Bud Florida

Mike,
Thanks for starting this thread.
I've gotten a sudden itch to see Lance race in the mountains during the Tour de France. I'm getting a late start on planning as this may be his last year.
Here's what I've learned so far;
There are six Official Tour Companies, each with there own variety of packages. Most of which are designed for experienced cyclists. Also, over 2/3of those packages are sold out. I am a recreational cyclist and will be putting very few miles on the saddle.
It seems easier, from the states, to access the climbs of the Alpes vs. the Pyrenees.
Ideally, I would have a nice hotel in Morzine for three nights. Buy some VIP one-day passes and see two stages, on the mountains, and have a great time.
If there is a room to be had in Morzine, I can't find it. There is some availability in Avoriaz. One option is to stay in Annecy. Easy transport from Geneve airport and plenty of rooms.
How easy do you think it would be to commute from Annecy to Morzine?
Is it possible to commute by taxi?
Any other thoughts that might help me out would be appreciated.
Thank you!

Mike Jacoubowsky

Yes, this likely is Lance's last time at the 'Tour, but with or without Lance, it's a fantastic event, well worth seeing!

Regarding the various companies doing tours, the only high-end one I have intense familiarity with is Trek Travel. Many of my customers have done their trips and really enjoyed them. They may be getting close to sold out at this time though.

Not sure I agree that it's easier to deal with the Alpes than the Pyrenees. The Alpes might be a bit more upscale in general, but the Pyrenees are, I think, easier to get around... lots more back roads... and the climbs themselves? You can decide how tough you want to make it. If you go with a tour company, they will give you various drop-off and finish options for your rides.

You also might want to see the later part of the race so you can watch the final time trial, where you'll get a chance to see each rider come by, separated by 1-3 minutes. Great for taking photos, and yes, they can definitely hear you when you yell for them!

I did some quick checking and see that Trek Travel is filled up for the Alpes, but does have space on their Pyrenees/Bordeaux Time Trial/Paris Finale trip.

Hope this helps-

jacknyoc

hi, we were there in '04...unfortunately, we missed each other. but you can always spot me with the Beaujolais bottle nearby. great spot to see all the festivities, though. crazy goings on in the hotel room balconies overlooking the course...

jacknyoc

not sure the Annecy-Morzine option is an easy "commute." it's likely 30-45 minutes...likely more with Tour traffic. you can check hotels in Cluses, St. Gervais, even Chamonix...but that's getting a bit out there. you could check farther north near Lac Lemen (Geneva) which may be just aobut as far. we're going to be in the Chamonix-Samoens area the week before the Tour arrives...so I've done some reading up on the area. But, I suspect the Tour traffic may impact travel times...

Bud Florida

Thanks for the assist.
I'm still hoping to find that great bed in Morzine for four nights. I have also been looking at a possible to the Pyrenees/Bordeaux.
I can't find much closer than Annecy. You would think there would be buses/shuttles making the trip.

jacknyoc

if you haven't tried it yet, maybe booking.fr can be of help. it covers quite a large area and usually has pretty decent prices. good luck

Mike Jacoubowsky

Just keep in mind that, regarding "Tour traffic", it's two-dimensional. Nearly everyone takes the main roads, ignoring back roads that are generally quite nice and can get you there a lot faster. It's a very odd thing that surprises me every single year I go... something I'm very aware of since, by bike, I'm always looking for those back roads, and they're always there, and always uncrowded.

Inga

I made reservation in Morzine last August after hearing rumors about a potential race finish in Avoriaz. And I needed to contact over 10 hotels before finding availability. C'est Le Tour.

Evian would be much closer than Annecy. And Evian hotels there are still available.

If you are interested in a self-guided option, there are a few options that appear to be still available in the Pyreness. Please send PM.

This will be my 10th visit to Le Tour!

Mike Jacoubowsky

10 times? I've lost track of how many I've been to... but it shouldn't be that tough to figure out. Every tour since 2000 except one (2008?). Well there you go... this will be my 10th as well! What got you so hooked on the TdF?

