First time Le Mans tips
Discussion
Think yourselves lucky you have UK plates though - at least the fixed cameras can't get you. I discovered to my cost that being flashed by a fixed camera while driving a Swiss registered car in France will still get you a ticket in the post. Not a big speed (101kph in a 90 zone) but annoying nevertheless.
Oddly the French seem to take exception to people crossing the channel and treating the roads between Calais and Le Mans as a race track, though I've only heard of people actually breaking the speed limit getting caught...
Unless you're doing the trip without taking any time off work what's your rush? Take your time. Enjoy a nice lunch stop. Marvle at the empty, pothole-less back roads of France. Take 5 minutes to stop and pay your respects at one of the WW1/WW2 cemeteries.
Just remember that there's a standing 50kph speed limit between the entering/leaving town/village signs, it's lights-on and motorways drop from 130 to 110kph in the rain and still the odd "priorite a droite" turning, where cars JOINING a more major road have right-of-way.
Unless you're doing the trip without taking any time off work what's your rush? Take your time. Enjoy a nice lunch stop. Marvle at the empty, pothole-less back roads of France. Take 5 minutes to stop and pay your respects at one of the WW1/WW2 cemeteries.
Just remember that there's a standing 50kph speed limit between the entering/leaving town/village signs, it's lights-on and motorways drop from 130 to 110kph in the rain and still the odd "priorite a droite" turning, where cars JOINING a more major road have right-of-way.
Priorite a droite is pretty rare on major routes these days. The yellow diamond sign signifies you have priority and the one with it crossed out signifies it's end. A crossroads sign with an X rather than a + signifies priority a droite too. The only time I've ever come across a vehicle at a priority a droite was when it was my priority and the car on the main road through a village stopped to let me out.
//j17 said:
Take 5 minutes to stop and pay your respects at one of the WW1/WW2 cemeteries.
Perhaps the easiest WWI cemeteries to visit are at Etaples, which is on the D940, leave the A16 at J27 and rejoin at J26, and Abbeville, down the hill on the D1001 towards the town turn left at the roundabout and keep left up the lane past the communal cemetery to the CWGC one at the top.
I did a helicopter flight last year, was on my bucket list since I started going to Le Mans in 87! Cost approx £90, and for that you get 2 laps of the circuit, about 10-15 mins in all. The health and safety is very French, but the experience, for me, was brilliant. Choose your time carefully to avoid massive queues (race start). I went just at sundown and the wait was about 20 mins. Flying down the Mulsanne straight with cars racing below you is an amazing sight. Don't go if you are a nervous flyer, or have not informed your loved ones you will be doing this!
Output Flange said:
Where/how/who/what?! I need to do a helicopter ride. Where would I find one?
Le Mans airfield is literally across the road from the main circuit entrance, behind the campaing/parking Bleu areas and the flights are booked/take off from there. There's usually a few helicopters running so once you're outside the main entrance shouldn't be long before one lands/takes off and shows you where to head.As //j17 said the helicopter flights are just across the road from the main circuit entrance. There is no need to book in advance, you basically turn up, sign a disclaimer, pay your money, get frisked and then join one of the queues (this part is a little random but girls with clip boards will sort of guide you if you ask them!). There are usually 4-5 places per chopper, 1 next to the pilot and a bench for 4 in the back. Then off you go!
Just a little note for newbies and regulars who have yet to head down through Dartford. There are no longer the pay booths, instead you have to pay within 2 days (I think) of using the bridge/tunnel using the automated DART system. You can pay for this in advance which will stay on your account for 12 months I think and just debits the amount once you use the crossing. I bet a few people forget to pay on the way out and come back to a nice little gift in the way of a fine. If you're using this crossing then worth getting an account set-up and funded.
Just set up a DART account, took 2 mins, you need to credit account with £10 which is good enough for 4 crossings I think. Was a lot quicker when I went through in February but also confusing as I'd no idea this automated charge system had been installed. You can also add more cars so if you're not sure what car you might be taking you can register several cars and all are then covered.
---Long Post Alert---
Someone above nailed it with the "don't try to do it all in one year" thing. This is my fourth year and I still have a huge list of things that I want to get to. Here's a brief idea.
Sunday
Scrutineering in the town centre
Never made it myself but it's on the list. One year...
Monday
Scrutineering in the town centre
Driver's Handprints
Never made this either. It's a big ceremony where they immortalise last year's winners in the town centre with a bronze floor-plaque. Look out for McNish's plaque which is spelt incorrectly!
Tuesday
Driver's autograph session in the pit lane
Not been to this as I'm usually just setting up the tent.
Wednesday
Pit walk (ticket holders only)
Why bother when you can do it for free on Saturday?
Free Practice & Qualifying
You'll find it hard to miss this in some form
Thursday
Pit walk (ticket holders only)
"Historic" Qualifying
There's usually a historic race supporting the main event and they usually do qualifying ~3pm for an hour.
