Le Mans with young kids

[Tinohead]

Looking for any advice/past experience with taking younger kids to Le Man's.

I have 3 kids who will be 7 and 5 (x2) by next June and my wife and I are thinking about bringing them. We were looking at a campervan and one of the on-site campsites but starting to go off the idea the more we look into it. I've read a few mentions of getting an Air BnB and using the tram to get in which is probably the better option.

Has anyone taken kids of a similar age? I'm not worried about feeding of entertaining them once they are there (although if anyone knows of any kids entertainment in there that would be good) but I'm more concerned about how much walking and queuing they'll have to do if we go the tram option?

Or is a hire car a sensible option, or do you just end up in a traffic queue for ages whenever you try to come and go from the circuit?

I've been once before but that was in my early 20s with 8 other guys so not exactly the same considerations that time!!

Any info to advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks
Martin

[Nosynchro]

I’ve only taken teenage kids but for what it’s worth this year there seemed to be many more families with much younger kids. There was also a dedicated area for them with kid things going on

[davidd]

I started taking my son when he was 5, tbh he was probably a little young. Spent a lot of time on my shoulders
I've only ever camped, but that bit is fine, a lot of walking though.

[patrick924]

I took my son to the classic this year he had just turned 6. Camped with 1st tickets (excellent!)

Best advice I can offer is a grandstand seat was an excellent focal point. He knew he could sit down when we got there and fell asleep late on Friday for an hour then again on Saturday evening. Waking up happy to stay out on the circuit

I have been 20+ times and never had a grandstand but really pleased I did with him opposite a screen and he was happy!

However his absolute favourite parts of Le Mans ... Sleeping in a tent and The little lizards around the tunnel under the circuit before tetre rouge!

[Natpen79]

I took my son this year for the first time. He was 11 so a few years older than your eldest but he absolutely loved it.
He’s been wanting to come with me for years but I kept putting it off till he’d finished his SATS at school.
I was concerned if I took him any younger he wouldn’t cope with all the walking, the toilets/ showers etc but I think it would have been fine.
I did pay extra to stay at Porsche curves in private campsite so much better toilets and showers, hospitality marquee and viewing bank.
Didn’t pay for grandstand seats I just took the 2 camping chairs and set them up on the Concrete steps in front of the grand stands for a few hours.
The viewing bank a stones throw from our tent was great too as it was only a few steps to bed for a few hours in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He obviously enjoyed it cause we have booked again for next year, the centenary and he’s already talking about it.

[fatboy18]

davidd said:

I started taking my son when he was 5, tbh he was probably a little young. Spent a lot of time on my shoulders
I've only ever camped, but that bit is fine, a lot of walking though.

THIS! A lot of walking and unpredictable weather, when its Hot its bloody hot, And it can hammer it down with rain too!

[williamp]

I wouldnt with my two. It can be very hot, it will be very noisy. And its hard to get away from both. Its an endurance for the fans, as much as the racers.

[RC1807]

I wouldn't take kids to LM. If the weather's crappy, there'll be very little to do.

A mate took his 18 y.o. a few years ago - never again!

[fatboy18]

Basically a few 100,000 people drinking beer and wine and eating chicken and chips and Red sausage's! after drinking beer Portaloos dotted around the Circuit as well as ACO main toilets, If its Hot Gas Mask required before going anywhere near a portaloo, Kids will not be impressed! Then later in the evenings Men slashing up any wall available after consuming more beer. Don't bother with the fairgrounds, just a rip off and safety is not the same as UK if something was to happen. I have taken my son down a few times but he was about 18 or 19 when he first went.

[FredericRobinson]

fatboy18 said:

Basically a few 100,000 people drinking beer and wine and eating chicken and chips and Red sausage's! after drinking beer Portaloos dotted around the Circuit as well as ACO main toilets, If its Hot Gas Mask required before going anywhere near a portaloo, Kids will not be impressed! Then later in the evenings Men slashing up any wall available after consuming more beer. Don't bother with the fairgrounds, just a rip off and safety is not the same as UK if something was to happen. I have taken my son down a few times but he was about 18 or 19 when he first went.

Any young lad worth his salt should find all that amazing! We’ve talked a couple of 10/11 year olds, they had the week of their lives, slept for 36 hours solid afterwards though

[fatboy18]

FredericRobinson said:

fatboy18 said:

Basically a few 100,000 people drinking beer and wine and eating chicken and chips and Red sausage's! after drinking beer Portaloos dotted around the Circuit as well as ACO main toilets, If its Hot Gas Mask required before going anywhere near a portaloo, Kids will not be impressed! Then later in the evenings Men slashing up any wall available after consuming more beer. Don't bother with the fairgrounds, just a rip off and safety is not the same as UK if something was to happen. I have taken my son down a few times but he was about 18 or 19 when he first went.

Any young lad worth his salt should find all that amazing! We’ve talked a couple of 10/11 year olds, they had the week of their lives, slept for 36 hours solid afterwards though

[Pitre]

Personally I wouldn't dream of taking young kids to the 24hr. The Classic maybe a better proposition, but regardless I wouldn't take kids until they were about 11.

[FredericRobinson]

fatboy18 said:

rofl:

‘Don’t tell your Mum about any of this’

[LM240]

I’d probably go with the same advice as the travelling with older dad thread.

Treat it as a holiday to France with a visit/s to the race instead of treating it just as a trip to Le Mans 24hrs. Dip in for a couple hours on the sat and sun but be prepared to chuck the towel in when the kids got fed up.

I’d stay within 30mins of the track, airbnb/hotel/decent campsite, certainly not at the circuit. Perhaps if staying close by with family, mum might be kind and let you head back for the evening into the night.

Rest of trip can be padded out with activities around the area.