Tour de France

My son and I did this in 2001. It was INCREDIBLE, we loved it! It helped that Lance was the winner but I think it could still be fun, especially if you're into the tour like we are. The Champs-Elysees is a great place to see it because they go around a circuitous route 10 times. The police cordon off a lot of area and huge crowds get there hours before so it is very hard to get around to see what your options are. I don't know how well you know the area already.....along the rue de Rivoli is very good, or along that street but up above in the Tuilleries Gardens (a large park) is also good, especially where the rue de Rivoli curves by the Place de la Concorde and then goes up the Champs-Elysees. Or, on the exact opposite side of the Tulleries from rue de Rivoli on the street that runs along the Seine especially where they have to slow down to curve to the left to go through the tunnel that takes them around to rue de Rivoli again.

Continued from above post....I don't know where to recommend along the actual Champs-Elysees because the police cordon off so much of it at the eastern end for all the VIP's and we couldn't get past that area to get to the western portion of the Champs closer to the Arc de Triomphe. In the area by the Place de la Concorde (in 2001 anyway) they had huge tv screens set up so we could watch the ceremony at the end. If you're interested in that, that's a good place to get to at the end of the tour. Also, I don't know if this will matter to you, but in the Tuilleries, near the Place de la Concorde there is a public restroom (also along rue de Rivoli there are some cafe's). We spent 8 hrs in our "spot" so that came in handy. There's lots to see before the riders in the Tour come by, plus you have to secure your spot, that's why we were there so long. Also, it was very hot that day, water and sun-block were crucial. I hope this helps, have a great time!