Tour de France Grand Départ
VIP Spectator Tour















2024 Tour de France VIP Spectator Tour – Grand Départ
Combining the Tour de France with Italian cities and culture - That’s Amore!
Indulge in our Luxury Bespoke Package, with our 5 cities Italian tour, offering lavish accommodations, extraordinary cultural visits to Florence, Siena, Bologna, Milan and Piacenza, unparalleled guide services, and top-quality meals and wine.
Live Race Viewing
Team Presentation
Stage 1: Florence to Rimini
VIP Departure Village in Florence
Stage 2: Cesenatico to Bologna
VIP Finish-Line Tribune in Bologna
Stage 3: Piacenza to Turin
VIP Departure Village in Piacenza
Overview
Details
Next Departure
June 26th 2024
From
USD $6,495
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Overview
Join us for the Grand Depart to experience 5 cities and the first 3 stages of the 2024 Tour de France ! This Italian City Tour has it all. We’ll visit the romantic cities of Florence and Siena, witness stages in Bologna and Piacenza plus spend a final afternoon in Milan. Fully Guided Race Experiences with free time to explore the cities independently. A moderate level of fitness is required as some days could include up to 5 km of walking.
Discover the area and stages with reduced travel time! Stay 10km from Florence in a luxury Wine Estate and in the heart of the beautiful cities of Bologna and Milan.
Official Premium Tour Operator – Thomson Bike Tours is one of only 3 Official Tour Operators awarded “Premium” status to the Tour de France. Our partnership with the race organizers allows us to provide the ultimate insider Tour de France experience, complete with exclusive VIP hospitality and unprecedented race viewing opportunities.
Live Race Viewing
Team Presentation
Team Presentation
Stage 1
Florence > Rimini
Stage 2
Cesenatico > Bologna
Stage 3
Piacenza > Turin
Carol Schreur, USA — 2023
Sean Gorman, USA — 2023
Franklin Swanson, USA — 2019
Exclusive VIP Access
You can’t get closer to the race without joining a World Tour team

Insider Access
Meet the riders and Tour celebrities before the race start at the Departure Village and mix and mingle in the team area with Team Paddock access — a Spectator favorite!

Relais-Etape VIP
A great view of the race and more. Start with an aperitif at the bar and a seated lunch before watching the peloton race by in the company of an ex pro.

Izoard VIP Tribune
The Izoard VIP Tribune, situated opposite the Finish Line, offers VIP hospitality and unparalleled viewing of the stage finish.

A Passionate Team
Our passionate and knowledgable Spectator team are dedicated to providing you with a truly exceptional time at major Pro Tour bike races. The infectious personality of our team add an extra dimension to an unrivalled VIP experience. Simply the most fun you can have at a bike race.

ASO Premium Status
As the number one Official Premium Tour de France Tour Operater we can offer the ultimate in race access and exclusive goodies, such as the Tour de France Roadbook – in digital form - given only to teams, media & Official Tour Operators and a special 25% discount card for Official Tour de France stores.

Break Away
Our guide has relationships with the commentators, teams and an extensive network of insider contacts, that means on the rest days you will be treated to a backstage pass experience

Itinerary
Day | Headline | Description | Hotel | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Benvenuti in Italia! | Torre a Cona Wine Estate | ||
02 | The city of Renaissance- Florence | Torre a Cona Wine Estate | ||
03 | Oh Siena! | Torre a Cona Wine Estate | ||
04 | LIVE Race-Viewing: VIP Departure Village & Bologna | Royal Hotel Carlton Bologna | ||
05 | LIVE Race-Viewing: VIP Finish-Line Tribune in Bologna | Royal Hotel Carlton Bologna | ||
06 | LIVE Race-Viewing: VIP Departure Village and Milan | Hotel Cavour | ||
07 | Arrivederci |
Itinerary Detail
Day 1
Benvenuti in Italia!
Our staff will meet you at Florence airport. From here we’ll have a short transfer to our luxury Hotel nestled in a private Wine Estate! We’ll have lunch where you’ll get a chance to meet your fellow Tour de France fans. Then it’s a short orientation meeting where we’ll run through the plans for the upcoming week. This centuries old family owned estate is an idyllic Tuscan setting and you can enjoy all the decadence it has to offer, before an early evening Wine tasting and tour. Be sure to bring extra luggage to be able to take home all the delicious wines that you will sample and purchase . Dinner in the secret garden will round off an amazing day.

