The 2027 Tours de France routes are a British fan's dream – how to watch the French Grand Tours
The men's and women's Tours are coming to the UK, but there's a lot more to the route for race fans
Roll up, roll up, step forward to take a look at Monsieur Prudhomme's and Mademoiselle Rousse's latest list of wheezes for the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
There are the starts in Britain, of course, featuring punchy road stages and starts and finishes in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester and more, and a team time trial in London for the women. That much we already knew about, but it was still exciting to see it reconfirmed on the big stage last week.
The men's Tour then winds its way around France via the Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees, with multiple mini-Classics on the way, while the Femmes crosses the country diagonally to a finale on the Puy de Dôme via some lumpy days.
July and August 2027 might seem a long way in the distance, but in reality they are just eight and nine months away, and will be with you quicker than you think. As a result, here is a guide to the key stages you should be trying to catch in person, and where to stay. Obviously, we could list all of the British stages here, but there's much more to the Tour than that.
Men's Tour de France
Stage three: Welshpool to Cardiff
223km | 4/07/27
After two days which could end in sprints, the final day in Britain for the men will certainly be one for the attackers. Whether it will be one for the general classification contenders remains to be seen, but this is one to circle on your calendars. With such a long stage through the middle of Wales, there will be endless opportunities to catch the race, before a finale in Cardiff, a lot like the Tour of Britain Men last September. With the Welsh capital so well connected to most of the south of Great Britain, it's going to be one hell of a party.
Where to stay?
Cardiff is a key hub and so has loads of hotels, and all the restaurants and pubs you could possibly want, but if you want to be closer to the action on the climbs, Caerphilly and Aberdare are just train rides up the Valleys.
Stage four: Cherbourg-en-Contentin to Cherbourgh-en-Contentin
172KM | 6/07/27
If you want to experience the Tour de France in France but don't fancy too much driving or flying, then pop over the Channel like the peloton are doing and visit Normandy for stage four. It might not be the big mountains, but the wind could make the day exciting, and you can get there in just a few hours by ferry from Portsmouth. The Bayeux Tapestry might be in London at the moment, but there's plenty of history to experience in the region, including a lot of D-Day intrigue.
Where to stay?
If you're just going for the day, remain in the north of Normandy, but if you fancy doing a bit more of the race, you want to be heading south towards Mont-Saint-Michel.
Stage 10: Annecy to Sallanches
172KM | 13/07/27
The Alps are not the key point of next year's Tour, but there is still a series of intriguing stages, all close at hand if you're willing to fly to Geneva, which is very easy to do from the UK. The Grand Colombier on the Sunday might be the first mountain test of next year's Tour, but the Tuesday looks intriguing to us, and can be combined with a few days at the race, especially if you hire a car.
Where to stay?
Ideally, you would stay in Annecy on the lake and enjoy a lovely time in the Haute-Savoie, especially if you can take or hire a bike. However, if you want to head out into the wild a bit, there are plenty of off-season skiing lodges available.
Stage 18: Pau to Sain-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet
174KM | 22/07/27
If you want to be at the denouement of next year's men's Tour, then you have to be in the Pyrenees for this mega queen stage. They are beautiful, and there's so much to explore, but the Pyrenees are more inaccessible to the British traveller, in truth. A flight to Toulouse is necessary, in which case you might as well catch stage 16's time trial, before a lengthy train or drive down to Pau and beyond.
Where to stay?
Pau is always a safe bet, and Tarbes is quite a nice town too, so you could set up base there and try to make it down from the mountains, but it will likely be a late one. Explore options in small towns and villages, but beware Lourdes. The Catholic pilgrimage destination is, well, an acquired taste.
Tour de France Femmes
With just as thrilling racing but slightly less hype and overwhelming crowds, the TDFF is very much an option for us British cycling fans, and it has never been closer. Unlike the men, the women have never been to the UK, and there's a handy stage in Calais too.
Stage two: Manchester to Sheffield
154KM | 31/7/27
The opening day has its appeal, and the London TTT will be exciting, but if you're going to go to one British stage next summer, make it day two. The climbs will be relentless, with the Sheffield trio of Bradfield, Oughtibridge and Jenkin Road the perfect place for someone to attack to glory from. We are already dreaming of crowds to rival the 2014 Grand Départ through the Pennines, and the best foreign start yet for the young race. With your bike, the Peak District is a cyclist's playground, and there will be plenty of fans who arrive and leave on two wheels, but why not make it a bigger holiday?
Where to stay?
Manchester does make sense, seeing as it's where stage one will finish, but to be closer to the key climbs, you want to be in Sheffield, although they are but a train ride apart, should TransPennine and Northern Railway play ball. Expect those services to be teeming with people in polka-dot shirts.
Stage four: Le Touquet Paris-Plage to Calais
123KM | 2/8/27
If you want to experience the Tour de France Femmes in France, then you won't get an easier opportunity than the fourth stage, which ends in Calais. That's right, you could go to the Channel port and back in a day and watch some elite racing. The day begins a little further down the coast, but you could either catch a ferry or cross over on Le Shuttle to witness the finale. If you have your bike or your car, head down to Cap Blanc-Nez, which will be the final climb of the day. It's where Wout van Aert lit things up in 2022.
Where to stay?
Calais might not be the most glamorous location in northern France, but it is well located for this stage. Failing that, many of the towns and villages on and along the coast like Le Touquet and Boulogne-sur-Mer are beautiful. Take your bikes too, as the riding around here is superb.
Stage nine: Clermont Ferrand to Puy de Dôme
170KM | 7/8/27
The final stage of next year's TDFF will see another mythical climb topped, this time the extinct volcano that is the Puy de Dôme. The slight fly in the ointment is that there will likely be restricted numbers on the climb, due to it being a nature reserve; when the men's race went up three years ago, there were no fans at all. However, if you're lucky, the end-of-race ceremony will happen up there, once the Tour has been won on its slopes. Clermont-Ferrand is probably in the least visited part of Metropolitan France, the very middle, so get out your guidebooks and make the most of it. There is an airport, but Lyon then train or drive might be just as good a bet.
Where to stay?
In Clermont itself, or in the forests which surround it to the south-east. The volcanic countryside is perfect to explore by bike, and you could even take a trip up some of the other climbs in the area if you're feeling adventurous.
