Luxury Final Week

Welcome to France! We will be meeting in the lobby of our group hotel in the early afternoon. Our hotel has a great location just 12km outside the city of Avignon. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is right in the heart of a region full of history, culture and a sea of grapevines.

Your guides will help fit your bike and the group will take a ride to the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. You’ll check the fit of your bike and our “practice” ride will help shake off the dust from traveling. The ride will be approximately 35 kms with just under 100m of elevation gain.

The non-cyclists in the group will travel into the walled city of Avignon for a tour of Palais des Papes, a 14th century Gothic palace and the largest Gothic palace in Europe. Avignon will be bustling as the Festival d’Avignon, one of the world’s most important contemporary performing arts events, will be in full swing.

Tonight we’ll enjoy our welcome dinner and not to forget, the wines of the region, at the hotel restaurant. In addition to meeting our fellow travel guests at dinner, we’ll go over the itinerary for our trip. Each cycling guest will receive a cycling jersey and water bottle. All guests will receive a gift from Custom Getaways and a gift from the Tour de France.

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll drive to the start of today’s ride in the Vallon-Pont-d’Arc/Gorges de l’Ardeche region. This unusual region is where the Ardèche River has carved a dramatic canyon through a limestone plateau. The longer ride will be about 50km and the shorter ride about 40km. Elevation gain will be about 400m.

The non-cyclists in the group will also visit the Vallon-Pont-d’Arc/Gorges de l’Archeche region. The Pont d’Arc is a 60m high and 34m wide. It’s a geological wonder and thousands of years of water and wind have eroded the stone into shaping this natural entrance to the Ardeche gorges.

Today’s stage viewing will be in the Izoard VIP venue, located down the mountain from today’s finish line on Mont Ventoux. According to Christian Prudhomme, “Between the village of Bédoin and the observatory overlooking the finish line, there are 15.7km of ascent, averaging 8.7%… and chances to attack at absolutely every point”. TV’s are located within the Izoard venue where we will watch the racers battle before they pass right in front of us on Mont Ventoux. We are hoping to witness some of those attacks!

The Izoard VIP venue is a great way to see the race with snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, water, TVs and private restrooms. Champagne will be served to toast the stage winner.

Not only will we toast the stage winner at the venue, but we’ll also toast at our Michelin star dinner tonight. A culinary institution just over a hundred years old, awarded a star in the 2024 Michelin Guide, where chef Adrien Soro has created a contemporary menu inspired by the flavours of the South of France. We’ll have the pleasure to dine with exceptional views over the Rhône Valley, the Palais des Papes and the Alpilles mountains in the distance.

Now that professionals have done it, it’s our turn. Today we meet the Giant of Provence….Mont Ventoux!

This morning we start with a ride up the famous Mont Ventoux climb! Since there is close to 2,000m of elevation gain, the longer ride will be approximately 50-60km. For those who wish to do a shorter ride, the ride will be approximately 20-30km. You’ll have time to take victory pictures at the summit.

The non-cyclists in the group will have the opportunity to visit and have a tasting at a winery in the Chateauneuf du Pape area. You’ll learn why Chateauneuf du Pape produces some of the most appealing wines in France and in the world.

The group will say goodbye to Provence and will transfer to the city of Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. You will be on your own to explore and find a place for dinner. Grenoble is surrounded by mountains and offers two converging rivers, the Drac (dragon) and the Isère (snake). Surprisingly, Grenoble is a modern city with a plethora of history.

We’ve got another exciting day of cycling and Tour….let’s get going!

The cyclists in the group will drive to the start of today’s ride. We will have two riding distance of 40-50km for the longer ride and 30-40km for the shorter ride. We will ride on the official course to the Relais Etape VIP venue with just under 1,000m of elevation gain. We will meet the non-cyclists at the venue around noon.

The venue is located along the course and serves an excellent 4-course meal for lunch. It also offers snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee and water. The caravan parade will pass in front of our venue and pumps up the crowds with colorful floats and the tossing of small prizes.

Another nice feature of this venue is that it has TV’s to watch the race until the racers pass right in front of us.Once the race finishes, champagne will be served to toast the stage winner. Each Relais Etape guest will receive a gift from le Tour upon exiting the venue.

Once the race finishes, we’ll transfer to our castle hotel in Rhône-Alpes region. Our 17th century chateau is in the heart of a 20-hectare park in the village of Dolomieu. We will enjoy a group dinner before retiring to our beautiful accommodations. Tomorrow is another busy day!

Today our sights are set on the finish line on La Plagne. We won’t tackle all five climbs that the professionals will today, but we we’ll have a great ride on the formidable La Plagne climb. The ride will be 30-40km with an elevation of 2,000m.

The group will line up at 1km from the finish line and will ride across the line before victoriously standing on the podium. The cyclists and non-cyclists will tour the official podium and have pictures taken individually and as a group. You’ll have the chance to freshen up and get lunch before we enter as a group to our next VIP.

Today’s stage viewing will be in the Izoard VIP venue. TV’s are located within the Izoard venue where we will watch how the racers are faring on the final 19.1-kilometre ascent to La Plagne, which at this point in the stage, may seem endless. We will watch as the racers pass us live on the way to the finish line. This venue is a great way to see the race with snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, water, TVs and private restrooms. Champagne will be served to toast the stage winner.

After breakfast we will drive to the Start Village of today’s stage, located in Nantua. You’ll have VIP access to the Start Village with coffee, snacks, tour officials and merchandise tents. You will also be able to see the riders interviewed at the sign-in stage before heading out on their 185km “ride”.

Another great feature of the start village is that you will have access to the team bus paddock. You can walk around the team busses and cars before the race begins. However, you need to be careful as the racers will ride around you to get to the sign-in stage and to the starting line…a really cool experience!

Once the racers depart, we will get a quick lunch and head to the train station in Bourg en Bresse. The fast train, in 1st Class, is the way to go to Paris! Your guides will drive and deliver your luggage at our 5-star hotel in Paris. A trip to Paris isn’t complete until you’ve experienced the famous Metro. We’ll bypass the Paris traffic and take the Metro close to the hotel. You will have the evening free to explore Paris. Our hotel is ideally located three blocks from the Arc de Triomphe and four long blocks to the famous Champs Elysees. You’ll be on your own for dinner with many options along the Champs Elysees.

You will have the morning free to rest, shop or to sight-see in Paris. Around mid-afternoon, hospitality tents will open. We will walk as a group to our VIP venue, Rive Gauche. Our venue is located before the finish line and offers catered food, open bar, TVs and a private terrace to view the race. Private restrooms are also at the venue.

You will have an excellent vantage point from which to view the finish of the Tour de France. You will see the riders pass 16 times on the Champs Élysées. There is also a terrace on the rail for a closer view of the race.

After the finish, you can walk back to the hotel with your guides or stroll back along the Seine River or on the Champs Elysees. Excitement will be in the air with the finish of le Tour. You will be on your own for dinner. Cafes for a bite to eat, a drink at the neighborhood bar or the chance to people watch will be plentiful.

Check out of your hotel by noon or extend your stay in the City of Light. You are responsible for your transfer from the hotel.

Custom Getaways hopes you have amazing memories of this unique experience.

Au revoir!