re: "oneworld" award (140K/280K/420K) Planning - The Definitive Thread
On a related question... I am a keen cyclist and the tour de france is on when I am in Paris, but it is in the far south of France. Is there any quick/economical transport I could use to travel south (Lac de payolle etc) for one night and return (or maybe a tour from south back to Paris over a few days)? Not sure if there is fast trains etc.
Everything about trains is at "The man in Seat 61" i.e. seat61.com
Getting to a city close to the Tour via train is only step 1 - after that you really need road transport to get to see the race itself i.e. hire car. Would need to book early I would imagine because demand will be high.
I did the 2008 Tour and has 2 different experiences over 2 days.
Saint-Brieuc - Finish line of second stage.
We drove to St Brieuc in the morning, and had to park a fair distance from the finish line (managed to get free parking and a free ~2KM walk). There was a small grandstand set up right at the finish line, but there was free public access spot just to either side of the grandstand. We got a position on the "course" side (e.g. before the finish line). We got one of the prime positions and were there approx 4 hours before the end of the stage. 4 hours of waiting was pretty boring, and I'm not sure I would do it again. We had to take turns to go to the bathroom, etc. The crowd at the finish line area was quite substantial and they had a "caravan" of floats and people passing through the course for a few hours entertaining and giving out free stuff.
But when the main event came it was absolutely fantastic. We were on the barrier and the crowd was 10-15 deep behind us. Thor Hushovd won the stage. The course had a slight incline into the finish line and we saw them come around the bend and speed up the final stretch. It was all very quick. Even the slower riders we not far behind, and naturally most of the field crossed the line in the peloton. Total time of the main event was probably less than 90 seconds, and then some of the support vehicles also came through the finish area as well.
Overall a fantastic rush to see it live. Definitely recommended for cycling fans and non-cycling fans to do once.
Saint-Malo - Start of third stage - nondescript corner
We stayed two or three nights in St Malo, but were a little out of town in a new are (not the old town). After the excitement and exhaustion of the day before we didn't want to bother getting there early. The front desk person at our hotel had a map up showing the course, and some recommended vantage points. We could walk to the end of the street and stand on a corner (maybe 1km into the day's stage). There was still a few people around, but a lot less. (The fanatics were probably at the start line). Again everyone zoomed past in a flash, but we were a lot closer to the riders as there was no barrier. I actually took a step back at one point because we were SO close to the action. Got a close up view of Cadel Evans as he was riding on "our side" of the group. This is how many of the locals see the tour, especially in the little villages. They just wander out and stand on the side of the course.
Once again it was fantastic to see it live. This time the total experience took half an hour - wander down, wait for 10 mins, a few seconds of action, then walked back to the hotel.
Summary
Do it - You have to do it once, it really is fantastic. Try to get 2 days (the end of one stage and the start of another). In hindsight you probably don't need to spend a whole day waiting around, but that is how you get the best view. If you came an hour before you could probably get a reasonable view, especially if you find a short French person to stand behind. You go in person for the atmosphere and the experience. Let's be fair - you get the best view on TV. The broadcast team really do an amazing job bringing the event to our living rooms.
Transport
Trains in France are generally fast and efficient. If you are creative you should be able to fit the Tour into your plans. A hire car may be handy depending which stage you choose to watch.
The Bordeaux line isn't operational for another year or two, so your best bet is probably the TGV to Lyon, then onto Marseille (or the Marseille line), then change for a local train. The SNCF website has timetables, etc.
I wouldn't not take it because of that plane specifically.
