Club Arnage

Myself and 4 of my friends are planning a trip to LeMans for 2006.  Though I have found quite a bit of helpful information I still have some questions that I have not found any answers for.  In no particular order here are the first set:

1- Getting to and from the circuit:  We are flying into Paris a few days before the event would it be better for us to rent a car or take a train to the city of LeMans?

2- Once at the circuit is there a shuttle that runs between the city center and the circuit for beer runs, food runs etc.?

3- Being LeMans rookies, we would like to try to see as much as possible, at the race.  We are seasoned at Daytona 24hr, the Sebring 12hrs and the Petit LeMan 12hrs but from my readings here and other places Lemans seems to be a different level of experience.  Based on this is there a concensus for camping/parking and ticket locations?  Are there any stadium style TV's that broadcast the event within the circuit?

4- Getting to and from different parts of the track during the race, how is it done?  I have read of the eateries along the Mulsanne and we would be interested in visiting those.

5- Do any of you seasoned LeMans goers want to take a few Americans under their wings and show us the ropes throughout the event? ;D


This is probably the first of many questions I will as in preparing for this trip and I hope that the esteemed members of this board can help us out.

Thank you.

Brian

Hello Brian
Welcome to the forum. I've been going to Le Mans for more than 20 years, but had to miss out this year because of work. I'm English, but live in the USA.
Opinion may vary slightly, but here's the general skinny on your questions.
1. If you're fling into Paris (as we do) rent a car - it's much easier than dicking around with trains - and you will have transport once you get to the circuit. Car rental is a little more pricey than in US and gas prices are scary, but if you get a deisel car, you won't burn horrifying amounts of fuel. The drive from Paris Charles De Gaulle to Le Mans is 3.5 hours - all highway.
2. Yes - there is a bus service between the circuit and Le Mans - but you'll have a car, right?
3. Sebring and Daytona are my home circuits. Sebring has some parallels with Le Mans both on and off the track. Both have a big party atmosphere and lots of history. Parking/camping at Le Mans isn't the free-for-all that Sebring is. You will need a parking/camping permit and you should apply for that (from ACO) as soon as you've fixed your plans. Many on this forum favor the Maison Blanche site (MB), but there are many (I prefer Houx personally - but it's all down to personal preference). Facilities at Le Mans are a little medieval compared to US tracks, but it's a small sacrifice.
Even at this point your choices may be limited, so don't leave it too long before you book your pitch. Yes - there are 'diamond screens' at a couple of locations - but they are trackside - not in the camp grounds.
4. Mainly on foot - so don't bring any fancy footwear. Sports shoes or hiking boots are what you need. there is a shuttle bus from the more distant camp grounds (Beausejour and Technoparc). There are two restaurants on the Hunnaudiers straight - but they are over-rated, overbooked and you can't see squat from either of them, so I would advise you not to bother. Driving your car around the local roads during the race is a pain in the arse, so I would be inclined to buy all your gear before you set up camp. This way, you won't get busted for DUI either, which will ruin your whole trip (and you'll get to see what French jails are like!)
5. Stay in touch and introduce yourself to the regulars - most are very generous, helpful and friendly. Get yourself to Road Atlanta for the Petit and meet a bunch of us who do this race as well as Le Mans and the others you mentioned.
Just holler if you need anything - there's always someone with the answer here.

Matt, thanks for the insight.  The entire group that is going to LeMans will be at Road Atlanta for the Petit this year.  My parents only live 10 minutes from the track so we are all going to meet down there.  I'll stay in touch and perhaps we can meet up for food/and/or drink during that weekend.

Keep the good thoughts coming.

Is the ticket purchasing precedure as simple as calling the ACO office and ordering them?  I see talk of people going to through ticket brokers but is that a viable option from here in the states?

Hello Brian,

Matt answered already all of your questions, I would just like to point out that the train is a good alternative to a car. If you land in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), there is a high speed train station (TGV) directly in the basement of that airport with regular trains to Nantes via Le Mans. You can go from the aiport to Le Mans in less than 1.5 hours, no change of trains needed, much less hassle and a lot quicker than driving by yourself. The airport and the highway to Le Mans are on opposite sides of Paris and driving by car around Paris is usually a pain in the a**. Train tickets can be booked / purchased online at www.sncf.fr, they have a multilingual website. I did it a couple of times and it worked out fine. Depending on your time of arrival there are shuttle busses from Le Mans train station to the track (about 3 USD), but also plenty of cabs (about 20 USD). Distance from train station to the main entrance is about 10 kms (or 6 miles in american money)

Hope this helps

Cheers

Werner

John Evans, it gotta be your 3rd time in 2006, maybe now it's time for you to help newbies !!!

We missed to meet eache other out of the poo bar but next year we'll arrange the transfert to the Flambadou on friday evening after the parade.

I'll be at Petit (Turn 10) and I'll bring my Le Mans stuff from this year if you want to see it.  Everything has been well covered I think, by the regulars; the only thing I'd add would be that you should choose you campsite by what you expect from a race meeting -- some are more like Green Park than others.  And Houx is the only one that gives you an actual numbered pitch, so far anyway, so if you are coming in later than Wednesday you might want to think about that.

