Beausejour facilities
Discussion
Personally speaking, I'm sure some people like it, but the facilities where crap, literally. By Wednesday, the toilets were swimming in water, urine and what I hope was mud. The showers weren't a lot better. The cleaning pikeys were trying there best to keep it clean but they were fighting a never ending battle. I appriciate that the weather in '08 was bad, but the weather can't be blamed for someone defecating in the sinks, sticking used toilet paper to the cubicle walls or the number of other rancid acts displayed.
Before the backlashs starts, I have stayed in most of the other campsite around Le Mans over the years and agree that they gets messy and cold but it has never been as bad as it was on BSJ.
Atmosphere was loudish but not the worst. Unfortunately, due to it being one of the cheaper sites and having the longest availability, there does tend to be a chav element who are not there to enjoy the race, just get stupidly drunk and do burn outs in there cars.
It is also quite a distance from the village, grandstands etc.
Again, personally, not my choice but have heard better things about the organised groups such as Speed Chills etc who have there own areas down there.
I'm sure I'll get a list of posters flaming me and telling me its what Le Mans is about, but its about choice and opinion and I have voiced mine.
ETA: It may be worth having a squizz at this: http://www.beermountain.com/campingbeausejour.htm
Before the backlashs starts, I have stayed in most of the other campsite around Le Mans over the years and agree that they gets messy and cold but it has never been as bad as it was on BSJ.
Atmosphere was loudish but not the worst. Unfortunately, due to it being one of the cheaper sites and having the longest availability, there does tend to be a chav element who are not there to enjoy the race, just get stupidly drunk and do burn outs in there cars.
It is also quite a distance from the village, grandstands etc.
Again, personally, not my choice but have heard better things about the organised groups such as Speed Chills etc who have there own areas down there.
I'm sure I'll get a list of posters flaming me and telling me its what Le Mans is about, but its about choice and opinion and I have voiced mine.
ETA: It may be worth having a squizz at this: http://www.beermountain.com/campingbeausejour.htm
Edited by mrsxllifts on Tuesday 3rd November 15:39
Thanks for the feedback, i may give this one a miss then. I cant put up with such bad toilets for such a long period of time. 2 days or so isnt so bad at the Pod but 6 days abroad would be too much to hope without facility to have a number 2 lol.
Putting aside Houx, which areas do you guys feel offer the best toilet/shower facilities?
Putting aside Houx, which areas do you guys feel offer the best toilet/shower facilities?
If its the toilet facilities that worry you, you can do what we did. All took a daily trip to Mcdonalds, always cleaner toilets there!
If you want reasonable facilities, its best to go with a group, Team Langoustine, Speed Chills, Pistonheads etc, that way you get private toilets for just that group and a better chance of them being cleaned regularly. Its a bit more pricey but worth it. But some groups are better than others, check the feedback from previous years and judge for yourself. We have been with organised groups and had both ends of the scale from people pooing in the cubilcle but not in the toilet which weren't cleaned to the luxury of toilets cleaned four times a day and a hot shower everyday Tuesday to Monday.
If you want reasonable facilities, its best to go with a group, Team Langoustine, Speed Chills, Pistonheads etc, that way you get private toilets for just that group and a better chance of them being cleaned regularly. Its a bit more pricey but worth it. But some groups are better than others, check the feedback from previous years and judge for yourself. We have been with organised groups and had both ends of the scale from people pooing in the cubilcle but not in the toilet which weren't cleaned to the luxury of toilets cleaned four times a day and a hot shower everyday Tuesday to Monday.
We've been in BSJ twice now, but not through choice. I have to say though that '09 wasn't too bad as far as toilets go. We were well into the site pitchwise and as the "camping attendants" filled the pitches in the nearer fields first we found that the toilet and shower blocks furthest away stayed clean longest, even if it meant a walk to get to them. Don't know what they were like nearer the public road though. This year the ladies who normally clean the blocks weren't there and were replaced with contract cleaners and from my experience, I've been going for the last eight years, they didn't do such a good job but you can only go by what you see. I must admit that I've been for the most part, pleasantly surprised by the toilets and showers, I was expecting the worse having done my first LM in the late 70s, the 'bike 24 hrs, where the toilets were truly awful, we took to going to the city railway station to wash. I suppose you could get the tram in now, it stops right outside the station, not that I'm suggesting that you need to. There are times of the day, early morning for example when you don't have to queue for very long and provided the cleaners have done their job, reasonably clean. That's where the cleaning ladies came into their own, really.
