In short
The Pyrenees are the best part of the 2027 Tour for a motorhome: three stages from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 July, with the Tourmalet and a summit finish on the Col du Portet on Thursday and the Col de Marie Blanque on Friday. You cannot see it all. Pick one mountain for Thursday, be parked the day before, and use the campsites and RV areas in the valley towns below each climb.
The three days
| Date | Stage | For a van |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Jul | Tour de France, Stage 17: Muret → Pau | A flat stage to a finish in Pau. Use it as your travel day: get to your mountain base, fill up with water and food, and watch the sprint on a screen. |
| Thu 22 Jul | Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau → Col du Portet | The queen stage, over the Soulor, the Tourmalet and the Hourquette d'Ancizan to the Col du Portet. Be parked on your climb by Wednesday afternoon. |
| Fri 23 Jul | Tour de France, Stage 19: Hasparren → Laruns | Hasparren to Laruns, with the Col de Marie Blanque as the last climb. Easy to reach after a day on the Tourmalet, hard after the Portet finish. |
Pick one mountain for Thursday
Thursday is the biggest day of the race for vans, and the roads decide your plan. In 2026 the Tourmalet closed to vehicles from 4 pm the day before, once its car parks were full, and in 2021 no vehicles could use the Col du Portet road at all. Whichever climb you choose, be parked by Wednesday afternoon.
The Tourmalet and the Portet finish are on opposite sides of the mountains, so you cannot see both. Choose the Tourmalet if you also want Friday's stage, and the Portet if you want to see who wins.
What the last notices said
The 2027 orders are not out yet. These are the most recent official notices for the same climbs and finish towns.
| Climb | Motorhome parking | Road closed to vehicles | Getting up | Reopened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col du Tourmalet, 9 July 2026 | Advised in the Tournaboup and Super-Barèges car parks | Both sides could close from 4 pm the day before, once parking was full | Bikes until noon, and a chairlift for walkers from Super-Barèges | Some roads only from 10 pm on race day |
| Col du Portet, 14 July 2021 | Set areas in Saint-Lary village and at Pla d'Adet, none at Espiaube or on the Portet road | Espiaube to the top: cyclists and walkers only, for days around the stage. Pla d'Adet: no vehicles from noon on race day | Lifts from the village from 9 am and from Espiaube toward the finish, €5 for all of them, plus a walk | Down from Pla d'Adet from 7 pm, up from 11 pm |
| Col de Marie Blanque, 5 July 2023 | Not stated | Mountain passes closed once parking was full, at the latest 10 pm the day before. The main road into Laruns closed from 10 pm the day before | Not stated | Passes up to an hour after the race, the road into Laruns at 10 pm on race day |
Where to base the van
The valley towns below each climb have the most campsites and RV areas. These are the nearest ones from our lists, which come from OpenStreetMap, so check each site before you go.
Luz-Saint-Sauveur and Barèges
Col du Tourmalet · Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau → Col du Portet
The foot of the Tourmalet on the side the race climbs. Barèges is higher up the same road, and the Tournaboup and Super-Barèges car parks used in 2026 are above it.
- Camping les Cascades Campsite · 0.3 km from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Camping Toy Campsite · 0.3 km from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Camping le Bergons Campsite · 0.5 km from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Camping La Ribère Campsite · 0.6 km from Barèges
Sainte-Marie-de-Campan
Col du Tourmalet · Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau → Col du Portet
Where the race comes down off the Tourmalet, before the Hourquette d'Ancizan. A quieter choice, with an RV area in the village.
- Aire de Camping-car Sainte-Marie de Campan RV and motorhome area · 0 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan · No website listed
- Camping les Bulanettes Campsite · 0.7 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan · Page on pitchup.com
- Camping les Frênes Campsite · 0.7 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan
- Camping les Rives de l'Adour Campsite · 0.9 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan
Argelès-Gazost
Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau → Col du Portet
The biggest group of campsites in the area, in the valley between the Col du Soulor and Luz-Saint-Sauveur. Good if you want to watch lower down and leave easily.
- Camping La Prairie Campsite · 0.9 km from Argelès-Gazost · No website listed
- Camping de la Chapelle Campsite · 1.2 km from Argelès-Gazost · No website listed
- Camping du Lavedan Campsite · 1.8 km from Argelès-Gazost
- Camping L'Idéal Campsite · 1.9 km from Argelès-Gazost
Saint-Lary-Soulan
Col du Portet · Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau → Col du Portet
The town below the Col du Portet finish. In 2021 motorhomes were sent to set areas in the village and at Pla d'Adet.
