and
Tips
Bicycles:
Do you plan to bring your
own bicycle to France?
Really? Why?
For starters, we understand
that people are very
attached to their own
bicycles. If you have paid
for a professional bike fit,
or if you have special
equipment that makes you
more comfortable when you
ride, then we understand why
you want to bring your own
ride.
Consider this:
You need to buy/rent/borrow
a bike box. You need to
break your bike down into
pieces to fit in the box.
You are on to carry that to
Europe. If you have
connections, your airline
will need to route your bike
on to your final
destination. When you
finally reach your
destination you will have to
rebuild your bike to ride,
then do it all again for
your return trip home.
How can we help you? If you
are coming with us, we can
help you at orientation with
your bike set up and we can
help to arrange the storage
of your bike box. We are
happy to help our customers
manage their bikes.
Having said that; Why not
rent a Box?
Bicycle Boxes: What are the
best? At the moment, we
can't recommend any one
brand over another. What we
can suggest is this: hard
sided is nice. You have to
have wheels! An internal fix
for your frame is a good
idea! Bike bags, cardboard
boxes - forget it. If you
love your bike that much,
then protect it, otherwise
leave it home. Customers are
encouraged to ask us any
questions!
PASSPORTS & DOCUMENTATION
You only need a valid
passport as a U.S. citizen
to travel to France. You are
required to carry
identification with you at
all times when traveling in
France. If you lose your
passport, contact the
American Consulate in Paris:
2 rue St. Florentin 75001
Paris, telephone:
01.42.96.12.02, or
01.42.61.80.75. It is
strongly recommended that
you make two photocopies of
your passport and other
important documentation.
Leave one copy at home with
family or friends, and keep
another with you but
separate from the actual
documents. Passports must be
valid 3 months beyond length
of stay.
GEOGRAPHY
The Paris Ile-de-France
Region is made up of 8
departements, including
Paris, Val d'Oise, Yvelines,
Essonne, Seine-et-Marne,
Hauts de Seine, Val de
Marne, and Seine St Denis.
It is the leading French
region out of a total of 22.
With a historical and
intellectual heritage that
is one of the most
prestigious in the world -
Château de Versailles, Grand
Louvre Museum, Musée
d'Orsay, Bibliotheque de
France (France's National
Library), etc., and three
natural parks, the Capital
Region asserts itself as the
leading world tourist
destination, with 36 million
visitors every year. With
its 2,000 historic monuments
and 200 museums, its wonders
range from princely homes to
medieval chateaux or
impressionist locations. In
addition to these legacies
from the past, the Paris
Ile-de- France Region also
has a wealth of modern
sites, from the La Défense
district to the Centre
Beaubourg, from the
Cathédrale d'Evry, the most
recently built cathedral in
France (1991), to the new
Stade de France stadium in
Saint-Denis, where the
Football World Cup final was
held in 1998. (CRT
Ile-de-France).
TELEPHONES
Public phones in France
require a telephone card
which can be purchased at
any Tabac or post office (La
Poste). They come in
different denominations or
units (unites). A call to
America is dialed 00 plus 1
then the area code and
number. To reach an English
speaking operator in the
U.S. dial 19, wait for the
tone, then 0011 for AT&T, or
0019 for MCI, or 0087 for
Sprint. La Poste is open 9-6
daily and 8-noon on
Saturday. They can handle
money orders, and other
financial transactions, as
well as faxes. It’s a sure
place to find a telephone.
Stamps can be purchased here
but are more conveniently
found at Tabacs.
Emergency telephone numbers
throughout France:
24 hour ambulance:
15
Police: 17
Fire: 18
Other telephone numbers
in Paris:
24 hour doctor:
01.47.07.77.77
24 hour dentist:
01.43.37.51.00
English language crisis
line: 01.47.23.80.80
American Hospital and
Pharmacy
63 blvd. Victor Hugo 1, rue
Auber
92202 Neuilly 75009 Paris
01.46.41.25.25 Tel:
01.42.60.72.96
What good "stuff' can you
eat?
France is a land of
gastronomy. Braised duck
with Montmorency (Val d'Oise)
cherries, roast Houdan
chicken, Essonne cress
deliciously spiced with
Meaux mustard
(Seine-et-Marne), rose
confiture from Provins, or
Melun brie (Essonne)-
there's no shortage of
culinary specialties in
Ile-de-France (although
after all the same could be
said o every region of
France). But the most
remarkable phenomenon lies
in Ile-de-France's unique
capacity of concentrating
all of the country's
gastronomic traditions- the
influence of the capital, no
doubt. One thing is sure:
savoring a deliciously
garlicky bouillabaisse, a
choucroute overflowing with
sausages or crepes with a
rich note of caramel that
only the Bretons have the
secret . Here, everything is
possible.
LBDC cycling Tour de France
offers for each participant
one (1) LOOK back pack
One (1) LOOK travel bag and
one (1) LOOK uniform set
(jersey + bib short).
Also LBDC will provide tools
for light reparation and
tubes, tires, shifter and
brake cables for extra cost
in case you need them.
Don’t bring too much
clothing, here is our
suggestion:
One (1) jacket
One (1) rain jacket
Six (6) underwear and socks
Six (6) tee-shirts
One (1) sweat-shirt
Three (3) shorts
One (1) pant
Three (3 set uniforms)
jersey bib
One (1 set) bicycle gloves
One (1 pair) bicycle shoes
One (1) helmet
One (1) sunglass
One (1 set) arm warmer
Three (3 set) bicycle socks
One (1 pair) crocs
One (1 pair) snickers
One( 1) sun block
One (1) converter 220v/110v
One (1) toilet case
