LM24 Le Mans advice

TuscanR · 17 Jan 2004, 15:46 (Ref:841618)

Dear all, I was hoping if I could tap your collective wisdom and ask some questions about traveling to Le Mans for a holiday for this years race.
Firstly can any of you recomend where to purchase the tickets from, and there approximate cost.
And secondly could you advise on the following master plan that my friends and I came up with in the pub the other night.
The basic idea was that we hire a transit van(to carry our equipment and a few beverages) from Hertz or any other car hire firm and drive that to Le Mans on the tuesday to watch the practise and qualifing from wednesday onwards ( Is that correct, it was an assumption? ) and then stay either at the camp site or in the local area for a couple of days after the race.
Can it be that simple? Is there anything that I need to know or do before we set off on our mad little road trip?
Any comments or suggestions would be greatfully recieved.
Many Thanks Paul
PS I hope I put this in the correct forum
and hopefully see you there

FG1 · 17 Jan 2004, 16:39 (Ref:841644)

Tuscan

Ticket prices etc can be seen on http://www.lemans.org/

You can buy general enclosure tickets on the door, grandstand (tribune) and camping tickets will be much harder to come by now. You may have to camp off-site. Others on the forum can offer more advice on this than I.

I can send you my detailed instructions on how to get there from the tunnel or Calais Ferry port. They describe the simple route via Rouen in some detail.

FG

**Craig** · 17 Jan 2004, 17:09 (Ref:841658)

Speaking as someone who is in charge of booking vehicles at work... Speak to Hertz in plenty of time as most major hire companies do not allow their vehicles out of the country. You will stand a far better chance if you speak to a smaller, independant, company locally to you as they need the work more! Last time I sent my guys over onto the continent I had to put down a £1,000 deposit on the vehicle - and we are regular customers!

The other thing is getting a ferry crossing! I booked mine back in November (Sea France, Wednesday AM, Dover) but I was told that spaces were filling up fast.

FG1, any chance you could send me a copy of your directions also?

This will be the first time that I have driven down to LM, you see, normally I'm in the passenger seat

TuscanR · 17 Jan 2004, 17:50 (Ref:841688)

Wow thanks guys I know the event is massively popular but I thought that with six months to go I would have plenty of time! Craig thanks for the advice about Hertz. Thinking about it now, it does seem like a stupid idea trying to hire a van for a trip abroad! ( that must have been suggested after more than a couple of pints!). Back to the pub for a rethink we shall go

TuscanR · 17 Jan 2004, 17:53 (Ref:841691)

FG1 thats very kind of you, thank you . Am I allowed to post my e-mail address on the forum as the computer I use is a work one and I dont know how to PM or what ever it is

Fab · 17 Jan 2004, 18:24 (Ref:841704)

Quote:

Originally posted by TuscanR
Am I allowed to post my e-mail address on the forum ?

Please don't : just click on "FG1", you'll have a possibility to send a pm by the TT's forum, and he'll answer to you by the same way. It works perfectly, we use it daily...

FG knows perfectly the area and surroundings... more than me !

Follow FG's advice too : order your camp/GS tickets right now.

The main entrance ticket could be purchase at the gate, except if you don't wanna wait in the queue (not terrible, but depends of the hour).

Fab · 17 Jan 2004, 18:26 (Ref:841707)

Quote:

Originally posted by Craig Antill
FG1, any chance you could send me a copy of your directions also?

Craig, i assume you won't forget the TT's meeting ? Wine tasting (reasonabily), members meeting, etc...

This will be a major event of the year : Sportscars-GT's forum's members welcoming the Clerk of the Course ! Oh my !

Liz · 17 Jan 2004, 18:40 (Ref:841718)

There are certain ports that do not allow rental vehicles to pass (I think Calais is one of those). Check that before you book anything. Otherwise your plan ought to work out okay if you get your camping passes right away or don't mind sleeping in the parking lot/car park. Last year Gilles pointed out to me a parking lot where people were camping; it didn't look very comfortable but of course we don't spend much time in the camping area anyway.

Hope to see you at the Wine Tasting, rain or no rain!

FG1 · 17 Jan 2004, 18:41 (Ref:841723)

I am about to revamp the directions. Why I do I put a set up on the web for anyone to access. I'll also send a copy to Ayse who has (had?) them on his site.

FG

TuscanR · 17 Jan 2004, 18:48 (Ref:841727)

Thank you very much Fab I have just edited my profile to enable PM's. cheers for that I must have overlooked that when I signed on.

