L’Etape du Tour Accommodation – Hosted Chalet Package
A catered chalet for Etape weekend, wherever the route goes. Eight riders, breakfast and dinner every day, and transport to the start and back from the finish.
Running trips on these roads since 2008 · Max 8 riders · Arrivals vary by Year
The Trip
Every year L’Etape du Tour moves to a new mountain stage, and every year thousands of riders chase the same beds nearby. This L’Etape du Tour accommodation package takes that problem away: a catered chalet close to the route, chosen once the stage is announced, with breakfast and dinner every day and a group of no more than eight riders.
The Etape usually starts and finishes in different places. I take you to the start on race morning and collect you at the finish, so you never have to work out the logistics around closed roads. You focus on the ride. I’ll handle the rest.
I’ve been running cycling trips on these roads since 2008. Places are limited to eight riders, so everyone gets proper attention on the biggest day of their cycling year.
At a Glance
- Stay: arrive Friday, depart Monday (3 nights)
- Base: high-quality hosted chalet, Alpe d’Huez
- Group size: max 8 riders
- Event: La Marmotte (entry not included)
- Race-day support: transfer to the start, feed station on the Galibier, dry kit at the finish
- Price from : €699 per person, sharing
- Single room from: +€300
- Deposit: €250 non-refundable, balance due before arrival
- Transfers: Geneva or Lyon €150 per person return, Grenoble station €75 per person return
Day by Day
The Etape moves every year, so the exact number of nights is confirmed once the route is announced. The shape of the stay stays the same.
Arrival Day
Transfers from the airport or station if booked. Settle into the chalet, meet the group over dinner and get a briefing on the route, timings and race-day plan.
The Day Before — Rest and Prepare
Collect your race number from the event village, check your bike and keep your legs fresh. Dinner at the chalet and an early night.
Race Day — L’Etape du Tour
Early breakfast and transfer to the start. Ride the stage on closed roads, then I collect you at the finish and bring you back to the chalet for a shower and dinner.
Departure Day
Breakfast, transfers out, or stay on for extra nights.
Included
- Catered chalet close to the Etape route, from nights
- Breakfast and dinner every day
- Race-morning transfer for you and your bike to the start
- Pick-up at the finish and transfer back to the chalet
- Help with race-number collection and pre-race logistics
- Route and race-day briefing
- Local knowledge from someone who has run trips on these roads since 2008
Not Included
- L’Etape du Tour entry — you register directly with the organisers
- Flights or trains to France
- Airport transfers from closest airport
- Station transfers from closest station
- Bike hire (available on request)
- Extra nights before or after
- Travel insurance including cancellation insurance
L’Etape du Tour Accommodation
Your base is a catered chalet close to the Etape route. Because the stage changes every year, I choose the chalet once the route is announced, picking somewhere that keeps the race-morning transfer short and the drive back from the finish easy.
With only eight riders, the chalet is yours as a group: comfortable rooms, space to relax, and breakfast and dinner cooked for you every day, so you can eat well and rest properly before and after the stage. There’s secure storage for bikes, and I’m on hand all weekend to sort whatever you need.
Bike Rental for L’Etape du Tour
Flying in and don’t want to travel with your bike? Leave it at home. A quality road bike can be waiting for you at the chalet, ready for L’Etape du Tour.
- Various models of traditional carbon road bikes with electronic or mechanical shifting. I can also source E-Bikes as required
- Gearing suited to the Alps: compact chainset and wide-range cassette
- Sizes XS -XXL
- Delivered to the chalet and set up to your measurements before Saturday
- Price from : €250
What to bring: your own pedals and shoes, and your saddle if you’re particular about it. Send your height, inseam and current bike measurements when you book, and I’ll make sure the fit is right.
Bikes are limited for race weekend, so reserve yours when you book your place.
Additional Information
How to Get There
The nearest airports and stations depend on where the Etape goes each year. For an Alps stage that usually means Geneva, Lyon or Grenoble; for a Pyrenees stage, Toulouse, Pau or Lourdes. Once the route is announced, I’ll confirm the best options.
I can collect you and your bike and bring you straight to the chalet. Transfer prices are on request, as they depend on the year’s location.
Bike Rental
Don’t want to fly with your bike? A quality road bike can be waiting at the chalet, set up to your measurements. See the Bike Rental section for bikes, sizes and prices. Reserve early, as Etape-weekend bikes are limited.
Custom Groups from 1 to 99 Riders
Riding solo, with a few friends, or bringing a whole club? I can build an Etape weekend around your group, for anywhere from 1 to 99 riders, with the accommodation, transfers and race-day support scaled to fit. Tell me about your group and I’ll put a plan together.
Booking and Payment
A non-refundable deposit secures your place, with the balance due [10 weeks] before arrival. Places are limited to eight riders and Etape accommodation goes quickly once the route is announced. Questions first? Get in touch.
Non-Riding Partners
Partners who aren’t riding are welcome however due to demand are charged at the same rate.
FAQ
What Is L’Etape du Tour?
L’Etape du Tour is a one-day sportive that lets amateur riders ride a full mountain stage of the Tour de France on closed roads, a few days before the professionals. It has run since 1993, takes place each July and attracts more than 16,000 riders every year.
Where Is L’Etape du Tour Held?
The Etape follows a different Tour de France stage every year, usually in the Alps or the Pyrenees. The route is revealed each October at the official Tour de France presentation, and riders often only know where they’re staying once that announcement is made.
How Hard Is L’Etape du Tour?
The Etape is a hard day out because it copies one of the Tour’s toughest mountain stages. A typical edition covers 130 to 170 km with several major climbs; the 2026 route to Alpe d’Huez was 170 km with 5,400 metres of climbing. Riders must also stay ahead of the time cut-offs.
How Do I Get an Entry?
You register directly with the event organisers on the official L’Etape du Tour website. Registration usually opens shortly after the route is revealed in October, and places sell quickly, so it pays to be ready on the day entries open.
What Is the L’Etape du Tour Accommodation Package?
It’s a supported stay built around the event. You stay in a catered chalet close to the route with breakfast and dinner every day, in a group of no more than eight riders. I take you to the start on race morning and collect you at the finish.
Is L’Etape du Tour Entry Included?
No. You register directly with the organisers. The package covers everything around the ride: the chalet, meals, transfers and race-day logistics.
Why Do I Need Transport on Race Day?
The Etape usually starts and finishes in different towns, often tens of kilometres apart, with roads closed for much of the day. Having transport arranged to the start and back from the finish means you don’t have to plan around closures, shuttles or parking.
How Do I Get to the Etape?
It depends on the year’s route. Alps stages are usually reached from Geneva, Lyon or Grenoble, and Pyrenees stages from Toulouse, Pau or Lourdes. I can collect you from the nearest airport or station, with your bike, as an optional extra.
Can I Hire a Bike?
Yes. A quality road bike can be waiting at the chalet, set up to your measurements. See the Bike Rental section for details.
Do You Guide the Event?
No. The Etape is your ride. I provide the support around it: the chalet, meals, transfers and local knowledge from running trips on these roads since 2008.
New to L’Etape du Tour?
See this year’s route, the climbs and what to expect: L’Etape du Tour guide · Watch the videos
Need more information please contact me below
Ready to ride the climbs you’ve always dreamed about? Book your place with a 20% deposit, or drop me a line and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.
