Judith’s epic Tour de France Road Trip in her Trouvaille MWB Pop Top Campervan (18 nights of adventure!)

Orange Campers Ltd
Aug 8, 2025
12 min read

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

When it comes to road trips, few come close to the thrill, chaos, and pure joy of chasing the Tour de France by campervan!

Judith and Paul returned to the continent this July for their second round of Le Tour touring – this time in their trusty Trouvaille MWB Pop Top, lovingly nicknamed Leo (2).

What followed was 18 nights of full-on campervan life: mountain climbs, thunderstorms, motorbike mishaps, and a whole lot of pasta.

From pre-trip prep to the final ferry home, here’s the full story of their unforgettable adventure – with all the little details that made this trip truly epic.

Judith’s July adventure – by the numbers

🚐 18 nights on the road
🛏 4 nights in campsites
🚦 8 nights sleeping roadside
🏨 1 night in a hotel
🅿️ 4 nights in aires
🧼 1 night in her dad’s hotel carpark
🔌 0 hook-up nights – all off-grid ❤️

Let the countdown begin

Judith and Paul were excited as they prepped for their second year of Tour de France chasing in Leo.

Locking wheel bolts ✅

REAL spare wheel ✅

UK sticker and a cheeky little lion ✅

Outside shower suction holder ("we have hot water in Leo2... I'll have plenty of bikinis 😉") ✅

Everything from practical kit to a bit of campervan luxury was covered – they were Tour ready.

Day 1: The chaotic send-off

The trip started with a bang – or rather, several mini disasters. Water cut off mid-van-cleaning, the house alarm started blaring just before departure, and the route to Dover took nearly 2 hours longer than expected.

"Tricky morning – the water went off mid-cleaning the van! Then the house alarm went off 15 minutes before we were leaving. And when I finally put the route in the sat nav? Instead of the expected 4 hours 40, it said 6 hours 30... Not a good day to want to go east round London to Dover!"

Despite the chaos, they made it to Dover ready for a ferry pitch overnight. The ferry was booked for the next day, so they could roll up anytime.

Day 2: Bonjour France!

After a smooth ferry over, Judith and Paul hit French roads with a mission: find a decent roadside pitch before the Tour kicked off.

"After 'essentials' shopping, we drove a little of the route sussing out where was good. Chose our spot, 200 meters from the day's sprint. Set up camp. Opened some essentials... pasta for tea 😁 Warm shower and called it a day. Vive Le Tour."

They were just 200m from the sprint point, with pasta on the stove and Leo set up perfectly. Tour chasing was off to a solid start.

Day 3: Let the Tour begin

With sunshine, freebies, and the peloton flying past, the first full Tour stage was one to remember.

"Free merch, sun cream kindly dropped at every vehicle parked roadside. Paul went for a ride and brought back croissants and a baguette. Peloton went past at 3.35pm, all packed up by 4pm and we set off to find an aire with water."

They ended the day with a successful refill: "€2 for 10 minutes of drinking water (grey waste empty was free). Could have also had 1 hour of EHU for that but we have had plenty of sun!"

No hook-up needed – they were running fully off-grid, just how they like it.

Day 4: Rainy roads and hotel carparks

The Tour village was buzzing, but the rain had definitely arrived.

"Woke to pouring rain, as forecast. Leo (who had a sneaky night in my Dad's hotel carpark!) got wet. After we watched the pre-kilometre-zero start village / roll out stuff, Leo headed off to find parking for tomorrow's stage. 500 meters from the stage sprint."

Judith and Paul walked into town for pizza and watched campervans pouring in to snap up what little roadside space remained. A wet but successful stage.

Day 5: A tale of two pitches

After a noisy night sleeping roadside, Judith and Paul knew they needed a proper rest. They watched the Tour with friends who’d driven over, topped up on supplies at Carrefour, then made the call to move on.

"Sleeping roadside is noisy 😜 Decided not to stay put another night, i.e. not have to break camp, cause it was so noisy.

