With up to one million expected visitors on two days, the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2017 in the state capital Düsseldorf is a top-class sporting event. The large number of visitors combined with numerous road closures also pose special challenges to visitors when arriving to the venue.
All visitors who wish to travel by car are strongly advised to reserve a parking space online in advance. PARKVOGEL, together with Rheinbahn, is offering numerous park & ride options to get to the event comfortably and stress-free while staying mobile in Düsseldorf all day long. And this is how it works: book a parking space online via the website www.parkvogel.de/en/granddepart/ and pay conveniently online. The parking ticket is provided to the customer as a print-at-home ticket (PDF incl. barcode) and serves as an entrance ticket at the parking facility. Simultaneously with the parking ticket, the customer receives a map for the last kilometre and GPS data for the parking facility. One day ticket for the Rheinbahn (price level A3, Düsseldorf city) for four persons to travel on to the route or other destinations in Düsseldorf, valid on the booked day of the event until the following day at 3 am accompanies each reserved parking space.
Parking spaces are available for cars in the ISS DOME car parks, at Heinrich Heine University, and in the P1 and P2 trade fair parking spaces. Parking tickets for cars cost 20 euros per day and are always combined with a Rheinbahn day ticket for four people; they are not optionally available. Parking tickets can be booked for the two competition days on 1st July and/or 2nd July 2017.
Around 800 fully serviced parking spaces are available in the Caravan Center of the Düsseldorf Messe/trade fair (Messeparkplatz P1 car park) for campers or cars with caravans. The parking spaces are within walking distance of the start/finish area of the 1st stage and can be booked for the entire duration of the Grand Départ from Wednesday 28th June to Monday 3rd July 2017. One Rheinbahn day ticket for four persons is included for each of the competition days (1st and 2nd July 2017) on the booked event day. The price for the caravan ticket is 45 euros per day and includes all ancillary costs such as electricity, water and sanitation as well as use of the toilets and showers.
Separate parking spaces will be available for people with disabilities travelling by car on Maximilian-Weyhe-Allee (Saturday 1st July only) and at the Aquazoo (1st and 2nd July), which can also be booked online. The parking ticket costs a 5 Euro processing fee.
Free shuttle service to the next stop will be provided for parking areas without a direct public transport connection. A shuttle bus runs at regular intervals from the ISS DOME to Freiligrathplatz, where visitors can take the U78 and U79 metro lines directly to the city centre or the routes. The parking area at Heinrich-Heine-Universität is connected to the Südpark stop by shuttle bus; from there, the U73, U79 (both Saturday and Sunday), U83 (Saturday only) and 704 (Sunday only) tram lines run to the city centre or the main railway station.
The opening hours of the parking areas give visitors plenty of time to enjoy the competitions and side events of the Grand Départ to the fullest. The parking areas for passenger cars will open on Saturday, 1st July at 7 am and will remain open until Sunday night at 2 am; this will leave plenty of time to explore the city or visit the Kraftwerk concert even after the time trials of the 1st stage (3.15 pm – approx. 7 pm). On Sunday, 2nd July, the car parking areas will be open between 7 am and 8 pm (start of the 2nd stage at 12 am). The car park at Heinrich-Heine-University is available only on Saturday, 1st July.
Dr. Christian Jahncke, Managing Director of SITA Airport IT GmbH (“PARKVOGEL”): “We are delighted to be a partner of Team Düsseldorf 2017 involved in staging the Grand Départ. Parking this weekend will be a challenge to every visitor. We offer all visitors, whether by car or camper van, the option of reserving their parking space in advance online at www.parkvogel.de/en/granddepart. This way, visitors can arrive relaxed and look forward to this unique event!”
Michael Clausecker, Spokesman of the Executive Board Rheinbahn AG: “We want these KombiTicket tickets to make it easier for visitors from the region to arrive here. If you are coming from out of town by car and reserving your parking space online ahead of time, you no longer have to worry about buying your ticket, but can change directly to the shuttle buses and our bus and train lines – and enjoy the tour and all the events in the city. This way, you can reach your destination quickly and easily and get home safely even at a later hour. That is why the collaboration with Parkvogel is a win-win strategy for all sides”.
