Club Arnage

I'm new to the whole Le Mans thing.  Going for the first time this year with a mate.  I've just received my confirmation letter from the ACO and they 've allocated me a camping pass for Bleu Nord, rather than Beausejour, which is what I was expecting to end up with.  There's no mention of a waiting list or anything on the letter. I did put BN as 1st choice, but didn't expect to get it !

A couple of questions - what is Bleu Nord like ? I'm assuming it's better than BSJ, as it's much closer, but what are the facilities like, is it really dusty, and can you skip across through Maison Blanche to the trackside ?

Help much appreciated !

Dave

Welcome Dave,
There's quite a few regulars on here who use Bleu camping and rate it's facilities and location - especially as it's not a mammoth hike to the village like it is from BSJ.

I don't use either site I'm afraid, so I won't pass anymore comments except to suggest that you don't skip across through MB but rather sashay across in a Fred Astaire stylie  ;D

Keep up to date with this forum, make some new friends, share a beer or three and you'll have a great time at Le Mans.

(http://www.kathwalker-illustration.co.uk/folios/k_kids/skipping-girl-5_t.jpg)

Hi Dave,
Blue Nord's good, just across from the main enterance and the tribunes (stands), very friendly ( as with all of LM camp sites!), convienient for Arnage village, good action on Friday night, you'll have a good time. Try looking on the Help page lots of info buried in there 8)

Bleu Nord is good and a short walk across the road through  MB to the track. Can be dusty near the main road at the back and sides. Try and camp near the bottom of a leg as you won't get much passing traffic that way. Avoid camping near to the toilets and stand pipes as they are in constant use and the stand pipes flood across the road and flood out the nearest tents at the other side of the track. ;D

Two things about the answers above

1  Bleu Nord is at the back of Parking Bleu, the most Northerly part against the perimeter of the airfield (it's not actually shown on the maps - Air Accuil Bleu that IS shown on the map is Bleu Sud)

2  You don't (can't) go thru MB to get to the circuit - there is an entrance to the circuit at the eastern end of MB.

Not that these points make any difference - just being a trifle pedantic (in Robbos words, it's an age thing  ;) ;) ;)  You'll still enjoy it and want to come again.

Del

If you have never ever been to the race then you will probably have a blast at any campsite! Blue Nord is new I guess for this year, think they used it last year as an overflow area for blue sud. At least at blue nord there will be showers and bogs. I think Blue sud only had bogs!

Bleu Nord and South are shown on the "new" map in the glossy A4 brochure that came with my ticket invoice.  It's not shown on the map that's on the ACO site though which is the old map.

If I remember I'll try to scan it on Monday (but that's reliant on me remembering to bring it to work first!)

It is shown on the ticket prices pdf file on the lemans.org website.

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/live/ressources/pdf/billet_24h2006.pdf

BSJ is a nice relaxed site, been there the past couple of years, but you would have had a big walk to get anywhere.
Bleu is bang on the entrance so a much shorter walk to the circuit. Also as a first timer i reckon this is the better option for you as it is easier to get the main places you will want to see and far less chance of getting lost.
I think we are at bleu this year and have been there 4 odd times recently before BSJ.
Where ever you camp you will enjoy.
As said before, try to get a spot away from loos and taps, but close enough to walk to without a major effor, get away from the main drags for a bit more seclusion and less likelyhood of a donutting car wiping out your tent pegs!
Get pissed on warm lager, get hayfever, get sunburnt, get tired and have the best weekend of your life. Be prepared no to go every year, LM is like that, you will spend the entire year looking forward to and planning the annual pilgramage.

Dave,
You look like a nice young man. - I'd be interested to know when your first visit to LM was.
I only ask this because my first visit was mid eighties, - and it was a different spectating experience compared to today, at that time you could walk freely amongst the teams preparing the cars in the paddock and pretty well stand at a mechanics shoulder and pass him a drink as he dismantled and rebuilt a gearbox before your very eyes. Almost touch the cars from the side of the track as they whistled past. Drive to the kink during the night and watch from the armco as the C1's, almost cracking 250mph produced an imploding sensation in your chest as they shrieked out of the darkness and disappeared just as quickly. The Fair was full of things that you don't often see in Eastbourne, or Surbiton for that matter, drugs weren't required for an 'out of body experience'. And, like you, I vowed to return every year.
I don't mean this in a 'it were much better in my time lad' kind of way, but am wondering that if my first visit had been in the last few years, would it have made the same impression, and would I have made the same vow?
Maybe, but it would have to be for different reasons.
H

>>I don't mean this in a 'it were much better in my time lad' kind of way, but am wondering that if my first visit had been in the last few years, would it have made the same impression, and would I have made the same vow?
<<

Well H, my first visit was 2003, the year of the Bentley Wins, but yes it had that effect on me even then.

