ACO membership
Discussion
Hi all,
Just looking at options for Le Mans '24 (who isn't?!). Does anybody have any experience of the ACO members' area? Just trying to work out whether it's worth signing-up or not.
Also, any great ideas on anywhere to kip on the Saturday night? Most likely will arrive Saturday morning and depart Sunday afternoon so ideally want to find somewhere to grab some shut-eye!
Just looking at options for Le Mans '24 (who isn't?!). Does anybody have any experience of the ACO members' area? Just trying to work out whether it's worth signing-up or not.
Also, any great ideas on anywhere to kip on the Saturday night? Most likely will arrive Saturday morning and depart Sunday afternoon so ideally want to find somewhere to grab some shut-eye!
Depends how much you like sleeping. Last year I slept in the grandstand - assisted by beers.
This year I had a hotel in town - although took nearly two hours to get back at midnight due to the queuing for the tram - not sure if it usually that bad or if it was so busy because of the Centenary coupled with a general uptick in motorsport from drive to survive.
Think that camping might be the best of both worlds (although I hate camping and the luxury options aren't cheap) or booking a room in walking distance.
I sure others with more experience will have even better advice
This year I had a hotel in town - although took nearly two hours to get back at midnight due to the queuing for the tram - not sure if it usually that bad or if it was so busy because of the Centenary coupled with a general uptick in motorsport from drive to survive.
Think that camping might be the best of both worlds (although I hate camping and the luxury options aren't cheap) or booking a room in walking distance.
I sure others with more experience will have even better advice
When son and I went to LM each year from 1996 until 2015 (I'm too old and infirm now!) our routine was:
1. Set off Friday morning, use Eurotunnel, drive to Falaise where we stayed the night in a hotel.
2. Saturday, set off early for the circuit.
3. Park at Parking Blanc
4. Had tribune seats in Raccordement, best tribune IMO.
5. Watch everything from the tribune and wherever we walked.
6. Sleep overnight in the car.
7. Sunday: watch the race etc.
8. Leave the circuit maybe 1 1/2 -2 hours after the race due to traffic.
9. Drive back to Falaise to stay the night at the same hotel as Friday.
10. Monday morning, leave Falaise to head to Eurotunnel and complete journey home etc.
I took ACO membership for several years and was able to book Tribune 18 which was quite nice: it has loos, showers, a bar and you can get food and it's opposite the pits. However, Raccordement is much better so we booked there most years. T18 is very good for LM Classic because there's lots more on track and pits action in front of T18 at that event.
R.
1. Set off Friday morning, use Eurotunnel, drive to Falaise where we stayed the night in a hotel.
2. Saturday, set off early for the circuit.
3. Park at Parking Blanc
4. Had tribune seats in Raccordement, best tribune IMO.
5. Watch everything from the tribune and wherever we walked.
6. Sleep overnight in the car.
7. Sunday: watch the race etc.
8. Leave the circuit maybe 1 1/2 -2 hours after the race due to traffic.
9. Drive back to Falaise to stay the night at the same hotel as Friday.
10. Monday morning, leave Falaise to head to Eurotunnel and complete journey home etc.
I took ACO membership for several years and was able to book Tribune 18 which was quite nice: it has loos, showers, a bar and you can get food and it's opposite the pits. However, Raccordement is much better so we booked there most years. T18 is very good for LM Classic because there's lots more on track and pits action in front of T18 at that event.
R.
I had ACO member access to the ACO hospitality areas this year and I'd say it was worth the cost. The La Chapelle area has food and a bar. Lots of outdoor seating. It got busy this year and so seats were hard to come by at peak times, but I spent a fair bit of time there.
The area behind the grandstands is smaller, but still quite nice. I spent time in there on Wednesday and Thursday when there was free access to the grandstands. In an ideal world I'd book an ACO grandstand seat to watch the race from, but didn't get organised early enough this year.
The area behind the grandstands is smaller, but still quite nice. I spent time in there on Wednesday and Thursday when there was free access to the grandstands. In an ideal world I'd book an ACO grandstand seat to watch the race from, but didn't get organised early enough this year.
There are basically 3 ways to get tickets; ACO membership, ticket agents like 1st Tickets, or the general public sales.
Ticket agents are probably the easiest route. Ignoring this year which the ACO made a complete dogs dinner of you can just book as soon as they open for the next year, pay your money, get your tickets. Obviously you pay a premium though.
ACO membership and public sales are the same basic process, wait till the ACO put them on sail, log on to the website and buy, buy, buy. Slightly cheaper than ticket agents but you have to do more work yourself. And the difference between ACO/public is that ACO members get a bit of a discount (though details seem to change every year) and also get early access to the tickets going on sale.
Between ACO and public you really need to check out the discounts you get vs. the size of your group to work out if you're saving money/how much. After that it's just a personal bet on "How busy will 2024 be?". Personally I think "More or less back to normal, as all the corporates who wanted to be there for the 100th anniversary won't have much interest in the 101st".
Ticket agents are probably the easiest route. Ignoring this year which the ACO made a complete dogs dinner of you can just book as soon as they open for the next year, pay your money, get your tickets. Obviously you pay a premium though.
ACO membership and public sales are the same basic process, wait till the ACO put them on sail, log on to the website and buy, buy, buy. Slightly cheaper than ticket agents but you have to do more work yourself. And the difference between ACO/public is that ACO members get a bit of a discount (though details seem to change every year) and also get early access to the tickets going on sale.
Between ACO and public you really need to check out the discounts you get vs. the size of your group to work out if you're saving money/how much. After that it's just a personal bet on "How busy will 2024 be?". Personally I think "More or less back to normal, as all the corporates who wanted to be there for the 100th anniversary won't have much interest in the 101st".
