Advice for Virgin LeMans attendee

[TT Tim]

I'm hoping to attend LeMans Sportscars in '04.

As I haven't done this before can I ask for advise please.

I have looked at the ClubMotorsport web site and that seems the easiest way to guarantee a pitch and offers food it you can't be arsed to sort it.. Is this the best option?

They also offer a general admission pass for the equivalent of £40 per person on top of the standard package. Is this worth going for or are tickets through TVRCC (when released) likely to be better/cheaper?

Finally, the crossing. I'm looking at Eurotunnel as I'm only 5 mins away. Is this the best bet?

Any advice from LeMans veterans more than welcome.

Oh and one final question, which car? The Chimaera or the 300zx? Both have a history at LeMans... hmmm, decisions, decisions.

Tim

[Buffalo]

We stayed at Club Motorsport for the last two years, it is a very good place and the food/showers/other facilities and humourously drunk people on camp were excellent both years.

So far we have not been inconvenienced by having to travel to the circuit either....

BUT... Its not like staying AT the circuit. So your atmosphere soak up may not be the same.

[TT Tim]

So what did you do? Buy a parling bleu ticket and drive to the circuit?

How far away is the CM campsite?

thanks

Tim

[miken]

Echo what Buffalo has said. We have stayed for the last few years at Club Motorsport as well and have always found it a good experience, paricularly since they built the new shower block.. We didn't bother with buying a Bleu parking ticket and relied on the CM shuttle coach which suited us well and meant that we could all have (several) beers at the circuit...

As it is your first time at the race it might be worth considering club motorsport for '04, but looking around some of the carnage to be had on the main sites to see if the experience is more up your street - many people would consider no other option...

As for the car, I would check the weather. Sun=Chim, Wet=ZX. Cheers

Mike

[Tripps]

Tim,

I was in the same position as yourself this time last year and called the TVRCC office for advise, and Carol spent some time telling me about things.

We ended up staying in Houx (very civilised with showers and proper toilets), with main entrance tickets, Grandstand (T4 opposite the pit exit) tickets and Friday night coach trip for the Parade du Pilote.

Including Le Shuttle (which is fine for ground clearance in my S) is was £187 each for two of us.

I'd highly recommend this way of doing it as it was great fun, and you'll be close by when the TVR team come and visit Houx.

Feel free to get in touch via my profile as I'm also Kent based so we could meet up at a club meeting to discuss it sometime.

[vetteheadracer]

Booked my Eurotunnel ticket yesterday at a price of £113. I am going out Thursday morning and coming back Monday evening.

You might consider joining the ACO (oganisers of Le Mans and the equivalent of the RAC), as joining gives you breakdown cover in France and also cheap tickets!!
You will save the cost of joining if you buy 6 tickets, you just need to find 5 friends.....

[Buffalo]

TT Tim said:

So what did you do? Buy a parling bleu ticket and drive to the circuit? How far away is the CM campsite? thanks Tim

I think the campsite is around 5km from the circuit, its the other side of arnage, which is no chore to drive through every day, because there are always beautiful sports cars parked up and lots of good eateries and pubs.....

CM does do a shuttle but we've never used it. I still have the parking bleu sticker on my windscreen from this year! the year before we parked on teh street and walked in.

I notice some people mentioned joining ACO. If you want to thats fine, but don't join for the tickets/free breakdown cover. My brotehr tried that this year and it was a complete waste of time - they couldn't organise a p-up in a brewery!

Only trouble with staying on campsite at track is you are going to have to make your mind up soon as they book up pretty fast. That is usually what makes us end up at CM each time (too lax to organise anything sooner), but as i said before the facilities are very good, so its hardly a bind to stay there!

Buff

PS Goin in the Tiv, means you can cadge on to the many PH tivs that go down, personally i think it'd be nice to see something different.

I think we might be due a wet season at the race next year anyway, so maybe the 300ZX would be a good bet! Sleep on it ey??

[Tripps]

vetteheadracer said:

Booked my Eurotunnel ticket yesterday at a price of £113. I am going out Thursday morning and coming back Monday evening.

Bah, they want £150 for the six days from Wedneday to Monday.

Oh well, £37 more to catch first qually - can't complain really!

[Buffalo]

Tripps said:

vetteheadracer said: Booked my Eurotunnel ticket yesterday at a price of £113. I am going out Thursday morning and coming back Monday evening. Bah, they want £150 for the six days from Wedneday to Monday. Oh well, £37 more to catch first qually - can't complain really!

we went friday to monday first year and wednesday to monday this year. Reckon there isn't much benefit for the full extra day. Going to try Thurs to Monday next year. Reckon that should be a good mix.....

[Graham]

we usually end up at expo which is one of the basic sites but then we always book late..

the best nights are friday and sunday although sunday has gone down a bit recently...

we've done late wed/early thurs down and monday back

this year we managed thurs am to tues 11:30amn on the pompy cherbourg fast boat. the plan was a leasurly drive to cherbourg on the monday taking in the sights and a quite meal in cherbourg and a nice easy tuesday morning...

almost worked endedup in the frech equivalent of a lockin and got totally wasted in cherbourg and only just made the ferry !!!!!

G

[Heebeegeetee]

You can always buy general entrance tickets at the circuit. You can camp at parking bleu which is half the price of camping bleu, despite the tickets saying no camping. Each year there are as many camping at parking as there are at er, camping. Same facilities ie almost none at both. All tickets sold in the UK always have a nice premium on them, even those sold by marque owners clubs. Its funny, but i always thought the point of being a member of a club was to get discounts, not to pay more than face value.

If you are at all interested in the race, and there doesn't seem to be many on this site who are, don't leave home without a nice little FM radio. Radio Le Mans does a great job.

[orsoch]

we picked up camping tickets on e-bay the week before the race at face value. stayed at Bleu which had pretty good facilities (for le mans) but only just squeezed the tent in at crack of dawn on Friday morning. Try and stay Sunday night to get the full Le Mans effect. Treat the racing as incidental - enjoy!

[Bobo W]

Continental Car Tours have just released their LM04 pricing structure and includes Dover - Calais (Ferries) and Newhaven - Dieppe (bit shorter the other side) which may be of interest to you.

The campsites away from the circuit would appear very good although I have to say the quality of facilities on most of the main campsites has improved considerably over the past few years. Mind you coming from what they were, that is not really saying much.

From our perspective we always camp inside the circuit so we can walk to most places hence avoiding any potential difficulties with the ever increasing crackdown by the gendarmes on drink driving.

Friday seems to be one of the most popular days to arrive although increasingly people seem to be arriving earlier to get in the practice runs on Wednesday / Thursday nights. Having taken virtually every combination of ferry and different number of days there I would recommend staying Sunday. Surprisingly it has turned into one of the best nights.

[prince]

I'm just in the throws of arranging my travel details, never driven down before so would be interested to know how long it takes from the tunnel.

I am currently planning travelling Thursday morning and coming home Monday night.

What are the best times to get there etc - any advice most welcome.....

[degz]

Another virgin here booked thursday mid day back monday evening for £113 on the tunnel, have looked at the map and recon it will take about 3 hours from calais.

[Alfa Dave]

4 to 4 and a half hours is nearer the mark from Calais. You have to negotiate Rouen which is usually slow - as is the last bit round/through Le Mans (unless they've finished more of the new road by then)

Besides - you don't want to hurry the drive down. Enjoy it, make the most of French roads and sparse traffic....