[LM24] Le Mans "Must Dos"

[frostie]

Just wondering what everyone thinks are they're own "must dos" at Le Mans. Last time I was there I didn't get down to Mulsanne or Arnage so they're obviously top of my list for next month but what are the other highlights of the week?

[Mike E]

'Next month'! Woohoo!

[Aysedasi]

You wanna list?

In fact -

You wanna long list.......?

[frostie]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

You wanna list?

In fact -

You wanna long list.......?

Damn right I do! Last time I was there I could only fly in on the Friday so missed out on loads of the festivities. This year I'm going with three first timers and we're arriving on the Wednesday so I want to make sure that we all get to see Le Mans at its best

[Aysedasi]

OK. 10 must do's from me - fairly random and in no particular order:-

1. Stay up all night through the race
2. Stay up all night through the race (it's that important to me).
3. Ten Tenths meeting on Saturday
4. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne
5. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne - at night
6. Have at least one sandwich Americaine merguez.
7. Watch from the inside at Tertre Rouge
8. Have several Grand Marnier crepes
9. Make sure you have a good radio on which to listen to RLM
10. Whatever you do - savour it and above all, enjoy yourself.

[frostie]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

OK. 10 must do's from me - fairly random and in no particular order:-

1. Stay up all night through the race
2. Stay up all night through the race (it's that important to me).
3. Ten Tenths meeting on Saturday
4. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne
5. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne - at night
6. Have at least one sandwich Americaine merguez.
7. Watch from the inside at Tertre Rouge
8. Have several Grand Marnier crepes
9. Make sure you have a good radio on which to listen to RLM
10. Whatever you do - savour it and above all, enjoy yourself.

Cheers Aysedasi, apart from number 6 and 8 (alergies) I'll be definitely be doing all of them, especially the last! But in fairness how could you do anything other than enjoy yourself. I've been to God know how many races since the 09 24 hours but it's still the best race weekend I ever went to.

Out of curiousity whats the best way for getting down to Arnage and Mulsanne? I saw in your write ups that you take the car but I remember there was a shuttle bus

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

OK. 10 must do's from me - fairly random and in no particular order:-

1. Stay up all night through the race
2. Stay up all night through the race (it's that important to me).
3. Ten Tenths meeting on Saturday
4. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne
5. Get out to both Arnage and Mulsanne - at night
6. Have at least one sandwich Americaine merguez.
7. Watch from the inside at Tertre Rouge
8. Have several Grand Marnier crepes
9. Make sure you have a good radio on which to listen to RLM
10. Whatever you do - savour it and above all, enjoy yourself.

The outside of Tetre Rouge is still pretty good - if you go under the tunnel and turn right there is a short stretch where you can still get quite close to the cars and it is pretty dramatic

[vincegail]

Originally Posted by frostie

Out of curiousity whats the best way for getting down to Arnage and Mulsanne? I saw in your write ups that you take the car but I remember there was a shuttle bus

Don't take the shuttle bus! Will take ages and ages to get around. Instead follow this route. It shows the route from Beausejour campsite to Mulsanne, passing Arnage. Also purple signposts will be put up showing you the way, but this the route to follow:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=...6&via=1,2&z=13

[frostie]

Originally Posted by Mal

The outside of Tetre Rouge is still pretty good - if you go under the tunnel and turn right there is a short stretch where you can still get quite close to the cars and it is pretty dramatic

Yeah this is from the outside of Tetre Rouge looking back to the chicane:

[GT6]

I would add the follow

On friday do the CBW classic british welcome at st saturin
Walk as much of the track on saturday as you can From TR to the porsche curves
The museum if it is raining
The big wheel at night, brilliant view
Visit Le mans centre on Thursday and look around
Do not eat merguez unless you have a caste iron stomach and no taste buds
Don't drive to Arnarge and Mulsanne twice do it once as darkness falls that way you will spend less time in the car traveling

[Aysedasi]

I still say Arnage/Indianapolis are worth a visit for both qually and race.

And of course you have to be a paid-up member of the Namby-Pamby Club to be able to deal with 3-4 merguez over the week. Man up all you 'NP's' - merguez time is almost upon us!

[GT6]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I still say Arnage/Indianapolis are worth a visit for both qually and race.

And of course you have to be a load-up member of the Namby-Pamby Club to be able to deal with 3-4 merguez over the week. Man up all you 'NP's' - merguez time is almost upon us!

Let the merguez time be on you

Yes I would say do arnage in both but d not try in in the main 24 hours or you will spend a very large amount of it in the car for your first visit try and spend as much time watch the race as possible and try to watch it from different places this is a big circuit and there is a lot to do in 24 hours

[vincegail]

To get in the Le Mans mood (not that I need much encouragement) I bought a six-pack of Merguez this week. 3 on tuesday, 3 on wednesday, tasted very nice and no problems whatsoever.

[Aysedasi]

Good man!

[Gingers4Justice]

I've been weened on Merquez from a very young age, so I'm immune to them now - I'd do anything to buy them in England. I'm not even sure if they're that nice, but it's just the taste of Le Mans for me.

I agree with poking your nose around in the city centre. The cathedral's worth a visit if you're into that sort of thing. Plenty of proper Tabacs about too which seem to be a dying breed in the rest of France.

