Category Archives: Tdf trip planning

Information on seeing the Tour de France in person, including the process I go through myself each year- figuring out the TdF route, finding places to stay, rental cars, trains & more.

Col du Glandon/Galibier loop. 101 miles, 13,700ft of climbing. Easy! (not)

Personal stuff, Tdf trip planning, Web General, ,

The longest day? Maybe! Two flat tires delayed us enough that we barely got back before dark, but we did it. Col du Glandon, Col de Croix de Fer , Telegraphe and the Galibier. This was the big ride we hoped to accomplish, and we did. Was it easy? No. Memorable? Heck yeah! We pushed ourselves to the limit, and had not a few but many people staring at our silly “little” bikes. Do they ride as nice as a Trek Madone? No way. But you can’t put a Trek Madone into a suitcase and easily travel with it!

Click here for photos and descriptions of the ride. –Mike–

Our Post Office lines are slow? Try SNCF train stations in France!

Personal stuff, Tdf trip planning

We’ve arrive at the main train station in Lyon, where I’m standing in a long line that moves like molasses because? Are people planning their vacations in real-time at the ticket counters? You see the sane people at the same counter for 5, 10 minutes. Why? How hard is it to say you need tickets to Toulouse or Paris or Nice or wherever? We’ll eventually get to Grenoble, but will it be today? 🙂