Club Arnage

After assuring me two days ago that he was indeed going to Le Mans this year, and after I bought a non-refundable airline ticket, my host at Le Mans has abruptly cancelled the whole thing this morning.  Now I am stuck in England on 11th June with no other arrangements made at all.

Is there anybody at all going over with room for me and a place for a two-person tent to pitch up?  Or does anybody have any ideas where I can get all this done at extremely short notice?  I will have media accreditation so only need transport and camping room.  

Needless to say, I am fuming, but meanwhile there's a lot of work to be done and no time to waste.  Any help at all would be gratefully received and reasonable prices gratefully paid.  Thanks!

Signed --
Distracted Kate Shaw in Toronto
kate@rfmsports.com

Kate, see post below, maybe Dark Warrior can assist you?
Best of luck.
Brian

Kate
There are trains and boats and planes - and you are a professional journalist. Come on, if you're in that league, hire a car, book a crossing, book a flight to Tours, book a TGV - but GET THERE.
On the other hand, Dark Warrior's offer seems to be made for you.
Have fun - if you ever get there!

Lol Kpy - media accreditation isnt the same as being a journalist!!! i have seen a few snagging media passes on merely an exchange of beer!!

F

Hi Kate, I will be more positive than most, and say that my party will be glad to get you down safely, and in style, get you pitched, and provide any other help you need!

I am one of DW's party - his offering is exactly what you're looking for - full trip down in one of the first ever Stephens' Esprits ever built, via Eurotunnel, and Maison Blanche camping.  His MRI package will also give you the comforts of the MRI hospitality area.  He's got a spare seat because one of our number has decided that he'd rather go on a stag trip to Southern Ireland.  Having known DW for the last fifteen years, you will be in absolutely safe hands, and if in any doubt, I myself am with one of the industry's governing bodies (I'll give you details if you want to check).  I'll be going there and back with a friend by Dover - Calais ferry in an Audi ur-Quattro, if you would like more room!  :)

 ;) Oh well.
Let's hope Kate gets sorted out !!

I didnt see anyone being other than positive Arnie - surely Kpy and Brian had both already suggested DW offer as being suitable for Kate!    

and i responded to something Kpy said - again nothing negative about Kate's predicament and indeed on the other thread i have vouched for DW's good character already.

F

Go for it Kate. And,having met you, I know you call youself a professional journalist.
Good luck - but you make it yourself.
Have fun.

That sounds like a good deal -- only aren't you going down on Wednesday?  Because the group I normally travel with go down on Sunday, I am flying in on Saturday which gives me four days to fill up ... and the ticket is non-refundable and no changes allowed.

I have a photographer who will be coming down Thursday and will need to camp with me -- he's going to be credentialed as well, in's Allah -- but doesn't need any other aid as he has made all his plans to fly into Paris and come down by train.

Kpy, I can probably get to Le Mans by Eurostar and then TGV, from the look of it, if necessary. The camping is of paramount importance.  I can't drive a car; I have lost most of the sight of one eye and even in Canada they won't let you drive if you can't see out of both eyes (even if you choose not to).

If something can be worked out, date wise, this does sound like a good deal. What would it cost?

Seems to me that if you can get to le mans under your own steam/public transport all you need is someone to pick you up at the gate and drive you and your gear into a campsite.......or maybe you  just walk in thru the gate of your choice.  I have done this in the past with friends joining later in the week after i have driven down.  You really only need a camping pass to get a vehicle onto the site. Good luck.

Would that actually work?  I think I might be able to get a ride down; if the person could just drop me at, say Houx Annex, I could just pitch up anywhere?  I thought they marked the campsites out. (I confess I have not paid a lot of attention to this part of it before.)

Ferrari Spider, could you e-mail me please?  kate@rfmsports.com

It would work fine.   You buy a camping ticket per vehicle so you can have 4 people in a car with 4 separate tents... (by the end of the week its probably best way to stay friends too).

just get your buddy to drop you off at the perimeter fence and u can wander in.  you dont need to show a ticket to get in n out of the campsites unless you are driving through the gates.

I believe Houx (which is mostly powered sites for campervans etc.) is numbered sites but the rest are pretty much a free for all.

I dont know if anyone else knows different, but seems to me this will work - i have brought friends into the site in my car later in the week in previous years without any problem.

F

Hi, For many years I would land the old kite at LM airport and get a taxi to whatever camp site I fancied and just walk in with my tent and tooth brush, you can't get much else in a cessna, just had to buy a general entrance ticket, Pat

Well, I am certainly capable of doing that.   ;D  I'm going to keep looking for a camping billet, but it's good to know that if all else fails I can still get in all right.

Y'all have made me feel much better already.  Thank you for all the support!

Glad we have been able to give you a hint or two.

Keep an eye on this forum and another possibility one you are in Le Mans is that you can sometimes get returns from the actual ACO ticket place at the circuit during the week leading up to the race - never tried it myself but know of others who have.

F

Hi Kate

Just so we all understand what you need - are you looking for a lift to LM from the UK on the Sunday before? What about getting back??

As discussed above, if you have no car then you can walk into the camp site of your choice...  :)

Yes, that is what I am looking for -- and I am flying back to Toronto on the 21st in the afternoon (BA 99 from Heathrow) so would be ideal if I could get a lift back to England on the 20th; one suggestion: my stuff and I could be dropped at a railway station, once we got back to England, as there's a rail connection to Heathrow that I have taken before.  But I am open to any ideas in that regard.

Kate - I might have a spare seat on the Sunday in a slow car (towing a caravan) to get you & stuff there - need to check with my co-pilot 1st.

Where would you need collecting from on the Sunday? I'm quite close to Heathrow (25 miles west of it)

I can't offer the way back as I will be departing before the race ends  :-\

Kate - You have mail - I might be able to offer some assistance!

Piglet, I have answered your mails and hope that will work.

I'm working on getting a place to stay over Saturday night (I have a friend nearby who has offered me accommodation on Sunday night and have suggested Saturday night would be ideal, and I'm waiting to hear from him) and if that works out I think he could drop me either at the airport or somewhere near where you are going to be going.

Ferrari Spider said y'all were in negotiations regarding luggage carriage and perhaps there's some backstage part to this that I don't know at this point ... I shall be patient and wait and see.