The nearest aire sounded wonderful, quiet, and every facility required, so we splashed out €15 (£13) and used plenty of the services available. Gonna enjoy a quiet night."

Day 6: 210 miles, one motorbike, and some sellotape

With no chance of roadside parking near the time trial route unless they left early, they hit the road and covered serious ground.

"Tour stage 4. We didn't see any. No chance of getting a roadside parking for the Wednesday time trial unless we headed straight there Tuesday. 210 miles, mostly motorway. Picnic at an aire for lunch. Then heavy traffic heading to Caen.”

But their luck took a hit on the Caen ring road.

“In the outside lane and realised we needed the junction. Inside lane stationary. Lots of slow filtering in. While stationary, halfway in, a motorbike with top box tried to filter round and forgot how wide the top box was. Big bang and they carried on with the corner of their top box missing.”

Thankfully, the damage was minor.

“Walked round to the rear with trepidation and now need a new rear light cover. Oh well. Did shopping, including clear sellotape and pizzas in thick plastic. Found a space to squeeze into. Pizzas for tea and a quick patch up. Email to Orange is on the way!”

Day 7: Time trial day

The time trial stage brought clear skies – and cold toes. But Judith had a fix:

“Clear skies last night so I was cold at 4:30. Not a problem, I put the heater on (and plugged in a USB heated pad 😉 I don't like being cold!!)”

Paul rode most of the course himself before heading back for a shower. They watched riders practising, then fired up the Cadac for burgers and kebabs.

“After the last rider was past, we packed camp and headed into the traffic jam. Arrived a little late at campsite – showers, loos, washing machine, even a swimming pool! Very happy with our pitch 😀.”

Day 8: Van care and a van-life picnic

It was a day of getting things done: laundry, van cleaning, and a recce of the finish area.

“Put washing in a camp machine. Cleaned van (I packed my car show concours hoover!!). Then headed to the finish. Parked up a little away from the route for a quick and easy getaway (albeit a 45 min walk back... but = chance to find and remove some route arrows!).”

After a long day, they rolled back to camp only to find the snack bar had just closed.

“Oh well, bar open and we brought our own picnic and planned for tomorrow. Aire here we come.”

Day 9: Into the mountains

Judith and Paul skipped the flat Toulouse stage and aimed straight for the mountains, hoping to snag a rare roadside spot near the Peyresourde. It was a gamble, but it paid off.

“Quick shop for 4 days, then we headed for the hills. Friday is a mountain time trial, and Saturday uses 3k of the same route. Roadside within the 3k would be fab, though there were very few parking opportunities. At the top of the Peyresourde, only 2.5k further on, we dropped on and there was a space 😁 next to a mountain hut creperie.”

Not only did they find a space – it was flat! The set-up was easy, the views were stunning, and they were finally settled for a well-earned three-night stay.

“Easy chock set up and we are perfectly flat too. Which is great as we are not moving from here for 3 days... it's going to feel like a holiday 😎.”

Day 10: Hot tarmac and toll booths

They kicked off early in the village of Laigné, aiming to park roadside for a quick getaway after the stage. The plan hit a snag when the local village had other ideas – a dedicated car park had been set up and marshals weren’t allowing vehicles to stop elsewhere.

Thankfully, some polite negotiation (and a bit of Google Translate magic) secured them a spot near the exit.

The usual Tour build-up buzzed through the village, with riders passing at 4:30pm. By 5pm, Judith and Paul were back on the road – a long, hot 250-mile slog up the motorway.

“£48 total in tolls though… eeeek! Also hoofing it down with aircon isn’t great for the mpg, but needs must.”

They rolled into a basic aire just before sunset, nervously wondering if there’d be any spaces left. Thankfully, they found a spot and settled in for the night.

Day 11: Climbing to the KOM

To get a good roadside pitch near a King of the Mountain point, Judith and Paul skipped watching that day’s stage.

But they didn’t get moving as early as planned:

“Meant to get up early and get straight there but hair washing and Leo washing delayed our arrival.”

