Le Mans 2016 Eurotunnel Convoy

Le Mans 2016 Eurotunnel Convoy

Author
Discussion

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Friday 18th September 2015
quotequote all
Anyone interested in driving down to Le Mans in a group next year?

I know it’s a long way off, but as people start booking the Eurotunnel for 2016, I thought I’d start a thread.

Date : Thursday 16th June, 2016
Start Point : A16 Shell Services just before Abbeyville and the junction with A28 to Rouen.
Departure Time : 10:00am (local time)
Arrival Time at Le Mans : Approximately 4:00pm (allowing for stops)

The services are located 60miles south of Calais on the A16, so will take you around 1 hour from disembarking the train. Shell V-Power is available here for refuelling. We’ll depart at 10:00am, initially using the Autoroute for 40 miles. We’ll then turn off and from here we’ll be using mostly rural, cross-country D roads for the remaining 160 miles to Le Mans. The route will be free of gendarmerie, tolls and traffic.

Speed limits on the Autoroute and all roads where limits are in place will be strictly adhered to, particularly through the many sleepy villages we’ll encounter. The pace WILL be quick on NSL roads which are often narrow and occasionally quite bumpy.

Maps, routes, written directions and rules will be provided nearer the time and if I can suss out how to create satnav files, these will be provided too. The journey will be broken up to allow for a lunch stop and loo breaks.

If you think you might be interested in joining us, please say so on this thread so I get an idea of numbers.

Further details will follow.

surveyor

17,768 posts

183 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
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Sounds good, but I fear we'll slow your pace a tad so will keep to the motorway......



Hammond1073

109 posts

110 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
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6 hours from Calais to Le Mans????

What are you guys driving? A 2cv?.
Last year we did the same run as a group in under 4 Hours. Although we were in. A VXR8 !!!

2016 will be a Porsche Boxster and. XKR

Hammond1073

109 posts

110 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2015
quotequote all
6 hours from Calais to Le Mans????

What are you guys driving? A 2cv?.
Last year we did the same run as a group in under 4 Hours. Although we were in. A VXR8 !!!

2016 will be a Porsche Boxster and. XKR

//j17

4,471 posts

222 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
The difference is that Miner49er is talking about _driving_ to Le Mans, not just getting there in a car.

Yes, get on the Autoroute, switch the cruise control on and after about 4 hours dribbling like a simpleton due to motorway bordom you'll arrive at Le Mans in a car. Get off the Autoroute and on to the D roads as Miner49er's suggesting (and I always have done) and you remember how much fun driving can be.

Going cross-country you discover:
  • The French generally keep their road surfaces in top condition, rather than the ones we have that look like they've been used for artillery target practice.
  • No-one lives in France. Seriously you see so few other cars and drive through villages that seem populated by just a single elderly lady sat on a dinging room chair outside her house.
  • The police know there will be a stream of idiots willing to donate money by speeding on the Autoroute so all go there. You can go the whole way without seeing a single policeman.
  • What exactly IS the rush to get to Le Mans? Sure, if you're doing the Friday post-work dash but if you're driving down mid-week you've got all day. Le Mans isn't going anywhere so why not stop in a nice little town and have some lunch.

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
^^ Yep, everything //j17 just said.

Here's a taster (minus the leaves and damp patches):


//j17

4,471 posts

222 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
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That's a bit narrower than we pick! smile

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
That'll be the narrowest.

This'll be the widest:


robvx

7 posts

119 months

Thursday 24th September 2015
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I love the idea of this keep us posted

Dblue

3,252 posts

199 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
quotequote all
Miner49er said:
^^ Yep, everything //j17 just said.

Here's a taster (minus the leaves and damp patches):

Thats a vinyard. Not too many of them between the channel and Le Mans.

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
quotequote all
We do that sort of thing most year, do not believe for one moment that the police will not be there..

I've been stopped twice in the last 4 years on very out of the way roads...

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
Dblue said:
Miner49er said:
^^ Yep, everything //j17 just said.

Here's a taster (minus the leaves and damp patches):

Thats a vinyard. Not too many of them between the channel and Le Mans.
Hmm, I think you're right. Pesky Google images!

For those who are interested, along with the leaves and damp patches, ignore the roadside fruit too.

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
davidd said:
We do that sort of thing most year, do not believe for one moment that the police will not be there..

I've been stopped twice in the last 4 years on very out of the way roads...
I'm really surprised. We change our route slightly every year and once off the Autoroute we never seen any police at all. We very rarely see another car!

//j17

4,471 posts

222 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
Over 10 years of 'D' roads after Abbeville and while I've seen police they have generally just been going about their business in their cars, not lurking. The only time this hasn't been true was when they were controlling traffic through some village roadworks and stopped us...but didn't do/say anything to us, they just wanted a better look at the TVRs.

Dblue

3,252 posts

199 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
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Its a great plan and well worth it.

We already do something similar in our group and would be interesting to compare notes

Miner49er

Original Poster:

382 posts

204 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
quotequote all
Thought I'd just bump this thread onto the first page now that tickets have been released.

We're booked and on the 6:36am crossing on the Thursday. Excited already!

kel176506

211 posts

186 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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This sounds great, found the Autoroute very boring this year and saw little other Le Mans bound traffic, efficient but boring. In 2009 we followed the old N138 but the Sat Nav's constant urge to get on the Autoroute becomes a bit tedious so...

If there is a specific route in mind could someone create the route in something like http://www.tyretotravel.com and maybe stick it on dropbox and then anyone can load it into the appropriate TomTom/Garmin/ttNav ?

//j17

4,471 posts

222 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
quotequote all
Most satnavs have a routing option to avoid toll roads and motorways...

Dblue

3,252 posts

199 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
quotequote all
The best way is to use a Garmin or older Tom Tom that will load waypoints set by you.
We use TYRE to plan the route in detail then load it onto the portable sat nav.
In a convoy you need to know how to stay together and ideally have more than i car with the route on their sat nav device.
Worth the effort and there are some excellent roads to get you down to Le Mans.
Some autoroute is essential however if you want to get there in a reasonable time frame. Bear in mind its 260 miles from Calais to Le Mans. All back roads takes a long time.
And you lose an hour when going to Le Mans , so arrival at your destination may be rather late (Though nightfall is pretty late in mid June )


Edited by Dblue on Friday 6th November 12:57

fatboy18

18,930 posts

210 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
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If you plan to use Eurotunnel or the Calais and neighbouring ports I would recommend this type of convoy wink