2024 tour start in Florence... would you go if close?
 

Seeking opinions on this...

Turns out we might be ~1.5 hours from the Tour's start in Florence this year; not sure it's reasonable, but wanted to seek opinions... do you think it would be worth it to drive up to see the first stage of a grand tour?

https://www.letour.fr/en/the-race/gr...nd-depart-2024

Any day in Florence is a good day.

Thats the right answer!!

Florence is a ****show. The finish in Bologna with multiple laps would be a much better day.

I hear this. We might be headed the other way on the day that finishes in Bologna.

We'll be in Florence a few days earlier... not sure if a drive back up to try to get close to the start (probably already knocking it down by the time we get there?) is worth it.

You wonder how the Italians are going to react to all this. I mean, they have their own race. Maybe it's just going to be a bunch of tourists at the start, majority French. But then again, it's Florence, tourist central.

Totally do it.
Only been there once back 1994 but I had a good time in Firenze. Found a new hostel that was only three months old back then. Clean and spacious. Made a couple of friends from NYC on the train ride in. Bought some leather stuff in the market.

1.5 hours drive in Toronto is how long it can take me do cover 30 km. That's not a joke. :(

Only if you take pictures and post them here, you would be awfully silly not too and regret it for the rest of your life!

I was in Florence last year in March and it was amazing. My neighbor went a few months later and said in May it was so crowded you could barely walk down a street or get into a cafe or restaurant. I can only imagine how crowded it would be during the Tour.

They say Le Tour finale is the best day in summer to visit Paris because everyone is crowded around the Champs-Elysees.

Ha, I bet, I was there in the 90's in January and it was pretty great as it was not over run with tourists. I hope to get back one day.

My wife and I are going to the Grand Depart in Florence, so I guess my vote is yes. It is likely to be an unholy mess, but YOLO!

Yeah, I'm sort of torn on how hard to push for this in my situation; this is a multi-generation trip and I'd need to supply all the necessary enthusiasm and energy for the group and signing them up for the day is going to be a big ask.

If it seems like it might fall easily once we're there, that might change my mood considerably.

Yeah, for us, it's the first day of an 8-day bike tour of Tuscany. And my wife has religiously followed the tour for 20+ years (like literally watching every stage) and can't wait to go, so it's definitely a joint endeavour!

Or do all the French take the day off from work and shut everything down?

Realistically I was in France during the Tour and didn't see anything like that.

Watching the Tour go by is both quite anti-climatic and simultaneously something I think any serious cyclist should go do if they get the chance and are in the right area.

When I went it's just a big buildup an then WHOOSH they're here and gone and it's over. With the crowd it's hard to even recognize anyone or really see what's going on. I was right on the barriers and it still seemed like that. The crowd extended so far you still can't see till they're right upon you. But it's still really cool.

Florence might be a zoo but there are tons of places to see the Tour where it really doesn't take much of your day. You go somewhere and do a bunch of other things that non-cycling members of your trip like. 30-60 minutes before the race goes by the whole town runs over the barriers and gets super excited. The race goes by and it's over in 15-20 minutes and everyone goes back to their day. It doesn't have to be "camp out on Ventoux all day". It's way less painful than insisting the whole family go to a MLB or NFL game for hours and hours.

It wasn't a zoo and it wasn't for the tour but Florence was great when I got to visit as well. Stunning city.