They snagged one of the last available spots, only to realise many of the surrounding vehicles belonged to day-trippers. More space freed up later, but only smaller vans had a chance of fitting in.

“Some of the sizes of units and some towing were arriving on a wing and a prayer.”

Paul headed out for another cycle while Judith enjoyed the entertainment from the comfort of camp, watching the chaos unfold as campers tried to squeeze into impossible spaces. Dinner was a simple early tea of pasta and “whatever” – and after the heat and effort of the day, they turned in early.

A proper mountain roadside setup ready for the next stage to roll through.

Day 12: Traffic, tolls and water tank woes

After their KOM roadside sleepover, Judith and Paul found themselves packed in like sardines alongside “hundreds of vans all scarily close really... Not too sure I would want the experience again!”

Once the stage wrapped up, they made a swift getaway and moved on to a more peaceful lakeside spot.

“After the chaos of everyone trying to leave we did a quick and hasty pack up to move to lakeside and unpack again.”

While the scenery was lovely, they were still roadside, and the background noise didn’t go unnoticed: “I hope the traffic calms down soon.”

The next couple of days were shaping up to be big driving days, so the peaceful pause was much needed.

Day 13: Aire hacks and hotel bliss

"Glad to have got through the night all OK. Being buffetted by traffic till late evening wasn't any fun." After a chaotic few days, Judith and Paul opted for a bit of comfort and calm.

First stop: a local aire for water refill and a waste sort out.

“€2 for 10 mins of water, but the French man using it before us showed us that a multitool gripper will turn it on!”

Then it was into town for proper croissants, a baguette and two Quiche Lorraine. They hit the road again, spotting Tour vehicles all the way into Toulouse.

“Arrived at a budget hotel by 5pm 😁 Ensuite shower! Got proper freshened up and went out to eat. Bliss.”

After weeks of off-grid life, Judith was more than ready for a real bed and hot shower!

Day 14: One last mountain adventure

Though they were close to the Toulouse stage, they didn’t hang around. Instead, they headed back into the mountains – aiming for a roadside pitch ahead of the weekend stages.

Judith scored them a spot right by a mountain hut crêperie, and Paul got out for a long ride while she stayed back and soaked in the views.

“It’s hot hot hot – must drink more. Cadac pizza stone tea sat by the side of the road, again.”

Life was simple, sunny and all about the rhythm of the Tour.

Day 15: Cider, cyclists and chaos

With the Tour prep team working nearby and the road getting busier, Judith decided to enjoy some peace while she could:

“Lie in, coffee at the café, then a cheeky small chips and cider for lunch. Watching cyclists, motorbikes and campers campers campers.”

But not all was zen – the parking games continued:

“It started to get stressful as vans tried to park in the space in front of us and behind a VW camper. After the first van tried to squeeze in, I said he should put his chairs and a table in the space… then an old tatty van with two hippie-esque Americans pulled in and said it was fine, there was space, they were staying!”

Paul was shattered after a ride, and the last thing they needed was noisy neighbours.

“A big reserved area over the road had set up – lots of gazebos, flags, people and a loud music system. They eventually turned it down a little at 00:30.”

They ended up shifting Leo forward to keep the peace: "After saying we were set up for 3 days, not moving.... We moved, 4 foot!"

It wouldn’t be a proper Tour trip without a bit of campervan diplomacy.

Day 16: A mountain TT and a very long night

It was Tour stage 18 – the classic mountain time trial – and Judith and Paul were determined to soak up every bit of the action. They started the day with a 2.6km walk downhill from the Peyresourde to where the TT route veered up to the altiport finish.

After a hot and sweaty climb back up to Leo, they paused for lunch, cooled off, and then set out again – this time uphill.

“We walked another 2.6k UP to the altiport on the back road. Took picnic rug, water, umbrellas for sun shade.”

Space at the finish line was tight, with limited spectator access, but they managed to find a spot by a big screen to watch the second half of the time trial – surrounded by the buzz of TV crews, finish gantries and fellow fans.

