Im in France and want to see tour, but...

[Coleslaughter]

hi, iam going to be in france durring like mid july and am going to try and check out the mountain stages and a time trial. i have never been to france and was wondering if anyone has anytips for me as in cordinating to see the tour. Iam i going to have to rent a car or is there any one that would want to hook up and drive up there? or are buses a betther way to go? How have you guys who have done this, done it in the past? thanks alot,

-Spencer

[ed073]

find a town close to where you live that's on the route.....catch a train there....then follow the crowd.

Simple as that.

[I saw Elvis]

hi, iam going to be in france durring like mid july and am going to try and check out the mountain stages and a time trial. i have never been to france and was wondering if anyone has anytips for me as in cordinating to see the tour. Iam i going to have to rent a car or is there any one that would want to hook up and drive up there? or are buses a betther way to go? How have you guys who have done this, done it in the past? thanks alot, -Spencer

It depends on where you want to see Le Tour. Mountains, Stage finish or start, mid route, feeds, small climbs, primes etc etc.

I'd start by looking at the Official site, this will give locations and approx times.
If you want the high mountains you'll either need a bike to ride up on the day or a car to drive up v early (before roads close) or the night before and camp out over night. You could try an early morning hitch up the mountain some times this works.
For starts , get there an hour or so early, watch the sign on and enjoy the atmosphere. Finishes are bit more difficult as there tend to be bigger crowds, but again early is best, find a spot where you can see the big screen. Remember the caravan comes through about an hour prior to the riders, so if you want to see that (?) get there early.
Mid race the riders will be motoring, so you'll see them, but it'll only last a few seconds.

In big towns it can be difficult to find the start / finish as life does go on outside Le Tour, so make sure you allow plenty of time, as the signage off the route is not always the best.

If you speak French good, if you don't get a phrase book and try to learn a few basic words, this will go a long way.
Top tip
if you can find anyone with a copy of the race bible which will have exact locations of finish starts.
Enjoy :)