Tour de France Drives Lodging Demand in Catalonia and Smaller French Towns

The Tour de France 2026 has driven a boom in lodging demand along its route, including in Catalonia where the race began and in smaller mountain towns across France.

New data released by revenue management software PriceLabs has revealed that Barcelona, which hosted the Grand Départ (the tournament’s official starting event) for the first time (July 4—6), has seen a 32 percent boost in short-term rental nights booked for the first stage compared to last year. As the Tour crossed into France, however, there was a 263 percent increase in demand for the two stage days ending on the famous peak at Alpe d’Huez.

Pau, close to the Pyrenees mountain stages, is also seeing a 192 percent growth in short-term rental nights booked for the Tour’s visit on the 8th July.

Meanwhile, larger destinations along the route like Bordeaux have seen more moderate demand, as booked nights were trending 57 percent above last year as the Tour visited on July 10. For the finish on July 25 in Paris, demand is seeing a 17 percent increase year over year.

In terms of pricing, the most expensive place to stay on the route has been Alpe d’Huez, where short-term rental rates spiked 71 percent compared to the same time last year, hitting €289 per night as demand grew so quickly, while supply is constrained.

Paris (€280) and Barcelona (€260) follow, though growth has been much lower (11 percent and 15 percent, respectively) as these two cities are already in peak season. Those looking to see the race for cheaper might try Pau, where average rates sit at €86.

“While demand is strong in major cities like Barcelona, the relative impact of the Tour de France is significantly stronger in smaller towns like Pau and Alpe d’Huez,” said PriceLabs Co-Founder Richie Khandelwal. “These locations have smaller baseline inventories, so the influx of thousands of fans and team staff leads to massive percentage gains in occupancy and pricing power for local hosts.

“It’s a clear demonstration of how major sporting events can temporarily transform smaller rental markets, often yielding higher growth rates than major metropolitan areas that already have high year-round demand.”

As for occupancy, Marian Muro, CEO of tourism accommodation association Apartur, said that the occupancy rates for short-term rentals in Catalonia at the start of the Tour had averaged around 80 percent, which is weaker than the near-100 percent occupancy that is typical in the region over June.

Hotels in Catalonia

According to Berni Álvarez, the minister of sports of Catalonia, the region’s government paid around €6 million to host the Tour and its associated costs, and it expects to earn a return far exceeding €100 million.

While the region held a range of international events last month, including the Formula One Grand Prix, the visit of Pope Leo XIV and the Primavera Sound and Sónar music festivals, the Grand Départ also provided a much-needed boost to hoteliers. Hotels in Barcelona and the surrounding areas were reportedly close to full occupancy heading into the Tour dates.

Speaking to Catalan News Agency, the NH hotel on Rambla de Catalunya reported delivering close to 100 percent occupancy for the days of the Tour’s arrival in Catalonia, and that it had had to raise prices due to the high demand.

In nearby Tarragona, the start of the second stage of the Tour de France was estimated to have been attended by 60,000 to 80,000 people, including citizens and tourists who had traveled over especially for the event.

After that, Granollers hosted the third stage of the Tour on July 6, marking the fourth time that the race had passed through the city. However, it was also the first time that a stage start had been organized in Granollers.

The city is used to holding sporting events like the Granollers Half Marathon and handball matches, while some travelers also stay there to travel to the annual Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Barcelona.

2026 Tour Route

The 2026 Tour de France features 21 stages with two rest days, beginning on July 4 in Barcelona and concluding on July 26 in Paris. This includes seven flat stages, four hilly stages, eight mountain stages with five summit finishes, one team time trial and one individual time trial.

In total, 184 riders representing 23 teams are competing for the famous yellow jersey (for the overall leader), as well as the green jersey (points leader), polka dot jersey (mountains leader) and white jersey (best young rider).

Spanning 3,333 kilometers (2,071 miles), the Tour began outside of France for the 27th time in its history and for the third time in Spain. In France, meanwhile, the race will have visited seven regions and 29 departments by its conclusion, including 10 stage towns and cities appearing for the first time on the Tour route.