first time in le mans - how to move around?
Discussion
Hi
I will be in le mans for the first time in two days, and i have a question about how to move around the track. I will be camping in bsj, and during the day i will be around the typical areas, tertre rouge, mulsanne, arnage, etc...
Whats the best way to move around the track? Car? shuttle?
My initial idea was walking to the village to watch the start, and then walk to tertre rouge. At some point take the shuttle to mulsanne and then on the night to arnage
Any suggestions? Would it be better to go by car? i heard you need to pay to park in mulsanne/arnage
Thanks
I will be in le mans for the first time in two days, and i have a question about how to move around the track. I will be camping in bsj, and during the day i will be around the typical areas, tertre rouge, mulsanne, arnage, etc...
Whats the best way to move around the track? Car? shuttle?
My initial idea was walking to the village to watch the start, and then walk to tertre rouge. At some point take the shuttle to mulsanne and then on the night to arnage
Any suggestions? Would it be better to go by car? i heard you need to pay to park in mulsanne/arnage
Thanks
I have only ever been to Arnage and Mulsanne on the Thursday during practice and qualifying and always driven and never paid. I think the fact you have a permit for camping gets you in those car parks for free, or certainly during Practice - although this is Le Mans so you have to add it may have changed!
During the race I understand the traffic to get to Mulsanne and Arnage can be pretty heavy, but never done it. Partly due to rumours about the traffic and partly due to beer drunk!
We watch the start from the grandstand, then after an hour or two will probably go back to BSJ for a BBQ, then go back out again to the grandstand and to Tetre Rouge etc.
During the race I understand the traffic to get to Mulsanne and Arnage can be pretty heavy, but never done it. Partly due to rumours about the traffic and partly due to beer drunk!
We watch the start from the grandstand, then after an hour or two will probably go back to BSJ for a BBQ, then go back out again to the grandstand and to Tetre Rouge etc.
As its your first time i suggest you don't try and cram everything in. Your basic plan is a good one. You'll be able to walk everything from the camp site to entry and once in from Corvette curve and round to Tertre rouge. If you like watching the race build up get to the main straight reasonably early to watch that. There is a small land train to run you around but personally i wouldn't bother. Enjoy!
javidr said:
My concern is about parking there. I need a special parking ticket right? The general camping admission will not work there, or can I park somewhere around there?
Maybe they're confusing Arrange + Mulsanne camping areas with the parking. If you want to drive you can do so. Personally the past couple of times I've just taken the shuttle bus coaches - they're free and easy. Driving can be done, or even walking or cycling, but to be honest it isn't really worth it these days - the shuttle buses take the hassle out of it all.I've been going to Le Mans for years and live by the rule that the car doesn't turn a wheel between getting back from the Classic British Welcome on Friday and starting the drive home on Sunday. Generally between those times you're either stuck in traffic or trying to find somewhere to park the car.
Heading for the start line is a solid plan for your first Le Mans, just aim to get there a good hour early unless you have a grandstand seat. It will be rammed and you won't actually see that much (but will get the noise) at 16:00 - but by 16:30 things will have freed up considerably.
From there just work your way around to Tetre Rouge and stop for a pint in the TR bar (exit the circuit on the inside and through the road tunnel with the track going over your head and it's just on the left). Food's reasonable too if you're hungry and don't fancy cooking.
To get from there to Mulsanne/Arnage by far the easiest option if the free shuttle buses. These used to be useless, especially overnight but have been really good for the last 5+ years. It's France so you can't be 100% sure how they will run this year but in 2018 you could just walk down the road from the Tetre Rouge bar to the east entrance (Antares tram terminus) and catch a bus from there to Mulsanne, then later one from Mulsanne to Arnage, and when you're done one from Arnage to spitting distance of Beausjour. I'm sure one day the ACO will get around to posting this year's details but until then here's 2018's - https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/use-the-shuttle...
Again you can never be quite sure what will happen this year but the last few you could use the Zenbus app on your phone to track where the next bus was - though of course it doesn't tell you how many other people are already queuing to catch it... This is where a portable camp chair comes in handy, both for somewhere to sit while spectating once the crowds have thinned and also while waiting for the bus
Heading for the start line is a solid plan for your first Le Mans, just aim to get there a good hour early unless you have a grandstand seat. It will be rammed and you won't actually see that much (but will get the noise) at 16:00 - but by 16:30 things will have freed up considerably.
From there just work your way around to Tetre Rouge and stop for a pint in the TR bar (exit the circuit on the inside and through the road tunnel with the track going over your head and it's just on the left). Food's reasonable too if you're hungry and don't fancy cooking.
To get from there to Mulsanne/Arnage by far the easiest option if the free shuttle buses. These used to be useless, especially overnight but have been really good for the last 5+ years. It's France so you can't be 100% sure how they will run this year but in 2018 you could just walk down the road from the Tetre Rouge bar to the east entrance (Antares tram terminus) and catch a bus from there to Mulsanne, then later one from Mulsanne to Arnage, and when you're done one from Arnage to spitting distance of Beausjour. I'm sure one day the ACO will get around to posting this year's details but until then here's 2018's - https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/use-the-shuttle...
Again you can never be quite sure what will happen this year but the last few you could use the Zenbus app on your phone to track where the next bus was - though of course it doesn't tell you how many other people are already queuing to catch it... This is where a portable camp chair comes in handy, both for somewhere to sit while spectating once the crowds have thinned and also while waiting for the bus
As others have said. Dont cram too much in as its your first time. I tend to take it easy, I head to the concrete viewing area on the opposite the pits to enjoy a beer and watch the build up and start of the race. I then head down to tetre rouge to watch them flying through there for a while before heading back to the village or campsite for more beer and a bite to eat. Usually saving Arnage/Mulsanne for sunset (Theres something about the noise through the forest that makes lemans for me). I have walked from the village to Arnage, its an experience and a bloody long way.
You can drive to Arnage and they park you in a field opposite the entrance to the corner, it does get busy every now and then as the roads are b road type lanes in places. There are shuttle busses which rum quite regularly between the corners and campsites. Im also staying in BSJ for the first time, this will be my 6th visit and first visit for my 7 year old son.
Make it your own, there's loads to see and do with plenty of watering holes (beer). There's no right or wrong way to see Le Mans. I've known people to set up a TV in camp and not move from there all weekend with a stash of horse meat and warm beer to keep them going.
You can drive to Arnage and they park you in a field opposite the entrance to the corner, it does get busy every now and then as the roads are b road type lanes in places. There are shuttle busses which rum quite regularly between the corners and campsites. Im also staying in BSJ for the first time, this will be my 6th visit and first visit for my 7 year old son.
Make it your own, there's loads to see and do with plenty of watering holes (beer). There's no right or wrong way to see Le Mans. I've known people to set up a TV in camp and not move from there all weekend with a stash of horse meat and warm beer to keep them going.
javidr said:
regarding drivers parade, whats the best place to watch it? the main square seems to be busy so looks like thats the place to be
A lot depends what you mean by "watch it" If you actually want to watch it, then anywhere will do - but I think for most of it it means "Go in to town to drink beer and have something nice to eat", at which point anywhere near the route you can find a bar.
Bit of advice - bring a small radio with earphones - Argos sell them. Then find out frequency for Radio Le Mans. You are absorbed in the whole event once you have it, pure magic wherever you are
We take folding bicycles but do drive around as well. The bikes are for when we're drinking
We take folding bicycles but do drive around as well. The bikes are for when we're drinking
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