Fly private to the Tour de France, one of the most celebrated races in the world
Originally introduced in 1903 by the French magazine L’Auto in an effort to sell more magazine subscriptions, the Tour de France created the most sensational, most grueling cycling race ever, covering 3,500 kilometers in the span of 20 days during the peak of summer. The dedication and determination of the riders draw thousands of cycling fans from around the world every year as riders make their way across France – if you’re interested in joining the crowd this summer, Jet Charter Europe can take care of your private flight to the Tour de France!
Tour de France 2016 stages
- Stage 1: Mont Saint-Michel – Utah Beach – 188km
- Stage 2: Saint-Lo – Cherbourg-Octeville – 182km
- Stage 3: Granville – Angers – 222km
- Stage 4: Saumur – Limoges – 232km
- Stage 5: Limoges – Le Lioran – 216km
- Stage 6: July Arpajon-sur-Cère – Montauban – 187km
- Stage 7: L’Isle-Jourdain – Lac de Payolle – 162km
- Stage 8: Pau – Bagnères-de-Luchon – 183km
- Stage 9: Vielha Val d’Aran – Andorra-Arcalis -184km
- Rest Day: Andorra
- Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany – Revel 198km
- Stage 11: Carcassonne – Montpellier -164km
- Stage 12: Montpellier – Mont Ventoux – 185km
- Stage 13: Bourg-Saint-Andéol – La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc – 37km – Individual time trial
- Stage 14: Montélimar – Villars-les-Dombes – Parc des Oiseaux – 208km
- Stage 15: July Bourg-en-Bresse – Culoz -159km
- Stage 16 18 July Moirans-en-Montagne – Bern – 206km
- Rest Day 2: Bern
- Stage 17: Bern – Finhaut Émosson -184km
- Stage 18: Sallanches – Megève – 17 km – Individual time trial
- Stage 19: Albertville – Saint-Gervais-les-Bains -146km
- Stage 20: Megève – Morzine – 146km
- Stage 21: Chantilly – Paris – 113km
Most of the Tour’s stages are in mainland France, although the route occasionally crosses borders to include its European neighbors. Hosting the start or finish of a stage brings a huge amount of prestige and business to a town, and many towns adopt a carnival-like atmosphere as the excitement builds in anticipation of the cyclist’s arrival. While there are several variations between yearly editions of the Tour de France, there are a few key elements that never change:
The Tour will…
- Cover a range terrain, from easily graded flat ground, to difficult mountains known as hors catégorie, or “beyond classification”
- Will not exceed 3,500 kilometers
- End in spectacular fashion along the Champs-Élysées in Paris
Around 20 teams enter the Tour each year, broken down into groups of 9 riders, and there are three different classifications of stages during the race: Flat stages, Time Trials and Mountain Stages. This year’s running of the Tour will not feature any team time trials, prologue time trials or cobbled stages, meaning the race sets up well for the strongest climbers. Here’s a few quick tips to help you enjoy the race from the sidelines before your private flight.
How to Watch:
Competitors in the Tour de France ride in a group of cyclists referred to as the “peloton”. Traveling an average of 25 – 27 MPH, this group rarely breaks up during the flat stages, where the entire peloton will pass by within about 15 seconds. If you’re looking to catch more than a light breeze from a large group of passing cyclists, the time trial stages and grueling mountain stages are your best bets.
Time Trials
During the Time Trial stages, riders are separated by a handful of minutes each. Individual Time Trials take place during the competition, allowing spectators to every cyclist as they pass, or every group during team stages. The Tour exits Mont Ventoux this year by heading into the Bourg-Saint-Andéol – La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc stage, a 37km time trial consisting of over 900km of climbing.
Mountain Stages
The Tour de France visits the Alps a little early this year with a challenging stage to Culoz and a double climb of the Grand Colombier on stage 14. A decisive mountain stage begins on stage 18, complete with a new finish along the Emosson dam following the Gueulaz climb at an altitude of 1960m.
Local Airports for Private Flights in France
The following list contains the most popular airports for private flights to the Tour de France. Choose from private jets such as a Citation, Hawker, Lear, Falcon, Challenger, Gulfstream or Global Express. We also have access to VIP airliners, Boeing Business Jets and Jumbo Jets.
- (LSZB, LSMB, BRN) Bern Airport – Belp, Switzerland
- Longest Runway: 5,676 feet
- (LFMN, NCE) Nice Côte d’Azur Airport – Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France
- Longest Runway: 9,711 feet
- (LFPB, LBG) Paris–Le Bourget Airport – Paris, France
- Longest Runway: 9,843 feet
- (LFRF, GFR) Granville Airport – Granville, Mancha, France
- Longest Runway: 3,150 feet
- (LFRD, DNR) Pleurtuit Airport – Pleurtuit, Saint-Malo, France
- Longest Runway: 7,218 feet
- (LFBP, PUF) Pau Pyrenees Airport – Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
- Longest Runway: 8,202 feet
Why Fly Private to the Tour de France?
Jet Charter Europe can help you put together your own multi-leg tour of the Tour de France! We can arrange your private flight to your preferred destination within France, with ground transportation awaiting your arrival. We can also book your private flight to bring you to multiple stages of the Tour de France, including the Grand Départ from Mont-Saint-Michel on July 2nd, to the grand finale down the Champs-Élysées on July 24th.
When you book a private charter flight, you’ll enjoy increased efficiency, flexibility, comfort, privacy and peace of mind compared to commercial flights. Skip the long baggage lines and time-consuming security checkpoints and board your private jet directly – with an average wait time of 5-10 minutes, you’ll be up and away quickly. Private chartered aircraft also have the ability to land at over ten times the airports compared to commercial flights, allowing you to land closer to your destination.
Request a Jet Charter Quote
Request a Quote or give us a call at 1-888-987-5387 to speak with one of our Jet Charter Europe representatives to book your private flight to the next running of the Tour de France!