I will keep on going 'til all my pension money has run out and B-liar has stolen everything I own.

Life changing, but I still don't know why!

Enjoy, I say...

Roll on June. The French roads, sunshine and dust, beer that refuses to get cool enough, madness on the roundabouts at HA. Red hot chili cooking for hours on the gazrings, ice in lumps from the gippos in dodgy old vans. Carrefour for the sheer amazement...
And the prospect of a drive after the race down to the new huge bridge across that valley, then a run up to the Nordschliesse for a taz round then a German MG Midget and Sprite weekend the following weekend.

Time to retire lads!

 ;)

just to get of thread for just a second, Steve, please can you explain the avatar, i dont get the actions ??? ??? ???
Gary

 
And the prospect of a drive after the race down to the new huge bridge across that valley, then a run up to the Nordschliesse for a taz round then a German MG Midget and Sprite weekend the following weekend.

Time to retire lads!

 ;)
And just where exactly is this huge bridge you are lusting after ???
Canada Phil

It's somewhere on one of the roads towards the south of France, great big French engineering project that is being lauded by the Big Cheese over there. Looks as impressive as hell across a couple of kilometres of valley... and was designed by a Brit!

Closer to the time I'll Google it up and hack out an itinerary.

 :D

I suppose I ought to ask Gilles, the fount of all knowlege.

Millau viaduct

http://tinyurl.com/4ag7p

"And the prospect of a drive after the race down to the new huge bridge across that valley"


Hope you have a head for heights, it's about 350m up in the air, I've parachuted from a lower height ;D ;D ;D
We are going over it in August, looking forward to it.

Agree with you Perdu, my first visit was 2002, and I don't care if it was better before, it's still awesome, and I'll be back every year that I can make it.

I don't think the altitude will be a worry ;D

Howdya think I got dodgy knees?

More likely worrying persuading Gwyn that it will be a cool way to pass the time before the MG weekend in the Westerwald, or I may have to get two "tinworm" tickets under the Channel. Home then back again next weekend to Germany seems a waste. Dunnit?   Huh? ???

Still there's always Speederries.

 ;)

Hi Perdu, If not that surely you can come up with something she would like to do in France Belgium Switzerland, all on the way to Germany.
 Saw a TV show on how they built it and pushed it out over the abyss.
Base jumping anyone ??? NO NO not me :o
Terra Firma for me.The more firma the less terror ;D
Canada Phil

There was a documentry on the building of the Pont du Millau a couple of weeks ago on C5, amazing construction methods used for the roadway. Included film of the first base jump off it, which was before the official opening.

Bill, I drove across the Millau Viaduct on Boxing Day 2004 when some of the support pylons were still in place.  It's an amazing piece of engineering and asthetically very pleasing.  It's height is breathtaking - especially when you see it from the valley below.   Go!  ;D

How bloody big is Beausejour this year??

Any time now I can see it swooping across the whole of Southern Europe and nibbling away at Africa. People camping in the far end may well have to set off in April.

I think they are hoping it'll be a big boy soon and able to replace Home for us and the Cobraboys when they turn HA into a footie stadium car park. Buggerem!

Definitely handy to bring pushbikes or something simular :(

(http://premium1.uploadit.org/paddyNL//BSJ.gif)

No sh*t  :o  :o  That's a HUGE field - and must almost reach the northern part of the golf course.

Hmmm, that sort of proves my point Perdu, neither you or VQdave actually mentioned the racing...
H

Hmm would that have something to do with those far off engine noises one hears at night occasionally? The ones that drown out the odd sixty zillion decibel GD blasts from Stuart's CD player in his car?

Canada Phil? >>something she would like to do in France <<

I didn't give the impression that SWMBO would be there did I?

Oops, sorry! No just me...

Dammit it's ME that's retired! :P

Canada Phil? >>something she would like to do in France <<

I didn't give the impression that SWMBO would be there did I?

Oops, sorry! No just me...

Dammit it's ME that's retired! :P

Hi Perdu,
             On your own.. well then you can ...Please your self then can't you ;D

actually, its adjacent to the porshe curves, indy and Speedchills!  so why bother leaving BJ?!  we've booked up to go there again. 

they were building the exta bits last year - helpfully, the campsite track was built and not a lot else.   it seemed rude not to use it... :)