Is Going to France to See the TDF Nuts?

[Talent312]

I was thinking about what we might do before our July 25th cruise from Barcelona. It occurred to me that the Tour de France will be in Southern France the week before. So, on a whim, I booked 2N at a B&B in Carcassonne, FR, where Stage 15 ends.

We'd fly into Toulouse and rent a car or take the train to Carcassonne. Afterwards, we'd take the train to Barcelona to catch our cruise. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts. Is this gonn'a be fun, or a waste of time?
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[VacationForever]

I was thinking about what we might do before our July 25th cruise from Barcelona. It occurred to me that the Tour de France will be in Southern France the week before. So, on a whim, I booked 2N at a B&B in Carcassonne, FR, where Stage 15 ends.

We'd fly into Toulouse and rent a car or take the train to Carcassonne. Afterwards, we'd take the train to Barcelona to catch our cruise. Now I'm having 2nd thoughts. Is this gonn'a be fun, or a waste of time?
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It depends on whether YOU think it is going to be fun. It is not something which I would enjoy even if it were not such a hassle and logistical challenge.

Sounds like you are having second thoughts, which means your instincts are telling you that it is a waste of time.

 

[Laurie]

Carcassonne is a fun place to visit in its own right. But that's a lot of distance you'd have to cover during your first few days, after an overnight flight and jetlag. I'm always pretty spacy and exhausted those first 2 days. So I wouldn't do it.

I used to plan an exciting extra distination at both the beginning and end of a European trip, but I no longer plan to see or do anything important or at a distance at the beginning. At the most, I'd arrive in Barcelona a day or two early, and see some sights there at my leisure - between naps!

 

[Talent312]

I took jet-lag into account by front-loading free-time in Toulouse...
Friday (Day 1) - Arrive and Stay in Toulouse (nap).
Saturday (Day 2) - Train or Rental Car to Carcassonne.
Sunday (Day 3) - Watch the tour arrive.
Monday (Day 4) - Train to Barcelona. Cruise leaves on Wednesday.

It seems do-able, but now I'm thinking that it's an indulgence.
Why not land in Madrid and tour there, instead of France?

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[VacationForever]

I do not know how much time you have spent in Barcelona but a TUGger here has gone back a couple of times and each time spending several weeks. There are so much to see in Barcelona in itself.

 

[Tamino]

There are thousands of people who accompany the Tour de France and often many roads and highways are closed. From Toulouse, I would only consider taking the train to Carcassonne.

There is also a lot more to see in and around Carcassonne than just the race. The big draw to Carcassonne is, of course, la Cité, the old walled city. Dug in the 17th century, the Canal du Midi runs through Carcassonne and many people visit this region just to enjoy the local specialty - cassoulet. Though you would probably need a car, there are Cathar castles to visit and one of the most beautiful villages in France, Minerve from which the region of Minervois takes it name. Minervois, basically north of the Canal du Midi and Corbieres, south of the canal, are two very well known wine producing regions.

You could easily spend up to a week just making your way through Languedoc (the region around Carcassonne), continuing south through the region of Rousillion before crossing the Spanish border. On of the most beautiful seacoast towns anywhere along the Mediterranean is Collioure. You do not want to make your way from France into Spain without seeing this town.

If I were to travel from Toulouse to Barcelona, I would rent a boat and take a week to travel the Canal du Midi, probably from Castelnaudary to Narbonne or Béziers and then catch the train to Barcelona. It would be a fabulous adventure.

 

[Talent312]

Tamino: Thanks for this information. Very useful.
I wish I could spend a week+, but there's a 12-day cruise attached to this.

 

[Talent312]

Resurrecting this thread to say that we decided to go to France pre-cruise.

We fly into Toulouse a week b4 our cruise. We'll rent a car and head for Albi (2N).
From there, we'll head South to Carcassonne (2N) and return the car at the airport.
... We bought tickets to the viewing platform for the finish of the TDF stage.
The day after, we take the train to Barcelona and will have 2N there b4 our cruise.

BTW, the open-jaw airfare (American) was not much different than a pure R/T.


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[pedro47]

Your plans are wonderful, you can go to the TDF and then take the train to Barcelona.
Finally, from beautiful Barcelona, what a great city to visit prior to a cruise along the Mediterranean. Please enjoy your cruise alone the Mediterranean, wishing you smooth sailing and good health.

 

[Egret1986]

Resurrecting this thread to say that we decided to go to France pre-cruise.

We fly into Toulouse a week b4 our cruise. We'll rent a car and head for Albi (2N).
From there, we'll head South to Carcassonne (2N) and return the car at the airport.
... We bought tickets to the viewing platform for the finish of the TDF stage.
The day after, we take the train to Barcelona and will have 2N there b4 our cruise.

BTW, the open-jaw airfare (American) was not much different than a pure R/T.

Sounds exciting! Good for you! Enjoy!

 

[wdinner]

We have biked from Carcassonne to Toulouse twice. A lot of fun! You will enjoy seeing the TDF! Just make sure to have ALL your reservations booked in advance.

 

[Talent312]

We have biked from Carcassonne to Toulouse twice. A lot of fun! You will enjoy seeing the TDF! Just make sure to have ALL your reservations booked in advance.

Thanks... It sounds like you like the area.
We are fully booked -- rental car, hotels, car park in Albi, wine tasting, and train to Barcelona.
I changed our hotel in Carcassonne to be within walking distance of the TDF finish line.

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[silentg]

Sounds fun!

 

[pedro47]

Enjoy your European vacation .

 

[am1]

I would not go as the the tdf has been tarnished by drug cheats. But since youve made up your mind enjoy the area.

 

[Talent312]

I would not go as the the tdf has been tarnished by drug cheats.

I well understand.
But have you seen those mountain climbs? How could they not be doing drugs?
If it were me, I'd pedal as hard as I could, but my bike would still roll backwards.
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[Carol C]

You must be getting so excited! I too have wanted to visit France during the Tour. Once we visited Mallorca and one of the teams was doing practice runs in that island's twisty turny mountains. It was neat to pass them on the road. Btw we combined our timeshare stay on lovely Mallorca with four days in Barcelona and it was an anniversary of Gaudi's birth or death ...and there were several of his buildings open to the public that are privately owned and we felt so lucky to be there then. We hadn't planned it...but we sure took advantage of the Gaudi events we heard about. Hope you have some nice surprises on your trip!