Supporting Qualifying
Something like Aston, Ferrari Challenge or Porsche Cup race usually supports the main event. They normally qualify at ~4:30
BeerMountain AGM (unofficial)
After this I'm usually drunk and sleep through afternoon qualifying
Qualifying & Night qualifying
Friday
Pit walk ***FREE***
Pistonheads Event
Usually a good shout. Decent people, decent cars. People drop in and out as it happens.
Great British Welcome - St Sat
Giant event in a field, lots of (seriously) nice cars. Made it almost all the way to it last year before one of our party started overheating and we turned back. Go early if you're going.
Mad Friday (unofficial)
Don't take the car out. Zip up your jacket if walking outside the circuit. Triple check before crossing the road. If you're attending, try to find a seat with some form of protection (banking or similar) to make sure you're safe if some loon goes too far. Remember that this started out as a light hearted spectator thing (parade of expensive cars, some "launches" and the odd burnout) but has of late been an opportunity for idiots to block the road demanding burnouts from everything, drive dangerously with pedestrians too close to do so and throw water balloons (filled with god-knows-what) in anything with an open window or top. Please don't be one of those people.
Drivers Parade - 5pm - LM town centre
Worth a visit but get there early to get a decent place to stand. Take the tram, don't try to drive. It's a parade of all the drivers (mandatory) throwing out freebies from vintage cars, a bunch of supercars, attractive women and a variety of other things. Seems to be getting less well organised every year and in 2014 I got fed up waiting and went back to the campsite at 18:30
Saturday
Warm Up (LM Stuff)
"Historic" race
Supporting race
As above, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Cup, etc.
Race
Figure out where you're going to watch this from well in advance and turn up to stake your claim from 13:00 if it's somewhere popular like the Dunlop Bridge.
Concert
Used to be ok, increasingly poor, been a long time since headline acts like Jamiroquai, last year's was some French reggae act.
Sunday
Finish
The poor buggers that have to go early will miss the actual end. Conventional wisdom suggests these people: (a) leave at 2pm; (b) park well away from the circuit early on and walk out at 3pm to collect the car; (c) be prepared to queue; or (d) head south after the race to avoid the traffic. For the rest of us, secure your valuables well as security pretty much abandons post at 3pm and walk up to the start-finish straight. Last year there was mumbling and silence through most of the national anthems until God Save the Queen had the crowd roaring at volume, probably one of the few times national pride has ever hit me in the chest. Well worth doing at least once.
Other things to do
This follows a list of other random things that are worth doing at least once whilst there
Someone above nailed it with the "don't try to do it all in one year" thing. This is my fourth year and I still have a huge list of things that I want to get to. Here's a brief idea.
Sunday
Scrutineering in the town centre
Never made it myself but it's on the list. One year...
Monday
Scrutineering in the town centre
Driver's Handprints
Never made this either. It's a big ceremony where they immortalise last year's winners in the town centre with a bronze floor-plaque. Look out for McNish's plaque which is spelt incorrectly!
Tuesday
Driver's autograph session in the pit lane
Not been to this as I'm usually just setting up the tent.
Wednesday
Pit walk (ticket holders only)
Why bother when you can do it for free on Saturday?
Free Practice & Qualifying
You'll find it hard to miss this in some form
Thursday
Pit walk (ticket holders only)
"Historic" Qualifying
There's usually a historic race supporting the main event and they usually do qualifying ~3pm for an hour.
Supporting Qualifying
Something like Aston, Ferrari Challenge or Porsche Cup race usually supports the main event. They normally qualify at ~4:30
BeerMountain AGM (unofficial)
After this I'm usually drunk and sleep through afternoon qualifying
Qualifying & Night qualifying
Friday
Pit walk ***FREE***
Pistonheads Event
Usually a good shout. Decent people, decent cars. People drop in and out as it happens.
Great British Welcome - St Sat
Giant event in a field, lots of (seriously) nice cars. Made it almost all the way to it last year before one of our party started overheating and we turned back. Go early if you're going.
Mad Friday (unofficial)
Don't take the car out. Zip up your jacket if walking outside the circuit. Triple check before crossing the road. If you're attending, try to find a seat with some form of protection (banking or similar) to make sure you're safe if some loon goes too far. Remember that this started out as a light hearted spectator thing (parade of expensive cars, some "launches" and the odd burnout) but has of late been an opportunity for idiots to block the road demanding burnouts from everything, drive dangerously with pedestrians too close to do so and throw water balloons (filled with god-knows-what) in anything with an open window or top. Please don't be one of those people.
