Thinking of taking the wife and kids over to France during the tour. I know there are a million packaged trips out there but for what I am looking for they are pretty pricey. I’d like to stay at a nice resort or hotel where I can swim (lap pool or equivalent), run or ride from each day. I could meet up with the family after the am workout and sightsee or perhaps see a stage or two of the tour. My kids are younger so they need diversions like a pool/ play area, etc. I could use one resort as a base or it would be nice to change locations perhaps once or twice. I have 10 days I could spend over there. Any thoughts? Francois?
Triman. I’ll be in France too for riding and TdF watching although my wife and son will be back home in Canada. Here is my suggestion if you are to go with kids and also hope to keep some level of family sanity while you go off and be an athletes and TdF fan ;-). Stay somewhere close to multiple stages where there is also a Lake with a beach for the kids. If you stay in Aix Les Bains on Lac Annency, you will be close to stages 15 through 18 including the Alpe d’Huez uphill TT. If you stay in the Chamonix-Mont Blanc area, there is lots to do for your family and you can still get quickly to a few stages, but there is no Lake, but I do imagine that there are many hotels with swimming pools. One of my favourite spots is Evian on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) that would be a great family and training option and still close to one TdF stage. Geneva in Switzerland would work too, but the prices of everything go up up up.
From any of these spots you can ride to some of the stages or drive. All the stages are in the afternoon to coincide with a stage finish around the time the folks in France get off from work, so your family time will likely have to be in the morning before you head off to ride and watch the Tour.
My buddy and I are not going with the “packaged rip off programs”. We’re renting a car, and riding our bikes and staying in cheap hotels or camping. I can sleep upside down in a tree if I need to, having spent 13 years in the military, so I don’t need much luxury :-).
I’ll also be timing my ride up Alpe D’Huez and Ventoux and posting on this forum so you guy can laugh about how slow I am compared to the Pantani records (I believe 39 and 56 min respectively).
I agree with Dev’s suggestions. Another possibility would be Monetier-les-Bains (about halfway between Lautaret pass and Briancon). I spent many summers in that area. Your family can do a lot such as rock-climbing, hiking, swimming pool, volley-ball, mountain biking, you name it. You should get very nice weather and are within striking distance from the Alpe d"Huez stage.