Back at Leo, it was time for a well-earned warm shower each – right behind the van, Tour-style:

“Bliss.”

As night fell, it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Huge Tour lorries thundered past, blasting horns and racing to break down the mountain stage setup and move it to the next location.

And just as they thought things were calming down, the roadside party across the way kept the tunes pumping until 4:30am.

“They only stopped then because rain set in!”

One of the wildest, longest, and most memorable days of the trip so far.

Day 17: The most dramatic stage yet

This stage had it all: the caravan, the peloton, TV crews, and even a Tour freebie that flew into the van!

“All went past 1 metre away from Leo. Caravan went past and we even got one item fly straight through the open sliding door!”

Judith and Paul had front-row seats to the action:

“Riders, police outriders, motorbike TV crews (lots because the helicopters weren’t able to fly with the weather), photographers, race officials, team cars etc all streamed past.”

Nearby, a spectator was hit by a following car – a stark reminder of how close the action really is.

“The spectator who got hit by a following team car was about 100 meters down the climb from where we were. Every year, it never ceases to amaze me how people do not keep their wits about them. It is a world-renowned event, a huge undertaking to set up and break down every day, and it is 100% free to be 2 or 3 meters from world-class athletes, but the event needs to be respected."

After the broomwagon passed, they packed up camp in the drizzle and joined the slow-moving procession of campervans crawling downhill.

“The mpg was fab but mph rubbish! Decided to stop roadside and do tea (pasta!) at a sensible time and let the traffic thin out.”

They eventually pulled into a village car park with aire facilities and enough mobile signal to stream the day’s Tour highlights.

Day 17: The long road north

"Leo is no longer following the tour. He has to come home."

The next stage wasn’t on their route, so Judith planned a long drive back towards Dieppe – prepping at 3:30am and securing an overnight stop halfway up the country.

“Had a reply late morning as we were driving north, so had a definite place to aim for. Lovely chilled grassy campsite. Level but lumpy site, but we have a feel for flat now, so just drove on till we felt out of a dip and level 😎.”

"Motorway took us to within 5 miles of our campsite. £105 in tolls today, but it gets the job done."

That night, they unpacked, popped the top, opened a bottle of Leo, and caught up on the Tour highlights from Toulouse.

“333 miles today. Only 250 tomorrow with an 11pm ferry check in and 2 supermarket shops required. E.Leclerc for tour merchandise and Carrefour for more Leo red wine.

No rush. Another lie in coming up.”

Day 18: Sunset in Dieppe

They took their time covering the final 250 miles, skipping toll roads and letting the scenic route lead the way.

"Woke to thunder storms. Had a long lie in as we didn't have to leave the campsite till midday. Packed up and were driving off as the church struck 12. 10 hours to do 250 miles and no point in arriving too early so we didn't do tolls."

“Did some shopping along the way. Wine and, of course, some more Leo.

Arrived in Dieppe at 9, so sat in a quiet aire for an hour, then set off for the port 7 minutes away just as the sun was setting.”

Their ferry wasn’t until after midnight, so they had time to breathe and reflect.

“Just about to board, and our epic trip will be done with an early morning drive to Yorkshire.”

A final cycling mission

Even after three weeks of campervan touring, Judith and Leo weren’t done yet.

Not long after arriving home, they were back out on the road to support her dad, Brian, during a 24-hour time trial.

“Supporting my Dad (Brian Hygate) in his cycle 24-hour time trial. We all just had a 4-hour rest from 12:30 to 4:40 (1st light). Finished with 258.61 miles. Target +8.61 miles achieved.”

Fancy your own epic Tour adventure?

Inspired by Judith and Paul’s unforgettable road trip?

You can follow in their tyre tracks – we’ve got 4 Trouvaille MWB Pop Top campervans available now and ready for your next big journey.

Whether you’re chasing the peloton or chasing pastries, the Pop Top MWB gives you flexibility, comfort and total freedom.

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