Day 2
The city of Renaissance- Florence
Florence, or Firenze as it is known, was founded in 59BC by Emperor Julius Caesar and is often known as the “Jewel of the Renaissance”. The capital City of Tuscany is famous for it’s art and monuments, some calling the whole city a Museum. We’ll park by the Ponte S.Niccolô and walk the 1.5km along the river to Ponte Vecchio. From this point, the city is at your desire and you will have 4 hours to explore the many beautiful parts of this UNESCO World Heritage treasure. Mid afternoon we will head to see the Teams arrive before the Presentation. Excited, nervous and ready for the month ahead. The presentation itself is best watched from the comfort of our luxury hotel on the big screen.

Day 3
Oh Siena!
Siena’s heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run, a horse race run around the piazza every Summer. Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace….but for us cycling fans it’s the finish of the Strade Bianchi, a race that excites at the start of each cycling calendar! We will spend a few hours visiting this medieval city, (reached by a walk of 1km to a series of escalators). Stroll through the narrow streets, enjoy the many grand pieces of architecture or enjoy lunch or gelato in the main square.

Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Stage
Grand Depart
Stage
Team Presentation
Stage
Grand Depart
Stage 1
Florence > Rimini
It’s rare for the Tour de France to start with more than 3,600 metres of climbing – in fact it’s never happened before! – and it’s also the first time that the race has visited the home city of Gino Bartali. The succession of hills in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna are likely to be the setting for an immediate and testing confrontation between the contenders for the title, particularly the climb into San Marino (7.1km at 4.8%), where the race will add a 13th name to its catalogue of foreign visits.
Stage 2
Cesenatico > Bologna
The passage across the Emilia-Romagna region is straightforward enough to begin with as it takes the peloton to Imola and its famous motor racing circuit. The final part of the stage, featuring the climb to the Sanctuary of San Luca (1.9km at 10.6%), the traditional finale of the Giro dell’Emilia, which will be tackled twice in the final 40km, offers fertile terrain for the peloton’s puncheurs.
Stage 3
Piacenza > Turin
The sprinters will have started the 2024 Tour with their teeth gritted, but now they’ll have something to sink them into with the finish in Turin. Prior to that, the peloton will pay a passing tribute to Fausto Coppi by heading through Tortone, where il campionissimo died. By that point, though, the sprinters’ domestiques will already be hard at work, their focus on ensuring a sprint finale. There’ll be little room for manoeuvre for the breakaway riders.
Stage 4
Pinerolo > Valloire
The race leaves Italy after a long climb to the resort of Sestrières, where Coppi triumphed in 1952, the border subsequently reached at the Col de Montgenèvre. Then, after ascending the Lautaret pass, the riders will tackle the 2,642-metre Galibier. This will be the first opportunity for the favourites to test themselves in the high mountains.
Tour de France
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Dates & Prices
Date | Booking Status | Availability | Price / Per Person | Single Supplement | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | ||||||
June 26 to July 2 |
Taking Bookings |
Places Available |
USD $6,495
|
USD $1,200 |
Book this trip |
Waiting List
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Trip Hotels
What's Included
What's Included | What's Not Included |
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Accommodation and meals
Tour de France Viewings
Transportation
Support
Merchandising
Other Activities
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What's Included |
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Accommodation and meals
Tour de France Viewings
Transportation
Support
Merchandising
Other Activities
|
What's Not Included |
|

Pick-up/Drop-off Info
Arrival
Pickup Location | Time |
---|---|
Florence Airport |
10:30am |
OR |
|
Novotel Firenze Nord Hotel |
10.45am |
Departure
Drop Off Location | Time |
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Hotel Cavour Milan |










































































2024 Tour de France VIP Spectator Tour – Grand Départ
Dreaming with your eyes wide open!
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