On Sunday 2 August 2026, the peloton of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift rides straight along the Montreux and Vevey lakefront — the first time the women's Tour has ever staged its Grand Départ in Switzerland. Stage 2 departs Aigle at 14:20 and heads to Geneva via the lake, passing through both towns roughly 30–60 minutes after the start.
This guide covers what actually matters if you're on the Riviera that weekend: where to watch, what time to expect the riders, which roads close, and — for property owners — how to think about pricing a single high-visibility weekend without overselling it as something it isn't. For the broader event calendar, see our summer and shoulder season rental guide.
In this guide
The event in numbers
Grand Départ Suisse: Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 August 2026 (Stages 1–2 of 9)
Stage 1 (Saturday 1 August) is a 137km loop around Lausanne. Stage 2 (Sunday 2 August) departs Aigle — home to the UCI headquarters and World Cycling Centre — at 14:20, riding roughly 150km along Lake Geneva through Montreux and Vevey, then climbing past Lac de Bret to bypass Lausanne before finishing at Geneva's Jet d'Eau. 147 riders across 21 teams take part (Grand Départ Suisse, 2026).
Why a Swiss Grand Départ is a big deal
This is only the second time in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift that the Grand Départ has left French soil — the first was Rotterdam in 2024. A Lake Geneva start puts the Montreux–Vevey stretch on live international broadcast for the first time in this event's five-year history.
The Canton de Vaud has also launched a project fund for communes along the route to promote women's cycling and girls' sport participation, tying the race to a longer-term regional push rather than a one-off spectacle (État de Vaud, 2026). For a region already known for the Jazz Festival and the Christmas Market, this adds a genuinely new kind of visibility — international sport, not music or seasonal tourism.
Where to watch in Montreux and Vevey
Roadside spectating is free, as with every Tour de France road stage. The route follows the lakefront through both towns, so the promenade itself is the natural vantage point.
- Montreux quayside, near the Casino and Auditorium Stravinski. Wide, unobstructed lake views and easy walking access from most central accommodation.
- Vevey's Grande Place and lakefront. A classic, well-photographed passage point with cafés nearby for a longer wait.
- Anywhere along the lakeside cycling/pedestrian path between the two towns — quieter than the town centres, still a clear view of the peloton.
The publicity caravan — a parade of sponsor vehicles that has opened every Tour de France stage since 1930 — passes roughly 20–30 minutes ahead of the riders and throws small promotional gifts to the crowd. Arrive early enough to catch it; it's part of the spectacle, not just a warm-up act.
Road closures and timing
Expect rolling closures on the lakefront route through Montreux and Vevey in the hours around the passage — official timing and closure schedules are published by Grand Départ Suisse closer to race day, including a published road-closure annex for Stage 2. If you're driving anywhere near the route on 2 August, build in extra time or plan to be on foot for that stretch of the afternoon.
Security guidance from the organisers: stay behind barriers where present, keep dogs on a leash, watch children closely, and stop crossing the road at least 20 minutes before the riders are due — the caravan's early passage is often mistaken for the "all clear" to cross, and it isn't.
What property owners should know
This is a single afternoon of roadside passage, not a multi-week festival — treat it as a premium weekend, not an income transformation. The realistic opportunity is the Saturday–Sunday (1–2 August) combining the Lausanne Grand Départ with the Montreux–Vevey stage passage, which gives visitors a reason to book a two-night Riviera stay around both days.
- Guest check-ins on 2 August. If your property is near the lakefront route, plan check-in/check-out windows around the road-closure period rather than assuming normal access all day.
- Don't overprice a single afternoon. Unlike the Jazz Festival's 22-night demand window, this is one race afternoon. A modest premium on the Saturday–Sunday nights is reasonable; treating it like festival-level pricing for the whole week is not.
- Mention it in your listing for that weekend. "Steps from the Tour de France Femmes route" is a genuinely accurate, useful detail for guests searching those exact dates — but only for the 1–2 August dates, not as a permanent listing feature.
To earn legally on any Montreux or Vevey short-term rental, your property must be registered with the commune and canton — see our step-by-step registration guide if you haven't done that yet.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Tour de France Femmes pass through Montreux and Vevey?
On Sunday 2 August 2026. Stage 2 departs Aigle at 14:20 and heads along Lake Geneva through Montreux and Vevey before climbing past Lac de Bret to bypass Lausanne, then continuing to Geneva. The peloton should reach the Montreux–Vevey stretch roughly 30–60 minutes after the Aigle start, though exact timing depends on race pace.
Is this the men's or women's Tour de France?
It's the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the women's race. Its 2026 Grand Départ is in Lausanne (1–2 August), the first time the women's Tour has started in Switzerland and only the second Grand Départ ever held outside France, after Rotterdam in 2024. The men's Tour de France 2026 starts separately in Barcelona.
Is watching the Tour de France Femmes in Montreux free?
Yes. Roadside spectating along the lakefront promenade in Montreux and Vevey is free and open to the public, as with all Tour de France road stages. The publicity caravan passes roughly 20–30 minutes ahead of the riders and throws small promotional gifts to spectators.
Will roads be closed in Montreux and Vevey on 2 August 2026?
Yes. The lakefront route through Montreux and Vevey will have rolling road closures ahead of and during the race passage. Official closure schedules are published by Grand Départ Suisse closer to the date. Property owners with guest check-ins that day should plan arrival and departure times around the affected window.
Should I book Montreux accommodation for the Tour de France Femmes weekend?
If you want to combine the Lausanne Grand Départ (1 August) with the Montreux–Vevey stage passage (2 August), booking early is worth it. It's a single high-visibility weekend rather than a multi-week event like the Jazz Festival, so demand is real but concentrated — properties near the lakefront route will be the first to fill for that specific weekend.
Related reading: Jazz Festival rental income guide · Montreux neighbourhood guide · Summer & shoulder season rental guide
Sources: Grand Départ Suisse, official race route and schedule, retrieved 2026-07-16 · État de Vaud, Grand Départ du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026, retrieved 2026-07-16 · Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, official site, retrieved 2026-07-16.
Founder of Riviera Host. BBA Hospitality (Glion), MSc Tourism (FHGR), MSc Data Science (HSLU). 8+ years managing short-term rentals on the Swiss Riviera.
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