Unofficial fan guide · 2027 Tour de France

Where to sleep when the Tour comes to town

Teams and race staff take the best hotels near the route months ahead. We map the base towns 10 to 30 km away where you can still find a bed and be at the roadside before the roads close.

Grand Départ
Edinburgh · Fri 2 July 2027259 days to go
Full route reveal
Paris · Thu 22 Oct 20266 days to go
Femmes Grand Départ
Leeds · Fri 30 July 2027287 days to go

Stage guides

Six UK stages are confirmed so far: three for the men's race and three for the Femmes. Pick a stage, then a base town to see where to stay.

Tour de France 2 to 25 July 2027 · 21 stages

Tour de France Femmes 30 July to 8 August 2027 · 9 stages

Dashed stages are revealed on Thursday 22 October in Paris. Get them by email.

Stage1

Tour de France · Fri 2 July 2027

Edinburgh → Carlisle

  • 184 km · 114 mi
  • Flat
  • 1 categorised climb

Route sheet

In race order, not to scale
  1. Edinburgh CastleGrand Départ
  2. Midlothian
  3. InnerleithenInto the Tweed Valley
  4. Galashiels
  5. Côte de MelroseThe day's only categorised climb, below the Eildon Hills
  6. SelkirkSkirts the edge of town
  7. Hawick
  8. NewcastletonDown Liddesdale, along the border
  9. CanonbieBrief dip into Dumfries and Galloway, then into England
  10. Carlisle CastleSprint finish

Where to watch

The Côte de Melrose decides the first polka dot jersey of the Tour, so the slopes under the Eildon Hills will be packed. For the sprint, stand near the finish beside Carlisle Castle.

Base towns

Pick one to see places to stay

Plan aheadStaying for Stage 2? Saturday starts in Keswick, about 50 km from Carlisle. Penrith sits between the two.

Why base towns

Watching the Tour is free. Sleeping near it is the hard part.

The race books first

Organisers reserve hotels for every team, plus staff, media and the publicity caravan. Teams get their hotel lists in the spring.

Look 10 to 30 km out

Seasoned spectators book the next town over, then drive or ride in early. Roads close hours before the race arrives.

Move when the route drops

Bookings rush in the moment the route is announced. Mountain stages and small start towns go first.