Somewhere to stay...

[sixspeed]

Hi guys...

Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay on the Sunday night (16th) after Le Mans? Doesn't need to be directly in the area, as I know most places nearby are going to be booked up.


Main reason is that we're doing a Dover-Calais return crossing, and arriving at Le Mans on the Thursday to return on the Monday. However, it'd be nice to stop and get a decent nights sleep and a proper shower before the drive back on Monday. Any ideas?


-andy-

[johnny boy]

We hammer it back to Calais to get there around 10PM and stay at one of the Hotels Villages or similar.

£15 for a room that sleeps 3!!

Have a look at

www.day-tripper.net/hotels-infrance.html

for budget hotel details in France

[jc_martin]

Andy, you are a girl.

Le Mans is not about "a decent nights sleep and a shower". Sunday night is party night, stay and camp like everyone else.

James
(Mellow-Yellow)

[Guy Humpage]

Jc, I think you'll find that Sunday night is 'watch out for the gypos night'

We made the mistake of travelling back on the Monday a couple of years ago, thinking it would be better as we'd avoid the traffic, and could carry on drinking on the Sunday. We were in the Maison Blanche site (so it might be different elsewhere) but come 6pm 80% of the site was empty and the gypos were going round bin diving. There was no atmosphere at all, every where is closed and the place looks like a bombsite, it almost spoiled the whole week.

Finaly, to answer the proper question in this topic. There are loads of motels around Rouen which make a nice cheap stopover to get your first decent shower in a week.

[Nick M (nmilton)]

Have to agree with Guy. The first year I went there we were planning on staying Sunday night and driving back Monday. Come 8.00 pm on Sunday we'd packed up and hit the road - Houx was dead as a dodo !

Ended up driving back through the night and getting a much earlier (like 12 hours !) Eurotunnel crossing and got home about 7.00am on Monday.

Check out the Formule 1 hotels - cheap and clean. They have a web-site which lists the locations and there may be one at Alencon or Rouen.

[wezo]

Stayed a few years back when Porsche won (GT1) and had a good laugh early evening, but everything was pretty dead afterwards, so bugered off up to Deauville for late evening. (It would have been a lot worse except Porshe had a massive marquee at LM that yearand they threw it open to the public for a few hours, with free beer and everything. - say what you like about 'em they knew how to celebrate)

For last couple of years, always shot off quite soon after the race to get up the coast somewhere - there are some fantastic little places on the French coast, and you can usually find a really nice room in a very pleasant hotel for less than 40 quid.

Would definitely reccomend Honfleur, Deauville, Le Havre and a load of other places round that area. Also the roads are great, if a bit slow and you can have some real fun driving round the French countryside, rather than some dull autoroute..

[Leithen]

As an alternative from the usual "motel" solution, spend a bit of time searching the net with Google or any other engine for B&B accomodation in France - you'll be amazed what you can find - for the last two years we've stayed in small, family owned Chateauxs - (owners trying to pay for roof repairs without turning home into hotel) and have found ourselves in stunning luxury without shelling out a fortune. A lot is available south of Le Mans in the Loire valley - but there's bound to be a lot North West of Paris and around Rouen if you are returning to Calais.

[sixspeed]

Lol! So what are you doing on the Sunday - you staying James?

I was under the impression that most people went back on the Monday. The only real reason I want to travel back on Monday is so I can have a few run-ins with some nice exotics on the way back to Calais Or am I more likely to get this on the Sunday?

In which case maybe we'll just trek back to the UK Sunday night...


-andy-
(aka Gromit for JC )




Edited by sixspeed on Tuesday 15th January 17:02

[ginettag27]

Must agree with what quite a few have already said.

Wait for a bit on Sunday to let the mad rush go, then head off for a hotel, warm bed, shower and maybe some food. Plus if your fuel tank is a little on the small side or your car is a bit thirsty (or both!) I would recommend filling up during the week whilst in Le Mans as a lot of the Petrol stations are closed on Sunday...

I would really recommend NOT staying on Sunday evening, it just completely deflates the whole week/weekend. The campsites are practically empty, there's no food and by then you're all shattered as well.

Can't wait

PS

[Graham]

I dont know which campsites you boys have been staying at but for the last 5 years i've been at expo and the sunday night is mad... last year ther was sofa racing and topless girlies on the top of cars and my mate burning out the clutch on his cerby doing do nuts...
6 years ago it was houx annex and that was the same... you boys with the tvrcc at houx? thats where we'll be on the sunday night far too pissed by the end of the race to drive sunday night in fact this year were even bringing a coach and driver to take us back on the sunday...

G

[Guy Humpage]

quote:I would recommend filling up during the week whilst in Le Mans as a lot of the Petrol stations are closed on Sunday...

Glad to see some people have learnt their lesson from last year (and the year before, and the year before that, etc...)

[jc_martin]

Thanks Graham, I was beginning to think I was the only one. Certainly gonna pay expo a visit this year.

There's always something going on at Houx Annexe on Sunday night, fireworks, fires, music until the early hours and sometimes a bit of drag racing by the roundabout. I found out the hard way when I tried to sleep there in 2000, got my own back gunning the Griff at 4:30am when we left He He.

If you really must go, Formula 1 are about 15/night for up to 3 people, you can book in advance on the web site:-
www.hotelformule1.com

Take the petrol comments very seriously and see you there.

James
(Mellow Yellow)

PS Anyone remember the name of the bar just outside the circuit at Tertre Rouge?

[ginettag27]

Graham

Have been staying in Maison Blanche , and last year Karting Blue .


The one year we stayed on the Sunday evening, watched the 'drag racing' - comedy event, apart from some people who were drunk... plus some who were over enthusiastic - saw a couple of bikes 'high side' it off the mark - the whole crowd moved back about 2 metres at that point... The most comedy event were two French chaps with Motorhomes, then mopeds and finally bicycles! Went to the pub afterwards.. which was mullered to say the least, after a week of lots of patronage . Will admit we haven't ever tried the Expo campsite, maybe in a few years.

TVRCC? I don't think so! The nickname should give it away...

jc - thanks for the link, Formule 1 are a welcome relative comfort after a week of Le Mans. Can't remember the name of the bar at Tetre Rouge - although it hasn't been open for a couple of years now Always enjoyed a nice grande bière there after making the journey from Maison Blanche/Ford Chicane to Tetre Rouge.

It's just not my thing after the high of Qualifying and the race itself it all seems a little flat and personally I want a warm bed and hot shower.

Guy - only last year was a fuel problem, the other years were mechanical problems...

thanking you

PS

[Graham]

TVRCC nickname whats that then ???


Expo is fairly basic, there are a couple of proper toilet blocks but the are french style if you know what i mean ( how do they ever read the news paper)

its baclcally the annimal stalls for the exhibition centre... so you get to pich your tent undercover...

there is a handy bar just across the road and its aneasy walk into town...

cheers
G

[nonegreen]

You might be better staying in Tours Sunday night its a bit south but most people will have left and you may get a hotel. The motorway will be open this year so the journey time should be around 20 mins back to LeMans if you floor it.

[Beast]

there is a fabulous (and cheap) restaurant/hotel between Le Mans & Tours (ie South East of LeM) that we discovered last year...had about 4 UK Porsche's staying there as well, not huge, but if people are still looking & interested, can get the name to you.

[sixspeed]

Yes, could you pass over the details please

-andy-