Flying to CDG and camping - helpful advice.

[redstu]

This year as I've done for the past 4 years I'll be flying to Paris as the first leg of the Journey (This time via Belfast!).

Last year BA managed to lose my luggage (despite the plane being delayed and having about a 3 hour connection!)

So as that was my tent and clothes I had to sleep in the car for the first night and wait until my bag turned up which was only at 10pm the following day.

The delivery man couldn't find Le mans then had a bit of trouble locating the camp site.

So this year I'll be carrying some gear as Hand luggage and sticking a map with directions and my phone number on the outside of the bag.  Of course I was hansomely compensated for this inconvenience (a £100 BA voucher!).

Oh and watch out for Pikies with knock out gas, I heard of this being used on BSJ last year and people had passports and other valuables nicked from their tents whilst the slept soundly!

 

[Andy Zarse]

Oh and watch out for Pikies with knock out gas, I heard of this being used on BSJ last year and people had passports and other valuables nicked from their tents whilst the slept soundly!

Did this actually happen or is it urban myth? I mean, how do you know you have been knocked out by "sleeping gas", having just consumed twenty pints of 1664? Maybe it's the same as the mythical solitary "bad pint" I always seem to inbibe within the twenty consumed and which results in bad head and guts the next day?

Anyway if it is true and I catch the mysterious pikey with his gas cannister,he will truely regret it. A 4ft long mild steel Commer starting handle whcked around the lugholes will render a similar effect to said gas.  

[jpchenet]

I think camping in numbers, as we will be, should be a big enough defence!

After all, the last of our crowd won't finish watching the porn until about 6am, and by that stage some of them are waking up again!

[Lorry]

Interesting.  this proves you can fly in.  I think I saw a flight to Le Mans itself, but very expensive, as one of our team would like to fly in just for the weekend.  With the baggage allowance, you can't carry much of a tent.  Presumably you hire a car and stop off at Carrefour.

Would Eurostar be quicker and/or cheaper

I'm getting concerned about the Pikies.  Ok Pikiefest started on Monday, but anything before that is bad news.  One team adopted a "scorched earth" policy, and jumped on the tents and furniture they left, and then set fire to it.  Leaves a mess for next year - the charcoal gets everywhere

How do you start a Commer with a bent starting handle? or do you leave it for the Pikies?

[jpchenet]

Not certain yet, but we may have an extra chap flying down on either Friday or Saturday morning into Le Mans airfield, leaving from White Waltham, near Maidenhead.

He'll probably be looking for a couple of extra bodies to help share the cost if your mate might be interested??

[Kpy]

Interesting.  this proves you can fly in.  

No, redstu flew to Paris, not LM. From there TGV is cheap and easy. Yes a stop off at Carrefour for tent etc is an ideal way of cutting down on outward luggage. A pushbike would be ideal, but how do you sell it before flying home?

[skorpio]

Oh and watch out for Pikies with knock out gas, I heard of this being used on BSJ last year and people had passports and other valuables nicked from their tents whilst the slept soundly!

---------------------------------------

  We were on BSJ last year and didn't see any pikeys until the sunday afternoon/monday morning, and didn't hear about anybody being robbed in that way, not saying it didn't happen but we were pretty central to the site and didn't notice any pikey activity

[redstu]

As a few questions have come up I'll just add

I try to travel quite light, the single man tent weighs about 2kg and all up the rucksack is about 14kg or less.
That doesn't include cooking gear as the fuel would be difficult to get hold of without having a hire car, the last 2 years I've had a car but this year I'm back on the train, its easy to book online with sncf.com, and the tickets are delivered to the uk.

As to the Pikey sleeping gas, this was first hand from someone that it happened to last year.  Its apprently not an uncommon trick but usually happens to caravans on stopovers on the way south.

[Lorry]

The Pikeys were all over BSJ the sunday before the race, but moved by monday.  There were some at the back of Parking Bleu hence "Pikeyfest"

Sleeping gas attacks on campervans (obvious sign of wealh etc) in French service areas have been mentioned in the press, but the jack winding irons are even more lethal than a Commer starting handle, but probably get less normal use.

[skorpio]

  It does apparantly happen quite a bit to m/homes on stopovers, [mind you a lot of those are parked up in remote aires   ]  I did say that we hadn't seen or heard of anything happening, not doubting you in any way at all  

  I've always found proper jack handles are a very good deterrent, as are numbers,  lone people are always going to be a target, can only suggest you try and team up with a group,  not going this year   or you'd be welcome to pitch in our "enclave"  

[Fran]

Blimey - anyone going to be in Bleu Sud that i can snuggle up with?

F

[Kpy]

Blimey - anyone going to be in Bleu Sud that i can snuggle up with?

F

Only me. And I'm no jackhammer.

[Piglet]

Interesting.  this proves you can fly in.  I think I saw a flight to Le Mans itself, but very expensive, as one of our team would like to fly in just for the weekend.  With the baggage allowance, you can't carry much of a tent.  Presumably you hire a car and stop off at Carrefour.

You can fly Ryan Air to Tours.  When I looked at it a couple of weeks ago you could have flown in on the Wednesday before the Race and out on the Monday for around sixty quid.  Can't be bad!  

There is also a guy on the Le Mans forum on Pistonheads.com who's planning to fly down and back and is looking for passengers - might be worth your mate having a look.

[johnevans3]

The website below speaks to similar events (untrue) happening here in the US with perfume.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/perfume.asp

As to the orignial post.  I'm flying into CDG and taking the train to Le Mans.  Then returning to CDG after the race.  I did it last year and it worked out just fine.  The issue of getting to and from the race track is a problem however.  

[redstu]

Regarding transport to and from the circuit, on at least two days (Wed, Thur) there are shuttles to the circuit from directly outside the railway station.
 I'm going back on Monday Morning for the 10:35 TGV so will have to get a bus at the termininus near to expo, I've been lucky enough to get a lift in previous years.
Anybody know of a website for the buses around Le mans?

Wish Easyjet flew from Newcatle to Tours as its only an hour away!