Club Arnage

Here I am, 37 years old and never been to Le Mans! Having decided to make the effort this year, I have of course discovered that I should have started planning last June. If anyone can help with tickets it would be much appreciated.

I'm desperate (?) for a camping ticket - preferably houx annex or bleu but to be quite honest I'll consider anything.

Also I might be after a car park ticket as at the moment we've got three people - and only two seats in the car. The plan was to take a second car and dump it in a car park (or elsewhere) for the weekend. Does this make sense? I have presumed there's no problem in people walking into the campsite.

Can someone also confirm that general admission tickets are readily available at the circuit - there seem to be plenty for sale on websites so I was wondering if you needed to get them beforehand.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

DavidsDad has a Parking Rouge ticket for sale for a tenner here http://www.clubarnage.com/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=3177 (http://www.clubarnage.com/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=3177)

There are various Beausejour camping tickets floating about but if you hold fire, Bleu or Houx Annexe may turn up.
General Admission tickets can be bought on the gate.

Enjoy your first time at LM, you'll be back year after year.

My first year too - at the ripe old age of 39 and like you I'm not as organised as I'd like to have people believe...

Good luck getting camping tickets...

Last year (and I can't guarantee it will be the same this year, Aston and all that)  we made the decision to go less than 14 days before the race.

I'd been watching ebay, dreaming, for a few weeks before and I realised alot of stuff wasn't selling.  So I kept an eye on stuff that was local to me (pickup rather than post) and when it didn't sell I contacted the seller and made a silly offer.

I ended up getting a Houx (we needed a reserved pitch as we wouldn't be arriving 'till Friday) pass for about £40-50 and a channel crossing for less than £100.

General admission tickets are available on the door, in fact you have to buy them at the campsite entrance if you haven't got them.

There was one two person five star hotel package that must have cost £1500 that attracted no bid at £500, I wonder what you might have got it for two days before departure.

If nothing else get a reserved parking place and sleep in the car the night of the race.  If two of us can sleep in a Sprite you can sleep in anything!

Cheers for the help and advice. I've now got sorted for a car park pass from DavesDad and shall see how it goes for the camping tickets. The ones on Ebay are going for daft money. I think I'll take the advice and wait until a bit nearer the time.

The cheapest tickets going are for Bausejour - but I gather this is a fair hike from the village. It would be great to hear someone's opinion on the site, especially compared to the others. Is it a case that new sites take some time to get going as people tend to return to the same place each year?

Any other tips or advice would be greatfully received.

Cheers again.

If you're not minted or you didn't book about seven years ago then BSJ will probably be your only option. I've only stayed at bleu before and apparently those tickets will come up nearer the time, location is good but campsite isn't great - atmosphere is though. I'm staying at BSJ because a) I booked too late, b) I haven't got the spare £150 for an MB ticket on Ebugger and c) by the time I get there on thursday the entirety of Maison Blanche will be taken up with JPC's mega village (unless they can squeeze us in)  ;D

We're already saving space for Team Zarse so sectioning off some more land is OK by me. It can be hard to defend when groups arrive on the Wednesday and insist that as they are there and the other group aren't that they can claim the land.

Either way, call by for a beer!! We'll be easy to find! 5 Gazebos and 20 tents!

Campsites are pretty much what you make them and I believe Beausejour is as good as any apart from the hike.  Have a look at this thread for some opinions: http://www.clubarnage.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=2799;start=0

Hmmm...that'll be easy to find then in a campsite...  8)

Point taken!!  But all together in one enclosure might be a little more obvious. Plus there will be other factors that make us easy to find. Two CA flags flying high being just one of them!!  :)

You can Camp on Rouge with the ticket you bought from David's Dad. You'll need to pay another 20 euros for the "bivouac" when you get there. Not a bad deal.

Hi again, and thanks for all the useful info.

While this thread is going, I wonder if someone could enlighten me about driving round the track on Friday.

Is it free? How much of the track is open? How long is it open for? Are there any sped limits? Is anyone sober enough? Does that matter?

The dilemma I'm in is that some of our group want to travel down on Friday night, while I and one other would be keen to get there sooner. If it's worth getting there for the track driving, then that'll swing it!

I know arriving on Saturday morning will stuff my chances of getting a decent campsite spot etc - but I'm buggered anyway by the choice of car. You can't fit much in a Healey 100 - especially with a boot full of spares - so I wasn't planning one of the large spreads described above!

