Anyone else planning on vanning to see le Grand Boucle? EDIT - that's it. This stage of the procedings is now called CAMPERPLANNING! Despite being a fan I've never been, so we're now starting to plan a week's jaunt to Normandy in July. The tour is going from Boulogne to Abbeville to Rouen to Saint Quentin in the first week. Our plan is to avoid the far north and to instead get a Portsmouth to Cherbourg ferry and then a campsite near Rouen. That way we can get there avoiding road closures and have a base to see the race come in and go out. I also have a dream of having a photo of me driving my van around the Arc de Triomphe and Paris is just a couple of hours away from Rouen... I'd like to one day do an alpine stage but I think that the family (one three year old, one of six months) need a bit more van practice before we wild camp amongst 10,000 drunken Aussies, Dutch and Basques. Besides, my handbrake is rubbish...
Is that including the cycling? I realise now that anyone could think I was talking about MY tour of France 2012, when I did in fact mean the one with Cav, Wiggo and some foreigners too.
If we cross the path of the tour, I will defo stop, I'm not a fan but you know it's sort of a one time chance. We are going in July though. So you never know cos we are passing through Normandy and pays de la Loire to my rents house then on to brittany and the vendee Psg
Here's the map with dates. http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html I guess with a user name of PSG you must be a fan of France!
Had hoped to go and catch some of this years TDF but decided against, little boy and sitting still by the roadside for a couple of hours probably wont work. We'll be back in time to catch it all on ITV4 highlights ) Perhaps next year.
been to a few stages up country, but you cannot beat the alps/pyraneese..... Phil ,its not just about the bikes the whole atmospher is brill ,loads of classic cars /parades etc ,half a dozen helicopters flying overhead,everyone camping for free ,well recommended going just for one stage..... my kids were 5 7 and 11 when I first bored them with the race ,they loved it ,better than euro disney... :-X
Nothing beats driving round france if you can get enough time and stick to the Departmental roads that go through all the little villages (just like the tour de france). Just a quick tip from having lived in Paris for years, if you want to get that picture of the van going around the arc de triomphe (place de l'etoile) get there as the sun is rising in the early morning, nothing worse than a load of highly strung parisiens cursing, beeping and rushing you into a poor photo!
Only a month away.... I am in training to ride up two mountain stages on my old nackered mountain bike ,I can`t wait.... 8) I have even got out of taking anyone [kids/wife/dog]with me ,just me and the elements... ;D be prepared for millions of pictures... just a couple to get you in the mood..
