Le Mans 2014

[StokeyStag]

SWMBO has been pestering me to organise and book (Yeah ) for Le Mans next year. Is anyone else planning to go ? Any tips on where to stay (preferably a hotel) ? Is it best to book via an organised tour group or do it solo ?

Ta

Mark

[Guest]

I'm going again. Best to book through an agent like travel destinations or even the TSSC but that would be for camping. If you want a hotel then you will definitely need an agent as all rooms are gone in moments of the dates being released. I stayed in Sable sur Sarth last year in a campanile hotel, about 30 miles out of Le Mans.

I will be booking through travel destinations and camping next time, it's a better " crack"

Jason

[KOY 23]

Hi Mark.

Plan to go again next year, Stagdad and Muffin are also going. We went in 2010 with Travel Destinations and camped inside Terte Rouge corner. I'm not a camping type but its the only way to get the atmosphere and to avoid the long queues to get in.

John.

[Bob Heritage]

SWMBO has been pestering me to organise and book (Yeah ) for Le Mans next year. Is anyone else planning to go ? Any tips on where to stay (preferably a hotel) ? Is it best to book via an organised tour group or do it solo ?

Ta

Mark

Is SWMBO trying to get rid of you for the weekend? You will miss half the weekend if you go hotel, just trying to get in and out.----Bob

[Bandit1200]

I'm going again. Best to book through an agent like travel destinations or even the TSSC but that would be for camping. If you want a hotel then you will definitely need an agent as all rooms are gone in moments of the dates being released. I stayed in Sable sur Sarth last year in a campanile hotel, about 30 miles out of Le Mans.

I will be booking through travel destinations and camping next time, it's a better " crack"

Jason

I couldn't agree more.
Le Mans is a small village and lacks the hotel capacity and infrastructure to accommodate the multitude of fans who visit the event.
I have visited Le Mans 3 times and always camped and the experience is wonderful.
However rich you are, you are unlikely to be able to find hotel accommodation convenient to the circuit and I remember seeing ordinary ridge tent after ordinary ridge tent with Porsches, Ferarris and other exotica parked next to them.
I even saw a Rolls on the campsite which had one of those windscreen banners which usually spell "Wayne and Tracey" on an Astra except this one read " considerably richer than yo". A great leveller!!
Also, you must go to the adjacent village of Arnage, the day before the start of the race. Here, flash gits in superb cars boulevard along the high Street and when I was there, a water pistol/drencher game evolved where if your windows were down, you'd get your ears syringed. Fantastic petrol head venue and atmosphere.
Count me in.

[StokeyStag]

Thanks guys, we were planning on going on to Burgundy and Dordogne afterwards so didn't want to camp. However, we are planning to sell our current (large) caravan and buy a smaller period 'van to pull with the Stag, so we could stay at the circuit with that if we can find somewhere to store it for a week or ten days afterwards. Hmmm

Anyway, another question. Is it worth buying tickets for seats in the grandstand or is milling about with the hoi polloi worth the craic ? Also, anything else worth slashing the dosh on whilst there ?

Thanks again.

Mark

[Guest]

Grandstand seats, plus pit pass. The first time I went in 2010 the pit pass was included (booked through TSSC) last year you had to pay extra for the pits which I didn't realise I hadn't done!

Jason

[stagmuffin]

what about track laps ! we need those don't we ?
steve

[Guest]

Steve, in 2010 that was 120 euros for I think, 2 laps? As I'm a bit of a cheap skate, me and my mate jumped in with Saxplayer who then scared the living day lights out of me!!

To be honest, the track is so busy you can't really nail it to the floor, although Shaun did! The pace car came out, so Shaun over took it
Jason

[stagmuffin]

Steve, in 2010 that was 120 euros for I think, 2 laps? As I'm a bit of a cheap skate, me and my mate jumped in with Saxplayer who then scared the living day lights out of me!!

To be honest, the track is so busy you can't really nail it to the floor, although Shaun did! The pace car came out, so Shaun over took it
Jason

[KOY 23]

Last year the track laps were £150 and we did 3 or 4. They let the TVR's and Ferraris out after us, they were attacking us on both sides. Good fun though.

[Another Peter]

I´m assuming that you are talking about Le Mans Classic rather than the "normal" Le Mans?

In previous years, the TR Register and also TSSC have done some great value packages mainly centred on camping. If you can keep your wife´s interest going for a couple of months, these two clubs usually announce their offers in the autumn.

I only partially agree about the atmosphere when camping though. Being under canvas isn´t much fun when its pouring down and during CLM2012, it seemed to rain a great deal of the time! Last year, I stayed in a hotel with my son in between Mayenne and Le Mans which was close enough to be commutable but with the guarantee of a good night´s sleep, good food and a few luxuries - perhaps I´m just getting old though.

Regards

Peter

[StokeyStag]

I´m assuming that you are talking about Le Mans Classic rather than the "normal" Le Mans?

In previous years, the TR Register and also TSSC have done some great value packages mainly centred on camping. If you can keep your wife´s interest going for a couple of months, these two clubs usually announce their offers in the autumn.

I only partially agree about the atmosphere when camping though. Being under canvas isn´t much fun when its pouring down and during CLM2012, it seemed to rain a great deal of the time! Last year, I stayed in a hotel with my son in between Mayenne and Le Mans which was close enough to be commutable but with the guarantee of a good night´s sleep, good food and a few luxuries - perhaps I´m just getting old though.

Regards

Peter

Peter,

Did you have to queue much to get into the circuit each day?

Mark

[Bob Heritage]

Sounds like he missed the night racing

[Another Peter]

Peter,

Did you have to queue much to get into the circuit each day?

Mark

Only on the first day (Friday). The other days and nights were no problem parking on the fields around the perimeter or alternatively parking with the TR Register.

Sounds like he missed the night racing

You are joking! The night racing was the best part. The grandstands and paddocks were still surprisingly packed even into the small hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning, but it was good to have a nice bed to look forward to afterwards.

Regards

Peter