So tell me - would it be worth making the effort to chuck the old Healey around the track?

Cheers! ;)

Hi Healy Hundred,
                            The public parts are open. From Tetre Rouge down to Mulsanne < not the Chicanes> on to Arnage then just before the Porsche Curves you are on the old part passed Maison Blanche.
you will not be alone however so high speed run not advisable. Gendarmes everywhere. Worth doing once then retrace your steps to visit the Bar on Mulsanne and the gathering of exotics parked at Indianapolis.
City Centre for the Driver Parade to round out your day.
Canada Phil
 

Wocher Healey,
Yes Phil's right alright. Most of the track, and what Phil describes above is on (slightly modified) public roads, and on Friday it's a bit of a jungle, still good fun though. However, if you're getting there Friday, and the track thing is being used as leverage, then drop your kit off and when it gets dark get back out on the road. If it's late enough the road will be free from fans (they're all trousered by then) and you'll be able to give it a bit of stick. And have the added bonus of seeing what the drivers experience in the dark.
You don't want to see what Phil experiences in the dark...
H

Two years ago and I also believe last year, the bit between Mulsanne and Arnage has been closed on the afternoon. The place is crawling with plod though. The bar at Hunaudières is not a bad place for a couple of beers as there is some nice motors get in there. You are right about just walking onto a campsite. Keep your eyes open on here for a ticket and also as said there are plenty on ebay for a more sensilble price after they have been issued and nearer the time. You also might be able to pick up a ticket at the Rotande (which is the place which does the ticket collection and you can see it looking north from the main entrance)as some people give them there extra tickets to sell for face value and collect the money later. We went a few years ago with no tickets and got sorted with a camping ticket and sold our parking. Anyway, enjoy it cos I did when I first went. I've now got a lot more mates who I look forward to having a beer with in June.

Friday is good fun on the circuit but definitely watch your speed during the day. Two years ago we parked at the side of the circuit for a bite to eat and a beer and to watch the cars go by.

At the first car to come past at any speed, the police jumped over the armco about 100 yards away where they had been hiding with a radar gun, we were close and we hadn't seen them so the driver had no chance.

Later they also nicked a LandRover pickup with about 10 people standing in the back for lobbing water bombs. Don't know if that was for carrying too many people, throwing water bombs, or being crap shots, tossers missed us by a mile!

Possibly the best time to do the public part of the track at speed, in the dark and with a degree of safety is during the middle of Thursday night of pre-qual weekend.

Got 130 out of the old girl between the second chicane and Mulsanne last year at about 01:30.  :D (Omega V6, which let me down in Frankfurt over the weekend but is well again now)

2 years ago the track was definetely open from tetre rouge all the way to the porsche curves because my mate rob got a bit carried away and tried to apex the corner at indianapolis, into oncoming traffic!

didnt notice too many gendarmes myself, but they're probably swarming all over the place

 Hi there, good to see at least there is one more Healey nut going across, there has been a serious lack of healey's in the past, can't help with tickets I am afraid, but as this is my 21st year and I havn't got mine yet, I wouldn't worry too much. camping permits can be had here or even at some of the travel companies up to quite close timing.  Sleeping in the car is fine, but I wouldn't want to sleep in my 3000 that's for sure.

Worst case would be to take a bed roll and get some kip by the side of the car on sat night, I wouldn't bank on getting much sleep though.

have a great time, believe me you will be hooked.

Steve

Thanks again to everyone for the help. I've now picked up a Beausejour camping ticket (£50 of eBay). I know it's only encouraging them - but at least I'm sorted. Some of the prices are just plain daft.

The main concern now is getting the Healey up and running - the engine is currently out awaiting a rebuild/upgrade! Also I'm not entirely sure how tents, sleeping bags etc will fit in - given that the boot will be full of spares. I gather there's a Carrefour nearby........

Cheers again.

HealylHundred

Hmmm -  BSJ tickets are currently available at 45 euros from the ACO ........... Long live eBay !!

FYI, the RAC will waive their older car loading for European Breakdown cover if you are in a recognised club, the AA don't.  It nornally cost me about £40 for the Sprite for 5 days or so.

As well as saving money on camping and entry tickets, ACO membership gives you (somewhat limited) breakdown recovery.