Le Mans 2005 virgin - lots of questions!
Discussion
Fellow pistonheads,
I wonder if you can help with my questions surrounding Le Mans 2005
1) With regard to 'Race day' can you just arrive 'on spec' and pay for parking at particular locations to view the race or do I need to book tickets in advance for grandstands? If so any ideas on costs?
2) This may link in with Q1 but how close can you get to the teams and the pits etc?
3) It seems a lot of you go for camping and it appears tickets for this are a bit like gold dust. Camping seems a good idea but is it easy enough to stay in local hotels?
4) Last but not least.......where does all the drinking and night time activity take place? on the site or locally in the town?
Many thanks
I wonder if you can help with my questions surrounding Le Mans 2005
1) With regard to 'Race day' can you just arrive 'on spec' and pay for parking at particular locations to view the race or do I need to book tickets in advance for grandstands? If so any ideas on costs?
2) This may link in with Q1 but how close can you get to the teams and the pits etc?
3) It seems a lot of you go for camping and it appears tickets for this are a bit like gold dust. Camping seems a good idea but is it easy enough to stay in local hotels?
4) Last but not least.......where does all the drinking and night time activity take place? on the site or locally in the town?
Many thanks
Davislove said:Ahoy!
Fellow pistonheads,
Davislove said:Indeed.
I wonder if you can help with my questions surrounding Le Mans 2005
Davislove said:Yes to both questions. You can buy entry tickets and unreserved parking on the door, but for grandstands you need to book in advance (as they'll be sold out by the race). Entry tickets c.€50. Goto www.lemans.org for full details of tickets.
1) With regard to 'Race day' can you just arrive 'on spec' and pay for parking at particular locations to view the race or do I need to book tickets in advance for grandstands? If so any ideas on costs?
Davislove said:If you get there by the Friday the teams, by law
2) This may link in with Q1 but how close can you get to the teams and the pits etc?
, have to have their garage doors open during the day long public open pit lane. Many of the drivers will be there signing autographs etc. There is also the drivers parade in the city centre on the Friday evening where you can wave and heckle to your heart's content.Davislove said:It is hotels not camping that are gold dust. Certain camping spots are at a premium but there is always room in the outlying camping (a whole mile down the road). If you book up now then you have a good chance of getting what tickets you want.
3) It seems a lot of you go for camping and it appears tickets for this are a bit like gold dust. Camping seems a good idea but is it easy enough to stay in local hotels?
Davislove said:Both.
4) Last but not least.......where does all the drinking and night time activity take place? on the site or locally in the town?
Follow your nose. Davislove said:No, Thanking you.
Many thanks
1) We paid about £60 for a grandstand seat last year.
3) I think you'll find most of more popular campsites are already sold out for 2005 unless you buy them as part of a package. If you can' get tickets now, wait until a couple of weeks before the race and you'll pick them up on Pistonheads or Ebay, don't pay too much over the odds, the first ones tend to go at a huge premium but wait a while and they'll be fetching little more than face value. As DavisLove points out you can always turn up at the outlying camping and get something. Best campsite guide can be found on www.beermountain.com
4) It's worth making the effort to get into town on the Friday night, plenty of merriment after the drivers parade although, like most things, the gendarmes have clamped down on it a bit recently. Getting back can be a pain though.
3) I think you'll find most of more popular campsites are already sold out for 2005 unless you buy them as part of a package. If you can' get tickets now, wait until a couple of weeks before the race and you'll pick them up on Pistonheads or Ebay, don't pay too much over the odds, the first ones tend to go at a huge premium but wait a while and they'll be fetching little more than face value. As DavisLove points out you can always turn up at the outlying camping and get something. Best campsite guide can be found on www.beermountain.com
4) It's worth making the effort to get into town on the Friday night, plenty of merriment after the drivers parade although, like most things, the gendarmes have clamped down on it a bit recently. Getting back can be a pain though.
Davislove said:Everywhere
4) Last but not least.......where does all the drinking and night time activity take place? on the site or locally in the town?
You'll be surrounded by like-minded car nutters or could seek out established drinking venues such as the bar at Tetre Rouge where you can see the start of the Mulsanne straight
If see you have a Mini Cooper, it might be worth contacting club, as they might well organise a trip and you could camp and convoy down with legions of Minis if you'd like to do that.
1. Try to go down with a crew who have decent motors
2. Make sure some of you know how to get around.
(Arnage at 01.00am is a bitch to find!)
3. Buy an FM reciever so you can keep up with Radio
Le Mans during the race
4. Friday is the best day for all nutter petrol heads
who want a go on the pulic parts of the track.
Have a laugh as you annoy the S*** out of local
Gendarmes, who have speed traps set up everywhere.
5. If it's lashing rain on the way down don't drive
like a lunatic. The same laws of physics apply in
France (Eh, TVR drivers take note!)
6. Stay in a hotel or B&B. Take in some of the local
grub, 30-4-0 miles from the track great roads for
driving as well! Camping is crap!
7. If you live away from the track for the weekend,
use the hard shoulder of the motorway adjacent to
the track to make a swift getaway, otherwise you
can get stuck for ages.
8. When you return home, book the next Le Mans before
wifee comes up with some crazy hairbrained scheme
to prevent you going the following year. Yes and
if you are 'in family mode' remember gestation is
9 months!
Come on Petrolhead! You need to have a few
priorities!
Have a great weekend!
2. Make sure some of you know how to get around.
(Arnage at 01.00am is a bitch to find!)
3. Buy an FM reciever so you can keep up with Radio
Le Mans during the race
4. Friday is the best day for all nutter petrol heads
who want a go on the pulic parts of the track.
Have a laugh as you annoy the S*** out of local
Gendarmes, who have speed traps set up everywhere.
5. If it's lashing rain on the way down don't drive
like a lunatic. The same laws of physics apply in
France (Eh, TVR drivers take note!)
6. Stay in a hotel or B&B. Take in some of the local
grub, 30-4-0 miles from the track great roads for
driving as well! Camping is crap!
7. If you live away from the track for the weekend,
use the hard shoulder of the motorway adjacent to
the track to make a swift getaway, otherwise you
can get stuck for ages.
8. When you return home, book the next Le Mans before
wifee comes up with some crazy hairbrained scheme
to prevent you going the following year. Yes and
if you are 'in family mode' remember gestation is
9 months!
Come on Petrolhead! You need to have a few
priorities!
Have a great weekend!
jambon said:
8. When you return home, book the next Le Mans before
wifee comes up with some crazy hairbrained scheme
to prevent you going the following year. Yes and
if you are 'in family mode' remember gestation is
9 months!
Already working on 2006 as I received a stern NO last night, but I have a cunning plan....
"About that Eternity ring you keep asking for....."
Just gotta get a cunning plan for 2007 now
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