When To Drive to Le Mans: Wednesday Vs Thursday?
Discussion
We’re travelling down from Newcastle on the Sunday night for an early Monday morning euro tunnel. The main reason for this is our campsite ((Epinettes) is non numbered pitches, and by later on in the week the choice of pitches is very limited. Plus you see all of the track activities from Tuesday onwards. Far more relaxing.
I must admit, the closer we get, the more tempted I am to alter my euro tunnel train to Wednesday night, just so i can have the extra day in Le Mans. Even just being able to go and eat at one of the restaurants in Arnage and see the sights of what everyone else brought driving up and down the main street.
Have always travelled down on Thursday via the tunnel. Most of my mob travel down to Folkestone on Wednesday afternoon and flop in a local B&B making their way to a curry house coupled with a few sherbets allowing a relaxing slumber into Thursday morning. I, on the other hand, wake up at stupid o clock the following morning and collect co-driver and make our way to the Eurotunnel via M1, M25 and M20. Watching the sun rise as we head south following some cars exotics just makes, for me, the perfect start to the weekend. Of course once at the tunnel reception the banter starts as we meet up with the rest of my crew and the weekend starts for real. The journey to the tunnel just makes a relaxing start to the event.
Once Frogside, the fuel/food stops seeing/meeting fellow travellers to LM just adds to it. Whatever day you go, just try and soak up the whole event, not just the race but the banter with whom your spending the weekend with, the route you take to get there, the food, the various attractions (concerts, museum's, village, drivers parade, all the satellite events over the weekend)....most of all.....Enjoy!
Once Frogside, the fuel/food stops seeing/meeting fellow travellers to LM just adds to it. Whatever day you go, just try and soak up the whole event, not just the race but the banter with whom your spending the weekend with, the route you take to get there, the food, the various attractions (concerts, museum's, village, drivers parade, all the satellite events over the weekend)....most of all.....Enjoy!
We always travel down to near Folkestone from the NW on the Tuesday, Prem Inn overnight, and then early'ish tunnel across Wednesday morning. Not as much LM traffic on the Wednesday compared to Thursday but usually see loads of people at the first services after Rouen. Much prefer arriving Wednesday.
FredericRobinson said:
Thursday, just not the Thursday in the question
Exactly right! 
Oldwolf said:
Yes I see you get there before me, pretty sure you have done this previous years.
I don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
For 24 straight years I never arrived at the circuit before the Friday immediately preceding the race. In 2010 that changed after I got to do the whole week, something I'd always wanted to do. In 2022 I did everything, scrutineering, test day, the lot and I'm planning to do that again this year. That's really soaking up the atmosphere! I don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
Aysedasi2 said:
FredericRobinson said:
Thursday, just not the Thursday in the question
Exactly right! Aysedasi2 said:
Oldwolf said:
Yes I see you get there before me, pretty sure you have done this previous years.
I don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
For 24 straight years I never arrived at the circuit before the Friday immediately preceding the race. In 2010 that changed after I got to do the whole week, something I'd always wanted to do. In 2022 I did everything, scrutineering, test day, the lot and I'm planning to do that again this year. That's really soaking up the atmosphere! I don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
Oldwolf said:
Yes I see you get there before me, pretty sure you have done this previous years.
I don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
Leave home on the Wednesday night, stay just outside Le Mans on the Thursday night, earliest I’ve got in the as just after seven on the Morning the gates opened, back when you could drive in the main gates, pulled up, got a firm ‘non’ from the man on the gate, backed up 5 yards, drove in the next lane where a dopey student shrugged at me, straight in, never even checked if I had a ticketI don't believe that we've ever met but I always begrudge anyone going down before me
SV_WDC said:
You can get the LM experience on the drive back.
Go as early as possible, get a good pitch & enjoy it.
Mad Friday is more fun anyway
Another vote for the earlier the better. Now I have retired, and don't need to scrimp on annual leave, it is the Tuesday night ferry out for me this year more fully to savour the experience.Go as early as possible, get a good pitch & enjoy it.
Mad Friday is more fun anyway
Is it just me, or is 'Mad Friday' not very mad anymore? I seem to remember that in the 1990s & early noughties it was significantly more wild. I remember one year staying in Camping Bleu and the road past the campsite was chock a block with people on the verge and cars being stopped to give it some revs off the line. There were so many people in the road (think Rally Portugal in the Group B era) that the crowd would part as the car accelerated towards them. One time, the crowd stepped off the road onto the verges to reveal a stationary car and the accelerating Jag thumped into it and the unbelted front seat passenger tried to exit the car through the windscreen. Fortunately one of our group was a Dr...
The same year I remember that the closest corner of Parking Bleu had a 100 metre or so tarmac strip on it that cried out to be used for drag racing, which it duly was. There was a ratty black Cobra replica that was very rapid and noisy, but the crowd favourite was a Reliant Robin that tripped itself up and partially deconstructed itself.
Happy days.
bensturge22 said:
Hi all, second time around going to Le Mans, but first time with a ‘proper car’ (4 people in an X308 Jaguar XJR) and first time being able to drive down on either Wednesday or Thursday as opposed to late on Friday night. The question is which day should I drive down on? I want the maximum Le Mans experience with the most amount of people driving down there at the same time, the options are get a morning eurotinnel on Wednesday, or a morning tunnel on Thursday. I hope you can all help me out!
Thursday 6th June!!! - Ready to start the full 10 day experience on the Friday!richardsmith68 said:
Need a bit of advice please. Travelling down Wednesday in a 9m motorhome so have booked 2 pitches on BSJ. Arriving Wednesday evening what are the chances of me getting 2 pitches together so I can park up? Starting to worry……
You should be fine as there will be enough space on Wednesday evening.Edited by JN14 on Tuesday 23 April 09:23
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