- Aire de Saint-Lary-Soulan RV and motorhome area · 0.6 km from Saint-Lary-Soulan · Page on campingcarpark.com
- Camping Artiguette Saint-Jacques Campsite · 0.9 km from Saint-Lary-Soulan · No website listed
- Camping du Val d'Autun Campsite · 1 km from Saint-Lary-Soulan
- Aire de camping-car de Vielle - Aure RV and motorhome area · 1.1 km from Saint-Lary-Soulan · Page on campingcarpark.com
Laruns
Col de Marie Blanque · Tour de France, Stage 19: Hasparren → Laruns
The Stage 19 finish and the closest town to the Col de Marie Blanque. In 2023 the main road into Laruns closed from 10 pm the night before.
- Parking du Centre - Laruns RV and motorhome area · 0.2 km from Laruns
- Campsite 0.3 km from Laruns
- Aire Laruns, Le Bourg RV and motorhome area · 0.4 km from Laruns · Page on campingcarpark.com
- Camping Ayguebère Campsite · 0.5 km from Laruns · No website listed
The Tourmalet from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
The race climbs the west side, from Luz-Saint-Sauveur through Barèges: 19 km at about 7.4%. In 2026 motorhomes were sent to the Tournaboup and Super-Barèges car parks, and bikes could ride up until noon on race day.
Once the road reopens, which can be late in the evening, drive back down to Luz-Saint-Sauveur. The Ossau Valley, for Friday's stage, is about two hours away.
The Col du Portet finish
The finish is 16 km above Saint-Lary-Soulan. In 2021 the road from Espiaube to the top was open only to cyclists and walkers, and motorhomes were sent to set areas in Saint-Lary village and at Pla d'Adet. Lifts ran from the village and from Espiaube toward the finish, with a walk between them.
Roads around a summit finish stay closed until evening: in 2021 vehicles could come down from Pla d'Adet only from 7 pm. Plan to stay Thursday night too. Friday's start in Hasparren is about three hours away, so for most people Stage 19 is one to watch on a screen.
Friday: the Marie Blanque and Laruns
The race climbs the Marie Blanque from the Aspe Valley side, as it did in 2023, then drops down to the finish in Laruns. In 2023 the passes closed once their parking was full, at the latest 10 pm the night before, and the main road into Laruns closed from 10 pm the night before to 10 pm on race day, with a way in through Eaux-Bonnes.
Laruns has RV areas and several campsites close to the finish. Arrive on Thursday evening, park in the valley, and walk or ride to the climb.
Wednesday in Pau
Pau is a city with the finish in the centre, so it is not a place to bring a van on race day. Treat Wednesday as your day to travel into the mountains. If you want to see the sprint, stay at a campsite outside the city and come in by bus or bike.
Water, waste and supplies
The car parks on the climbs usually have no water, toilets or waste points. Fill up, empty your tanks and shop in the valley before you go up. Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and Laruns all have RV areas in our lists.
Nights at 2,000 m are cold even in July, and the weather turns fast. Bring warm layers, water for two days and a full gas bottle.
Plan more of your trip
Questions about the Pyrenees by motorhome
Where can I park a motorhome for the Tourmalet in 2027?
The 2027 notice is not out yet. In 2026 motorhomes were sent to the Tournaboup and Super-Barèges car parks, above Barèges, and the road closed to vehicles from 4 pm the day before, once they were full. Plan to arrive on Wednesday 21 July.
Can I drive a motorhome up the Col du Portet?
Not for the finish. In 2021 the road from Espiaube to the top was open only to cyclists and walkers. Motorhomes parked in Saint-Lary village or at Pla d'Adet, and fans walked or took the lifts.
Can I see Stage 18 and Stage 19 from a motorhome?
Yes, if you watch the Tourmalet on Thursday. Drive down once the road reopens and on to the Ossau Valley, about two hours away, before the roads near Laruns close. After the Portet finish it is much harder, because Friday's start is about three hours away.
Where can I fill up and empty a motorhome near the Pyrenees stages?
At the RV areas and campsites in the valley towns, such as Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and Laruns. The car parks on the climbs usually have no services. Check what each site offers before you go.
When will the 2027 rules for the Pyrenees stages come out?
Usually in June or early July, from the Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques prefectures and departments. We will add them here and on the climb pages.
Photo credits
- 00 0847 Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees by W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
· Sources: Hautes-Pyrénées department, Tour 2026 traffic and parking, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Col du Portet 2021 visitor flyer, Pyrénées-Atlantiques prefecture, Tour 2023 traffic notice, letour.fr