VladD said:
The area behind the grandstands is smaller, but still quite nice. I spent time in there on Wednesday and Thursday when there was free access to the grandstands. In an ideal world I'd book an ACO grandstand seat to watch the race from, but didn't get organised early enough this year.
//j17 said:
There are basically 3 ways to get tickets; ACO membership, ticket agents like 1st Tickets, or the general public sales.
Ticket agents are probably the easiest route. Ignoring this year which the ACO made a complete dogs dinner of you can just book as soon as they open for the next year, pay your money, get your tickets. Obviously you pay a premium though.
ACO membership and public sales are the same basic process, wait till the ACO put them on sail, log on to the website and buy, buy, buy. Slightly cheaper than ticket agents but you have to do more work yourself. And the difference between ACO/public is that ACO members get a bit of a discount (though details seem to change every year) and also get early access to the tickets going on sale.
Between ACO and public you really need to check out the discounts you get vs. the size of your group to work out if you're saving money/how much. After that it's just a personal bet on "How busy will 2024 be?". Personally I think "More or less back to normal, as all the corporates who wanted to be there for the 100th anniversary won't have much interest in the 101st".
Great advice, thank youTicket agents are probably the easiest route. Ignoring this year which the ACO made a complete dogs dinner of you can just book as soon as they open for the next year, pay your money, get your tickets. Obviously you pay a premium though.
ACO membership and public sales are the same basic process, wait till the ACO put them on sail, log on to the website and buy, buy, buy. Slightly cheaper than ticket agents but you have to do more work yourself. And the difference between ACO/public is that ACO members get a bit of a discount (though details seem to change every year) and also get early access to the tickets going on sale.
Between ACO and public you really need to check out the discounts you get vs. the size of your group to work out if you're saving money/how much. After that it's just a personal bet on "How busy will 2024 be?". Personally I think "More or less back to normal, as all the corporates who wanted to be there for the 100th anniversary won't have much interest in the 101st".
Some our group with ACO memberships and who had paid to access the member areas were denied entry to the one near the Dunlop Bridge as ‘too full’.
Fair enough that places reach capacity but possibility of this happening wasn’t well publicised and left a sour taste with our group, which effectively got split up for the rest of the day.
On balance, I’d say membership is worth it but it’s not quite a well oiled machine.
Fair enough that places reach capacity but possibility of this happening wasn’t well publicised and left a sour taste with our group, which effectively got split up for the rest of the day.
On balance, I’d say membership is worth it but it’s not quite a well oiled machine.
Basic membership cost was pretty much covered by 2 GE ticket discounts this year.
Got in T18 or T17 stands on Thursday with guest wristbands (extra 40 per guest and also for member this year early price)
Toilets ground floor ACO excellent for lack of queues, Chappelle queues longer than fairly hidden public ones outside. Full timing screen downstairs at ACO if waiting for friends there.
Beer discount now just 1 euro, rolls and food god and small discount too
Plus a free program and canvas bag
Worth it - even more so as the outside urinals have disappeared nearby
Got in T18 or T17 stands on Thursday with guest wristbands (extra 40 per guest and also for member this year early price)
Toilets ground floor ACO excellent for lack of queues, Chappelle queues longer than fairly hidden public ones outside. Full timing screen downstairs at ACO if waiting for friends there.
Beer discount now just 1 euro, rolls and food god and small discount too
Plus a free program and canvas bag
Worth it - even more so as the outside urinals have disappeared nearby
RL17 said:
Basic membership cost was pretty much covered by 2 GE ticket discounts this year.
Got in T18 or T17 stands on Thursday with guest wristbands (extra 40 per guest and also for member this year early price)
Toilets ground floor ACO excellent for lack of queues, Chappelle queues longer than fairly hidden public ones outside. Full timing screen downstairs at ACO if waiting for friends there.
Beer discount now just 1 euro, rolls and food god and small discount too
Plus a free program and canvas bag
Worth it - even more so as the outside urinals have disappeared nearby
Good info there. Is that the very basic membership, as I understood (from my half baked attempt at checking) it didn't cover toilets or grandstand access ? Got in T18 or T17 stands on Thursday with guest wristbands (extra 40 per guest and also for member this year early price)
Toilets ground floor ACO excellent for lack of queues, Chappelle queues longer than fairly hidden public ones outside. Full timing screen downstairs at ACO if waiting for friends there.
Beer discount now just 1 euro, rolls and food god and small discount too
Plus a free program and canvas bag
Worth it - even more so as the outside urinals have disappeared nearby
ACO Membership is now about £56, for that you get early access to tickets - half way through October usually.
You can buy tickets , though no longer at a discount other than early tariff , and that means as many as you like.
So this year I bought 1 membership that allowed me to buy 16 tickets. In our case general entry weekend and Tribune 21 (In line with the finish line) for 228 euros. This allows you to choose your seats and you can pretty much choose exactly where you want them.
You can buy tickets , though no longer at a discount other than early tariff , and that means as many as you like.
So this year I bought 1 membership that allowed me to buy 16 tickets. In our case general entry weekend and Tribune 21 (In line with the finish line) for 228 euros. This allows you to choose your seats and you can pretty much choose exactly where you want them.
With my membership I bought 2 discounted week tickets and 2 discounted campsite tickets. Total discount was in excess of the membership!
Didnt know you got a free program, I bought one! Did get an invite to a free apertif at La Chapelle which I accepted, only to find I wasnt allowed in as it was full. Didnt matter but was a bit irritating.
Didnt know you got a free program, I bought one! Did get an invite to a free apertif at La Chapelle which I accepted, only to find I wasnt allowed in as it was full. Didnt matter but was a bit irritating.
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