They are talking about having a tram from town next year, and if they do that the train will be very convenient.  Since traffic out of the circuit is a nightmare, you might want to think about that.  My friend Jamie took the TGV this year and although he thought it could have been cleaner, he had high praise for its efficiency and comfort.

Excellent.  Thank you!!!

You hit almost every question I was going to ask, except the important one.

How do we keep our beer cold?  ;D

I was actually considering buying a large cooler at Carrefour, then enrolling it in a cooler exchange program with a group of you guys.  You take care of our cooler during the year, then we'll visit it at Le Mans, and you can visit yours at Sebring and/or the Petit.

Either that or take one along as checked baggage and pack other stuff in it.

I forgot to ask, is it possible to camp without a car.  It would make getting supplies a bit more difficult but I think we can overcome that issue.

also, without a car how secure would our belongings be inside of the tent throughout the weekend?

concerning leaving LeMans after the event is it a nightmare to leave (we would go pack to paris for a train trip down to Nice) via train or should we plan on leaving on Monday at somepoint?

Thanks again!

Hi Brian,

usually it's no problem just to walk on a campground and pitch up your tent, you won't even be bothered for a ticket, because these are sold on a per vehicle base. Only exeption is Camping Houx (marked pitches). Whatever you plan, I just want to advice you to order your tickets NOW! I've done it a couple of times by e-mail to ticket@lemans.org and it worked. They charge your credit card, tickets are being send out a couple of weeks prior to the race by UPS.
You only need to book early for campgrounds and tribunes, there's no need to book the general admission tickets in advance. Those are never sold out and you can buy them on raceday.
Safety: Well, things stored in a tent are never safe and although I had never problems in the last 20 years, I would advice you not to leave valuables in the tent. Passport and money I always carried by myself. However, if you team up with some nice people on the campground, you can probably ask them to lock some things for you in their car.
Leaving le Mans: Quite a hassle on raceday. Better to join the numerous after-race parties on the campgrounds, get drunk, and leave on monday, that's much more relaxed.

Cheers

Werner

Ah, the age-old connundrum - more difficult for those of us who haul all of our race sh*t over the Atlantic for Le Mans.
We use modified Rubbermaid rolling coolboxes and the most famous of them all (R2D2) will put in it's Autumn appearance at Road Atlanta.
You can buy 'bricks' of ice from French supermarkets - so you need another cooler just to store your ice blocks. You can transport the cooler as checked baggage and even put personal belongings in it, like a suitcase! This is another damn good reason why you need a car.
Don't leave anything in a tent that you don't mind losing.
We fly to CDG, rent a car to get to and from Le Mans - and then rent a small RV in Le Mans, which we use at the track and use the car for fetching supplies and fresh ice! A bit extravagant maybe, but for once a year, you need to push the boat out.
Train works great if you're travelling light - but if you're spending a few days at the circuit, it could get a little miserable if you have no means of getting around. Drive from the airport is very straightforward - don't get freaked by the Peripherique (Paris beltway) it's no worse than Atlanta!
Stay in touch and see you at Road Atlanta.

Matt of course meant to say either "leave anything in a tent that you don't mind losing." or "Don't leave anything in a tent that you mind losing."

It's them double negatives again. Or was it the beer? :)


Just proving how thoroughly I read everyuthing...  ::)

Thanks Smokie
I defer to your grammatic(al) superiority - and sorry if I confused anyone (other than myself).
Not beer related - still halfway through the work day.

Allow me to have another shot at this......

Don't leave anything in your tent - other than your beer farts.

Looks like there could be quite a gathering at Road Atlanta. Us LM regulars ought to organise a LM seminar for you guys. I think quite a few of the Sebring Turn 10 guys are planning to be at both RA and LM too. You chaps need to get it together and build your own "Alamo" area on a campsite!

That sounds like one hell of an idea!!  It would be nice to have conversation about the logistic in person with some people.  I am looking forward to the Petit!!

Hey guys- I'm planning on making Lemans 2006 and being another newbie from the states am happy to see this topic addressed.

I met quite a few regulars at Sebring (Part of the Turn 10 gang 8)) earlier this year and plan on being at Petit also.

To sum up whats been said, I need to get camping arrangements figured out pretty soon. The balance can wait.

Thanks

PS- My picture might be a little too large

Alright, how have some of you acquired camping tix this early.  I looked on the lemans.org page and their site only lists information for the 2005 event.  I have also read that thay do not take any ticket orders via the telephone.  

Is it a matter of writing an email and sending it over?

As always, any and all help is appreciated!

bpt

You can always book your tickets with a company called Just Tickets, you will pay a bit extra, however they have never let me down. Although I have heard they have already sold there allocation of Maison Blanche tickets. I am not very good with posting links on here, but a search on Google will throw up their web site

They do take e-mail bookings too between certain dates, but i have never tried that way, not sure if anyone else knows how that works.





I`ve been sending my ticket requests for the past years via email with excellent results. Gotta make sure you send your request to 'ticket@lemans.org'. Don`t forget to include name, address, tel. number, etc. and of course requested camping area. No need to write dates of race since these are not yet released to public. Simply write "Request for 24 hour Auto race tickets". Don`t forget the word "Auto" or you may wind up going to the Motorcycle 24 hour race. My advise is to email asap, I usually send my request in early April for the following years race. Good luck.

I too will be at Petit at RA, should be camped out with the Sebring Turn 10 people. I have been to Le Mans 12 years now so will be happy to help where possible.

Regards
Chris

Sorry I have not read this part of the site lately so have been absent on this discussion.
1.  As to the train from CDG to Le Mans.  Great way to travel for Americans if you've never done it, you have to go somewhere on one of these fast (186mph) suckers.  It's a trip!!! 
2. Obviously, you pack very light regarding gear to take with you, sleeping bag, small tent, soap, towel, clothes, hat, raingear, flashlight, tuneable radio (frequencies are different in Europe so our digitals won't work over there), put it all in a ice chest, seal it and put it in checked baggage at the airport(make sure it has wheels THAT WORK), etc.   Ask me about my first time if you don't know the history on that trip.  The TGV is located in the bottom floor of Terminal 2 in the center of the huge building.  Go to their website to see the terminal layout, Google search. 
3. When you get to Le Mans go to a store (Gilles could recommend one) to purchase what you don't bring with you because you will need more than you can bring (food and drink) unless you are prepared to wilderness camp.  You could eat all meals at the circuit's vendor's but that could get expensive. 
4.  General admission ticket at the gate gets you inside so buy it then, in Euro's.  If you bring a car (I did not drive in Europe) you will need a camping permit so buy it in advance from ACO as has already be mentioned.  Grandstand tickets are hard to come by but you can monitor this site to see who might be selling tickets and strike a deal to pick them up at the circuit or make other arrangements.  You don't really need them but they are very nice for the begining and ending of the race.  I did it this year and am very happy I did.  This is a rare event in your lifetime so a little splurge for this was well worth it for me.
4.  Be prepared to walk your butt off.  You walk everywhere, as most Europeans do, rather than ride in big SUV's everywhere like we do.
5.  Sleep before you go and be well rested when you get there.  There is so much to see and do, visit with folks, walk the circuit, etc. etc.  I have been fortunate to have gone this year and last year and never thought I would have ever gone.  Both times were trips of a lifetime for me.  I was is awe of the whole scene.  Racing at full speed at 3 AM is something we have never seen in the US and must be experienced.  I just can't tell you the feeling of that sight and sound (the Corvettes must be heard) at that time of the morning.

This is the start of a great adventure.  So enjoy every thought, every spoken word about going, every email, every website for information, every planning session, and take lots of pictures.  If you have any other questions, please let me know.  If I didn't do it, I may at least have an opinion.

Forgot to mention, if you take the TGV, it is wise to do the "reservation" to lock in a seat for your travels.  Think about 2-300,000 trying to get to and from Le Mans, not all traveling on the train but a good many do... and go first class, costs a little more but very clean, nice seats, plenty of room and you might be riding with Ron Fellows or Johnny O'Connel on Sunday evening after the race as I have done now for two years.  Good conversation for 1.5 hours at 186mph.

How far from the circuit is the train station and what is the best method for getting from one to the other (cab, walk)?

Hi Hardpoint,
                      About 8 Km (5 Miles) so take the special shuttle bus from the station.
Canada Phil

It's right outside the front door of the train station and it will let you off at the main entrance to the circuit.  Seemed like it was more than 5 miles though, I guess it was the path they took to get there.  Costs about 2 or 2.5 Euros as I recall.  The bus will be marked and you can confirm with the driver if there is doubt about destination.  You will see others like you with backpacks and stuff, racing shirts, hats, etc.  Once off the shuttle bus, you just need to make your way as to where you will stay.  It's a pretty good walk to the camping areas.

Thanks for the info.

Does this shuttle run on a specific schedule between the track and the station? We will most likely be leaving Monday morning. Also, how than do you go about getting beer, food, beer, camping stuff and beer from the store?

Right now I have a minivan reserved but it could be cancelled. I think our biggest concern was getting stuff from the store (beer) and getting back to the airport if we end up with an early departure time on Monday.

Thanks agian.  :)

I would tend to stick with the minivan, especially if you're gonna be at the curcuit for a few days before the race starts. It's a slightly expensive luxury I know, but it does mean that you can go to the store for beer/food/beer/water/beer at will and also get out and about round the track. Whilst the curcuit is over 8 miles long, getting around the outside during the race is normally about 15 miles!

You'll also enjoy the scenery on the drive fom Paris, you can stop at some small villages/markets etc, go where your nose takes you and gets you out of f*cking about with shuttle buses, carrying cases onto and off trains and getting around the massive Paris rail terminal. And you can join some of us at Deauville on the coast on sunday night for some casino and nightclub action. It's almost on the way back to Paris.

Whatever, if the van is booked, you'll enjoy the flexibility it affords.

Andy makes an excellent point about the minivan.  That uncomplicates local travel to the store for stuff problem just don't lose your camping and parking spot while you are gone.  Since I traveled solo on my two trips, my situation was much different.  Traveling in a group is a different deal.  Stay with the van, get a camping ticket from ACO or from an individual trying to sell one.  Oh, where do you pick up the van?  I'm guessing CDG so I can't advise on driving to Le Mans except I understand a town about half way, I think it is named Chartres (sounds like Chart) is supposed to be worth a visit for out of towners like you and me.  That may not be the right name, maybe Gilles can clear that up.  Anyway, I would love to spend some time there and in the the city of Le Mans as well.  Very good for sightseeing.
John

Hi Hardpoint,
                    Minivan is great for 2 or more people. Everything written already is good advice. France is great for road trips. You will need camp site for the race. Other than Paris I would reccomend driving anywhere you fancy. What are your other interests? Wine Champagne. Mountains? ww11 beaches ancient history Babes France has it all  ::)
Michelin Map and a good navigator. is all you need.
Canada Phil

Great info, thanks to everyone.

