Quiet this year

[MBH]

Anyone have any idea what British numbers were this year vs a few years back? Certainly felt like the quietest year in the past 10+ years we've been going. Both on the drive down, ease of getting on to the camp site and about the place. We even got ourselves one row back for the start despite only getting there 45 mins beforehand.

[muppetdave]

I thought the numbers were far lower. Eurotunnel terminal was the quietest I've ever seen it last night.

[amazon]

Yep, I agree with your comments. Houx was eerily quiet in comparison with previous trips. We had acres of space to ourselves - which whilst nice, prefer it busier on balance. It is more suprising too, given that some of the campsites are being reduced in size - should make them more packed?

There have been lots of threads in the past about it getting too 'stag weekend' style, so perhaps people are boting with their feet.

[q1aqza]

On the positive side of being quieter this year I rarely had to queue for a cr*p and a shower!!

[Shaun350z]

Seemed very quiet to me, although we did head down on Wednesday instead of Thursday, which I assume was busy as usual on the drive down.

Was really surprised with Arnage as all the bars were really quiet in comparison to usual whenever we were there, still didn't stop us having a great time though.

[White-Noise]

It was much quieter in my book, and all the better for it. There were still lots of people, but I saw far less of the chav element than in the past. Maybe I just know how to avoid it better now but I think its better this way.

[minipower]

I thought it was a lot more quiet than previous years.
We drove down on the Thursday and it was surprising to see so few cars especially at the tolls.

[DS240]

Agree.

Getting around circuit on foot seemed easier, particularly the pit walk on Friday and only small queues for food and drink.

Driving in and out the circuit was zero queues at all times (except the mass exit after the race). Even the car park was virtually empty.

[sleep envy]

eurosport said the unofficial figures were 245k at the circuit of which they estimated 55k were from blighty

[Irish]

sleep envy said:

eurosport said the unofficial figures were 245k at the circuit of which they estimated 55k were from blighty

It was my first 24 since 2008. I thought is was very quiet. No queues. Limited chav element. No issues on the Mulsanne drive past at 1pm or back at 3.

Seemed good natured. I even noticed much less fireworks (thankfully - rains crap on the cars).

[The Leaper]

Agree, particularly based on the traffic. There was no significant hold up at any of the piages we went through on Friday and Monday, and I was amazed, based on past experience, to arrive at Le Shuttle check in at 1:30pm without queuing and be offered earlier departure times! Their car park was not as busy as usual either.

R

[Irish]

The Leaper said:

Agree, particularly based on the traffic. There was no significant hold up at any of the piages we went through on Friday and Monday, and I was amazed, based on past experience, to arrive at Le Shuttle check in at 1:30pm without queuing and be offered earlier departure times! Their car park was not as busy as usual either.

R

I guess it is a discretionary spend, squeezed middle thing. Much less ordinary metal than normal. Most of the cars en route were high end.

[The Leaper]

Yes, Irish, thinking about it, you're right: most of the cars were above average and being driven sensibly. The only car we saw really gunning it was an Audi R8 on the way back yesterday. Even the Maclaren F1, Ferrari F40 etc. convoy we saw was doing a steady 130kph.

R.

[durbster]

sleep envy said:

eurosport said the unofficial figures were 245k at the circuit of which they estimated 55k were from blighty

We also said that it seemed quieter too, particularly on the roads. How do those figures compare to the last few years?

[GAZA62]

Where i noticed it most was away from the circuit went into Arnage for breakfast Sat morn (after the crap breakfast at Bleu Nord ) and was a lot less traffic driving through town and less people same on Sat night

[sleep envy]

GAZA62 said:

Where i noticed it most was away from the circuit went into Arnage for breakfast Sat morn (after the crap breakfast at Bleu Nord ) and was a lot less traffic driving through town and less people same on Sat night

I noticed that a couple of years ago when I went to buy bread in Arnage for breakfast, no where near the crowds there used to be

were there loads of Danes being bussed around the circuit this year?

[muppetdave]

Arnage Friday afternoon/evening seemed dead to me in comparison to previous years.

[GAZA62]

sleep envy said:

I noticed that a couple of years ago when I went to buy bread in Arnage for breakfast, no where near the crowds there used to be

were there loads of Danes being bussed around the circuit this year?

Never noticed the Danes but did see the Dutch on Friday walking through Village circuit centre they are great all dressed in Orange viking horns clogs made for great pics was a huge group of them all ages they all went mad when they saw the Orange M3 on display jumping up and down in front of the stand made laugh good harmless fun need more of that at Le Mans

[4Q]

I would consider going to Le Mans if it weren't for all the threads on here saying what a chav filled event with cars getting damaged, stuff getting nicked out of tents and rag-tops getting squirted with orange juice!

So yeah, voting with feet!

[sleep envy]

the Danes were camped up behind Camp Corvette - hundreds and hundreds of neatly pitched and squared off red tents