Paris to Nice via Beaujolais and Cotes du Rhone

A week-long mini-version of the Tour de France cycle race takes place in March with the Paris-Nice race. This is a good early season test which may help to identify the potential successors to Chris Froome etc for the July Tour de France.
The route changes every year but will often pass through the Beaujolais vineyards and the Cotes du Rhone.
You really do not have to be a cycling fan to enjoy the spectacle of a French race – the locals are very enthusiastic and tolerate the associated road closures, noise and chaos willingly, Watching the Tour de France has got us to parts of France we would never have seen or have stopped in – there is always a bit of a carnival atmosphere, and the locals are usually friendly. We tend to head for the smaller, quieter villages where the arrival of “le Tour” is a major event – so out will come the flags, the mayor and maybe a small band. The waiting around for the cyclists and their entourage to arrive gives you a chance to explore “la France profonde” which you might not otherwise do – and to have a picnic or even the odd glass of local wine – it’s all very French!

Latest dates for the Paris Nice race