The Dos and Don’ts of Tour de France Travel

Miami-based photographer Alexander Aguiar traveled to France for the 2022 version of the Tour de France. He shares with us a few of his favourite pictures, in addition to some journey ideas, and images dos and don’ts. Professional tip: Go along with your mother (in case your mother speaks French).

Alexander Aguiar

Bicycling: Was this your first time spectating the Tour de France?

Alexander Aguiar: In 2019, My mother and I went to the Tour de France. We had a ton of enjoyable, so there was an itch to return (I’ve an itch for a 3rd time). It doesn’t harm that my mother is French. It was useful to lean on her for translations since I don’t communicate the language very nicely. I’ve been to France different instances with my mother; it’s additionally good to attach with my household’s heritage.

Alexander Aguiar

Bicycling: Have you ever photographed different bike races or simply the Tour?

Aguiar: The 2019 Tour was my first time photographing any sort of biking. I shot it on movie, and I barely remorse not capturing it on a digital digital camera… which motivated me to return for a second time. I don’t shoot the races too actually. I take pleasure in biking and discover the Tour to be unimaginable, however I don’t know all of the riders competing, I don’t know all of the groups, and I don’t know all of the stats or standings for every stage. As an alternative, I concentrate on embracing the occasion with an “outsider’s” viewpoint (though I like my CAAD13, I don’t take into account myself a biking purist).

Alexander Aguiar

Bicycling: When did you guide your journey? The place’d you keep?

Aguiar: We determined to go after the Tour’s route was launched in October 2021. As soon as we selected the times/places, we booked via AirBNB and websites like Hotels.com. Nonetheless, it wasn’t essential to guide resorts as early as we did. We had points with cancellations and incorrect AirBNB listings. We had been capable of finding same-night rooms.

E book your automobile and flights early. However for resorts, I recommend pre-booking the primary 2-3 nights of the journey and go away the remaining up within the air. The unique bookings I made weren’t as handy as they might have been and added further driving time onto already lengthy days. Issues will work out so long as you’ve gotten a cellphone that may search the web and make cellphone calls.

Bicycling: So you bought round by automobile, not by bike?

Aguiar: We rented a automobile at Charles De Gaulle airport after we arrived, and I’d suggest doing the identical. But it surely makes extra sense to complete the journey by taking a practice again to Paris and leaving the automobile on the closest rental facility. We saved about 5 hours of driving again to Paris by doing that, which looks like an enormous deal whenever you’ve been driving nonstop for 10 days.

Often you may park your automobile immediately on the street that the cyclists use for the race. If street closures are a difficulty, pencil in a couple of miles of strolling. There have been a number of days the place we logged 8-9 miles of strolling, however I feel we walked greater than the typical fan. Tour buses appear nice if you wish to have the logistical work taken out of the equation. I can see this being actually beneficial to larger households with kids.

Alexander Aguiar

Bicycling: What else would you do or not do, once more?

Aguiar: I might prefer to go together with my very own bike or hire a motorcycle; that will be a game-changer. Many followers deliver their very own bikes and journey the phases, which I had a higher appreciation for this yr. Other than the cool issue of sharing routes with the highest cyclists on this planet, having a motorcycle additionally makes it so much simpler to get out of your automobile to a viewing space.

Alexander Aguiar

Pictures Classes Aguiar Discovered

Do’s

• Get pleasant with the locals. They’re useful with instructions, viewing places, and parking in cities. Supply them a portrait in alternate.
• Deliver a motorcycle or hire one in France. Lots of followers journey the routes earlier than every stage formally begins, they usually assist with attending to places when roads are closed to automobiles or when parking is much.
• Stack up on baguettes, cheese, and meats for simple meals on the go. They’re low-cost, and attractive.
• Arrive early to places. That method you may meet different followers, wander round cities, take within the surroundings, and get to say your spot earlier than issues get crowded.

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Don’t’s

• Do not count on all the things to go easily. Roads will probably be closed unexpectedly, GPS and addresses could also be incorrect. You simply must waft.
• Do not skimp on worldwide cell service. You’ll want it for Google Maps, except you’re nicely versed in utilizing precise maps.
• Remember insurance coverage to your automobile rental! My first TdF expertise resulted in a dinged rental regardless of being cautious with the automobile. Roads which might be normally quiet are busy.
• Remember to absorb some views and take time to web site see away from the race.
• Do not arrive with no language translator. You should use Google, a good friend (or mother) who is aware of French, or brush up by yourself French earlier than heading out

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→ Extra Scenes from the July 2022 Tour de France