Le Mans 24 hours
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stevieboy1
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Le Mans 24 hours
Anybody been as i'm thinking of going this year and was looking for some tips[?]
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gardenpeas
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VisaGTi16v
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Yep ive been a few times, heres my write up of 2003 http://www.visagti.com/lemans.html
and as if by magic I wrote an article for my motorsport club's forum about it as well which I will paste below. There are plently of other campsites etc but are further away (this will make sense once you read it) obviously ignore the names as you dont know the people heh
german phrase book? mainly english there although some nice dutch people gave us beer before when we ran out. There are no speed limits for english people in france that weekend although I may yet be proved wrong
-----------------------------------------------------
Myself, Ross and 2 others are all booked up for Le Mans. I thought I would share out arrangements and plans on here incase others are interested.
The main problem revolves around camping, if you want one of the campsites (ie field with porta loo's and showers) near the track you need to get a organised thing including ferry etc. As walking 20 minutes to the track is boring we have done the following which costs a bit more but its worth it.
Booked via Motor Racing International, ring on 01304 612424 and ask for a broucher.
Thursday 16th June Dover to Calais ferry for 2 adults in 1 car. Four nights in Camping Houx Annex and return ferry on Monday 20th Calais to Dover. You have to get their travel insurance and it works out at a total of £328 so £164 each.
You must have 2 people minimum in a car, bigger cars can take 3 perhaps but you need camping gear etc. Cost breakdown as follows each
Ferry+camping = £164
Petrol (split in 2) ~700 miles = ~ £35
Race ticket = ~£45
Food+Beer = ~£30
Karting = ~15
Total around £290 each
This gets you to Le Mans and camping for 4 nights. 5 day holiday in total. The race ticket gets you into any spectator area at any point around the track except the grandstand. You can walk down the pits on the friday with this.
Basic plans are
Thursday: 8.15am ferry. 280 miles through france via Rouen, arrive at campsite ~4pm. Put tents up then go and buy food and beer for bbq. In the evening drink and walk around campsite a bit
Friday: Walk 15 minutes to the Karting track for a thrash, wander through campsites and back via the pitlane looking at all the cars. Go out in the cars down to Arnage/Indionapalis to park up where all the sports cars etc go, eat food and look around drooling. Get back to campsite for bbq+beer and another walk around campsite next door in evening
Saturday: not much in morning, go to Arnage for 2pm to prepare for start at 4pm. Watch there a bit then make way around to couple of other viewing points. Back to campsite for food then in the evening head to the track by the campsite (2 minutes walk, damm noisy at night heh), watch some racing, go to the Fairground, beer, racing etc, return to campsite midnight or after.
Sunday: walk up to track and watch a bit, later on make way to near the finish to watch last bit. After race stops, walk down main straight to watch ceremony etc then back to campsite. At this point you can walk the track if you know of a crash and wish to try and find bits of car to take home. Another bbq then the evening involves even more beer and general pratting about watching cars thrash around the roads outside and perhaps unicycling around roundabouts whilst drinking beer and having a few hundred drunk english people cheering at you.
Monday: get up 8am ish, plan to leave by 10, gentle drive back for 7.50 pm ferry home.
To summarise its great fun, cheap for a holiday in france if you dont mind being in a field. You will see every sports car ever made pretty much. In 2003 we saw an enzo which had just come out etc.
If anyones interested in going you must get the broucher and book up Asap as the camping places go. Also get the same ferry times as us if you want to drive down together or an earlier one.
I did a write up of my 2003 trip here http://www.visagti.com/lemans.html any more info reply here or send a message. I cant wait to go! The noise does it for me. The 911's on down changes sound better than any woman screaming out your name (not that I would know) and the Judd V10 F1 derived engines in a lot of the cars just wail amazingly
Oh and as another incentive, Sam often goes so you may get to see his smug face http://www.visagti.com/pics/SVI_0251.JPG
and as if by magic I wrote an article for my motorsport club's forum about it as well which I will paste below. There are plently of other campsites etc but are further away (this will make sense once you read it) obviously ignore the names as you dont know the people heh
german phrase book? mainly english there although some nice dutch people gave us beer before when we ran out. There are no speed limits for english people in france that weekend although I may yet be proved wrong
-----------------------------------------------------
Myself, Ross and 2 others are all booked up for Le Mans. I thought I would share out arrangements and plans on here incase others are interested.
The main problem revolves around camping, if you want one of the campsites (ie field with porta loo's and showers) near the track you need to get a organised thing including ferry etc. As walking 20 minutes to the track is boring we have done the following which costs a bit more but its worth it.
Booked via Motor Racing International, ring on 01304 612424 and ask for a broucher.
Thursday 16th June Dover to Calais ferry for 2 adults in 1 car. Four nights in Camping Houx Annex and return ferry on Monday 20th Calais to Dover. You have to get their travel insurance and it works out at a total of £328 so £164 each.
You must have 2 people minimum in a car, bigger cars can take 3 perhaps but you need camping gear etc. Cost breakdown as follows each
Ferry+camping = £164
Petrol (split in 2) ~700 miles = ~ £35
Race ticket = ~£45
Food+Beer = ~£30
Karting = ~15
Total around £290 each
This gets you to Le Mans and camping for 4 nights. 5 day holiday in total. The race ticket gets you into any spectator area at any point around the track except the grandstand. You can walk down the pits on the friday with this.
Basic plans are
Thursday: 8.15am ferry. 280 miles through france via Rouen, arrive at campsite ~4pm. Put tents up then go and buy food and beer for bbq. In the evening drink and walk around campsite a bit
Friday: Walk 15 minutes to the Karting track for a thrash, wander through campsites and back via the pitlane looking at all the cars. Go out in the cars down to Arnage/Indionapalis to park up where all the sports cars etc go, eat food and look around drooling. Get back to campsite for bbq+beer and another walk around campsite next door in evening
Saturday: not much in morning, go to Arnage for 2pm to prepare for start at 4pm. Watch there a bit then make way around to couple of other viewing points. Back to campsite for food then in the evening head to the track by the campsite (2 minutes walk, damm noisy at night heh), watch some racing, go to the Fairground, beer, racing etc, return to campsite midnight or after.
Sunday: walk up to track and watch a bit, later on make way to near the finish to watch last bit. After race stops, walk down main straight to watch ceremony etc then back to campsite. At this point you can walk the track if you know of a crash and wish to try and find bits of car to take home. Another bbq then the evening involves even more beer and general pratting about watching cars thrash around the roads outside and perhaps unicycling around roundabouts whilst drinking beer and having a few hundred drunk english people cheering at you.
Monday: get up 8am ish, plan to leave by 10, gentle drive back for 7.50 pm ferry home.
To summarise its great fun, cheap for a holiday in france if you dont mind being in a field. You will see every sports car ever made pretty much. In 2003 we saw an enzo which had just come out etc.
If anyones interested in going you must get the broucher and book up Asap as the camping places go. Also get the same ferry times as us if you want to drive down together or an earlier one.
I did a write up of my 2003 trip here http://www.visagti.com/lemans.html any more info reply here or send a message. I cant wait to go! The noise does it for me. The 911's on down changes sound better than any woman screaming out your name (not that I would know) and the Judd V10 F1 derived engines in a lot of the cars just wail amazingly
Oh and as another incentive, Sam often goes so you may get to see his smug face http://www.visagti.com/pics/SVI_0251.JPG
