Le Tour first timers

A couple of do's and don't

DONT, take directions from people who are not following the tour, local villagers like to send you in the wrong direction for a laugh.

DO, pick up the odd hitcher here and there if you have room, a few Euro's may change hands for your lift and they are normally very nice people. Quite a few brits

DONT, try and follow Rusty and Kay's routes, if you know who i'm on about, if not go here and look at their albums https://www.facebook.com/TeamSky/photos?ref=ts

DO, see if you can get close to where they are standing on the stage on day, all brits together and all that, but they'll also give you tips on where to find the best spots for watching the race go by

I would think don't try to park the van too close to the race route. Rely on the bikes a bit (but not too much, don't want to be late).

Never done it in a camper, would love to one day. Done parts with a tent and hitched/cycled.

What i would suggest is get it planned now. Where the starts and finishes are, where you would ideally like to see the race pass by, then plan route's as the traffic from motor-homes, cars and vans following in MENTAL to say the least.

Your best bet is to plan out where the route goes, what village's it passes through, get there the night before that stage, so every day, move on and then use your bikes to get to where you would like to see the race.

That way, by the time the race has passed, you've cycled back to the camper, had some munch and got packed up again, you'll have missed most of the traffic that tend to move as soon as the last riders and cars are through.

In my eyes, whatever you do, don't try and plan being at the start of a stage and then trying to get somewhere else on it that day, as trying to get out of a starting village is horrible. Thats what everyone and his granny tries to do.

Other than that, i'd go search blogs and see what other tips you might pick up.

Get yourself a large map of France, with some coloured pins and a marker pen, Start in one colour, Finish in another, mark the route with the pen and then look at where you'd like to be, plan your route in a different colour and then see whats possible, DONT rely on Sat Nav while over there, do it old school, else you'll be following everyone who's going by Sat Nav