Why should you follow the Tour de France 2025?

A bustling city in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, Lille experienced the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 1960 and again in 1994. As a stage town for the 19th time, the historic capital of Flanders offers the riders a flat stage for a smooth start. Cheer on the cyclists if you're passing through Lille on 5 July, then take the opportunity to discover three of Lille's gems from the industrial era, skilfully restored:

Le Tripostal, which now houses a contemporary art exhibition hall.
Saint-Sauveur station, transformed into a bar, cinema and exhibition hall, is also home to an urban farm.
The Maisons Folie de Wazemmes and Moulins showcase popular culture. You can also take a coffee break there, with table tennis and pinball.

Don't leave Lille without treating yourself to a cone of chips!

A second stop is required in the Hauts-de-France region, in the beautiful and historic capital of Picardy, Amiens. This rugged fourth stage will take the Tour de France riders all the way to Rouen on 8 July. You can treat yourself to the luxury of staying in Amiens and discovering the Tisserie. The former Cosserat de Velours factory has been redeveloped to become a mixed-use area where people can live, work, stroll and socialise... A new lease of life for this exceptional historical heritage. Don't leave Amiens without visiting its Gothic cathedral, which is also the largest in France.

The beautiful medieval town of Bayeux, in Normandy, promises a sixth stage to Vire Normandie full of emotions and untimely pedal strokes. In fact, this is the toughest flat stage in the recent history of the Tour de France, with more than 3,500 metres of climbing. You'll be staying in Bayeux, the ideal base for exploring the D-Day landing beaches, just a few kilometres away. At Omaha Beach, an immense beach of fine sand, discover a place of remembrance, then try your hand at sand yachting with family or friends, and breathe in the fresh sea air. Don't leave Bayeux without seeing its famous tapestry.

The Breton town stands proudly facing the sea, behind its granite ramparts. You'll love discovering it on 11 July, during the seventh stage of the 2025 Tour de France, which will take the riders as far as Mûr-de-Bretagne. Go past the ramparts through the Porte Saint-Vincent, then head for Rue de l'Orme, Saint-Malo's gourmet street. Here you'll find some exceptional food shops. The Maison du beurre Bordier offers all that France has to offer in terms of butters and cheeses, you can treat yourself to some oysters at the Guinemer fishmonger, and local fruit and vegetables in all four seasons. Don't forget to try Saint-Malo's famous babas at the grocery shop of the same name. Inspired by the Route du Rhum, Luc Mobihan, a Michelin-starred chef from Saint-Malo, has revisited the baba by combining different culinary influences, mixing local products with exotic flavours. In fact, you can't leave Saint-Malo without making a reservation at Saint Placide, the gourmet restaurant run by the chef and his wife, Isabelle Mobihan.

On Sunday 13 July, if you're in Chinon, in the Loire Valley, you'll be cheering on the cyclists as they prepare for a rather flat ninth stage to Châteauroux. Your heart will go out to them as they take the cobbled steps (or the large glass lift) up to the royal fortress, and into the town centre. Then head for the banks of the Vienne and its beach, where La Guinguette de Chinon will be opening in April 2025, with musical entertainment, food trucks and a farmers' market. Ideal for an afternoon with the family or an aperitif with friends.
Chinon is famous for its wine, so don't leave town without visiting Béatrice and Pascal Lambert's biodynamic estate.

A day of rest awaits cyclists in Toulouse on 15 July. Do as they do and stroll along the banks of the Garonne. Don't hesitate to go up to the Bazacle, the restored former hydroelectric power station, and enjoy life on the large panoramic terrace overlooking the Garonne, with a breathtaking view of Toulouse. In summer, the temporary Turbine restaurant welcomes you in an exceptional setting.
Don't leave Toulouse without trying a cassoulet at Genty Magre, which offers traditional bourgeois cuisine and will be the world cassoulet champion in Toulouse in 2023.

And don't worry if you're in the pink city, which was on the programme for the first edition of the Tour in 1903, and which is a stage city for the 28th time, the race resumes on 16 July for a 100% Toulouse loop that will take the bikes from Toulouse... to Toulouse.

In Peyragudes, your calves will be quivering as you tackle the famous climb, especially as this 13th stage is against the clock. Sore just imagining the effort made by the riders, you can relax at Balnéa, the first thermal water relaxation complex in the French Pyrenees, on the banks of Lake Loudenvielle. A sublime setting for maximum relaxation.

Feeling guilty? Since March 2023, Balnéa has been offering a new facility: the 25-metre Bassin Olympien, an indoor swimming pool filled with naturally warm water loaded with trace elements.

This 15th stage from Muret to Carcassonne in the Occitanie region is the perfect opportunity to discover the breathtaking medieval architecture of Carcassonne. On Sunday 20 July, you'll be cheering on the riders as they pedal the final 40km downhill towards Carcassonne. Then you'll fall in love with the city, which is also the largest fortress in Europe, adorned with 52 towers, encircled by two ramparts and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The château comtal and the basilica of Saint-Nazaire will not leave you unmoved either.
You won't want to leave Carcassonne without stopping off at Frank Putelat's restaurant, a favourite with the locals, offering a tasty journey from the mountains to the sea.

The mountains! This 19th stage, which will have the riders sweating it out between Albertville and La Plagne in the Alps, is peppered with five climbs, the first of which, the côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine, is around ten kilometres after the start. The final ascent to La Plagne will no doubt seem interminable with its 19.1 kilometre climb. The cyclists will be waiting for you to cheer them on! And it's as a family that you'll continue your stay in sporting harmony. No more thalassotherapy or lazing around! In idyllic summer mountain settings, you can try your hand at baby rafting, mountain biking, orienteering and tree climbing.
And don't leave La Plagne without trying Aérolive, a new experience that's unique in the world. From this summer, treat yourself to a sensational aerial journey with an unusual ascent on the Glacier gondola... Two ascent cabins, called ‘l'Acrobate’ and ‘la Funambule’, replace the classic cabins to take some daring climbers to the top. Open to the four winds, they will transport you to the heart of the mountains with an exceptional, unobstructed panoramic view.
 

In Paris, on the most beautiful avenue in the world, the emotion is at its peak on 27 July. The riders of the 2025 Tour de France were on target, and the crowds were huge. Can't get enough of the thrill of sport? Relive the thrills of the Olympic and Paralympic Games by walking down the Champs Elysées and (re)discovering the Olympic cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens. Don't leave Paris without visiting the recently reopened Grand Palais.