Following the bikers in the Alps

[Velteper]

Does anyone have any ideas of how to get from Geneva, over the boarder, and up in the Alps? We are planing to stay in the Le Grand-Bornand area (http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/presentation/us/profil-700.html) the 14th of July, and travel to the next stage and then stay in the Tignes area.

I don't think there will be any problem to cross the boarder, but does any one know if there are any organized travelservice up in the mountains? And how are the possibilities for accomodation in the mountains? Does anybody know a homepage where I can read more about the basics? A Le Tour for dummies.

[marmotte]

Hi Velteper,
first read my homepage (http://freenet-homepage.de/westalpen/) (english version). Go to 'Region Mont Blanc' (the second one) and 'Region Briancon' (the one below).
There is no difficulty at the border. They didn't want to see our passports at all. It's 30-35 km (20 miles) to Bonneville/St-Pierre-en-Faucigny. There are 2 hotels at the starting point to first ascent to Bornand:

Hotel des Alpes
85 rue de la gare
Bonneville
0450971047

Mont Blanc Hotel
St-Pierre en Faucigny
0450038655

part 2 follows...
marmotte

[marmotte]

Hi Velteper,
part 2:

Between Col des Saisies and Beaufort there is the little village of Hauteluce. It's a very nice place, we had a great time there, the hotel was great with great dinner:

La Ferme du Chozal
0479381818
easy to find in Hauteluce
they have a homepage

My favorite for the Tignes region:

Auberge sur la Montagne
in La Thuile, which is between Bourg St Maurice and Tignes
0479069596

The owners are Scottish. They have a hot tub and a Sauna in the garden. It is for winter, but they opened their Hotel for us. The owner said, he'd allways do so for guests. They have a homepage, too.

If you want to get to there during Tour de France: You might fix your accomodations as soon as possible, it's overcrowded during these days.

The Iseran stage is the most interessant stage of all, I think.
If I could be there, I'd wait for the peloton at Belvédère de la Tarentaise (see my homepage, region Briancon, 6th picture): You can see them coming from Val d'Isère, along the lower valley, crossing bridge pont St Charles and hurrying up to you...

More fine climbs wait for you starting in Bourg St Maurice:
Cormet de Roselend, Petit St Bernard, the ski resorts around...

marmotte

[Velteper]

Thank you very much for your good information, but do you know if there are any busses to follow during the tour, from stage to stage.

[marmotte]

No, Velteper, there aren't.
I don't know, if you are there with bicycles or not. It's easyer to come to the finest places by bicycle (imagine the road is crowded, the police will close it the day before, it depends on where it is). If you are pedestrians you can't walk long distances; that's why we always did it by bicycle. If you want to see more stages it would perhaps be better to have a rental car with possibilities for your bicycles on the car and stay in a tent the day before the stage near the road. They allow you to stay where you want because everybody does. It's always a great party with bbq and so on. In the morning they all go with their bikes to the good places. After the stage you could get into the car and head for the next one. This would be a nice tour de france for you as well. It would be necessary to rest on a camping ground from time to time, but they are everywhere in France and they have always small dinners if you're not too late.
I think there will be a super camping in Val d'Isère (eastern end) for thousands of people.
marmotte

[Velteper]

Hmm, it's a shame, but thank you anyway! You have helped me alot, and it can be funny for me and my brother to discover France without a singel lesson in Frence, only German and English;) So if you see some lost norwegians, you know who they are!

[marmotte]

I saw some lost Norwegians there, some time ago. But they were lost in a wine cask. Don't be afraid, everybody will help you out. Unfortunately I can't stay there with all the other supporters, I'll have to work in July.
Maybe I will be 'ill' for one day and watch TV during Galibier stage (just kidding).
marmotte