I already booked a camping pass for Karting Nord back in July since I wasn't sure what our plans were gonna be. I figured better safe than sorry. Our group is gonna be around 6-8 at least so we will probably keep the van. We won't be getting in until Thursday morning most likely so I don't know how much site seeing we'll get to do although hitting some small towns on the way down to grab a meal or two would be cool.

I'd say if you are't getting in until Thursday morning you'd be best off to get to the campsite and get set up. The camps tend to get busy on Thursday, and you'd want to be set up in time to see night practice (7 pm till midnight with an hour break, but often there is an earlier practice for an hour of whatever is running in the support race).

Save the sightseeing till later...

That's the good spelling John. Chartres has a wonderful cathedral to see (just a few more beautiful than the Le Mans' one)

Road Trip advices are quite difficult, depending your interest and those from your passengers... however may i suggest a Wine trip in the south of the Sarthe and the Loir Valley (Yes Loir is different of Loire) You even may drive south to Saumur, its cellars with its famous sparkling wine, its world-recognized horse school and its armoured vehicles museum.

 If you get a chance check out Chartres cathedral in the late afternoon. The stained glass windows with the sun shining through them is a site never to be forgotten. I saw this en route to my first Le Mans and it stood out as one of the highlites of the trip.

This is all really great info! I've not even been to an endurance race, but I have been a fan all my life. So I'm starting at the top of the list for my first race to go to, I suppose it's all downhill from here out. I take it that it would be best if I'm renting a car to go through a travel agent and get that sorted out before I even head over there? I'm planning on going with a buddy of mine so it sounds like a mini-van would be in order? I hope they rent diesel versions? I had a few questions myself:

What would a general admission tic normally run? A grandstand tic?

If we purchase a grandstand tic will we have the same access to the rest of the track as well?

I'm planning on packing light with just having supplies in my back pack. Basically the only thing that will need to be purchased at Le Mans will be food, ice and beer correct?

I haven't purchased airfare yet or race tics is it too late as of Oct 6? Hope not, after last years race I don't want to miss this! Cheers! :)

Hi there JonnySpa27,
Well, I suppose it's goodbye to good old Jonnyspa26, it was a wheeze while it lasted.
Congratulations on getting here, you've found the right place, and you seem to have you priorities about right. That is to say, you already seem worried about getting enough beer.
On to your little query:
1. A general admission ticket is 45 Euros, (a Euro is about 0.6 English pounds, or about 1.2 USD, or two camels scrotums in a bazaar in downtown Cairo) and will get you into all the trackside spectator areas around the circuit, as well as the toilets (Smokie, the moderator on this site, is our resident expert on Pissoir Logistics), but not the pits or grandstands. You will be able to get into the grandstands during the qualifying however, and there is pit access for all on Friday 'artnoon.
2. Grandstand prices vary, but are around 95 Euros. Thats a pretty good goat in Istanbul.
3. Travel light, you can buy all you need in nearby supermarkets. Especially beer.
4. Try ordering race tickets now from the ACO, you might get lucky. Alternatively, there will be many tickets, but no livestock, coming up for sale on this site nearer the time. There's always e-bay and the specialist travel agencies; in other words, if the ACO can't help, you'll still get tickets, but maybe at a premium. Or possibly a bargain.
5. Live chickens are a good idea, you don't have to feed them much, and they won't go off in the heat. String 'em out and put them in a sandwich when you need them. The guys next to us had turkeys, but that's not really necessary.
Good luck!!
 

Hi JonnySpa27 - welcome to CA. 

I thought I had better translate some of BigH's comments and to explain - if Smokie is the resident moderator (and pissoir expert), then H is our resident, Jaguar-driving comedian!!

The general entry tickets are available at any time on the gate - there is no necessity to get these beforehand and, as H says, gives you access to all spectator areas.

The grandstand and camping tickets are a different matter, and you should order these as per H's para 4 above.  You don't say where you will be staying - camping/hotel/sleeping rough?? If you want a camping ticket, you only need one ticket per vehicle, regardless of how many people in the car.

You should also plan to get there as early in the week as you can - half the fun is over before the race even starts.  Depending on where you will be staying, you will always be able to hook up with some regulars to show you around.

Hope this helps

Del

Thanks guys for the warm welcome. I especially like the XJR-8LM classy ride it was 8) Yes I failed to mention we would be camping it for our first stay at le Sarthe. I had thought about doing the pitwalk but it is pretty cashy to do that. I'd just like to have the shot at flirting with Vanina  :-* Seriously though I'd love to get an up close look at the cars while they're being prepped. Is there an autograph session I wonder? I also see that Le Mans is much like a midwestern tradition here, The Knoxville Nationals. I'm used to the long days and even longer nights of week long drinky drinky. On the camping subject does anyone know what is still avail? I have mailed the ACO to see but haven't received word yet. Thanks again guys.

Welcome! JonnySpa27

I would do the pits on Friday afternoon, its free for starters and there is a great atmostpher, did anyone else see the Elvises? (or is Elvi?) I would also recomend a beer in the bar behind the paddock on Thursday PM as the "LM Legends" race cars have to drive past to get to the track. In 2004 we had the Group C cars rumbling just past our noses, and ended help push a few to the assmbley area, top momment.

Enjoy 2006

Is that the bar you pass near the access stairs to the Pits grandstand, Bobblehat?

If you are thinking of the one as you walk down the road towards the paddock facing the back of the grandstand on the right. Then yes, I think... :-\

But the beer does funny thing to the memory........................

Sounds like the one, on the right just after a gate, sounds like a good spot on Thursday afternoon around 5 o'clock.

What beer? Don't remember ever trying the stuff ;)

Gates, gates! I could I forget the gates,

yep thats the place. I do belive they do water too.......... :P

Only with pastis I hope.

I just got a letter back from the ACO tic office

"Dear Sir,
 
We have no prices yet for 2006 but I send you herewith the details of 2005. No order is registered yet, we can't tell you the availability, not before beginning of next year.
 
Yours faithfully.

Service Réservation / Booking Office
Circuit des 24 Heures
72019 Le Mans Cedex 2
FRANCE
Tel: (0033)(0)892 697 224 (0,34€/min)
Fax: (0033) (0)2 43 84 47 13
www.lemans.org/ticket

Have you guys been able to book for camping yet? Since the paddock will be open on friday I will probably just not get the pit pass and enjoy the festivities the easy, cheaper and old fashioned way  :)
 

Hi Jonny.  Many of us book 14-15 months in advance, while others book during race week for the following year.  This is necessary in order to get tickets for the "best" sites.  I use quotes as everyone's "best" is very subjective.  When we book, we always get a response from the ACO similar to the one you received.  We are sent an invoice just before Xmas telling what has been allocated and how much.

There are several camp sites around the circuit, some close to and others not so close to the action, and all have the basic facilities required, water, toilets, showers, although there is never enough of the latter two during peak times.  Look at http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=274.0, there is a mine of info here. 

At this point in the year, probably the only campsite tickets available from the ACO will be for BSJ (Beausejour) which, I understand, is as good as any other but it is a bit of a trek from the main action (over 30 mins walk).  However, it is right on the Porsche curves which make an excellent viewing area.  Tickets for other sites are also available from the pirates (sorry, I mean the commercial travel companies such as Just Tickets) but at a premium.  Many folk on here, and my prefered site is MB (Maison Blanche).  As I said earlier, wherever you end up, you will easily be able to hook up with regulars, especially if you are partial to a drop of (in no particular order) beer, wine, whiskey, pastis, gin, brandy, or anything with an alcoholic content!!  ;D ;D ;D

Another way to get a ticket is to watch the 'Sell or Swap' forum here on CA.  Once the tickets have been allocated, there are always some surplus ones available that are sold at cost (rule of the site) + expenses - I will probably have a spare for sale myself.

Best of luck

Del

Del,
So basically what you're telling me is that now that I've expressed interest to the ACO, I will get an invoice via e-mail for a camp tic? Also at Maison Blanche I did not find any forum or post to view people selling or looking for tics. The link you provided me is great, I will have to research that one a bit more. You mentioned you would probably have a spare set for yourself to sell? Let me know where they are at and how much you would like and I may be interested.  :) thanks again.

Depends on what you said to them.  If you just enquired about availability, no.  If you asked them for a ticket, yes.  Usually when you place an order, you state specifically which site you want - you don't always get what you want, and as I said earlier, there is probably only tickets left for BSJ by now.


If you mean the Maison Blanche website, it is not what I meant.  Look at the 'Sell or Swap' section of THIS (Club Arnage) site.  If you scroll back a few pages to early June and before, you will get an idea of the sell and swap activity.  You wont see any at the moment - thousands of people have ordered tickets but until the invoices are issued late in the year or early next year, people don't know what they have to sell or barter with.


I am in the same boat as all the other thousands.  If I get what I ordered, ie my requested campsite AND the quantity, then I will have a spare as I have had one vehicle and 4 people drop out for next year.  This happens to me and many others as in the 12 months or more between ordering the tickets and actually going to the race, a lot can happen (births, marriages, deaths etc).  Just keep your eye on this site and you will see the activity level increase dramatically when the invoices are issued.

Best of luck - any further clarification or questions, just ask.

Del

Forgot to mention, Jonny, that the one Being, he of the deity - our illustrious moderator Smokie, is above all these earthly mundane things.  He seems to acquire his tickets by some method of immaculate conception - don't ask how!! :o :o :o

Moderators (and the ACO!)  move in mysterious ways.....  :)  ???  ;)



All the advice you have so far is good Jonny, particularly the piece about using our Sell or Swap forum.

Remember that you can buy entry tickets at the door even on race day. It's the on site camping tickets which are like gold dust. And these are only really essential if you have a vehicle - without one, in theory, you can simply walk through the camping gates and set up, with no pass.


If you are offered a camping ticket by the ACO, take it, as they won't offer again! But if not, many people will sell spares here at cost, and usually regular forums members will often take preference over people who just drop in once. Tis can start any time after initial ticket allocation (as Del says, around Xmas) and continue right up to June, as people's plans change.

