Start Finish line and other advice!!

[charp001]

Hey all

OK so I have been to LM once before, had T05 grandstand and loved it.

Wasn't planning on going this year, but its the little lads birthday so thought why not.

Cant take him out of school so travelling down on Friday night, grabbing a hotel an hour away.

Need to make the most of the 2 days.

So to my questions!!

1) What time to gates open Saturday morning?
2) Grandstands are on the thin side for 4 of us now (understandably!) so was looking at watching on the start / finish line terracing - How soon before the start do I need to get there to get the pick of the places? Im planning to take small steps to the little lad can stand on and see, so to be fair to all id want to be at the top of the terracing!
3) Whats the walk like from M1 / Bleu free parking?
4) Whats the queue normally like to buy tickets on the day?

Thanks in advance!

[Truckosaurus]

charp001 said:

....1) What time to gates open Saturday morning?...

Monday

Assuming you have a Saturday only ticket (if such a thing exists) then I assume the automatic barriers/scanners will let you in at 00:01

[gt6]

gates are open 24h so arrive when you like, but obviously very busy at certain times.

[ellroy]

I’d get there bloody early if were you, take camping chairs then if there are a few of you at least you can spell each other to go grab beer/food/loo etc.

Also, stand up wind of any Dutch fans, flares and herbal smoke....

[charp001]

Truckosaurus said:

Monday

Assuming you have a Saturday only ticket (if such a thing exists) then I assume the automatic barriers/scanners will let you in at 00:01

Thanks. I camped at Houx last time so having not gone off site as such I wasn't sure :-)

[charp001]

ellroy said:

I’d get there bloody early if were you, take camping chairs then if there are a few of you at least you can spell each other to go grab beer/food/loo etc.

Also, stand up wind of any Dutch fans, flares and herbal smoke....

Planning on getting there at 8am, but the more I think about it, the more I think T16 or T23 grandstand might be a good idea! (yes there are some available for there believe it or not)

[MrC986]

charp001 said:

Planning on getting there at 8am, but the more I think about it, the more I think T16 or T23 grandstand might be a good idea! (yes there are some available for there believe it or not)

If you’re after tickets for any of the stands, it might be worth asking Brian at 1st Tickets (who runs the PH campsite)what others are available as he may be able to source some for you. Alternatively, post on the wanted thread and see what replies you get.

[24lemons]

Start line terrace will be fun but you’ll spend a long time there if you want to bag a good spot. A grandstand means you can take in more of what’s going on elsewhere safe in the knowledge you can grab your seat whenever you need it.

[RobbyJ]

MrC986 said:

If you’re after tickets for any of the stands, it might be worth asking Brian at 1st Tickets (who runs the PH campsite)what others are available as he may be able to source some for you. Alternatively, post on the wanted thread and see what replies you get.

+1

Unless your kid is 6 foot tall he may struggle to see anything with how busy it gets. If you don’t find seats then I’d go up towards Tetre Rouge opposite the big screen at least 2 hours before the start and you’ll get pretty near the front plus the benefits of the big screen. As it’s a rolling start the start line isn’t the best place to watch IMHO, you’re better off where you can see a screen and some corners.

[wsn03]

I watch the start from the banking down the hill from the Dunlop Bridge....there's lots of space up to about 2.45pm, and a giant screen too.

[DS240]

Grandstand all the way.

Did start line terrace first few years and frankly don’t want to spend hours jammed in amongst (some) rude and (mostly) smelly people. And unless you have someone guarding your spot it’s a nightmare.

You will need to get there early also. Not fun for a young child.

Especially annoying is those turning up just before the start and then proceed to think they can push into a nice spot.

Ended up with 4 grandstand seats t18 this year but now only two going. Was going to sell but then thought we can have a gap to the next person in the row and also room between us.

Tickets on the day won’t be too bad, but it’s so easy to get them on line and print the ticket. I’d also personally recommend parking expo for ease of access.

[Printertosh]

If you do aim for a concrete terrace, the set outside museum entrance as you walk up towards Dunlop bridge / Dunlop grandstand are the steepest, so you can see over the top of people in front and they have a big screen opposite, plus you see the cars fighting for position at the chicane. A few years back we managed to get a spot there at about noon but the start seems a lot busier now. The last few years we've watched the start from the banking outside Tertre Rouge campsite (like others have said), you can wander up at anytime before the start and get a decent view, as long as you take a small chair or sit on the sand bank so the people behind don't kick off at you.

[wsn03]

The atmosphere on the banking down the hill from the Dunlop Bridge is better by the sounds of it too - very relaxed I guess because everyone has a decent spot to watch from with good visibility.
Last year 2 out of 3 of us left our place to get things, the French behind us simply laid their jackets on the dusty ground to save our space for us! Remarkable.

This year my 12 yr old step son comes for the first time - this is the spot I'll take him and the 9 other guys coming with us to watch the start.
Next year the wife is coming [(this will mean driving, hotel, shops, missing out on most things fun like not being around the missus :-) ] and, this is where I will take her with the only difference being I will bring a sheet to sit on.

[gt6]

Still no news on if the big screen will be there outside the campsite at Tertre Rouge, with the demise of the grandstand there we may not get a big screen this year.

[FredericRobinson]

We'll not know that until the Wednesday and we see if the truck turns up or not, the circuit maps are no use, the screen has been on the map but not in reality and vice versa in the past.

[MadMacMcMad]

Charp001
I agree with the grandstand advice, especially if you have a smaller person with you.
I would have PM'd you, but your email option is unavailable. Please PM me. I can sort you most stands on the main straight inc T16.
I have another option that would be a free bonus that would suit you rather well!
Andy

Edited by MadMacMcMad on Wednesday 8th May 14:43

[RL17]

Friend with camping chair sat for hours before start on terracing opposite pits last year (about 2/3rds of way up straight). He was there at least 4 hours and very hard to walk up and down.

Good view for all the pre-start stuff but:

Once racing starts it's pretty deafening up there on main straight. Pretty clear one hour into race (only lasted 5 mins up there without ear defenders - invested in some digital tuned FM ear defenders for this year)

T23 not best for pre-race set up but once racing underway you see Ford chicanes close up and pit lane entrance, cars reasonably quiet (but get great accelration from low speed sounds after they cross line) and see them from behind as accelerate up start and finish straight, so get better sound than the high pitched screech of most on LMP cars at high speed plus noise bouncing off high stands over pits that you get in most of the start finish straight stands. Plus hopefully a big screen again opposite T23.

First 5 or 6 rows there have catch fencing in view before track. T 23 also 5 mins walk or so from Bleu entrance by big wheel and reasonably close to tunnel to village/pits side and a couple of hundred yards from one on the main gates they open at the finish.

If don't have a grandstand ticket you are pretty tied down for most of Saturday lunchtime and the stewards were pretty hot on ticket only access most/all? of Saturday and Sunday

[JT3K]

We started on the main straight last year. Created a crescent of chairs at the bottom end and 15 of us sat from 10am. At the start of the race there was no moving for 1hr (a little scary how tight it was) and queues for toilets were horrendous. It was good though. Would recommend grandstand with a little one.

Iirc it's open entry all hours so you should be fine any time, try gates at Maison Blanche if you need

[Voyager75]

Don’t forget suntan cream and a hat. If your in front of the stands there’s no shade and you will have full sun for several hours (if it’s like previous years) If your in the stands anywhere behind the first few rows will give you some shade