Hello, My husband and I will be visiting Switzerland and France in July and we'd like to watch the Alpe d'Huez stage of the Tour de France. Does anyone have any advice about the best way to navigate the crowds? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Posted by
Monein, Pyrenees, France
425 posts
You will find that normally the Gendarmerie close the route of the TDF from early morning until all the competitors have passed. The competitors are basically just the last half-hour or so! The rest of the morning is taken up with the passing by of the "caravan" of the sponsors' vehicles, all the news crews, the hangers-on etc etc ... it's a good day out. Take a picnic! Bring an umbrella. Bring carrier bags for all the "stuff" that gets thrown at you from sponsors' vehicles! So ... work out in advance where you want to be - a sharp bend is best! ... and get there VERY early if you are driving as all the side roads will be impassable with parked/abandoned cars. Towns are ALWAYS pandemonium, and the closer to the finish of a stage, the more people. We are lucky, as one of the stages passes 200 yards from our place - however, they will be going pretty fast as it is very straight! Bon chance! Roger
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10245 posts
I saw a report on French tv about people who meet each year at different stages of the Tour, camping in their camping cars by the side of the road from a week a head of time, waiting for the riders to fly by. They have a great vacation together camping and anticipating. You need to be there way early.