I'd like to be on Alpe d'Huez on the 23rd of July for the Tour de France Stage that climbs the mountain. I'm thinking of camping a day or two in advance on the roadside with the rest of the fans. Has anyone done this? Tips or suggestions? I'd like to ship my tent and sleeping bag home and then continue my trip for another couple weeks. Are there DHL or UPS offices throughout Europe? Any wisdom you could share would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris
Clarification: I'll probably head to Italy and Switzerland right after the day's racing is done, hence this posting in the Italy section.
make that two days to get a good spot! I've never camped there, but I did a bike trip in France a few years back and we stayed the next ridge over in Les Deux-Alpes and rode up in the morning. The riders don't arrive until late in the afternoon so they block the road off to cars the day of the race but pedestrians and cyclists can go up. There were tons of people! Every inch along the route had a camper parked on it, many meadows and other spots were covered with tents. You could probably get a spot a day in advance, but why not go 2 days in advance and enjoy the ambience? (BTW ambience seems to mean drinking).
(edit: we rode up the morning of the Tour de France climbing Alpe d'Huez, in case that wasn't clear from the post)
Thanks for the info! I was planning on arriving 2 days in advance with my gear (and a LOT of beer to share with the tifosi).
