Aggggh! Traffic

[blueST]

A long shot I know, but anyone know if there is a problem with traffic getting to the circuit. It's much worse than usual. Been stuck not moving for over an hour on the main drag up from Le Mans to Expo.

[Chrisgr31]

God it was dreadful wasn't it? We popped out to Carrefor, took over 4 hours to get back.

[sjmmarsh]

It was bad on Thursday too managed to get my E-type to overheat in the queues. I think the barriers they have put in to manage traffic flow found entrances to the circuit just don't work. Mainly because they stop people coming into the sites as they come off the road, so holding up all the traffic.

263,500 crowd won't have helped either!

Steve

[GadgeS3C]

Wasn't helped by the police sending people in the opposite direction. Followed the signs to within 200 yards of the Expo car park to be told to we had to go the other way. An extra 1.5 hours - grrrrr.

[DJFish]

They eventually opened a gate to Expo camping to allow access to the car park, took bloody ages though!

[DJFish]

They eventually opened a gate to Expo camping to allow access to the car park, took bloody ages though!

[fatboy18]

It was bad Thursday pm getting into Tet Rouge corner, also the dual carriageway was grid locked due to people trying the usual "cut in at last minute" approach muppets. Even Friday the traffic back to the Circuit was bad from Careflour.

Not seen it that bad before and I was on a Motorcycle!

[The Leaper]

Son and I drove to the circuit aiming for Parking Blanc, leaving Falaise at about 08:00 Saturday arriving at around 09:30 which is what we do typically, and usually there's only a small queue near the circuit (approaching from the aerodrome). We were shocked by the queue on Saturday and it took maybe 45 minutes to get to the parking spot. No idea of the cause.

R.

[captainsl0w]

Queues were bad on Thursday, my old evo 3 struggled with the heat and we had some oil pressure issues. Saw quite a few broken down cars en route from the A28 exit to the track. It was so hot so i wasnt surprised, we came very close to joining them

[lowdrag]

Friday we went up to the circuit about 9pm and took the old E-type. She didn't overheat thanks to the new fan but I had to get a push start since battery was drained.

[Davwlk]

However it was a doddle to get away after the race. Queued for 10 minutes to get up to the museum from Parking Blanc and then drove straight out of Le Mans

[davidd]

Davwlk said:

However it was a doddle to get away after the race. Queued for 10 minutes to get up to the museum from Parking Blanc and then drove straight out of Le Mans

What time was that?

[davidd]

Davwlk said:

However it was a doddle to get away after the race. Queued for 10 minutes to get up to the museum from Parking Blanc and then drove straight out of Le Mans

What time was that?

[//j17]

Have to say the traffic was about the same as it has been each of the last 13 years I've been going. It's ALWAYS terrible, a lot of the problems being people stopping to ask directions and blocking the road for 5 minutes.

Maybe one year the ACO/mayor will actually put a one-way system in place so you have 2 lanes down from the main entrance and left past Beausjour and Houx/right to Arnage. That way you can have the left lane for through traffic and the right lane for people to queue in to campsites/car parks.

[lowdrag]

Silly me! We had all forgotten that "Flamby" was here at the weekend. Security doubled, all for that idiot. I was so amused to see him appear on the podium to the sound of catcalls boos and hisses, all well merited I hasten to add. And if you don't recognise the name Flamby, it is a 0% sod-awful crème caramel. No taste, no substance, no hard centre. Just like the president.

[fatboy18]

lowdrag said:

Silly me! We had all forgotten that "Flamby" was here at the weekend. Security doubled, all for that idiot. I was so amused to see him appear on the podium to the sound of catcalls boos and hisses, all well merited I hasten to add. And if you don't recognise the name Flamby, it is a 0% sod-awful crème caramel. No taste, no substance, no hard centre. Just like the president.

Wondered what the Boos were about, I was standing at the back of the crowd on the infield at tet rouge corner for the race start, there was a TV monitor and we heard the crowd booing but I had no idea why?

[OvalOwl]

davidd said:

Davwlk said:

However it was a doddle to get away after the race. Queued for 10 minutes to get up to the museum from Parking Blanc and then drove straight out of Le Mans

What time was that?

I got out of Parking Rouge pretty sharpish, but headed for the car from Panorama straight after the first parade lap. Turn right out of the gate down to the tram stop turn right onto the ring road back at La Suze probably before the GTE Am podium.

I went for a drive round the circuit on Monday and traffic was queueing going north on the D338 and on the road past the back of the stands. I got snarled up in that but pulled a swift u-ey and escaped via Arnage town and up to the outer ring-road.

On Thursday having intended to go and watch qualifying I found parking rouge full and all routes to others that I could think of crawling or standing, so called it a day after forty minutes of trying and went for a drive south and west of the circuit on minor roads. I wasn't the only one.

On race day I got into Parking Rouge in about the last 20 or so rows. Arrived just after the classic race started. Went back to the car for brunch after the Aston race was red flagged and the outer ring road was standing and folk out of their cars.

[Davwlk]

We wandered back to the car about 3.30. Had a sleep for an hour and then joined the queue out of Parking Blanc about 4.30. Once we were past the Gendarmes at the Museum we literally drove straight out of Le Mans and headed to our hotel at Montagne au Perche.

[//j17]

fatboy18 said:

lowdrag said:

Silly me! We had all forgotten that "Flamby" was here at the weekend. Security doubled, all for that idiot. I was so amused to see him appear on the podium to the sound of catcalls boos and hisses, all well merited I hasten to add. And if you don't recognise the name Flamby, it is a 0% sod-awful crème caramel. No taste, no substance, no hard centre. Just like the president.

Wondered what the Boos were about, I was standing at the back of the crowd on the infield at tet rouge corner for the race start, there was a TV monitor and we heard the crowd booing but I had no idea why?

That's what you get for not having Radio Le Mans on. They had a quick 'In case your wondering about the French spectators booing in the background, they aren't booing the drivers. The French president is on the grid and they are booing him.' interuption to their pre-race chatter ^_^

[Dblue]

Easy enough to manage your way round this stuff if you are away from the circuit. Take a local cab and see how they work their way in and out to side roads only metres away from the entrances , with barely a stop.