The 2027 Tour de France starts and finishes its first French stage in Cherbourg - QuandPartir — France Travel Guide. - Ouest-France

After Cardiff and a rest day, the Tour races a 171 km loop from Cherbourg on 6 July 2027. The same city hosts the start and finish.

The first racing day in France at the 2027 Tour de France starts and ends in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. On Tuesday 6 July, the riders will leave the port city for a 171 km loop around the Cotentin peninsula before coming back to finish. If you’re following the race over from Britain, you can see both ends of the stage without changing where you stay.

The official route has the third stage finishing in Cardiff on Sunday 4 July. Monday 5 July is a rest day in Cherbourg, so if you want to see the riders race, make Tuesday the centre of your trip. On Wednesday 7 July the race moves on from Pontorson towards Plumelec.

The city’s route announcement lists Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and Barfleur among the towns on the course. One of the last climbs is the Côte du Becquet, on the Route des Couplets. The road pitches up to 13% there, with about 10 km still to race from the top. Choose the Becquet if you want to see the riders on a steep climb late in the stage. For the start and finish in town, use the organiser’s Stage 4 page for street locations and race times as they’re published.

If you’re leaving Britain on Monday after the Cardiff stage, Brittany Ferries’ first Portsmouth–Cherbourg sailing from 5 July is due in at 15:30 on Tuesday, too late to count on seeing the start. The 08:00 ferry to Caen on Monday is due at 15:00 French time. That’s the crossing to aim for if you can get to Portsmouth on Sunday evening.

The Caen ferry lands at Ouistreham. On foot, take Twisto bus 12 from Ouistreham Port to Caen station, then a Nomad train to Cherbourg. Allow about an hour and a quarter for the train itself. The July bus and train times will determine your connection, so leave room for disembarking before choosing a train. The old direct Poole–Cherbourg ferry is no longer an option.

Coming from Paris? Nomad trains run from Saint-Lazare to Cherbourg via Caen. A Monday arrival gives you time to find the start without relying on a race day connection.

Sébastien founded QuandPartir in 2004 and has been its publishing director ever since. His love of travel led him to build a personal database of destinations, which later became the website.