2024 experience
Discussion
I think it was the busiest I’ve seen it (been going since 2013) & agree with the comments about pinch points on road crossings/bridges for pedestrians. We’ve learnt from previous years not to try & go out just before the race or try and get back in to the campsite after the race by car if we’ve moved around to view somewhere not easily accessible without a car.
I think the Hyper class is widening the manufacturer appeal and having someone like Ferrari break the Audi/Porsche/Toyota chain of wins was good with Cadillac showing a strong attempt. The 4.5 hr safety car situation was interesting but safety must come first.
I can honestly say the most eye opening part of our LM24/24 trip was the trip back home (not directly a LM24 point) but we encountered for the first time the ferry operator overbooking the boat and probably 30–40 cars being left on the dock. Given the French aren’t necessarily best at organising, the order you arrive/check-in wasn’t necessarily the order you drove on to the ferry & the 2nd car in the group almost got left behind having checked in almost 2 hrs before departure time. For those left on the dockside, the next ferry was the overnight one which wouldn’t have been good for those from “up country” going to work on the Tuesday.
I think the Hyper class is widening the manufacturer appeal and having someone like Ferrari break the Audi/Porsche/Toyota chain of wins was good with Cadillac showing a strong attempt. The 4.5 hr safety car situation was interesting but safety must come first.
I can honestly say the most eye opening part of our LM24/24 trip was the trip back home (not directly a LM24 point) but we encountered for the first time the ferry operator overbooking the boat and probably 30–40 cars being left on the dock. Given the French aren’t necessarily best at organising, the order you arrive/check-in wasn’t necessarily the order you drove on to the ferry & the 2nd car in the group almost got left behind having checked in almost 2 hrs before departure time. For those left on the dockside, the next ferry was the overnight one which wouldn’t have been good for those from “up country” going to work on the Tuesday.
sahajesh said:
Alpine seemed to be giving away more stupid flags, given the number of them poking out of people’s backpacks and being a general health hazard.
Yes - they could have been annoying sticks attached to Alpine flags No wonder they stayed in their rucksacks all race 😃
I’ve just watched part of PetrolPeds LM24/24 clip...an interesting perspective from the VIP side....I hope he does another one sometime from a fans point of view including the travel over as that makes a major part of the whole trip IMO seeing all the fans at the ferry/tunnel points & the journey down through a Northern France & the reaction of the locals to the nice cars etc.
MrC986 said:
DMN said:
Which Ferry was that?
Caen - PortsmouthIt is really random on the ferries there, especially as loads of early arrivals/boarders get stuffed on a mezzanine deck and delayed getting off - although hanging back and missing a ferry is much worse
FredericRobinson said:
Tunnel was surprisingly quiet when I went through at noon on Monday, what any of them will be like when the new checks come in in the autumn is anyone’s guess though
As in the return leg after the race? If so, it was very broken an hour or so later. I think a train had got stuck in one tunnel. Was a pretty chaotic situation from check in onward. Gad-Westy said:
As in the return leg after the race? If so, it was very broken an hour or so later. I think a train had got stuck in one tunnel. Was a pretty chaotic situation from check in onward.
Yes, sounds like I got away lightly, there was no where near the normal level of traffic at that time MrC986 said:
I’ve just watched part of PetrolPeds LM24/24 clip...an interesting perspective from the VIP side....I hope he does another one sometime from a fans point of view including the travel over as that makes a major part of the whole trip IMO seeing all the fans at the ferry/tunnel points & the journey down through a Northern France & the reaction of the locals to the nice cars etc.
I hope so but I doubt it.Gareth Jones on Speed is where you go for that perspective.
The problem I found was the road to Alencon was closed. The detour was miles out into the country, and mixed with detours from Chartres. Must have added 2 hours to the trip - not fun when you're running out of fuel miles from civilisation.
Rouen didn't let me down with an hour and a half rush-hour traffic jam
Rouen didn't let me down with an hour and a half rush-hour traffic jam
FredericRobinson said:
Gad-Westy said:
As in the return leg after the race? If so, it was very broken an hour or so later. I think a train had got stuck in one tunnel. Was a pretty chaotic situation from check in onward.
Yes, sounds like I got away lightly, there was no where near the normal level of traffic at that time DMN said:
Yes, same.
I used that myself many times in the past, including this year. However I've not heard that before. I have had a sailing from Dieppe delayed so that one car could make the ferry. By a good few hours.
Its far from my favorite crossing.
I went out Tuesday night back Sunday night on Newhaven - Dieppe. Didn’t appear to be any issues. Yes on the return they didn’t quite load in the order people arrived, however that was potentially a double edged sword as on both crossing we were almost last of the ship despite being nowhere near the last to get on.I used that myself many times in the past, including this year. However I've not heard that before. I have had a sailing from Dieppe delayed so that one car could make the ferry. By a good few hours.
Its far from my favorite crossing.
RL17 said:
We were originally on that ferry but changed for early one to Portsmouth as takes so long getting off with customs here that train back to London for my son wasn’t viable.
Likewise - due to a health issue, we only took one car this year, a larger car, which they couldn't fit on the 4.30 ferry so we decided to get up early on Monday and catch the 8.30 am which was nowhere near full. Mind you, we still had about 45 minutes queuing to get back into our own country at the other end - unlike the 5 minutes it took to gain entry to France a week earlier.... 
We had always used that 4.30 pm ferry - for as long as I can remember - and several times one of us has been left among the final half a dozen cars on the dockside, sure that we wouldn't get on - but we always did.
Truckosaurus said:
Finally... Was there ever a drone show? Loved it in 2023, but no-one in our group saw anything - was it too windy?
Think it was too windy - we saw about 8 drones go up and loiter in a rectangle above the buildings adjacent to Houx during the concert but the full show never happened. Last years was ace though!couzens said:
Dover was a cluster f
k too. Took 3 hours to get from check in, to dockside.
Dover was as fast as its been for years for the 7:20 am on Thursday - Through for all 8 cars in good time and all away on the right train.k too. Took 3 hours to get from check in, to dockside. Coming back (18:06 ) was about an hour late but check in and passport better than last 2 years
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