Tour de France

The thrilling road race may be over for another year, but it’s not too late to experience part of the route yourself. If you fancy attempting one of the steep mountain climbs, we have sites nearby that make a welcome retreat at the end of a hard day’s cycling:

• La Ferme de Serraz (Lake Annecy) – 42 miles from the start of the 2010 Stage 10 at Chambery, and well placed for the mountainous stages of the French Alps
• Camping le Vieux Port (Messanges) – 45 miles from Salies-de-Béarn, the depart for 2010 Stage 18 and 78 miles from Pau, the end of the thrilling, high mountain Stage 17

The 2011 Tour

The 98th Tour de France sets off from the Ile de Noirmoutier in the Vendée on Saturday 2 July 2010, finishing up in Paris 20 stages and 3,600 kilometres later on 26 July.

While full details of the route are yet to be released (we’ll update here as soon as we have more information) we do know that our campsites in the Vendée are ideally placed for the first three days. Book early and enjoy - le Grand Tour is big business in France! Each year, as it rolls into town, it’s hard not to be infected with cycling fever.

For full details of the route, visit the official website at www.letour.fr

A word of advice

While it’s thrilling to watch, it’s worth checking your route if you are planning on catching the action – roads are often closed and traffic queues can be long. It’s always best to get to your viewing spot early. Why not take a picnic and wait for the action!

Not nearby?

If you’re not at a campsite nearby, don’t worry! Most sites have televisions available in the bar or restaurant areas, so you can still see all the action as it happens. If the cycling fever leaves you thirsty for more, why not look out for a campsite that offers bike hire, or better still take your own. Our free downloadable guides even offer information on cycling routes close to some of our sites.

BMX skills with FamilyExtra

For even more of a challenge (or just a bit of fun), we’re offering BMX sessions at our FamilyExtra sites. Incredibly difficult turns and slaloms are just two of the tricky challenges that you’ll undertake on our bikes – if you can stay on!