Traffic - Thursday v Friday arrival

[DTB77]

Hi all. Heading to Le Mans for I think my 6th year in a row. Previous years I've always travelled down Thursday morning, generally hitting the long traffic queues in to Le Mans late afternoon. Last year was particularly horrific as we tried to be clever and go the long way round to Arnage but missed the turning and instead ended up coming past the main entrance from the north to Blue Nord camping...

Anyway, considering a change of plan this year due to other commitments and travelling down on the Friday morning instead, but worried the traffic may be even worse than the Thursday? Does anyone have any experience of whether traffic is any worse on either day, or is it just going to be rubbish whichever day I choose and I should just suck it up?

Camping Blue Nord once more (clearly don't like change!)

[SimoN138]

I've driven down both days over the last few years, usually arriving about 2-3pm after an early ish train to calias. there has not been much difference in my experience, although if pressed i'd say friday seems a bit quieter until you get very close to the circuit (i guess most people have arrived by then). neither day has anything on arriving saturday morning, which i've done once and is to be avoided!

the only thing i would say about friday is it's best to avoid the usual 'mad friday' spots as traffic gets very slow through them as the afternoon wears on. so for Bleu you would want to approach from the main road by the airport from the north (D323?) and turn right in front of the main entrance to then turn right into Blue, rather than coming in via arnage ... at least that's what i've been doing for a while and it seems to have been successful.

not long to go now ...

[//j17]

Friday should be quieter because there's nothing really happening in/around the circuit, other than people arriving or heading in to town for the driver's parade.

Thursday's always bad because it's the second qualifying day so in addition to loads of people trying to get to camp sites you've also got all the day-trippers coming in too.


It depends on where you're hitting the traffic of course (and nothing's going to help you close to the circuit) but if you're comming down the A28 from Rouen consider coming off north of Le Mans, say at the D6 junction and going east to Ballon/D20BIS to Courceboeufs/follow that till you get to the D323 to the circuit. Avoids the major roads around Le Mans as much as possible and empty on a Wed. afternoon when we use it.

Edited by //j17 on Wednesday 27th April 12:40

[DMN]

SimoN138 said:

so for Bleu you would want to approach from the main road by the airport from the north (D323?) and turn right in front of the main entrance to then turn right into Blue, rather than coming in via arnage ... at least that's what i've been doing for a while and it seems to have been successful.

Thats similar to what I do.

When on the D338, ignore the sign for Bleu at the junction/off-ramp for the D147s (road to Arnage) and instead stay on the D338. Instead I take the av. Felix Geneslay (there is a E.Leclerc shop on the right just before the junction) and follow that road all the way to the roundabout where you can pick up the D323 for one junction (becarful as you don't even need to join the main carrigeway here). Come off the D323 almost straight away and you'll be at the main enterance to the circuit.

I've found that route very quite, even when cars where queuing to get onto the D147s to Arnage.

[Nosynchro]

Last years plan to skirt round to the southwest using the A11 J9 (Le Mans sud) is the best plan. Just don't miss that junction or you'll be half way to Angers (done it) and try and turn off at Arnage. Immediately after the road crosses the river Sarthe from memory

[DTB77]

Thanks for the responses, all very helpful (albeit still in two minds which day to go...!)

[simonhole]

why not stay on motorway until you reach Ecommoy,come off there and head back up to Mulsanne,
Arnage is posted from there and your not getting involved with all other race traffic,i would think it would be a doddle getting through

[rlw]

simonhole said:

why not stay on motorway until you reach Ecommoy,come off there and head back up to Mulsanne,
Arnage is posted from there and your not getting involved with all other race traffic,i would think it would be a doddle getting through

This makes sense. Ecommoy to Arnage is a complete doddle on non-race days and after the LM turning all the traffic on the autoroute disappears.

[Dblue]

rlw said:

simonhole said:

why not stay on motorway until you reach Ecommoy,come off there and head back up to Mulsanne,
Arnage is posted from there and your not getting involved with all other race traffic,i would think it would be a doddle getting through

This makes sense. Ecommoy to Arnage is a complete doddle on non-race days and after the LM turning all the traffic on the autoroute disappears.

This +1 , though you'll still have a bit of traffic on the autoroute north of the town but once clear its all good

[surveyor]

So much depends on BSJ security. They don't care if they can't keep up with the arrivals, and once it backs up to the roundabout you are done for...