You probably already know prices, but for 2005 an entry ticket (enceinte generale) was approx $71 and camping (AIRES D'ACCUEIL) ranges from $46 to $109 for Wed to Sunday (price depends on campsite).

OK now I'm really getting amped to go over, I think my buddy is game to go so all we are needing now is to get the camping application e-mailed or sent to us and I think we're in motion! Also I've been checking out more websites fans have posted, I gotta say Le 24 Arses is pretty sweet. Haven't seen a display like that since Long Beach last year  8) Where does one get the Team Swack gear? This is going to be a good one! ;D

DOH! It's SQUACK not SWACK my bad guys  :-[ ;)

Hi Jonny, a word from the wise; bring plenty of toilet tissue, a 24 pack/per person should be enough for a few days. If there are more than two of you travelling, the minivan might be a good idea. Go to the lavatory regularly, at least three times a day, but make sure you put lots of paper down the bowl before you sit down. A good length of vulcanised rubber to bite on is always a boon, in my experience. Don't drink the water and avoid some of the BBQs unless you like eating broiled boxing glove. We wouldn't want constipation, or it's polar opposite, to ruin your trip of a lifetime.

Looking after one's bowels is terribly important, especially abroad. Haemorrhoid unctions are freely available in France, but I normally bring my own. If you have any questions regarding problems of the digestive system, then Team Zarse probably know the answer. We take a campervan kitted out with our own enema equipment, complete with Rile's Probe. Hope this link helps:

http://www.karunaretreats.com/?page=colonicboard#Setup

Thanks for the Deuce droppin' tips. I'll sleep better at night knowing you have the collonic gear.  :-X Chaps I did get some interesting news that maybe you can help me decode from the ACO. I e-mailed them again to say 'yes, when the camp order forms become available I would like one please.' This is the response I received:

"Dear Sir,

If you wait the new booking form, you will have nothing more to book, that's
why we send you the booking form of the year before.

Yours faithfully.

Service Réservation / Booking Office
Circuit des 24 Heures
72019 Le Mans Cedex 2
FRANCE
Tel: (0033)(0)892 697 224 (0,34€/min)
Fax: (0033) (0)2 43 84 47 13
www.lemans.org/ticket"

I've received no file in the e-mail and only a link that does not work. Am I missing something here? Do I just need to go onto the lemans.org site and click tickets and go from there?  ???

They're foreign, that's the problem! :)

Here's a link to the booking form in .pdf format - it's on page 5. http://tinyurl.com/7gngw

You can fax it to the ACO.

Shout if you need help with translation.

Marvellous! This will give me some early practice with the French I learned these last few years. I'm starting to get a little rusty :-\ My only question is do I print this off fill it out and send it to them or just use this as a reference for what I can expect to pay?

If you have access to a fax machine I suggest you print it off, fill it in and fax it back.
I do this each year and it sems to work for me.

Good call steve.

That's good advice for any newbies from Andy Zarse and no mistake. He has also come up with a useful link to a different sort of poo bar. Vintage Champagne up the tradesmans entrance would certainly separate the hoi poloi from us poor plebs, a real status symbol to wear along with their twin sets. The day can't be far away where the likes of you and I are queuing up with our tickets and having our retinas scanned to gain entrance to the village, while the movers and shakers are having their colons irrigated and then waved straight through.
As regards medical attention, I would of course be more than pleased to help out, but my advice to anyone would be to make sure that you ask to see the practitioners credentials. If, upon this request, he starts to lead you round to the poorly lit bit of waste ground behind the frites bar, then be on your guard.
That's also a marvellous example of Dada-esque ordering from the ACO, mind you, what do you expect from the nation that gave us Jean Paul Sartre and Plastic Bertrand?
Send them a reply from here http://www.elsewhere.org/cgi-bin/postmodern/
H

Jonny,
I usually fax the form, post them a copy and also e-mail my requirements, that way you've got most bases covered.

I hope you get to fulfill your wish list, our man JPChenet can probably arrange a meeting with Jonny Herbert, and I can only wish you the best of luck with drinking beer from Ms Ickx's V*gina.

I may have misread that last bit...
H

Strange isn't it, how these things happen? The above phrase suddenly reminded of my old (loopy, and sadly long departed) Grandma.

When we used to ask her what vegetables there was to go with the Sunday roast, she would reply "ars*nips!" When we had plucked up enough courage to ask what these were, she would tell us that they were "just like a different sort of parsnip". Can't say it did wonders for a young lads appetite.
H

That reminds me of a stage show I saw in Hamburg many moons ago ...........................  ::)

(http://alesrarus.funkydung.com/images/redlight.jpg)

Steve - I am shocked and dismayed by this latest pic.   I do believe you are trying to pass off Amsterdam as being Hamburg.... my clues would be the yellow (dutch style) front numberplates on those cars, not to mention the architectural style and the hint of a canal in the foreground.

Tut tut.... off to the naughty corner with you.  ;)

My sincere and unreserved apologies Fran.

Here's the Reeperbahn as a goodwill gesture.

(http://molle-spritz.funplexus.de/images/hamburg_reeperbahn_2.jpg)

Thats more like it Steve   :)  (i think!!)

