before each flight, in order to give their authorization.
Please note that a late take-off time may affect the duration of the flight. Depending on the decision of the balloonmeisters, each pilot is responsible for his flight and can decide to fly or not, depending on the conditions.
We cannot guarantee the exact duration of the flight, as it depends on the weather conditions at the time of take-off. However, a flight lasts approximately 1 hour. As a passenger, you should allow 3 to 4 hours for the total duration of the activity, which includes meeting the pilot, setting up the equipment and inflating, the flight, landing, packing up the equipment and returning to the departure point.
Hot air balloons can fly because warm air is lighter than cold air. On summer days, when the sun warms the earth, a phenomenon occurs that creates hotter or cooler zones and wind vortices that represent a risk for hot-air balloons. By flying very early in the morning and at the end of the day, the earth is sufficiently cold and thermal phenomena are practically absent, which allows us to fly safely.
A hot air balloon flies on average around 2 to 3000 feet of altitude, but may sometimes have to go to more than 6000 feet to find a wind with a more favorable direction and speed. It is also possible to fly at less than 1000 feet, or even at the top of the trees of a forest, to give a totally different view of the landscape.
The short version is that it is impossible to steer a hot air balloon.
The long version is that a pilot is able, in some way, to steer his balloon according to the altitude and the winds.
Approximately, we lose 2 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 feet of altitude. So if it is 20 degrees Celsius on the ground, it will be about 18 degrees Celsius at 1,000 feet, and so on. Also, since the balloon is moving at the same speed as the wind, you will hardly feel the wind factor during the flight.
No, however, we ask passengers to specify on the reservation form the languages that are understood and spoken, in order to facilitate the assignment to a pilot.
Yes. For safety reasons, please note that :
Note: If you suffer from a medical condition or have any questions about your abilities, please consult your doctor and inform the balloon pilot.