Le Tour 2005 - A Virtual Cultural Trip

So, from next weekend onwards, I'll invite you to join this tour around France (and a bit of neighbouring countries), generally following the official Tour de France:

1 Saturday, July 2 19 km
Fromentine > Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile (TT)

2 Sunday, July 3 181,5 km
Challans > Les Essarts

3 Monday, July 4 212,5 km
La Châtaigneraie > Tours

4 Tuesday, July 5 67,5 km
Tours > Blois (team / TT)

5 Wednesday, July 6 183 km
Chambord > Montargis

6 Thursday, July 7 199 km
Troyes > Nancy

7 Friday, July 8 228,5 km
Lunéville > Karlsruhe

8 Saturday, July 9 231,5 km
Pforzheim > Gérardmer

9 Sunday, July 10 171 km
Gérardmer > Mulhouse

R Monday, July 11
Rest day - Grenoble

10 Tuesday, July 12 192,5 km
Grenoble > Courchevel *

11 Wednesday, July 13 173 km
Courchevel > Briançon

12 Thursday, July 14 187 km
Briançon > Digne-les-Bains

13 Friday, July 15 173,5 km
Miramas > Montpellier

14 Saturday, July 16 220,5 km
Agde > Ax-3 Domaines *

15 Sunday, July 17 205,5 km
Lézat-sur-Lèze > Saint-Lary Soulan (Pla d'Adet) *

R Monday, July 18
Rest day - Pau

16 Tuesday, July 19 180,5 km
Mourenx > Pau

17 Wednesday, July 20 239,5 km
Pau > Revel

18 Thursday, July 21 189 km
Albi > Mende

19 Friday, July 22 153,5 km
Issoire > Le Puy-en-Velay

20 Saturday, July 23 55 km
Saint-Etienne > Saint-Etienne (TT)

21 Sunday, July 24 144 km
Corbeil-Essonnes > Paris Champs-Élysées

TOTAL 3 607 km

Marking, Walter.

This should be wonderful, Walter! I can't wait!!

I can assure you that we won't see very crowded places and only a few bikes






But like the "real" tour, I won't start before next (Friday) Saturday






:wink:

Ah, Walter, dear Lance Armstrong.

Before starting, some websites with general information might be of interest:



La Maison de France is always a good address for finding general information locally.




Or ask at the French embassies/consulates in



your home country.

There are literally hundreds of websites giving the "cheapest rates" for bookings.

From personal experiences, I recommend these

Hotel Reservation Service


Logis de France are more than 3,000 independent restaurants and hotels all over France, "providing high quality service, authenticity and the discovery of local specialities".



Gîtes de France offers more than 42,000 addresses of B&B's in mainland France and the French overseas territories.

If you look for a privately rented apartment, you might find one here and last minute hotel offers via this website.



Perhaps, you prefer booking the accomodation on the same day at the very place - this list of Tourist office addresses will be a contact point not only for that matter.

<edited: 2x changed grafics>

I look forward to this.

Me too, a great idea!

Well, as said, it will be (nearly) the same as done already last year ... . So, not really great at all. :wink:

Ah, but I missed it last year! It will be totally new for me!

As a travel guide for France, I only would recommend the



Michelin Green Guide - issues available for all French regions in English - because the choice of travel guides deeply depends on your preferences. deeply.

There atlasse(s) are my first choice as well.

When you look for regional/local guides (in English), you can get them best at those places/in those regions, in local bookhops there or at the travel offices («Office de Tourisme - Syndicat d'Initiative», links to addresses above).

I prefer, however, French publications, since they are more up-to-date and, well, (generally) written by people from that place/region.

Since I won't report [much] about the actual Tours de France but only follow the tour plan, HERE is the official website in English, from where you can get all relevant informations.

100 years ago, btw, the Tour took this way:






One of the most interesting sites about the Tour's history is (only in French) Mémoire du Cyclisme: Tour de France

In English, Professional Cycling Palmares Site would be a good choice in my opinion re history of the Tour de France.

You are brave, Walter! Such a work!

I'll frame this response :wink:

Checking in with my friend...

eheh!

There are already a couple checking in, too: