Club Arnage

There was quite a bit of chat about having to buy parking in advance so I have to confess that team Monkey was a little concerned that we might have a problem. We had discussed it in detail. Obviously it would be completely impossible for the organisers to only sell tickets in advance only. What would be the point??? How would they cope with all the people turning up without parking tickets - what would everyone do - dump their cars and walk to the circuit? But having said that early Saturday morning we received a phone call from Team Carr suggesting that all the parking was sold out!! So the tension mounted a little as we approached the car park at Mulsanne. We turned right - and there was the caravan and two lovely ladies selling a ticket there and then - just as they always have done year in year out. The only difference being it was a little cheaper this year I think at 8 Euros??

Situation normal at Arnage corner as well.  Sailed straight thru in the half-hour break between quali sessions, and straight onto the first car park - pas de problem!

I believe the car park for which you needed to buy tickets is the one inside the barriers.

Del

No, the paid for car park was the first one on the right after you round the corner opposite the entrance to the Arnage enclosure. They were selling tickets on the Saturday at the entrance to the car park for €8, but by the Sunday when we came back, anyone who hadn't bought a ticket was sent to the overflow car park a bit further along.

Where they got to park for free.

Go figure??

French......

Thats where we normally end up.

Parking fee, what parking fee, we ended up parking on Sunday at the same road we always do just before Arnage without paying anything.  ;D

That was the car park I went in - on thursday night.  So the payment was just for during the race then.

Del

wish we had taken the car to Arnage and Mulsanne
We spent 5.5.hrs on ruddy bus going round and round between the two trying to get back to Stranglers concert

We drove to Arnage at about 02.30 during the race and then moved onto Mulsanne at about 04.30, with no problems.

No one asked for a parking ticket or €8.

I suspect the ticket / payment issue comes into play during what the ACO regard as the peak hours (i.e. upto midnight).

I flet that numbers in both areas were down on last year, at the times we visited.

In fact, it felt like the total attendance was less than last year. Even towards the end of the race when a home when was a certainty, the terraces opposite the pits had ample space.

Same as us we drove to Arnage at about 4.00am Sunday.We were just waved stright into the carpark, NO charge.

Did you have a parking permit from a different part of the circuit on display?  I did notice quite a few 'vert', 'rouge' and 'bleu' permitted cars down in the Mulsanne/Arnage car parks.

It certainly used to be the case that such tickets allowed access to Mulsanne, Arnage and Hunaudieres without shelling out again, but I had interpretted the changes this year to be that this would no longer be the case and that a different permit would be required for each car park zone visited.

When we went to drive into the car park on the Saturday morning (to watch the legends race) the first one was less than half full; when they asked for a ticket, I pointed to the Bleu Nord camping ticket we were displaying but they said no, we had to buy an Arnage/Mulsanne specific parking ticket...

No, only our B/N camping permit. I went to buy a €8 permit at the the rotounde only to be told that you paid when you got there which as you know we didn't. Still a great spot for watching.

You are quite right Christopher, I was on the terracing for the last three hours of the race where I meet a French family every year and we had bags of room. To be honest I thought that the reaction of the French spectators to a home win was slightly muted. Imagine the pandemonium if the Astons had come home first!!

It was also very noticeable how relatively empty Houx was.

I was predicting that if the Pug was leading on Sunday morning then the place would be packed by the finish.
How wrong I was. I think there was more noise and pandamonium when Bentley won, than this year.

I popped round to arnage twice on the scooter , no problem other than they made me detour via the one way system into the middle of no where thought I was going to run out of fuel , no idea where i was and pitch black!

the arnage and mulsanne corners were free parking, always have been.

In the interests of accuracy Robbo - they are not and to my knowledge have never been 'free' if you go there first. I have, for about the last ten years watched the start from Mulsanne and on arrival have parted with a few Euro's (8 this year) for a ticket which this year I think (age memory thing) was yellow? however In the old days when I had a Vert pass then there was no more to pay - as that included access to Mulsanne and Arnage as I think, it would seem would a Rouge.
I have to confess that part of the reason I raised this subject was very much in the interests of accuracy. There were a number of enthusiast sites - this one included suggesting that all parking should be paid for in advance and rather alarmingly saying that in fact the parking tickets had 'sold out.' This would have been a new (and cr+p) idea had it been the case but it was not - just a bit of 'website noise' as it would seem that there were no changes this year. Although there did seem to be a concerted effort by the organisers to encourage people take the bus instead of driving round to the various vantage points.

 

Sorry, but that was not the impression given by the ACO on its website.

Bollox Monkey. The website noise was generated by the ACO.

Bollox KPY... have you forgotten the thread 'Parking Restrictions at Mulsanne and Arnage' that you contributed to?

Whilst the original confusion may have been as a result of some unclear communications from the ACO I would agree with Monkey that some of that 'website noise' was generated by enthusiast sites - including this one.

If the ACO publishs inaccurate or misleading information, which websites then pass on in good faith, then the fault lies with the ACO.

I started the thread about the parking charges at Arnage and Mulsanne, from info I read on the ACO site.

I certainly did not set out to produce inaccurate information, but was passing on what the ACO were saying to forewarn others members of this site of the apparent change.

Yes I do remember. I said that the ACO brochure stated that you need a parking ticket for Arnage and Mulsanne car parks. Nothing unclear about that.

20/20 hindsight's a wonderful thing. Perhaps you and Monkey would like to translate this cutting from this year's ACO brochure.

Just my tupence.....

I went to the ACO office, at the Rotonde, on the Tuesday morning and asked about parking tickets for Arnage and Mulsanne and was told they were all sold out.

I then suggested, to the helpful lady, that perhaps we just turn up as we usually do around 02.30~03.00 and take our chances........she suggested we buy a parking ticket for Antares Sud as this would also get us into Arnage and Mulsanne.

Although it cost us money, we went this route as we did not want the hassel of turning up and being told to bugger off. Turns out no one checked the ticket and we had no problems.

I felt the 'internet noise' was a helpful tip off, and we were fortunate enough to arrive early in the week and act upon it. Others clearly could not or did not investigate, and got caught out by the buses.

Thanks for the intial tip off.  ;D

That translates to.......

Only holders of a 'Mulsanne' or 'Arnage' parking pass will be allowed to access with their light vehicles into the Mulsanne and Arnage parks. Free shuttle services outside the circuit will enable spectators to access the Mulsanne and Arnage curves upon simple presentation of their entrance ticket (see condition).

Thankyou, I am glad that some people appreciated the early warning of a possible problem.

One of the things I have found over the year is that you can't be sure of exactly what you will and won't not be able to do.

The English version of the Brochure quite clearly states only holders of "Arnage" or "Mulsanne" parking tickets will be allowed access to the  "Arnage" and "Mulsanne". 

It would seem that this was not enforced.  That is not the fault of those who post here.

Pointing out this apparent change was the correct thing to do. 

Personally I didn't attempt my traditional trip to Arnage and Mulsanne in the race because of the apparent charges.
That's my loss but I don't blame anyone.  I will attempt it next year no matter what the brochure says. :-)

t.

 I went on the Tuesday as well to the Rotounde and was informed by the lady to pay when I got there. 04:00 on Sunday morning, drove straight into the first car park on the right round the bend at Arnage and did'nt pay a thing. I don't think the problems lie with us punters as everyone has been informed differently. Its more of a case of business as usual with the ACO who quite clearly could'nt run a bath.

Have been away in Somerset over the weekend and was quite surprised and very disapointed to see the nature of some of the contributions. Having said that, thank you Christopher for your mature, balanced and intelligent contribution to this thread.
I was actually trying to be helpful.

sorry and you too Lawnmower man........

As you have been many times over the years.

In the light or accuracy.

I HAVE NEVER PAID TO PARK AT ARNAGE OR MULSANNE and i thought its because i was displaying my camping pass.

Why thank you Barry. Glad you noticed

I haven't ventured down that bit of the track since it was peeing with rain in 2007 when we went on a late night tour to Mulsanne, Indi and Arnage. We have had a variety of camping and parking tickets in the windscreen over the years; red, blue, green, white and all the colours under the rainbow. And camping tickets from KN, MB, and HA. I have to say that in all those years, and bear in mind I first spectated at Mulsanne corner in 1989, I have never paid so much as a red cent to anyone to park anywhere, ever.

