We are planning our first trip to Europe with our two teens, ages 13 and 15 this summer. We had planned to go to London and Paris, and possibly Normandy. My husband is an avid, I mean avid, cyclist. I think it would be a dream for him to see the tour de France somewhere during the trip. It ends in Paris on July 20th. Would it be crazy to try to see the ending? Is it just crazy crowded, so you really do not see a thing? Should we try to find a stage beginning or ending, and if so, where? How should we get there? Any other sights to see while we are there?
Posted by
California USA
3985 posts
We have connected our trips to Europe in the summer with the Tour de France 2 times in recent years. My favorite way to view the tour is the beginning of a time trial city because you see every rider individually for a short period of time with his support car. However 2 years ago my husband talked me into going to the final leg in Paris. I though it would be really crowded and that we wouldn't be able to see much. We were based in Normandy for four weeks and wanted to go to Brugge for a few days so we took the early train into Paris, walked down to the Place de Concord and watched the riders do their final circuit over and over and over again. We walked down there about 1/2 hour before the stage was scheduled to arrive at that point in Paris and found a place in the second row of people standing at the roundabout. We place ourselves directly opposite the large outdoor screen TV so that we could see all kinds of action when the group wasn't directly circling around in front of us. I was amazed that we could show up at the last minute and see so much at such a wonderful vantage spot. This may be my new favorite way to watch the Tour. My least favorite way would be to see the whole peleton speed by in a matter of seconds. I've seen this when the Tour of California comes through my city. Blink, and they're gone.
Posted by
Mansfield, GA
850 posts
Joan, I suppose you have checked the route for the 2012 race but just in case you can find it at the link below. Maybe pick an area somewhere along the race route and once you decide you should get some good advice on sights to see and things to do from others here. Based on your husband's enthusiasm for cycling it would be a great event to add to your itineary. http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
No, you are not crazy to go see the ending of the TdF. However, part of the TdF "experience" is seeing the parade of sponsors' vehicles that come before the race and throw all sorts of swag at the bystanders. It is something your teens would probably enjoy, and something you wouldn't quite get to experience at the end. The downside is that you do get the leaders that go through, then the peleton, and then the scragglers and you're done with the whole thing in very little time. Oh - you also get the helicopters and crazy media frenzy that accompanies them. It is something to see! So seeing the TdF along the route is very different than at the final, but I think you can't go wrong with either.
Posted by
England
375 posts
It's true that they zoom by pretty fast. But one year we examined the route and picked a spot to watch the whole "parade" come by. Then we jumped in the car and drove up ahead in the route and watched the whole thing again. We leap-frogged ahead of them several times this way and had a blast. Picked up several freebies from the sponsors, too. You might consider trying this.