Also, hesitant to call it a "must-do" but a "must-consider" is joining the ACO and using the facilities at the ACO enclosure. It's not that pricey but certainly worth it, just to sit yourself indoors for a bit (screens are showing the race, of course).

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

I've been weened on Merquez from a very young age, so I'm immune to them now - I'd do anything to buy them in England. I'm not even sure if they're that nice, but it's just the taste of Le Mans for me.

I agree with poking your nose around in the city centre. The cathedral's worth a visit if you're into that sort of thing. Plenty of proper Tabacs about too which seem to be a dying breed in the rest of France.

Also, hesitant to call it a "must-do" but a "must-consider" is joining the ACO and using the facilities at the ACO enclosure. It's not that pricey but certainly worth it, just to sit yourself indoors for a bit (screens are showing the race, of course).

Strange to say, but the Tabac experience is worthwhile, and perhaps a vanishing species too - and no, it's not just a place to buy cigarettes, it's a place which is a community focal point, often run by someone who knows their customers, knows their surroundings, and despite it often being delivered via an eminently gallic sneer, can be one of the most friendly places imaginable.

If you fancy a bit of a haul there's a perfect example of the small town sub-species of the breed in Solesmes, about 40 minutes from Le Mans.

[CTD]

1. Stay up all night!
2. Watch as much racing as possible!
3. Join the Ten-Tenths meeting!
4. Do the Pit walk.
5. Listen to RLM as much as possible.
6. Stay up the whole race!
7. Watch the race from as many possible viewing spot as possible.
8. Relax, and being in one of the greatest places in the world - at the right week.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by isynge

Strange to say, but the Tabac experience is worthwhile, and perhaps a vanishing species too - and no, it's not just a place to buy cigarettes, it's a place which is a community focal point, often run by someone who knows their customers, knows their surroundings, and despite it often being delivered via an eminently gallic sneer, can be one of the most friendly places imaginable.

If you fancy a bit of a haul there's a perfect example of the small town sub-species of the breed in Solesmes, about 40 minutes from Le Mans.

It's something which is very unique to French culture. We watched the football last year in a Tabac huddled round a tiny screen drinking Grand Marnier...the owner didn't smile much, but you could tell he was happy to have us and he allowed himself a grin whenever England scored.

[Mal]

The TT garage visit is usually a highlight.... Also for me;

The start of the race - although strangely I always feel that is also the beginning of the end of a great week.
The TT meeting
Sun up at Arnage or Mulsanne
When you arrive in Lemans drive straight down the Mulsanne and round the rest of the track - it's a great 'I have arrived' moment.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Also, hesitant to call it a "must-do" but a "must-consider" is joining the ACO and using the facilities at the ACO enclosure. It's not that pricey but certainly worth it, just to sit yourself indoors for a bit (screens are showing the race, of course).

It's a super stop-off point in any walk around the circuit where you can sit and relax, have a coffee etc. But two pleas to the ACO:-

1. Can we have the decent food back that we had there back in 2010 (great pizzas)?

2. Can we have some decent sized screens? The TVs in the Espace Club were far too small. One of them had a timing screen which you just couldn't read.....

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Mal

The TT garage visit is usually a highlight.... Also for me;

The start of the race - although strangely I always feel that is also the beginning of the end of a great week.
The TT meeting
Sun up at Arnage or Mulsanne
When you arrive in Lemans drive straight down the Mulsanne and round the rest of the track - it's a great 'I have arrived' moment.

Yep. Good ones all.

[GT6]

[QUOTE The start of the race - although strangely I always feel that is also the beginning of the end of a great week.
QUOTE]
I know exactly how you feel very strange but that beginning of the end feeling is I think a common feeling for the regulars

[PascaLM]

Chronologically :
1 - the Ten-Tenths meeting
2 - watch the start and the first pit-stops with the highest concentration
3 - merguez-frites
4 - sunset at Tertre-Rouge
5 - the village at midnight
6 - sunrise at Arnage or Mulsanne
7 - Les croissants at Arnage or Mulsanne
8 - stay awake
9 - track invasion (if the podiums worth it)
10 - during the race : watch the cars and listen events on radio as much as possible !

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by GT6

I know exactly how you feel very strange but that beginning of the end feeling is I think a common feeling for the regulars

Indeed so.

[Le Vieux]

Originally Posted by Mal

When you arrive in Lemans drive straight down the Mulsanne and round the rest of the track - it's a great 'I have arrived' moment.

Yes, but these days you have to arrive in Le Mans relatively early during the week. Later (Thursday onwards?) the section from Mulsanne to Arnage is closed off by the police.

Years ago, that used to be the area where everyone gathered. As you drove along that stretch, you'd find "encampments" of, say, Caterhams, then TVRs, then Cobras and so on, all assembled on the grass run-off areas either side of the track. Perhaps the police stopped it because of some unsuitable behaviour - or was it just because they're French and don't like to see the British enjoying themselves?

Last century - when Arnage Corner was our chosen viewing point, we'd always arrive via the LM ring road - the Rocade - then turn right where the tramline now is, up the hill past Carrefour, then join the circuit at Tertre Rouge, taking the Mulsanne Straight, right at Mulsanne Corner, then continue though Indianapolis before turning left and left again at Arnage. A great way to introduce any "Newbies" to The Weekend!