Do it yourself guide to following the Tour de France

Road Cycling
Cycling is an amazing way of exploring the countryside and you don’t have to emulate the feats of the Tour de France. The road network of France is extensive and well maintained giving a huge choice of routes. Like hiking you don’t have to sleep rough either. Accommodation is fairly easy to come by even in remote rural areas. There are legions of tour operators offering guided cycling tours, but it isn’t strictly necessary. Anyway getting lost is half the fun of exploring the French countryside.

Mountain Biking
The French are mad for mountain biking or VTT (Velo Tout Terrain). The alpine ski resorts of Les Alpes and the Pyrenees quickly revert to mountain biker hangouts. Disused mountain paths and tracks make for excellent cycling experiences and the alpine areas are quite beautiful in summer – all very ‘Sound of Music’. An added bonus is that many ski resorts are also spa resorts in summer so you can also indulge yourself at the same time.