TuscanR · 17 Jan 2004, 18:51 (Ref:841730)

I remember why the idea of hiring the van came up now. It was so we didnt have to fork out for camping (not that were tight) and if the camping places had gone we had somewhere to grad a bit of shut eye, oh well back to the drawing board!

rdjones · 17 Jan 2004, 19:29 (Ref:841753)

Craig, I know you are driving down, but will the camper van make it........

Javi · 17 Jan 2004, 19:36 (Ref:841760)

Ideas from the pub are the best ones. Sure you´ll like the trip, and sure it won´t be your last one, you´ll come back!! As Fab says, don´t miss the TT´s meeting!!

Nordic · 17 Jan 2004, 20:44 (Ref:841806)

Your best bet may be via someone like Page & Moy, Airtrack etc and book the ferry etc with them as well, It will be more expensive than direct with the ACO, but I doubt you will get a confirmed pass with them. The only pass you really need is a camping one, Camping in car parks is discourged and unless you want to be moved on every 5 mins by gun welding police i would steer clear of road sides. Most agencies will have sold out of camping passes on a ticket only basics
so a package may be the best option.
Any crossing other than Dover Calais will be heavly booked & the price goes up LM week as well, the Monday being the hard date to get. Dover - Calais would not be problem for either ferry or Train.

thebear · 18 Jan 2004, 02:48 (Ref:842040)

You might find the "Club Arnage website useful: http://www.le-mans.co.uk/

Travel information, camping and viewing spots.

Fab · 18 Jan 2004, 07:08 (Ref:842095)

Quote:

Originally posted by Liz
Hope to see you at the Wine Tasting, rain or no rain!

Rain ? What rain ?

... "My Muscadet remained perfectly dry !" - I stole this one to James Bond in Thunderball

(not sure to quote the accurate sentence, though)...

Fab · 18 Jan 2004, 07:14 (Ref:842099)

Notice that there's still places available in the GS, if someone is interrested : ticktets booking seems to work much better than the previous years, just call ACO's tickets office, there's a special English's service : you chose your place, they confirm by mail, you have to pay in the two following weeks, the places are yours (confirmed on the mail).

Very practicle and comprehensive, comparatively with last years...

TuscanR · 19 Jan 2004, 03:35 (Ref:842908)

Thank you so much everyone for your swift and considered responces. We are meeting again ( in the pub ) during the week and I'm taking the view that if we don't sort ourselves out by the end of next week then we may have problems. Thanks once again and I hope to see you all in France in june!!!

Fieldgate · 19 Jan 2004, 21:48 (Ref:843192)

Unless you plan to sleep in the car, accomodation is the biggest bug-bear.

Going through the logistics currently for the team involves being bent over a barrel and a large pineapple being inserted.....with a bill attached, even for a nine day guaranteed full-booking.

You can find transport across the channel, somehow, right up to very close to the event.

thebear · 19 Jan 2004, 21:50 (Ref:843197)

Quote:

Originally posted by TuscanR
Thank you so much everyone for your swift and considered responces. We are meeting again ( in the pub ) during the week and I'm taking the view that if we don't sort ourselves out by the end of next week then we may have problems. Thanks once again and I hope to see you all in France in june!!!

You might wish to start here:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...000#post843000

That is the `regular' Le Mans thread for '04.

It started immediately after the '03 race and now has 20 pages.

**Aysedasi** · 20 Jan 2004, 13:16 (Ref:844002)

Quote:

Originally posted by FG1
I am about to revamp the directions. Why I do I put a set up on the web for anyone to access. I'll also send a copy to Ayse who has (had?) them on his site.

FG

Still there.
(But not updated for a while).

http://www.aysedasi.btinternet.co.uk...directions.htm

Pilgrimage · 20 Jan 2004, 16:36 (Ref:844243)

How many weeks till the autosport LM guide?

Mal · 20 Jan 2004, 16:45 (Ref:844253)

Quote:

Originally posted by Pilgrimage
How many weeks till the autosport LM guide?

one less than the number of weeks to the race!

Pilgrimage · 20 Jan 2004, 16:57 (Ref:844271)

Why of course...

bigh · 20 Jan 2004, 17:44 (Ref:844308)

In the early nineties before the route from Calais to Rouen was improved we used to go cross-country, this afforded some fine French driving and avoided the usual gridlock in Rouen. Nowadays it's not a bad alternative if you don't want to sit on a dual carriageway for hours, but would rather do some driving. You would need to allow at least five and a half hours driving time from Calais.
I've still got the route details, if anyone is interested drop me a PM and I can forward them on.
H

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