How soon to start planning for next year?
Discussion
Myself and my brother have decided to go next year for the first time, after thoroughly enjoying watching it all on TV this year!
How soon do tickets go on sale, and how quick do you need to grab them?
We would be driving down and camp somewhere (any suggestions?)
Thanks for any tips/suggestions
How soon do tickets go on sale, and how quick do you need to grab them?
We would be driving down and camp somewhere (any suggestions?)
Thanks for any tips/suggestions
SEE YA said:
Already booked for next year, cannot book ferry tickets till around November.
Going to try a new route, Plymouth to Roscoff then only 3 half hour drive to the campsite.
I've done that route a couple of times as I used to live in Exeter. It's quite quiet and you don't see many police.Going to try a new route, Plymouth to Roscoff then only 3 half hour drive to the campsite.
Can I join in?
I'm with the OP, I'm finally going to attend next year. I / we have no idea on the best places to camp, what to do (apart from the race obviously), when to book, who to book with etcs etcs
I think we were thinking about arriving at midday on Friday, leaving on Monday. Although I will be in a stag party, we're all motor racing enthusiasts and want to avoid the chav / mob mentality!
I'm with the OP, I'm finally going to attend next year. I / we have no idea on the best places to camp, what to do (apart from the race obviously), when to book, who to book with etcs etcs
I think we were thinking about arriving at midday on Friday, leaving on Monday. Although I will be in a stag party, we're all motor racing enthusiasts and want to avoid the chav / mob mentality!
http://beermountain.com/ has pretty much all you need to know
Here's my suggestions based on experience since 1996:
1. September 2015: decide you're going to LM2016
2. October 2015:Decide whether you will use an agency to organise everything or do it yourself and save a lot of money. If using an agency then make a booking with them. It's likely they will have few details this early so register an interest and they will send you an e-mail when they are ready to take the booking
3. October 2015:If DIY, find out when the ACO website is going to make available the tickets for 2016, which is usually in November.
4. November 2015: contact ACO and book tickets (Note this can be a dreadful experience!). These will be:
*1 general entry ticket per person. This give access to all the public areas but not the grandstands.
*If you decide you want grandstand seats, book 1 grandstand seat per person. You'll need to decide which grandstand to go for...don't make the mistake of thinking Pits Grandstand is best because it's probably the worst eg you cannot see the pits. Get a circuit map via ACO website to sort out where you want seats.
*camping on one of the sites, which will be one car, one tent, so you need to work out where, and how many pitches.
*if not camping you will need to book a parking space. There's lots of sites available and when booking most of them you get an allocated space which you find and park in once you arrive.
5. November 2015. If not camping, here comes the hard bit. Where are you going to stay? Thinking of a hotel near to Le Mans? No chance: they are booked up on a repeat basis years ahead and also by the agencies making block bookings. Son and I stay in a hotel 90 miles away, so this means driving into the circuit Saturday, sleeping in the car at the circuit Saturday (car parked in our pre booked allocated space, of course), and driving back to the hotel after the race. This also means missing out on all the other activities going on in town during the week. We've done these before so we're OK about not doing them again. This probably means that as a first timer you will want to spend several days at the circuit or in town to take in as much as possible so this inevitable means camping is the way to go. If booking a hotel, find one first then book it asap.
6. November 2015: Last comes getting there ie how are you going to cross the Channel? This will be dependent on where you're coming from. The agencies will cover everything, but if DIY then decide on the Channel crossing route and book for the days out and back.
So, in my experience if you going to DIY, then get everything decided by the middle of October and then go for tickets first, accommodation next, travel last.
Good luck!
R.
1. September 2015: decide you're going to LM2016
2. October 2015:Decide whether you will use an agency to organise everything or do it yourself and save a lot of money. If using an agency then make a booking with them. It's likely they will have few details this early so register an interest and they will send you an e-mail when they are ready to take the booking
3. October 2015:If DIY, find out when the ACO website is going to make available the tickets for 2016, which is usually in November.
4. November 2015: contact ACO and book tickets (Note this can be a dreadful experience!). These will be:
*1 general entry ticket per person. This give access to all the public areas but not the grandstands.
*If you decide you want grandstand seats, book 1 grandstand seat per person. You'll need to decide which grandstand to go for...don't make the mistake of thinking Pits Grandstand is best because it's probably the worst eg you cannot see the pits. Get a circuit map via ACO website to sort out where you want seats.
