Le Mans 2017

[RickRob]

Just booked up for Le Mans 2017. Got seats in "Chinetti" grandstand at the end of the start finish straight and camping in "AA Beausejour" (yellow space on the Le Mans map near to the Porsche Curves). Neither of these were my first choices, but already a lot of the grandstands and campsites are fully boooked.

Booked the P&O ferry, Dover to Calais, out on the Thursday, back on the Monday.

Planning on getting there on the "traditional" route avoiding autoroutes, but probably coming back on the autoroute.

Already looking forward to it! Will be the first time in the Zed.

[Chris_D]

Nice one. Also thinking about booking and will also be first time in the zed...

[*AL*]

Love it there, I've been 9 times now.

[Spikey]

Well done - I'll need to get a move on myself

[RickRob]

Well done - I'll need to get a move on myself

If you're going to book direct with the ACO then you really do need to get a move on. I was amazed how few grandstand seats were left when I booked.

I guess that the travel companies have a lot left , but I don't really understand what you get for the premium you pay to them. Some of them provide cooked breakfast and dinner, but you can get that within the circuit anyway. I prefer to do my own thing,

[Spikey]

True - we tend to book everything ourselves and don't book seats in the grandstand

I say we - but that's the royal we lol

[RickRob]

Just found the website for the "Classic British Welcome". This takes place on the Friday before the race just north of Le Mans. Essentially it is a big (over 900 car) exhibition of classic and sports cars.

http://www.classicbw.org/index.php

I emailed the organisers and they said that if you get there by about 10:00 in a suitable car (a Zed is suitable) you can get into the show area.

I am definitely going to this. Although I have been to Le Mans a few times I have always got there late or very late on the Friday so have missed this. A lot of people have told me that this is a "must attend" part of the weekend.

[Stevepj]

It's also worth trying the tourist office in Le Mans for tickets as they're an official outlet. The woman who deals with tickets there is Nadine Bouttier and her email is [email protected] - got my tickets this way on the last couple of trips, a 5% handling fee plus postage.

The Saint Saturnin event is usually pretty good, normally has a main theme and if you're driving something interesting you'll get onto the show site otherwise if you're in a eurobox mondeo etc you'll have to park with the great unwashed.

The Hotel de France at La Chartre-sur-Le-Loir and all it's associated Le Mans history is well worth a visit if you can fit it into your schedule
http://www.lhoteldefrance.fr/what-to-do ... y-le-mans/

[JPmagic]

Hey guys, I'm going this year (missed the last couple of years) Will be the first time going down in my E86

where are you guys staying? I have always stayed with White Rabbit Racing which is a private campsite near Porsche curves on the outside of the track, a friend of mine knows the owner of the villa (with a lot of land) and he rents it off him for a week. i stayed in the Beausejour campsite in 2008 and never again! yeah it was a good atmosphere but things were getting stolen over night and the walk from there to the grandstands is a joke! was taking a good hour lol.

Bring on mad Friday!

[RickRob]

Hey guys, I'm going this year (missed the last couple of years) Will be the first time going down in my E86

where are you guys staying? I have always stayed with White Rabbit Racing which is a private campsite near Porsche curves on the outside of the track, a friend of mine knows the owner of the villa (with a lot of land) and he rents it off him for a week. i stayed in the Beausejour campsite in 2008 and never again! yeah it was a good atmosphere but things were getting stolen over night and the walk from there to the grandstands is a joke! was taking a good hour lol.

Bring on mad Friday!

We are camping in the Beausejour campsite! Here's hoping that things have improved there since 2008! Thanks for the tip about things being stolen - will lock everything in the car when we're not there.

Beausejour wasn't my first choice, but it was pretty much all that was left and I didn't want to book entrance and grandstand tickets without somewhere to pitch the tent. This is the first time. Have camped - previously slept in car, but in cars a lot bigger than the Zed!

[MrPT]

Hey guys, I'm going this year (missed the last couple of years) Will be the first time going down in my E86

where are you guys staying? I have always stayed with White Rabbit Racing which is a private campsite near Porsche curves on the outside of the track, a friend of mine knows the owner of the villa (with a lot of land) and he rents it off him for a week. i stayed in the Beausejour campsite in 2008 and never again! yeah it was a good atmosphere but things were getting stolen over night and the walk from there to the grandstands is a joke! was taking a good hour lol.

Bring on mad Friday!

We are camping in the Beausejour campsite! Here's hoping that things have improved there since 2008! Thanks for the tip about things being stolen - will lock everything in the car when we're not there.

Beausejour wasn't my first choice, but it was pretty much all that was left and I didn't want to book entrance and grandstand tickets without somewhere to pitch the tent. This is the first time. Have camped - previously slept in car, but in cars a lot bigger than the Zed!

It'll be an experience, for sure! Some stuff we saw in Beausejour:

A marquee full of men watching porn on a 60" plasma
A millionaire on an oil barrel, trying to walk on it, set it on fire and destroy it with an axe at the same time
Polish army guys setting off tin bombs all night
Lots of burning fridges, sofas, gas canisters (bang) and tyres
Some pretty good fireworks displays
The odd supercar
Random drifting competitions in the mud
A woman (I think - wasn't 100%)
German kid with a water pistol full of piss spraying old Renaults

Nearly all after the race though - it kinda descends into chaos, as do most of the campsites, but Beausejour is definitely the craziest! Think you'll still enjoy it though. Mostly harmless fun (except for the piss thing, that was grim!).

We've been in Maison Blanche the past few years but we basically get in the queue for tickets (with an agency) at 3:01pm on the Sunday!

[JPmagic]

Yeah its so true about Beausejour being like that! Like you say after the race on Sunday it becomes a free for all and all the local "travellers" turn up and nick anything going, BBQ's, Tents, chairs.. you name it! but this also happens on most over ACO sites as security piss off after 3pm on Sunday.

The private campsite i stay at is on the other side of the track near Beausejour and Sunday evening is funny sitting around the BBQ with a load of beers hearing it all kicking of over there, sounds like WW3 LOL!!!

But i will feel sorry for you if its a wet weekend, Beausejour becomes a mud bath

[Adam D]

Will be camping at Thomas's Cook's air track again this year - a short walk from the village and inside the track . Grandstand seats above the pits

Will be taking the ferry from Portsmouth on Wednesday night and returning on the monday.

[GJC72]

Missed last year's 24 hours but going this year. Overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe on the Tuesday. Coming back Monday via the Channel Tunnel. Camping in the town of Le Chartre Sur Loir which is a few miles south of Le Mans.

Will probably watch the race at the Hotel Abor which is located next to the second chicane on the Mulsanne straight. Entry is 10 euros and that includes a pint and baguette

[jimmybell]

Went last year with PH, would love to go again.

For joepublic it's pricey, but i'd argue entirely worth it - 1st Tickets - best camping spot i saw, VIP parking, decent food, bar, tv and security.

If i don't get another free ride i'll definitely consider paying up in future.