H, I would love to meet Jonny honestly if he's driving this year for Champion or whomever. Good chap I've always thought and bloody quick too. I was just wanting Vanina's # to go downstairs....that would be a bonus wouldn't it? ;) But good God what do they have running around over there in France? Should I just laminate myself from the waist down?  :o :-X :o :o Note to self no one night stands with French girls....Allors, When I fax the order form shall I just request a campsite and then if they don't have it they will tell me so? Where is the majority of all of you camped at?

There's a large CA contingent camped in Maison Blanche with a large splinter group (my group / Bob U / Perdu and team plus others) in Houx Annexe.  Others favour Bleu and Beausejour.

The ACO will tell you if a camping space is available at your choice by acknowledging receipt of your 'order' (before Xmas).  If your choice is not available, you'll probably be offered Beausejour.

However, nearer to the race, camping passes appear on this forum (Sell or Swap), so you may be able to trade.

For all that, Plastique Bertrand was a Belge, but I take your point H. It might have been ca plane pour him, but it certainly isn't for the poor buggers like us who have to deal with the conceptual surrealists at the ACO.

Personally, I think we need to take a strong line with the faux illusionists at the booking office and I have no better offering than the extreme anti-humanism of Nietzche, perhaps as expounded in Nick Land's book: "The Thirst for Annihilation: Georges Bataille and Virulent Nihilism". I think they'd get the message.

OK I'm going to have a French friend of mine call the ACO ticket office tomorrow to see what the scoop is so hopefully I can get a better answer with someone who is French doing the research. We shall see...

Question: I was curious to know what the ladies are like there at the race? Pretty laid back and cool? Bitchy and stuck up? Or the typical mixture of both?

They are just ladies. There's some of each type you mention I guess, and more.

You have to understand that it's a race meeting, albeit with elements of partying. However as such it's pretty weighted towards the malke of the species and therefore probably not the best place in France to go trawling for ladies...

quite right Fran, we must keep Steve honest! Mind you when I last saw the Reeperbahn it wasn't that neat

Yep, that's pretty much it!!  You certainly don't get the young female element you get at Sebring!

Maybe we need to introduce beads to Le Mans??  ;D

Yep, that's pretty much it!!  You certainly don't get the young female element you get at Sebring!

Maybe we need to introduce beads to Le Mans??  ;D
Hi JP,
        I suggest the French Ladies are too sofisticated to be  deceived with cheap plastic beads. French Girls look elegant even in Jeans and TShirts :o  Just smitten what else can I say ::)
Canada Phil

"...the French Ladies are too sofisticated to be  deceived with cheap plastic beads"

That statement says something about Amercian ladies too!  ;)

I kinda figured they'd be like women anywhere, a whole mix of all looks, styles and attitudes.... ;)

Well wait and see ... you might be suprised.
Canada Phil

On our way back this year we stopped at a Hypermarche to get some fresh pizza for the drive home. I happened to notice a flyer for a local nightclub in Le Mans. I seem to recall there was a good offer on drinks  ;)
I've got the flyer somewhere, so we'll be heading into town one evening next year to see what the local Le Mans talent is like ;D

My travelling colleague was interested to visit such a location a couple of years back - not so much as nightclub as - well - a brothel   :o.

Suffice to say, Gilles knew where these places were.  ::) ::)

However, they seemed to be closed for the week...  :-\

Surely there was no need to close for the week.

Where there's a will there's a way.

As this young lady demonstrates.

She doesn't look very french to me Bob!

rotflmao! ;D

Not to change the subject but I am.  ;)I was wanting to know if I was to camp in Karting Nord, Beausejour or Technopark, where is the nearest way to get across the track? I'm going to try to get Maison but if not I'm just seeing what I'm up against.

There is a map of the campsites here http://www.swr2002.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/avatars/plan.jpg. The track is the black road but the map doesn't include it all.

I've marked up this map with crossing points (below, green rings). If I've missed any, I'm sure someone will advise. There aren't any crossing points with spectator areas which aren't shown - i.e. you can go to the Mulsanne or Arnage corners, but the viewing area is the outside of the corner only.

There are some changes taking place at the track for 2006 but I would imagine there will be no change to these.

Sorry but there's no brothel in France so no brothel in Le Mans, but you will find a few hostess' bars ..  ;)

There is also a pedestrian tunnel just before Tetre Rouge, unless it will disappear when they reprofile the corner

Ugh that ACO likes to make things difficult don't they? I sent them an e-mail saying 'ok here is what I want..'

'I would like to see if I can get Maison Blanche tickets for camping and
Wimille tickets for the grandstands. Am I right in saying that the
general admission may be purchased upon arriving in Le Mans and does
not require being purchased at this time? Thanks for your assistance.'

To which I get this reply:

Dear Sir,

Yes, you can. We are accepting booking since the Test Day (05/06/05),
therefore you should write several choices for the campsite.

Kind Regards,

They can't just tell me what is available? Besides them being French am I missing something?  ??? ??? ???

They've not yet allocated tickets yet, so officially everything is still available, even though they will have enough unprocessed orders to sell out most campsites and stands.

IMHO the ticket lottery just adds to the charm of the event. :)

I'm not convinced the confusion is a French thing, more to do with that great evil - the computer!  I recently tried to book seats in the local theatre, and the website fell over about 5 times, so I couldn't book the seats I actually wanted as the computer thought I already had them.

