The Perfect Tour de France Vacation
As the Tour de France has grown in popularity over the years, so has the sport of amateur biking. In almost any town across the country it has become a common site to see brightly dressed bicyclists motoring along the side of the roadway. For many of these enthusiasts, the ultimate vacation is a Tour de France vacation that includes riding along the famous routes of the French countryside and seeing stages of the actual race itself. Well, Tour de France vacations are now easier than ever to plan. Most contain a number of different options that are sure to match your personal desires.
Many of the Tour de France vacation choices now offered are classified as VIP packages. These packages include a number of upgraded amenities such as top-notch hotel accommodations, welcome and departure banquets, and discounts on other items including meals and souvenirs. They may also include riding entire legs of the tour yourself on the same day as the pros. Don‘t panic, you will not be riding with the pros, you’ll simply start your leg of the tour several hours earlier than the actual race. Hopefully, that’s enough of a head start.
Besides the once in a lifetime chance to actually ride a leg of the race, you will also have VIP passes that get you into some of the more glamorous back-stage activities. These include pressrooms, Technical Zones, and the opportunity to actually meet and have your photo taken with some of the race’s stars. A Tour de France vacation trip such as this can truly be a dream come true for the biking enthusiast.
Of course, along with the Tour de France vacation VIP treatment comes the VIP price tag. These trips are definitely not cheap. Many can cost as much as $7,000. These prices are not for the faint of heart but, if you can swing it, will give you memories that you can’t really put a price tag on.
For those of us who live in the real world, never fear. These VIP Tour de France vacation packages are not the only options out there for those who want to have a taste of the sweet nectar of the French countryside. Many travel companies offer the option of scaling down the expenses involved in making a trip to the Tour de France. These packages also include the chance to ride a leg of the race and view some of the time trials and other stages of the actual race, just not from the front row. Instead of the three and four-star accommodations, the hotels will be two-star but still very adequate.
Anyway, most of your day will be spent outside riding and watching the race so that shouldn’t matter much. Many tours also include breakfast and dinner, along with ground transportation to the location of the day. One important fact to remember, though, is that few if any of these packages include airfare. This goes for the VIP packages as well. This is a cost that will have to be factored into the final budget you allocate for this trip.
As you can see, the many different options and opportunities to experience the trip of a lifetime by taking a Tour de France vacation are limitless. All you really need to do is decide what your budget is and then find a company that can work within it to give you the options that mean the most to you on your Tour de France vacation. Doing so will give you memories and experiences that will last you a lifetime.
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