At Spyns, the TDF trips are different from our regular tours so we'd prefer to be upfront about those little details. Here are five details you need to know about your upcoming TDF tour.
1. All Payments are Non-Refundable: Once paid, your trip deposit and balance are non-refundable. This isn't the case with all of our tours, just with our TDF trips. Demand for hotel rooms near the 2012 TDF stages far exceeds supply and we have to pre-pay for rooms, meals, transportation etc. This is why your payments are non-refundable as we were out-of-pocket on almost everything.
2. What's Not Included With Your Tour: Some things aren't included with your tour such as: transportation to the trip's starting point; some dinners and lunches may be at your charge; extra hotel charges like minibar and telephone; and beer/wine/alcohol with certain meals. Our guides will remind you about these details throughout the trip but please see each trip's detailed itinerary for further information. You can also call us toll-free 1.888.825.4720 if you need additional details.
3. July 21 - Exciting But Tiring: On July 21, guests on our Pyrenees-Paris tours and Dordogne-Paris tours have the option of seeing the final time trial in Chartres (1.5 hrs southwest of Paris). This will be an exciting but long day. Getting to Chartres means traveling to Paris, catching a connecting train to Chartres, and then back to Paris. You can expect 5-7 hours of train travel and an entire day at the stage. It will be exhausting.
4. Group Size: We pride ourselves on having small, intimate groups of 10-15, however there will be times when several tour groups overlap. Specifically, some groups may meet at the Pau train stations on day 1 (Pyrenees-Paris tours). You may also see other groups at the various stages. The groups will all transfer together to Paris on July 21, and we'll all be riding together on the Champs Elysees the morning of the finish on July 22.
5. France is beautiful...but a little different: Your room may be a little smaller, your diet coke a little warmer, and the dinners a littler longer, but France is an extraordinary place filled with wonderful people. Here are some things you should know before departure:
The French tend to be a little reserved when you first meet them. They're not unfriendly, they're just not a "Hey Y'all" kind of people. We often say that the French are like cats: they come to you when they want, need a lot of stroking, and often scratch or bite when they've had enough.
Most speak little English or are very nervous about speaking English. A friendly "Bonjour" and few "Mercis" before you ask if someone speaks English will go a very long way. If you speak any French, try it out no matter how poor your accent. They'll appreciate the effort.
They're Not Anti-American. The French love American music, movies, and most dream of travelling to New York or California. While they love US culture, no one enjoys being barked at in a foreign language (in this case English) so they'll respect you if you respect them.
Eating Habits: The French don't eat between meals, they consider it impolite to leave food on your plate, they believe its strange to eat eggs with breakfast (preferring omlettes for dinner), and they consider ice as precious a commodity as diamonds. So don't expect 24hr meal service, heaps of eggs at breakfast, and a glass full of ice for your soft drink.
"How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?" Charles de Gaulle
