Can anyone help a Le Mans virgin?

[HealeyHundred]

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.

[Steve Pyro]

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

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.

[Penelope Pitstop]

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...

[SpriteII]

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!

[HealeyHundred]

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.

[Robspot]

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)  

[jpchenet]

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!

[pretzel]

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.

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

[smokie]

... easy to find! 5 Gazebos and 20 tents!

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

[jpchenet]

... easy to find! 5 Gazebos and 20 tents!

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

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!!  

[Kpy]

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.

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.

[HealeyHundred]

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!

[Canada Phil]

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
 

[BigH]

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

[Stu]

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
 

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.