Need help planning TDF spectating for next year!

[Bianchi Dude]

I realize it's a little early to even think about this, but I am planning to watch the last week of
the TDF next year, in France.

There are lots of tour companies that will shuttle you around between stages, but I wanted to hear
first-hand experience and I'm looking for recommendations.

I don't necessarilly need to take a bike. I just want to see a couple of the mountain stages and, of
course, the finish in Paris.

Any recommendations or advice?

Thanks in advance.

[Robert Chung]

bianchi dude wrote:
> Any recommendations or advice?

Yes. I think you'll get better advice over at rec.bicycles.rides. I'd recommend asking there.

> Thanks in advance.

[Richard Adams]

bianchi dude wrote:

> I realize it's a little early to even think about this, but I am planning to watch the last week
> of the TDF next year, in France.
>
> There are lots of tour companies that will shuttle you around between stages, but I wanted to hear
> first-hand experience and I'm looking for recommendations.
>
> I don't necessarilly need to take a bike. I just want to see a couple of the mountain stages and,
> of course, the finish in Paris.
>
> Any recommendations or advice?
>
> Thanks in advance.

Having missed the opportunity this year due to job change, I've missed the boat three years
straight. After looking at Lloyd's pics (from another thread here)

http://www.pbase.com/llbr22/tour_2003

I'm inclined to just hook up with that group, though it would be nice if he'd included a few
words on how the trip went. What went well, what didn't go well. From thie images it looks like
they had a blast. Hopefully everything is stable on this end and I make it over there next year.
(I've travelled around France, but the crowds for the tour do look daunting for trying to do
something myself.)

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> I realize it's a little early to even think about this, but I am planning to watch the last week
> of the TDF next year, in France.
>
> There are lots of tour companies that will shuttle you around between stages, but I wanted to hear
> first-hand experience and I'm looking for recommendations.
>
> I don't necessarilly need to take a bike. I just want to see a couple of the mountain stages and,
> of course, the finish in Paris.
>
> Any recommendations or advice?

You might take a look at the page I've put up on the various organizations planning trips to the '04
TDF. It can be found at www.ChainReaction.com/france04tdftourcompanies.htm. There are links at the
bottom of that page that will take you to some of the other TDF pages I've done over the past four
years I've gone.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com (http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/)

[davidlegendmcna]

This year we went to the finish in Alpe d'Huez, the start the next day in Bourg d'Oisan and to the finish in Paris and had no trouble sorting it all out ourselves. It was a fantastic family holiday, with my wife and 3 year old son coming along too. You see more on tv, but seeing Le Tour up close is unforgettable.

Somewhere like Alpe d'Huez is easy - you camp... absolutely anywhere! We stayed on a bit of grass in the town and toilets and water supplies were made available by the local council.

In Paris we had no trouble getting a hotel room only a month before the race.

If you want to book hotels in other places though it's best to be on the phone the day of the route announcement - check www.letour.com later this year - it's normally about October I think.

Good luck and enjoy yourself - I had great fun climbing some legends like Alpe d'Huez and Mont Ventoux and then retiring to a bar to watch the tour on tv for most of the time!

[David Off]

davidlegendmcna wrote:
>
> If you want to book hotels in other places though it's best to be on the phone the day of the
> route announcement - check www.letour.com later this year - it's normally about October I think.
>

That's my experience when the stage is in smaller places, there is a big entourage and lots of other
followers. When it went through the Alpes Maritimes in 2000 some of the tour workers were in hotels
60km away from the start. Camping shouldn't be a big problem though.

You could follow the tour by car or even by high speed train and bus links... my parents in law have
gone from Grenoble to Bourg d'Oisans by bus then climbed to la Garde to watch the tour pass but then
they've also followed the stage by helicopter so maybe roughing it appealed to them?