The spectacular Tour de France Grand Depart takes place in Lille on Saturday 5 July, as the world-famous cycle race visits the Hauts de France region for only the fifth time.

The early stages of the Tour take riders through Lille, Boulogne, Dunkirk and Amiens, before heading west into Normandy.

With three convenient ferry routes to France, DFDS makes it easy to follow the peloton and enjoy the best bits of Northern France on a Tour-inspired getaway. The ferry company's recommendations for the top things to see and do along the Tour route are:

• Stage One: Lille - lille3000 brings the city to life with art. Events taking place when the Tour passes through include a celebration of Flemish Festivities at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille; a photographic exhibition, Electrorama, at the Espace le Carre; and Éclats en échos, three monumental installations by Swiss artist Felice Varini at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.
• Stage One: Lens - visit the Louvre-Lens museum, an off-shoot of the prestigious Paris Louvre art gallery. Its collection includes major artworks on exchange from its Parisian sibling, forming a Gallery of Time with more than 200 objects d'art from Antiquity to the 1850s. 
• Stage Two: Arras - the Wellington Quarry was the scene of the largest surprise attack of World War One, when 24,000 British troops used the tunnels to attack German defences during the Battle of Arras in 1917.
• Stage Two: Boulogne - The spectacular Nausicaa aquarium is an absolute must-see in Boulogne. A UNESCO Centre of Excellence, this is much more than a sealife centre, with a focus on education and conservation. At its centre is a huge tank holding 10,000 cubic metres of water and a wide variety of marine life including manta rays, sharks, crabs and fish.
• Stage Three: Valenciennes - Stroll the streets to see the largest number of sculptures per square kilometre of any French city. Start at the Parc des Prix de Rome, a 16,000 square metre garden-museum. Then follow the tree-and-sculpture-lined Boulevard Watteau to Rhônelle Garden, adorned with numerous bronze and stone sculptures and designed to look like an English Garden.
• Stage Three: Dunkirk - visit the Operation Dynamo Museum, a must-see that charts the incredible story of the 'Miracle of Dunkirk', the dramatic wartime evacuation depicted in Christopher Nolan's 2017 blockbuster Dunkirk. Then follow in the wake of the Dunkirk Little Ships on a sailing boat tour of Dunkirk's East Mole, which enabled hundreds of thousands of soldiers to be evacuated during the nine-day operation.
• Stage Four – Amiens – One of France's best kept secrets is the floating gardens of the city, Les Hortillonages. A major heritage site, this unique mosaic of island gardens is best seen on an electric boat tour of its network of canals. Between June and October, a unique art and garden festival takes place at the gardens with major installations by young artists from across France.
• Stage Four - Rouen – at this city's heart is a charming medieval old town with cobbled streets, historic buildings and heritage galore. It's gothic cathedral is the tallest in France and inspired Claude Monet, who painted it more than thirty times. Every summer the exterior of the Cathedral is lit up in a spectacular light and sound show, 'Cathedral of Light', using 3D projection and live musical performances.

Best cycle routes

• Stage One: Cycle the Tour du Grand Lille route for a full day of cycling that takes in the area's heritage, nature and iconic towns. The 50km route is a safe, signposted trail that includes the Citadelle, Musee La Piscine at Roubaix, LAM and a host of street art among its key sights.
• Stage Three: Ride the thirty-kilometre Scheldt loop from the Val'Escaut marina along the banks of the Scheldt River. The route takes you through former mining towns to the Ledoux headframe, a preserved mining headframe in Condé-sur-l'Escaut that is now a listed historical monument.
• Stage Three: Explore the coast around Dunkirk by bike through towns, marinas, dunes and beaches on the 53km maritime cycle path through the heart of the Dunes de Flandres between Grand-Fort-Philippe and Bray-Dunes.
• Stage Four: Pedal through the streets of Rouen following the Seine a Velo route, which will take you through the Old Market and Cathedral districts, on to the Museum district and the impressionist gardens of Verdrel Square, and on to the Saint Ouen district and its art galleries, antique shops and restaurants.

France is easily accessible with car and bike-friendly ferry crossings from DFDS via its Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk and Newhaven to Dieppe routes. All three are close to departure and stopping-off points along the Tour route. Day trip fares from Dover are from just £45 return for a car and four people. Three day return trips start from £119. On the Newhaven to Dieppe service, prices start from £100 each way for a car and four people. Cyclists can travel on all three routes from £25 per person. For more information or to book visit www.dfds.com.