Drivers Parade - 5pm - LM town centre
Worth a visit but get there early to get a decent place to stand. Take the tram, don't try to drive. It's a parade of all the drivers (mandatory) throwing out freebies from vintage cars, a bunch of supercars, attractive women and a variety of other things. Seems to be getting less well organised every year and in 2014 I got fed up waiting and went back to the campsite at 18:30
Saturday
Warm Up (LM Stuff)
"Historic" race
Supporting race
As above, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Cup, etc.
Race
Figure out where you're going to watch this from well in advance and turn up to stake your claim from 13:00 if it's somewhere popular like the Dunlop Bridge.
Concert
Used to be ok, increasingly poor, been a long time since headline acts like Jamiroquai, last year's was some French reggae act.
Sunday
Finish
The poor buggers that have to go early will miss the actual end. Conventional wisdom suggests these people: (a) leave at 2pm; (b) park well away from the circuit early on and walk out at 3pm to collect the car; (c) be prepared to queue; or (d) head south after the race to avoid the traffic. For the rest of us, secure your valuables well as security pretty much abandons post at 3pm and walk up to the start-finish straight. Last year there was mumbling and silence through most of the national anthems until God Save the Queen had the crowd roaring at volume, probably one of the few times national pride has ever hit me in the chest. Well worth doing at least once.
Other things to do
This follows a list of other random things that are worth doing at least once whilst there
- Find the 1955 memorial. It's halfway up the start finish straight and can be seen from the other side
- Watch night qualifying from a grandstand (free - no ticket required earlier in the week). You can look over the railings onto the garages below
- Go for the WW2 memorial that's hidden somewhere down near Arnage
- Go-karting inside the circuit
- Nissan usually run a GT5 Demo inside the track
- Watch the sun rise over the Dunlop Bridge
- Walk the pit lane at ~6pm Sunday and talk to the mechanics that are packing away
- Head down to Arnage on Saturday night to watch the glowing brake discs as the cars slow down for the turn at the bottom
- Go stand on the banking halfway down Maison Blanche and watch the race go through Porsche Curves & Ford Chicane
- Figure out the route the old circuit used to take (behind Maison Blanche, now returned to standard road duties) and drive down it. Do this before the circuit is "closed" and you can drive most of it.
- Walk your campsite and talk to someone. So many groups keep their heads down but it's a great chance to meet interesting people and discuss their interesting tin.
- Head down to the area around the karting and take a look at the tyre facilities. It's impressive to see how they actually manage to put so many tyres together.
- Sticker up the car. Even if it's just a rental van. You'll feel proudly conspicuous whilst in the UK and like a part of something bigger on the drive down through France.
- Grab a beer trackside with a commemorative plastic cup to keep
- Have a bottle of champagne in the champagne tent (60E)
- Take a set of flip-flops to shower in.
- Shower at odd times like just after the start of the race or pre 8am to not queue too long and (hopefully) get a warm shower
- Take a good FM radio and spare batteries
- Lock valuables in your boot
- Make sure you have a spare car key with someone else you trust (if possible)
- Pack for torrential rain and tropical heat. Two weather fronts meet over LM and you can be reapplying suncream one minute and needing wellies half an hour later. A hat helps.
- A foam sleeping bag mat helps when an inflatable mattress isn't an option
- Don't speed on the way down. At all. It's not worth it. The gendarmes are usually laying hidden in the long grass (parting it slightly for their radar gun on the side of the road, and their colleagues on rather fast motorbikes are usually behind a bridge on an access road where you can't see them. Radar detectors are seriously illegal and the fines are steep. Fixed cameras are now able to send fines to the UK and they time you between toll booths.
- Take a Lanyard per person. Plastic ticket holders are 1E each (lanyard and holder is 5E) at official souvenir shops and make life much easier.
- Throw keys/wallet in a shoe and sleep with your head away from the tent door and the shoe behind your pillow
JT3K said:
Friday
Great British Welcome - St Saturnin
Giant event in a field, lots of (seriously) nice cars. Made it almost all the way to it last year before one of our party started overheating and we turned back. Go early if you're going.
Great British Welcome - St Saturnin
Giant event in a field, lots of (seriously) nice cars. Made it almost all the way to it last year before one of our party started overheating and we turned back. Go early if you're going.
- MG is the featured marque at the Classic British Welcome this year. TK is guest of honour.
- Mulsanne - Another event with cars and bands and stuff.
JT3K said:
Saturday
Race
Race
- The start will have a flypast from la Patrouille de France (the Froggie red arrows) this year.
JT3K said:
Other things to do
This follows a list of other random things that are worth doing at least once whilst there
This follows a list of other random things that are worth doing at least once whilst there
- Walk round to the Forest Esses and watch the cars go through. You think the GT cars are bloody quick but then the LMPs come through at warp speed!
OvalOwl said:
- Walk round to the Forest Esses and watch the cars go through. You think the GT cars are bloody quick but then the LMPs come through at warp speed!
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