Times have changed! Advice please?

Times have changed! Advice please?

Author
Discussion

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Hi,I used to do the Trip every year (1990's/00) but do realise things have changed,you could turn up and pay on the day and get a camping pitch on the likes of Houx / Bleu Nord and others.The last visit several years ago a new site had opened (well new to us Beausejour) and we were able to arrive and pay on the day probably arriving on the Wednesday /Thursday also able to purchase general entrance tickets.Is this still possible and are there any other sites arrive and pay.Thanks looking forward to the experience once more .Baz

Mellow Yellow

885 posts

261 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Best campsite guide is here :http://www.beermountain.com/p/campsites.html

I believe You can still arrive and buy camping at Beausejour, it's a long way from the main enclosure though.

Some Gump

12,671 posts

185 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Last 2 years, Beausejour sold out, apparently.
Personally, I'd buy tickets in advance.

FARP

157 posts

157 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Hi Baz, things certainly have change one of the most helpful organisations is the Le Mans Tourist Board, fountain of knowledge and tickets, they do charge a small mark up which I thinks 5% but will honour the ACO prices reductions if you are a member.
If you really looking for the very best camping package try the Thomas Cook Sport site, brilliant

gt6

1,422 posts

184 months

Tuesday 6th December 2016
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yep it is much harder getting a decent campsite these days, however always plenty for sale close to the race time on many of the me mans sites, alternatively as said contact nadine at the tourist office and she will get you something reasonable

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Tuesday 6th December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for all replies.The crux of this post is will we get a camp site on arrival.we,re a bunch of old croakers wanting to retrace good times we had 20/30 years ago'.If I book a site in advance ther,s just no telling how many of us will still be above ground next June.Given the fact we will arrive Wednesday / Thursday what is the consensus (The other query can we use our bus passes in France and can their buses accommodate our camping equipment )Thanks

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Tuesday 6th December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for all replies.The crux of this post is will we get a camp site on arrival.we,re a bunch of old croakers wanting to retrace good times we had 20/30 years ago'.If I book a site in advance ther,s just no telling how many of us will still be above ground next June.Given the fact we will arrive Wednesday / Thursday what is the consensus (The other query can we use our bus passes in France and can their buses accommodate our camping equipment )Thanks

gt6

1,422 posts

184 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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In answer to your questions. no uk bus passes do not work on the trams in le mans

to be honest if you are worried about still being alive in June leave buying your camping until late may/early June and take a chance you will all be around couple of weeks later, in any case do not worry about wasting money on the camping tickets as if you are dead it will not bother you anyway.

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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Thanks GT6 for your reply .I see in your profile your a retired banker.Is that Cockney Rhyming slang? Lighten up!

Some Gump

12,671 posts

185 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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bazjude2998 said:
Thanks GT6 for your reply .I see in your profile your a retired banker.Is that Cockney Rhyming slang? Lighten up!
Not commenting on anything GT said, but in 2017 you need a thick skin.
Le Mans is bedlam. Wonderful, lovely bedlam.
Your neighbours (unless in a posh campsite) will range from stag do mad, via Type R chav to last of the Raj. If you're going to get wound up by 1 comment, maybe consider a private campsite.
We stay in houx, and recent direct neighbours have ranged from lovely to mental (all entertaining) but we loved em all because we're really not high strung. If you are easily wound up, e/.g our recent Scooby Evo revving at 2 AM neighbors with their 24-7 trance and yells of "RAAAAPE" (it's a type of cheese, apparently) would have spoiled your trip. For us, nowt is louder than a good Corvette so sod it. The outwardly chav lads ended up being actually quite canny (but from very different background) so despite their fking awful choices of car we liked em anyway.
never seen / heard of such things in the private campsites, but that's usual for the extra few £100's entry fee..

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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Even in the early days you had to put up with the antics of your camp site neighbours or they had to put up with yours.Noise was never a problem and never should be especially at this sort of event.For us guys it's less of a problem these days,just unplug the hearing aids!

vincegail

2,456 posts

154 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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bazjude2998 said:
If I book a site in advance ther,s just no telling how many of us will still be above ground next June.
gt6 said:
to be honest if you are worried about still being alive in June.....if you are dead it will not bother you anyway.
bazjude2998 said:
Thanks GT6 for your reply .I see in your profile your a retired banker.Is that Cockney Rhyming slang? Lighten up!
I think you're alluding here to something that starts with a 'w' and ends with 'anker'? No need to be so rude, as it is you that started mentioning not being above ground / not alive / being dead... So if someone needs to lighten up, it is you.

