Three weeks, one road, and a race that for once begins on this side of the Channel
Tour de France 2027: The Edinburgh Grand Départ, the Route, and Where to Actually Watch
About the Tour de France
The Tour de France runs for three weeks each July across roughly twenty-one stages. The 2027 edition, the 114th, runs from 2 to 25 July and begins with a Grand Départ in Edinburgh — the first time the men’s race has started in Scotland.
What Makes 2027 Different
The opening weekend is British. Stage one runs from Edinburgh to Carlisle, stage two crosses the Lake District from Keswick to Liverpool, and stage three takes the race through Wales from Welshpool to Cardiff before the whole operation transfers to France on the Monday.
For anyone in the UK that removes the single largest obstacle to attending a Tour stage, which has always been that it happens somewhere else. It also means the British stages will be the most crowded roads of the entire race.
Where to Start
- Decide between the start and the mountains — the Grand Départ is accessible and close to home, the mountain stages are where the race is decided. They are different holidays
- Pick the position on the stage, not the town — a finish line, a summit, a feed zone and a village start are four completely different days
- Book accommodation the moment the route is confirmed — anything within reach of a stage finish is committed a year out
- Remember the roads close — getting into position happens hours before the race arrives, and getting out happens when the organisers allow it
Arrange It With Perfect.Live
Tell us whether you want the Grand Départ or the mountains, and we will build the days around it
The 2027 Route
The race runs 2-25 July. The opening three stages are in Britain: Edinburgh to Carlisle on Friday 2 July, Keswick to Liverpool on the Saturday, and Welshpool to Cardiff on the Sunday, the last of these carrying eight categorised climbs. The race transfers to France on Monday 5 July and continues there for the remaining three weeks.
The full stage-by-stage route, including the mountain days that decide the race, is published by the organisers ahead of the season.
How to Watch It Properly
There are three good answers. A stage finish gives the result, the crowd and the podium. A mountain summit gives the race itself — riders at walking pace, close enough to touch, after a long day getting there. And hospitality inside the finish area gives the race on screens, the riders in person, and a chair.
How We Help
- A stage chosen for the day you want rather than the name of the town
- Accommodation secured when the route drops
- A position on the climb reached before the road closes
- Transport that accounts for a race shutting the region
- Access inside the finish area where that is the better answer
A Paris finish pairs naturally with our guides to Michelin-star restaurants in Paris and luxury shopping in Paris.
Frequently Asked Questions
2 to 25 July 2027.
In Edinburgh, on Friday 2 July. It is the first Grand Départ of the men’s race in Scotland.
The first three. Edinburgh to Carlisle, Keswick to Liverpool, and Welshpool to Cardiff. The race moves to France on Monday 5 July.
The organisers publish the full stage-by-stage route ahead of the season, with the mountain days that decide the race confirmed at the same time.
A mountain summit for the racing, a finish line for the result and the atmosphere, hospitality inside the finish area for comfort and proximity to both.
As soon as the route is published. Accommodation near stage finishes, and especially near mountain stages, goes almost immediately.
Yes, and it is the better way to see the race — but it needs the transfers planned around road closures rather than around distances.
Ready When You Are
Twenty-one stages, and only a few of them are the day you actually wanted
