Le Mans 24 hour – tips?

I’m off to Le Mans for the race for the first time this year. It’s a birthday present from my wife, so she will be going with me.

We’ll be arriving around Wednesday lunchtime, and camping in the Haux Annexe area. I was just wondering if the people here who have been before could give us any pointers and tips for things to do on the days before the race, maybe places to eat, best way to get around in the circuit, and good places to spectate / take photos (Nikon D50 300mm lens), and just general tips for the first time Le Mans visitor.

Cheers!

Excellent, it should be great, we have been lots of times on my webby site I put together a list of stuff to take Le Mans Linky

If it looks to be wet try not to camp in a dip. Whatever happens make plenty of time to walk around the car parks & see what others have brought car wise. Friday used to be mad, if you are lucky you may find it all kicking off at Arnage in the late morning, the Rozzers have cut down on it a bit though. Take time to drive round the circuit on Friday anyway. Tartiflette is best eaten at 04.00 & do go on the big wheel but dont look at what is holding it up first.

Have fun!

Good stuff – wish I was going (‘cept for the rain, that is). I’ve camped in the field off by the airfield before which meant we didn’t have to put up with quite so many noisy people/cars when we slept. Take lots of beer with you & hayfever pills (i kid not – the number of people that suddenly had it over there was funny!).

Definitely head to Arnage as stated above.

Also, it is WELL worth going to “la Chartes-sur-le-Loir”, a village a few kilometres further south.
The ‘Hotel de France’ (see pic) is in the main square of this village and was the place where the Aston Martin team used to billet in earlier years. The walls of the bar are covered with signed photos of the team drivers, the works cars and other people. Loads of people turn up to grab a beer, etc. I think it was either Thursday Friday that was a popular day to go there, before the action starts.
The cars we saw around that village were fantastic themselves, was a good afternoon’s trip & worth the drive through the countryside.

You’ll enjoy the trip there as much as the racing, it can be like one big convoy. 🙂

You’ll love it – its a great trip to take!
What car are you in?- as said above, half of the fun is the journey there, and back IMO! (but then again, I am a through and through petrol head)
In staying in Expo – 4th time there!

Thanks for the tips (especially the Hotel du France, this will help break up the relentless car theme for Sarah! :D)

Not sure exactly how long I’ve wanted to go to the race, I certainly remember a picture book I had with it in before I started school. I’ll be forty in September! I’m worse than a ten year old at the beginning of December at the moment.

We’ll be travelling down in my Megane, so we won’t really stand out from the normal tourist crowd. 😉

Thanks again.

If you are camping, don’t forget some ear plugs unless you want to be awake all night. It gets a bit noisy!!!!!

Is there much point in going to a 24-hour event and then kipping through a third of it? Surely the point is to be knackered at the end? 🙂

Oh the noise, take some very loud fireworks, The Dutch will it can be like WW3 kicking off at times, the cars pass so often that you get used to them.

I have started taking some fruit etc as well, on the circuit you can eat lots of meat & chips but after a while the desire for fruit & veg grows.

We also head off to a decent hotel on the way back (Sunday Night), a shower in clean surroundings is always nice

Who said the ear plugs were for him?

The thoughtful husband provides ear plug for his darling wife so she can get a good nights sleep and then has someone refreshed to do the drive home!!!!

Hehehe! Yep, earplugs a must, but I won’t sleeping over the race night (well, maybe a snooze in the grandstand). They did the trick at Britcar last year.

Didn’t think about noise on the Sunday night, we’ve staying on site and driving home on Monday. Ooops!

Just found out that Houx Annexe has an ‘atmos’ desribed as ‘stag’…..

Used to go every year-will have to wait till my kids are a bit older before we go again.

Superb event,

La Boule d’or in Mulsanne is a great place to go for superb food and a sociable drink-Michel may sill be ‘Le Patron’. Great place to watch many stunning spectators cars trundle past.

Also the restaurant Les Hunaudieres on the mulsanne straight was a superb place to watch practice particularly night. Remember being able to sit on the Armco, feet trackside, watching the cars do 230+ a few feet away. Think that might not be possible in today’s Health and Safety nightmare.!! Was a good haunt to catch up with the teams and drivers pre and post race too.

Enjoy!

If you want a shower while you’re there, there is a Texaco (i think) petrol station by the vehicle entrance to the airfield, which has a decent shower in it. Only costs a few euros & is well worth it – we use every day & it makes it a much more pleasant experience.

Duly noted Dave, thanks.

From what I’ve read, Mulsanne spectating it very difficult, at best, now Mike. All sorts of screens and stuff.