Inga

Experiencing Le Tour is an adventure between the travel logistics, race pageantry, and meeting new people on the roadsides of Europe to name a few. The challenging cycling in the mountains and spectacular scenery also keep me going back.

Mike Jacoubowsky

A highly enthusiastic ^ & +1 on that!

The people, meaning the "locals", are fantastic. The time I went into a bar for water, asking "Eau ordinaire, sil vous plait?" and she playfully took my bottles, put them under the wine tap and asked "Vin rue?" Or meeting up with this old guy in a pub in a suburb of Nantes, who spoke no English, but was desperate to tell me his life story in French that I could just understand little bits of, and he wanted me to share in his daily ritual at this place, drinking something called the "Wine of Life" or some such, basically something 100 proof+.

And food... you want good, sometimes great food at reasonable prices, just order the plat du jour, even if, perhaps especially if you can't figure out what it is.

And when you're out on the roads at TdF time, the locals yelling fun things at you, pretending that you're a racer, or the real TdF fans on the hillsides, cheering you on as you tackle the steep sections.

I love France. Especially during the 'Tour. Can you tell?

Bud Florida

It's nice to hear from some TDF followers.
It seems like Mike rides the course. I've seen references to a part of the tour where thousands actually get to ride the course. That's beyond my abilities but I hope to experience some mountain biking while I'm there.
I finally found a room in a chalet in Morzine, so we'll be there July 10,11 & 12. I purchased a package to help me view Stage 9, but my Stage 8 plans are undecided.
Are either of you familiar with Morzine or have perhaps seen a stage finish in Avoriaz. Not knowing much, I hope to take the ski lift to Avoriaz from Morzine, walk down about a mile from the summit and see the race there. Hopefully it's that easy. If the lifts are running, I can imagine the lines. When I get to this spot below the summit, how deep do you think the crowds will be.
Watching on TV, I always wondered where all those people park who are watching the race on summits!

Mike Jacoubowsky

Looking at the road heading up to Avoriaz, some of the best viewing spots will be on the lower flanks of the climb, on the switchbacks. You can assume that someone's going to make a move maybe a kilometer into the steeper section. Don't assume the lines would be super-long for the ski lifts; most people walk, ride or drive (a day early) up the hill. But if the lifts aren't running, or the lines too long, walking up from the bottom a ways isn't so bad. My second trip to the TdF my group was going to watch the Alpe d'Huez stage as it passed through the town at the bottom. That seemed dumb (not much to see as they go by at 30mph in a few seconds) so I walked maybe 3-4k, which put me about 2k up the climb, exactly where Lance did "The Look"... which I would have had a photo of except for some guy with a big hat that walked in front of me.

Oh, regarding "riding" the course, yes, we get out there and ride part of the course each day. A small handful of cyclists actually get up early enough to ride the entire stage (and do it quickly enough to finish two hours before the race comes through, as is required).

kopflyer

We're going to be departing Lyon on July 5th and need to get up to Luxembourg by the afternoon of the 6th. I'm interested in seeing Brussels, so we considered driving up in the AM. It turns out the Tour will be leaving Brussels that day for Spa (http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE...par_etape.html). Can anyone recommend a place to pull over and watch along the way? Preferably somewhere we could easily get back on a highway towards Brussels after the fact, and probably closer to Spa since we'll be driving up from Rhône-Alpes and can leave early, but it will still take a few hours.

Mike Jacoubowsky

Check out this map of the route to help get some ideas for where to see it. Switch to map mode to make it a bit less-confusing, and look for secondary roads that intersect the course. Unfortunately, there aren't many roads into and out of Spa, which means you're going to be dealing with really heavy traffic. In fact, trying to get to Brussels is going to require that you keep the 'Tour route in mind and avoid anything too close to it.

That's a very long drive from the Rhone-Alpes! OK, you can intercept the course from E411/A4 pretty easily in the vicinity of Wavre. The race will be passing through pretty early though, about 12:45, with the Caravan coming through 90 minutes before. It's a very long distance off your course to intercept it closer to Spa, from what I can see.

Hope this helps-