Hi Steve, there is also a dedicated email address published by the ACO specifically for members at membres.ticket@lemans.org. If you haven't tried that yet maybe worth a punt?

(Feeling slightly guilty now as had no problem early last Tuesday)....

Pete B.

Didn't take them long to put it out on TV then, haven't even watched my own personal DVD copy yet!

I too was expecting the usual, but have been pleasantly surprised - well, my other half actually as she did the ordering. No difficulty with logins and passwords etc.

All tickets we required secured and paid, and email confirmation received.

Note: there is now an option to have electronic copies of your tickets emailed from the ACO and then print them yourself, therefore removing the need for shipping etc. so no nail biting uncertainty as to when you will receive them. There are stipulations as to exactly HOW you print them (paper size, orientation etc.) presumably to be sure the barcodes etc. are readable but won't challenge the average home printer filled with A4 paper. I have selected this option.

Haven't received the actual electronic ticket files themselves yet, but am guessing the ACO guys and girls at the ticketing operation are a bit busy today.  So far so good.

Pete B.

Looks like CLKGTRLM1 has beaten me to it with the location details. Just to add to it here's the map anyhow......

If you are collecting note that the circuit collection office this year was on the other side of the airport and the D323, not the Rotunda. Quite a hike from the main circuit entrance. If I can figure out how to get a map into a posting I'll post an image up to indicate where it is.

Hi DJFish. Well, the ACO online booking system does have it's vagaries but is getting better (I bet I rue that comment when it opens for business in a couple of weeks time  ). As I have mentioned elsewhere there are still difficulties in getting what you really want, especially for the more popular sites. Even as a member there seems to be no logic in what is allocated. Ask for MB and be offered Bleu Nord or Beausejour one year, Get MB the next year, and so on. Just like the old days......

Unless you are ordering a reasonable quantity of camping passes, or want certain grandstands then I can't really recommend joining any more. I continue to be a member purely to be able to buy ACO grandstand seats and to be able to use the Welcome facilities at Dunlop and the Ford chicane etc. The pack of post race detailed information, souvenir poster etc. that members get is nice, but for me just ends up in the attic along with the rest of the ever growing memorabilia that my kids are one day going to have to sort through and wonder why I kept it all.

You do get discount on ACO merchandise as well and the use of ACO the washing/toilet facilities etc at the bottom of their grandstand even if you do not have a seat, so it really depends how you justify the cost of joining. This year for 'Passion 24' level membership the cost was 105 Euros.

In summary, and my experience, I wouldn't join purely to hope to get 'priority' on access to certain campsites, but take your chances when the online booking opens. Others may advise differently.

Pete B.

Much cheaper to order the DVD. 7 quid from Amazon - out on the 24th Nov. That's what I've done, and I'll buy my own popcorn :-)

Like the Smokester says, it's not necessarily that straightforward. I have over the years placed orders for camping passes for friends in the hope that as a member, there would be more likelihood of getting what has been requested. Sometimes it has come up trumps (mainly for MB) but other times have only been offered Blue Nord or Beausejour instead. Would be willing to give it a go for you, but make no guarantees. One other thing: we normally collect on arrival to avoid the shipping costs so would have to factor that in (assuming we were successful in securing the passes you want).

You could also try to order them yourself when the online bookings open to the general public, That's on Nov. 28th this year @ 10:30 French time. Given the way the ACO booking system seems to work, the odds of success could be similar 

Let me know what you think.

Pete B.


Pete B.

Has been on the local TV news a few times here over the last year or so. All sounds a bit too pie in the sky for me and it's already mired in controversy about the financing. Will be great if it does happen, not only for the motorsport fraternity but also for the promised jobs with the associated technology park, hotels etc., if they can make it work, but I can't see how it will pay it's way. There's already plenty of other industrial developments in the area that were financed by European funding that lie empty. Ebbw Vale is not exactly conveniently located for business connections either.

As for Llandow Lofty, it is not in Angelsey but about 15 miles west of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan. A very short circuit often used for sprints and the odd track day. Angelsey has it's own circuit - was used quite a bit by Channel 5 (5th Gear)  for Tiff, VBH & co. to thrash around when reviewing cars. There's also Pembrey near Llanelli - the so called 'home of Welsh motorsport'.

Pete B.

Live video feed and  RLM commentary on the Radio Lemans site radiolemans.com

Can't comment on the supermarket car parks Aricus but I too was struck by the amount of time it took to get out this year. We park in Vert, which is pretty close to Houx and normally 30 minutes is all it takes to get out and going again. This year it was at least 90 minutes before we made it out of the car park and rolling. The route down the Chemin aux Boeufs being closed off and all traffic being sent left past the Tertre Rouge Bar certainly didn't work. Hopefully the Le Mans/Police authorities will take note of the huge delays and revert to previous arrangements for the future.

As a basic level ACO member I am supposedly entitled to free WiFi and was duly given access credentials when checking in to the Welcome centre (after asking). I must say I found it of little use as there never seemed to be a signal wherever I was. Will give it a go again next year. I'm guessing like most IT things and the ACO, it takes a while to get it going properly....

Aricus - I was using the ACO live internet streaming when at my hotel for the latter part of Thursday's qualifying and the timing screens etc. did have a similar look to the Kangaroo stuff of old. 

Pete B.

Done!

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm guessing that we'll have a reasonable amount of time in Ouistreham to grab a meal and a beer while watching the other Sunday night returnees. Probably a similar atmosphere to when we usually come back on the Monday 16:30 sailing then.

As for a beer in the ferry bar, it would be rude not to 

We'll grab breakfast on the ferry so no worries on that front. Thanks anyway for suggesting the Port Solent Harvester. There's also a huge 24Hr  Tesco on the same site where I know we can stock up on snacks for our schlep back to South Wales.

Pete B.

Edit - now returning Sunday night 23:00 from Caen. Accommodation overbooked at our hotel for the Sunday night and all alternatives offered so near to Ouistreham it's not worth hanging around.

Never done the late Caen-Pompey return crossing on the Sunday night. Anyone care to advise what it's like?

Pete B.