*camping on one of the sites, which will be one car, one tent, so you need to work out where, and how many pitches.
*if not camping you will need to book a parking space. There's lots of sites available and when booking most of them you get an allocated space which you find and park in once you arrive.
5. November 2015. If not camping, here comes the hard bit. Where are you going to stay? Thinking of a hotel near to Le Mans? No chance: they are booked up on a repeat basis years ahead and also by the agencies making block bookings. Son and I stay in a hotel 90 miles away, so this means driving into the circuit Saturday, sleeping in the car at the circuit Saturday (car parked in our pre booked allocated space, of course), and driving back to the hotel after the race. This also means missing out on all the other activities going on in town during the week. We've done these before so we're OK about not doing them again. This probably means that as a first timer you will want to spend several days at the circuit or in town to take in as much as possible so this inevitable means camping is the way to go. If booking a hotel, find one first then book it asap.
6. November 2015: Last comes getting there ie how are you going to cross the Channel? This will be dependent on where you're coming from. The agencies will cover everything, but if DIY then decide on the Channel crossing route and book for the days out and back.
So, in my experience if you going to DIY, then get everything decided by the middle of October and then go for tickets first, accommodation next, travel last.
Good luck!
R.
I've written a document on going to Le Mans for the race and will see if we can get a PH version out soon.
Tickets (General Entry) can ALWAYS be bought on the day at normal face value, there is no limit to numbers (75€ this year for the whole week).
Grandstand seats are a different matter. You need to be trying to book these Jan/Feb, on line or through one of the agents / operators.
Tickets (General Entry) can ALWAYS be bought on the day at normal face value, there is no limit to numbers (75€ this year for the whole week).
Grandstand seats are a different matter. You need to be trying to book these Jan/Feb, on line or through one of the agents / operators.
Alternative scenario:
May 2016: Decide that, after all, you DO want to go this year. Do a frantic search on PistonHeads, eBay, StubHub, Gumtree, Beer Mountain, Club Arnage and anywhere else you can think of to get camping/grandstand/ferry tickets. Find that everybody and their dog is selling general entrance tickets, but the others are something of a challenge, but eventually find them.
Decide that you will be a bit more organised in 2017 (but know in your heart that you really won't be)!
May 2016: Decide that, after all, you DO want to go this year. Do a frantic search on PistonHeads, eBay, StubHub, Gumtree, Beer Mountain, Club Arnage and anywhere else you can think of to get camping/grandstand/ferry tickets. Find that everybody and their dog is selling general entrance tickets, but the others are something of a challenge, but eventually find them.
Decide that you will be a bit more organised in 2017 (but know in your heart that you really won't be)!
looking to go next year taking our caravan but looking for somewere away from the madness and campsite looting that goes on, also thinking about avoiding Calais and sailing via Portsmouth or doing a Calais out and in via another port as to avoid our friends that don't pay for tickets. any ideas?
Dr Murdoch said:
Can I join in?
I'm with the OP, I'm finally going to attend next year. I / we have no idea on the best places to camp, what to do (apart from the race obviously), when to book, who to book with etcs etcs
I think we were thinking about arriving at midday on Friday, leaving on Monday. Although I will be in a stag party, we're all motor racing enthusiasts and want to avoid the chav / mob mentality!
Without hijacking djdest's excellent thread, I'm in the same boat as both of you, Dr Murdoch. 50 next year and a big Ford GT40 fan (timing perfectly for the 50th anniversary of that 1-2-3), so once Ford announced their return it swung it for me to do Le Mans instead of the Le Mans Classic.I'm with the OP, I'm finally going to attend next year. I / we have no idea on the best places to camp, what to do (apart from the race obviously), when to book, who to book with etcs etcs
I think we were thinking about arriving at midday on Friday, leaving on Monday. Although I will be in a stag party, we're all motor racing enthusiasts and want to avoid the chav / mob mentality!
I'm hoping to book via an operator in order to get a tent/crossing/Grandstand seating sorted... and like you want to avoid the horror stories of 'Mad Friday' and the chavs, what else is there to do at the circuit (Mrs.T66 will be in attendance, and although doesn't mind watching a bit racing likes to have a wander and look at stuff a la Goodwood Revival), etc.
Maybe there should be a 'good advice' thread!
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