Le Mans Grandstand Seats

[mdb55]

Hi, looking for some advice/info please....this won't be our first time at Le Mans but will be first time for grandstand seats. We don't get to pick up actual tickets until a few days before we leave.

Am I right to assume grandstand tickets are numbered....ie allocated to specific seats, or is it say an open ticket for a specific grandstand/first come first served?

Also, when do the grandstand seat tickets become active...is it a free for all until Saturday or are they reserved to specific seats all week?

Thanks for your help.

[davidd]

Ours have always been numbered.
They are only in effect from Saturday morning.

[Strasse]

mdh55 - - Have a look at www.le-mans-guide.co.uk. TAB - START/ FINISH STRAIGHT & GRANDSTANDS at the beginning of the paragraph and this might give you a better idea - hope this helps

Regards
Strasse

[Aysedasi2]

Yes, you can basically sit where you like until Saturday. It's always amusing when people come into the stand on Wednesday or Thursday and accuse you of sitting in their seats - until you point out the fact that the tickets clearly say they're only for Saturday and Sunday. Of course the free stand access doesn't apply to T17 and T18 as you have to be an ACO member to access these stands.

[Aysedasi2]

Strasse said:

mdh55 - - Have a look at www.le-mans-guide.co.uk. TAB - START/ FINISH STRAIGHT & GRANDSTANDS at the beginning of the paragraph and this might give you a better idea - hope this helps

Regards
Strasse

I'm getting a '404 Not Found' on that link Strasse.

[Strasse]

Try
https://www.le-mans-guide.co.uk
Regards
Strasse

[Truckosaurus]

Aysedasi2 said:

... Of course the free stand access doesn't apply to T17 and T18 as you have to be an ACO member to access these stands.

Or be a non-member with a ticket for either of those stands....

[Mannginger]

My grandstand tickets are split over two grandstands (next to each other) once the main crush is gone (start and finish etc) is it a case of "depends on the steward" as to whether we'd be able to sit in a grandstand together or will they only let us in to the specific grandstand we have seats for? I'm really thinking of evening / night when it's quieter

[delta0]

Mannginger said:

My grandstand tickets are split over two grandstands (next to each other) once the main crush is gone (start and finish etc) is it a case of "depends on the steward" as to whether we'd be able to sit in a grandstand together or will they only let us in to the specific grandstand we have seats for? I'm really thinking of evening / night when it's quieter

They will only let you into the grandstand you have tickets for.

[Truckosaurus]

Unless the 2 stands are the T17/T18 'ACO' stands that are linked, so once you are through the ticket check you can walk between both stands.

[//j17]

Mannginger said:

My grandstand tickets are split over two grandstands (next to each other) once the main crush is gone (start and finish etc) is it a case of "depends on the steward" as to whether we'd be able to sit in a grandstand together or will they only let us in to the specific grandstand we have seats for? I'm really thinking of evening / night when it's quieter

On the Sat/Sun there are staff manning the entrances to each grandstand who check your ticket the first time you enter the stand each day but after that give you a little slip of paper each time you leave the grandstand (for food/beer/toilets/etc) and take it back off you when you return. At least that's how it's worked for years but for the life of me I can't remember if that was still happening last year of if they scanned your ticket in/out each time! Anyone?

So in general the answer is "No, you can only access the grandstand for your ticket" - but come 2am when there are only a handfull of people in each stand there's a good chance of talking your whole group into one stand, provided they all hold valid tickets for A grandstand. Will be very much luck of the draw on the stair marshal though. But all that said unless your group have mobility issues I'd just use the grandstand for convienience at the start/end of the race and when it's wither chucking it down with rain or fires of hell hot sun and you need some cover. Outside of that enjoy the freedom to wander from Maison Blance all the way through to Tetre Rouge/walk down and check out the Porsche curves/catch the free bus out to Arnage and/or Mulsanne.

[Mannginger]

Fair enough and good point re walking the course - I've not done enough of that in previous events

[RL17]

Truckosaurus said:

Aysedasi2 said:

... Of course the free stand access doesn't apply to T17 and T18 as you have to be an ACO member to access these stands.

Or be a non-member with a ticket for either of those stands....

Or be a non-member with an ACO members area wristband before Saturday…

[FredericRobinson]

//j17 said:

On the Sat/Sun there are staff manning the entrances to each grandstand who check your ticket the first time you enter the stand each day but after that give you a little slip of paper each time you leave the grandstand (for food/beer/toilets/etc) and take it back off you when you return. At least that's how it's worked for years but for the life of me I can't remember if that was still happening last year of if they scanned your ticket in/out each time! Anyone?

So in general the answer is "No, you can only access the grandstand for your ticket" - but come 2am when there are only a handfull of people in each stand there's a good chance of talking your whole group into one stand, provided they all hold valid tickets for A grandstand. Will be very much luck of the draw on the stair marshal though. But all that said unless your group have mobility issues I'd just use the grandstand for convienience at the start/end of the race and when it's wither chucking it down with rain or fires of hell hot sun and you need some cover. Outside of that enjoy the freedom to wander from Maison Blance all the way through to Tetre Rouge/walk down and check out the Porsche curves/catch the free bus out to Arnage and/or Mulsanne.

As with all Le Mans officials, if you don’t get anywhere with one try the one stood next to them, you’ll more than likely get a bored shrug and be able to do whatever you want.

[Krikkit]

Hopefully not too much of a thread hijack, but anyone got a good spot to get hold of some grandstand tickets? Unfortunately with the fiasco I didn't get my week tickets until after they'd all sold out...

[mdb55]

Thanks again for all the info guys

[Aysedasi2]

Truckosaurus said:

Unless the 2 stands are the T17/T18 'ACO' stands that are linked, so once you are through the ticket check you can walk between both stands.

Without your member's band (or whatever they use this year) how are you going to get in the front door downstairs if you're not a member?

[Truckosaurus]

Aysedasi2 said:

Without your member's band (or whatever they use this year) how are you going to get in the front door downstairs if you're not a member?

By showing your ticket for T17/18.

[leyorkie]

You normally have to pass through the membership kiosk to get to the front door and have your ticket and membership checked by the staff with computer access to the records. After that you have to have a grandstand ticket to exit the bar/restaurant area