Do you have this sort of problem in the states?

We don't usually have the problem here, I know for Knoxville and for the USGP they know what they have available as opposed to a lottery. But c'est la vie, I'll place my application like the rest of us and let the chips fall.

Just relax and repeat after me...."it's just the way it is, it's the ACO" ;D

Fill the form it, fax it back to them, they'll send you an email confirming that they've got the form and then at somepoint (around Christmas?) you'll get an email telling you you've got Beausejour tickets (lets fact it that's all you're likely to get in October!). 

You can then say whether you want the tickets or not or whether you want to go onto the wait list for the ones you really want.

As a note of caution if you opt for the waitlist option they don't send you anything if what you're waiting for doesn't come up (that's our experience anyway) - I don't know if anyone has ever got what they wanted by being on the wait list? 

If you want to guarantee grandstand tickets at this stage you probably need to book through one of the tour operators as I would think you're chances are low of getting anything via the ACO.

I know it's all a pain but it is quaint and for me it's part of the experience!!  Just go with the flow! ;D

I got a telephone call from the ACO a month or so before this year's event asking if I still wanted some Houx camping tickets instead of the Beausejour ones.  :)

I think the main thing at this point is to get a camp spot for sure. Do I need to order a parking pass or do I just take care of that at the circuit with the gen. ad. pass? I'd love to get the Wimille grandstand tic if possible but it sounds like it may be quite difficult to come by. Do people sell grandstand tics too on the forums? I'll have to keep an eye out for that. Well I'm off to the fax machine to wait in line like the rest of you! :)  :-\ :)

Camping ticket = car pass for the campsite you are on. You do not need both.

Grandstand tickets sometimes go for sale on here but not as many as camping.

OK good at least I won't have to worry about the parking once I get the camping tic. I'll just have to keep looking on the grandstand side of things. Thanks Smoke. :)

Last year we ended up getting our HA tickets from the waiting list. What we were contemplating doing was sticking with the waiting list for HA (just one ticket, you're more likely to get one allocated to you than 6!!) & buying BSJ tickets there (I understand they were available right up to the very weekend of the race) Then leaving most of the cars at BSJ & all camping closer to the circuit on one HA permit ;)

But the main thing is as long as you're there you'll have a great time, I'm just not one for that much exercise on my holidays!! Plus watching at the Porsche Curves was fab a couple of years back.

Yes I have every intention of seeing the WHOLE track this year. Porsche will be a mega experience, nice lil set of sweepers to watch the R8's and Pesky's on 8)

Johnnyspa27, as I've had a few drop out of our group already, it's likely that I'll have a couple of spare tickets for the Lagache tribune. Keep in touch and we can sort something out nearer the time!

I'll be looking for an extra Lagache ticket as well, Mark - I've got an extra person coming and I don't want to alter my order.  Keep me in mind.

Del

No probs Del. I over ordered expecting numbers to grow this year but a few are taking a year out so will probably only have the same number as last year!

The Lagache ticket what is it for?Is it a camping area or grandstand.

Lagache is one of the Grandstands.

They've changed the names/sponsors over the years, and Lagache used to be Nissan or Toyota, and its next to the ACO stand, one of two new grandstands built about 15 years ago to fill the gap between ACO and Jaguar (now Tavano whatever that is). And I think there was a gap - just a raised viewing area - must have been good, as you'll now see all the pits and the track from Maison Blanche to Dunlop from this stand.

I'd recommend a stand seat - somewhere to park your bum at 3 in the morning - and out of the sun and rain - not a lot of room for empty bottles though.

Lagache used to be Michelin. It's still painted in the Michelin colours at the back.

I got a ticket for Lagache last year (thanks to JP for picking it up for me and even delivering to London in person with his "real" boss, Linday) and it was great.  Great view of pits and straight.  Would highly recommend same location if given the opportunity.
Amazing, you are going to have a fabulous time at LeMans.  There are no words to fully explain it.  It's just a happening.

Linda, sorry for the typo, JP.

John

Are you coming over again ?

Fernand Tavano, with Loustel, winners of the GT class in a Ferrari 250GT, 1960.

Hey Robbo,
Looks like I will not be able to make it this time.   Wife says she wants to redo the kitchen which translates to no $$$'s for Le Mans....but I will be watching as much as I can on SpeedTV. 
I'm not planning on Sebring either but I am planning to go to Houston in May for the ALMS and Champ car race.  Hope some of you folks can make it for that.  Should be a pretty good time with several racing events over the long weekend. 
Tip one for me in June though :-[ :-[ :-[

Short wheelbase I presume, rather than America, GTO or GTLM (personal preference)

I wonder why they picked him and not Olivier Gendebien/Phil Hill or Shelby (back towards name of thread).  Graham Hill must deserve a mention too, not to mention Ickx/Stuck/Ivor Bueb etc

Perhaps they've run out of paying sponsors

Easy to understand ... He was a local driver, probably the best one from the beginning of the race. He made his "fortune" in gravel business, ran mostly private Ferraris he had to buy and were a good friend of David Piper who signed the fore writing of his biography and dedicated my book.

Well I finally got my confirmation that the ACO received my order now all I have to do is wait and see if I got my spot in line in time for tickets?!