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Depending how your timings look rather than missing the end of the race consider watching it from Mulsanne. Still some small roads so going to be some queueing but not where 95% of people are watching from then trying to leave via the same (on small roads) - and you can join the Autoroute a junction South of everyone else (Le Mans toll booths often another bottleneck leaving from the main area).
And it's extreamly rare for the last lap to be a 'racing' lap so its normally a procession and you don't miss anythingnot being "on the line". In fact I can only think of two times in the 20 odd years I've been going where there was actual racing on the last lap (2011 when it was 14s at the line betwen Audi/Peugeot and 2021 when the tit waving the flag tried to get run over by the LMP2 race leaders, 0.727 between Jota/Panis).
And it's extreamly rare for the last lap to be a 'racing' lap so its normally a procession and you don't miss anythingnot being "on the line". In fact I can only think of two times in the 20 odd years I've been going where there was actual racing on the last lap (2011 when it was 14s at the line betwen Audi/Peugeot and 2021 when the tit waving the flag tried to get run over by the LMP2 race leaders, 0.727 between Jota/Panis).
RL17 said:
Some campsites had exits blocked for an hour after race I thought
Yes they did last year for the first time. Couldnt get out the campsite until an hour after the race. We missed the 22.36 tunnel as a result! We only just missed it though.One year I moved the car to the car park by the Le Mans station Sunday morning, got the tram to the station after the race that worked well.
Whatever you do don't be tempted to speed on the motorway. There is a big chance of being caught, we saw someone being stopped between Rouen and Calais last year.
I would either resign myself to missing the tunnel or leaving before the end.
We left early one year, as my wife had to get back
We packed up at the camp site in the morning and drove to Mulsanne, and watched the end there.
We actually left just before the end, as it was clear who was going to win.
Mulsanne was actually very easy to get out of, a lot less people there, and so that might be a good option for you to exit from.
We packed up at the camp site in the morning and drove to Mulsanne, and watched the end there.
We actually left just before the end, as it was clear who was going to win.
Mulsanne was actually very easy to get out of, a lot less people there, and so that might be a good option for you to exit from.
If you're not fussed about where you watch the end of the race, pack up Sunday morning and drive clockwise round the circuit via Ruaudin and park at Mulsanne Corner. Watch the end from there, then at the end of the race drive back to Ruaudin and from there to the A28 peage at junction 24.
I did that a few times when camping on Blu Nord so I could get to my Hotel in Rouen a little earlier. Before camping at Mulsanne for the whole race.
I did that a few times when camping on Blu Nord so I could get to my Hotel in Rouen a little earlier. Before camping at Mulsanne for the whole race.
2023 we were on Hippodrome I do ferry home from Caen but some of the group do the tunnel. They left same time as us and were back in bed in London by midnight and made the train. Bear in mind after the race we walked round for an hour or so for the ceremony and then got in the cars straight onto the mulsane and off out of le man. We had other people in the group want to leave early for same ferry as me they got stuck at the campsite gate as it shuts before the end of the race. I still managed to beat them to the ferry after stopping multiple times due to issues. 2022 was on Bleu Nord took us a while to get out.
Worth checking if your particular campsite has a direct quick route out (I didn't know Hippodrome did till we left). Pack up in the morning so you can jump in and go after the race.
Worth checking if your particular campsite has a direct quick route out (I didn't know Hippodrome did till we left). Pack up in the morning so you can jump in and go after the race.
We drive back to Calais after the race most years, watch the podium, take down tent and pack up. Usually there is a long queue to get off the campsite, sometimes an hour or more and we have missed the crossing a few times. We normally just get pushed back to a later crossing but there is quite a gap in times late on Sunday so often you can end up on the last train at 01:45. We actually book this one now so we have plenty of time, given we live in West Kent we are still home and in bed by 02:30. Or pay the money and switch to an earlier crossing if one’s available.
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