It doesn't look like anything's changed.

Mr Zarse how are you? Its been a while and as always is very nice to here from you. Thank you for offering me the opportunity then to clarify this situation. If by any chance any of you good people decide it would be really nice to visit Mulsanne and you do not have parking ticket from another zone, or a camping pass - you will be asked to part with the princely sum of 8 euros (well that is what it was this year.) This will provide you with access to Mulsanne and to Arnage Car Parks only. I would hate for anyone to turn up there without another zone pass or camping ticket - and with no money, expecting that it would be 'FREE' to get in, because trust me folks it would not be. Fact - end of, you would have to pay - honest.

Now just to clarify - the reason I actually started this was because I was concerned that folk - thinking that tickets had to be bought (yes bought) in advance to access these areas then they might abandon their cars during the race and take the bus because they thought they would not be able to park. This is not the case at all it would seem. I suspect it was an effort from the ACO to try to reduce the number of people driving around perhaps? After all they were actively promoting the bus service handing out leaflets at the Peage on the Saturday morning.

And on the subject of buses - it seemed to me like there were less this year than in previous years - did anybody else find this to be the case – or was I just imagining it? Or of course were the queues of people longer because they thought they would not be able to park I wonder??
??

Hello Monkey. I am well. I hope you are well as well.

I am sorry if this thread seems to have vexed you somewhat. I would imagine we all only speak as we find from our own personal experience. I am sure none of the good folk on CA are being deliberately medacious towards you in order to raise a degree of ire for comic effect.

On the subject of buses, personally I don't ever use them in any avenue of life if it can be absolutely avoided. Realistically, they are for the ordinary people, and consequently not something that would be of concern to most CAers.

Mr Zarse, I am extremely well, thank you. How kind of you to enquire. And not in the least vexed (I am sorry to say) I have to say I share you feelings about buses and I too have never used them at LM - but was merely observing the coming and going (or lack there of) of coaches this year. Which I found rather surprising as they were being actively promoted, presumably to encourage folk to drive less during the event?

what's that then Mr Z ?????

Sorry. Typo. I meant to put mendacious.

Andy,

Until about the middle of last year I would have agreed with you completely.  Bing a tight fisted old git.  I preferred to drive in to town and leave the car in the gutter some place so I didn't have to pay.  There is no way I would burn two Quid plus in fuel.  Add to that the Bus rarely takes the optimal route so it's a no brainer.

However, I'm now in possession of a piece of Magic Plastic that you hold by the ticket machine and it dispenses a ticket Free of Charge.   I must say the service here in Reading is very good.  I've had drivers wait while I get to the stop.  One very nice man even let me on even though I forgotten my magic plastic card.  Of course I wouldn't want to tar all Bus Drivers with that bush it would not be good for their image.

None the less I still avoid the Bus unless I'm planning a bit of a session.  Let's face it no matter how big the engine in your Scania Solar is no where near as cool as a Company Car.  :-)


t.

I tried a bus the other week.

It took me 20 minutes to work out which one I wanted, they have a number on the front that tells where its bound it would seem.

Then the the bloody thing kept stopping at random places, I had no clue where to get of as it was not an area I knew, needless to say my trip took far longer than expected.

And I had to sit next to a stranger.

pikey

Yes, it's absolutely ghastly isn't it. Buses are full of horrid common people who smell and have fleas. They carry diseases you know, and their bite is often poisonous.

Again I'm lucky in that area.  My Sinuses are shot so I don't have a sense of smell.  One observation I have made is that buses only seem to be used by old people.  Obviously I'm not as young as I used to be.   However, I know that if I start to smell my friends here on CA will tell me.

I've also noticed that if you pick the wrong time of day the buses can get overloaded with children.   Whilst I like like children I couldn't eat a whole one.

t.

Tom. You smell.  ;)

W G Grace (or was it W C Field?) - "I like children. Boiled!"

Not wishing to be accused of being pedantic - It was W C Fields, and he preferred them fried.

W G Grace might have liked them 'bat'tered perhaps?  ;D

You see I knew my friends on CA would help me out no has mentioned it here.  I must be bad if you can smell it several counties away.   ??? ??? ???


t.