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Thanks Vincegail for your reply .As with GT6 your profile says it all.Your from Antwerp or should I say A TWERP!

vincegail

2,456 posts

154 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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Sigh....

gt6

1,422 posts

184 months

Friday 9th December 2016
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Give up Vince, some people still think it is acceptable to insult those people trying to help them but we will rise above it

muppetdave

2,118 posts

224 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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gt6 said:
Give up Vince, some people still think it is acceptable to insult those people trying to help them but we will rise above it
He is talking about Vince though ?! wink

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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Thanks Guys for all replies,most of which are helpful.

fatboy18

18,930 posts

210 months

Friday 30th December 2016
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Just turn up, go to the campsite entrances and ask if you can camp there. If you do not have any tickets they will redirect you to another campsite entrance and you can then try again. Beausejour camping is down by the porsche curves.

It ALL depends on what day you plan to arrive. Of course earlier the better. there have been a couple of new sites added since you were last there, Darion is an overspill site next door to Beasuejour, and there is a new site called Eppinettes which is west of Tet Rouge corner and a bit of a hike to the circuit.

One thing that is entirely dependant on when you arrive is the searching /queuing You may queue up for 1/2 hr to get to a campsite entrance only to find they are full! Then you will have to do the same thing all over again at the next site.
So another idea might be to drop one of your group at an entrance to a campsite and have him phone you if they have an available pitch, it will save you unnecessary queuing smile
Also there are a couple of other options. Many people try to sell off unwanted tickets outside the main entrance by the museum, tickets are now barcoded and must be scanned in AND Scanned out. You should be able to pick up some reduced price GE Tickets here. But get a mate to try one of the tickets to make sure you are not being ripped off.
You may find someone here selling a camping ticket too, but unlikely I think?

Another place to nip over to is the EXPO building (accross the road from the main entrance, under the flyover),
The ACO Use this building to give out tickets to people that have prebooked but pick tickets up from that building,
Again you may get lucky there.

Another place is the Bar just under the flyover near the main entrance, they have their own small Private camping area, its normally booked up year on year by bar regulars, but never say never, its always worth the ask, and you may get redirected somewhere else?

Of course all this is going to cut a big slice into your day upon arrival.
There is also camping at the other end of the circuit, Mulsanne corner and Arnage corner. there are also a couple of farm house front gardens just south of arnage corner, sometimes having a music disco. These are places where you can rock up and try your luck. Even better if you can speak any French?

The last 10 years Le mans has been very busy, with a huge Audi following, no idea how the 2017 crowd numbers will pan out?

The other option is to get tickets all confirmed before you go.....But you know that!
Good luck, Im sure you will have fun either way. smile

Oh and By the way, Having camped next door to GT6 and Vincegail, I can say they are very nice people.

Happy New Year Everyone



Edited by fatboy18 on Friday 30th December 14:14

indyxe

343 posts

182 months

Friday 30th December 2016
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fatboy18 said:
Another place to nip over to is the EXPO building (accross the road from the main entrance, under the flyover),
The ACO Use this building to give out tickets to people that have prebooked but pick tickets up from that building,
Again you may get lucky there.





Edited by fatboy18 on Friday 30th December 14:14
Ticket collection/Sales is now at ActiSud - 13 rue Maurice Trintignant, 72000, Le Mans which has been for the last couple years, but best checking on ACO site nearer the time to confirm for sure.
Best getting ticket before you travel in my opinion, or you could be traipsing all over the place looking for a pitch, and these days that could mean sitting in some lengthy jams, as it does get a bit gridlocked at certain times.

bazjude2998

Original Poster:

666 posts

123 months

Friday 30th December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for your comprehensive reply.Still not sure how many of us will be making the trip so as suggested will probably arrive early at the latest Wednesday PM.Regards Baz