Club Arnage

I am...ferry and hotels booked...  ;)

Blimey Smokie - you are a bit keen!  Giving the Mrs a treat again this year?!  ;)

I promised her one holiday together this year...and this is it :)

I never put you down for the Romantic type Smokie - a Special Valentines present was it. 8)

I'll be there is anyone camping or has any idea which camp site is open and for how long? I plan to stay out there as last year and don't want to have to move camp sites twice as I have MB tickets for the race??

Usually it is not MB that is open for the test weekend, last year I think it was Beausejour! But I don't think they'll let you stay for 2 weeks in between.

What weekend, the one at Paul Ricard or the one at Le Mans itself! I think Paddy is going to Paul Ricard last weekend of March

When does it open and close? I have tickets for MB from the Monday before the race so it would be 7 days I emailed the ACO and will call them tomorrow re the camping passes for pre Qual.... If not I'll stay on a local site and then move to MB on the Monday

MB is open the monday before the race, you can get on the site on saterday/sunday if you are lucky. Remember they will cash in some extra money for monday and tuesday. But knowing the French, they will kick you out of the site after the test weekend and tell you to come back 7 days later. Bonjour!! ;D

I would go for a local site from the start!

Yep that’s what I think. I was just trying to find out if anybody knows what the deal is with the test weekend camping.

I may not be making myself clear,  the question is about the test weekend NOT race week, as I explained in my first post I have MB tickets for the race week. I will be camping in Le Mans for the test or Pre Qual weekend 3rd -4th of June and was asking if anybody knows:-

a. How to get camping passes and emailing the ACO didn’t help so I will call them today.
b. When the campsite opens?
c. When the campsite closes?
d. Did they shift people off during the week before the main campsites open?

I just don’t want to have to set up camp three times I going to have to do it twice and that will cut down on drinking time!

Camping passes for the test weekend are available from the Rotunda. About €20 seems to ring a bell but that was two years ago and was when the test weekend was still in April.

That year they used P16, which is by Chapelle inside the track. Goodness knows if that's even still there after the rebuild of the village.

Smokie and Fran both went last year so they may be able to shed some light on where they saw was being used for camping.

The ACO have just emailed me to say its "blue P16" but cannot tell me when they open or close!

I can't remember if we arrived on the Friday ro the Saturday. I know we left on the Monday.

I just don’t want to have to set up camp three times I going to have to do it twice and that will cut down on drinking time!

I live only 200 miles from Le Mans, so I don't normally stop over for the test w/e. I did stay a few years ago, when it was still round about 1st May. I rented a small house, as it was as almost as cheap as camping. I posted here and found a couple of guys who shared the house and the rent. That way it was cheaper than camping, and I made some new friends - Hi Baz!
Maison Blanche campsite will certainly be closed until race week - Smokie had to "break in" to get set up on the Sunday before the race last year - and you know it won't be open for test w/e.
I do know of a private campsite with restaurant and bar near the circuit, which will be open throughout the period. PM me if you want details.

I just know where Smokie slept last year for PQ, and it wasn't in a campsite  ;)

Gilles is right - I was in his chateau. Very nice it was too.

This year I've decided to hotel it in town for test weekend. Everyjthing is booked...  :)

Keith is booking into the campsite at Spay, the other one looked a bit "British" really, it's nice to have a little bit of local colour!!

Keith is going out for pre-qual and staying out there for the two weeks (it's alright for some  ::)), the rest of us are going out the following Sunday so we get a week on MB!! 

Piglet, I camped at the site in Spay in (I think) 1999 as I couldn't get on circuit for the race.

It's a nice open site with the usual toilet facilities.

Cheers Steve, it looks OK and Keith'll be there on his own so he's not too bothered about facilities (it's a man thing I suppose!). 

He is however  hoping there's a cute french barmaid or receptionist that he can practice his french on  ::)

I enjoy the week of “rest” I spent most of the week cycling around the area.  Chance to sort out stuff in the media office speak to the teams and mainly get very close to the cars, last year only a few teams stayed but could spent a lot of time talking at getting those up close pictures of cars.

A chance to walk and cycle the track and check spots at different times to see just how the sun sets or rises and how a shot has changed because trees are gone or track has changed. 

Lots of stuff to do in week it’s a nice break before the 7 days of the race “work” starts, two days of scrutineering, I always end up fried. Two long days of testing 2 AM finishes, Friday starts at 8 am and finishes after 11 PM, then race day 7 AM start to finish 11PM Sunday night… To drive 8-9 hours home on Monday… Then back again three weeks later for the classic.