Was in BSJ for 09 and the facilities were fine. We parked only a row away from the toilet and shower blocks and they were cleaned regularly. Some of the showers didn't want to run hot and they were constantly having to fix it at the beginning of the week but once it settled down they were fine. The toilets were pretty clean, when it rained they were muddy but what can you expect?
For someone used to dodgy music festival toilets, they were an absolute dream! No qualms here about the facilities of BSJ whatsoever.
For someone used to dodgy music festival toilets, they were an absolute dream! No qualms here about the facilities of BSJ whatsoever.
I've been there the last 3 years, and have no problems with the facilities at all. Don;t know where people have seen these "massive piles of s
t" etc.
Toilets and showers have been clean every time I used them - no complaints at all.
Sunday night it is like a warzone though - we always drive a "shed" there, and if I took my own day-to-day car I certainly wouldnt be happy with it being there on the last night with all the donuts/burnouts going on and massive fires. Someone on here nicknamed it Basrajour - which is fitting on SUnday, but its great other than that.
t" etc.Toilets and showers have been clean every time I used them - no complaints at all.
Sunday night it is like a warzone though - we always drive a "shed" there, and if I took my own day-to-day car I certainly wouldnt be happy with it being there on the last night with all the donuts/burnouts going on and massive fires. Someone on here nicknamed it Basrajour - which is fitting on SUnday, but its great other than that.
Like anywhere else you get what you pay for, the cheapest sites are that for a reason, less facilities and further to go to the pit straight/village.
As suggested either use one of the organised tours or stump up the cash for a better site, the old timers will each have thier favourite site and stick to it each year. Decide what you want and what is more important then check the agencies/ACO/tourist office for availability, if you are happy with the massive cheap sites tickets are always available and no need to book that early, if you what Houx/Houx annex/maisson Blanche or tertre Rouge you are probably to late already. If it is a wet race then BJ is not a happy place to be.
As suggested either use one of the organised tours or stump up the cash for a better site, the old timers will each have thier favourite site and stick to it each year. Decide what you want and what is more important then check the agencies/ACO/tourist office for availability, if you are happy with the massive cheap sites tickets are always available and no need to book that early, if you what Houx/Houx annex/maisson Blanche or tertre Rouge you are probably to late already. If it is a wet race then BJ is not a happy place to be.
I hope for all of you that BSJ isn't in the same condition next year as the last two when it has rained very heavily and it became a swamp. The problem with BSJ is that it is a clay based soil and so holds the water, unlike Maison Blanche and Bleu which are sandy and drain quickly. The ACO spend as little as possible on this site, cutting the waist-high grass only on the Monday before the race and as anyone who went in the last two years will tell you, it gets to be a mess. Personally, and I know I live here so don't camp, I would always choose another site in preference to BSJ. It's also quite far from the circuit entrance too.
We (there were 12 of us in the 6 Gulf Oil Reliant Robins) used BSJ 2007 & 2008. I found that on both times the toilets were kept V clean and the showers available and warm for the whole weekend. Our plot was on the edge of a field, a block away from the toilets, but also well away from the general melee, great. The only bad thing I can say about BSJ is the long walk to the Grandstand areas. I'd choose BSJ again (if other options weren't available).
"there were 12 of us in the 6 Gulf Oil Reliant Robins)"
......there were 6 of them? I was on the stern of the ferry at Le Havre (can't remember which year) when two, or maybe three of you arrived. Got a big round of applause from everybody watching the cars loading up. I have pictures somewhere.
......there were 6 of them? I was on the stern of the ferry at Le Havre (can't remember which year) when two, or maybe three of you arrived. Got a big round of applause from everybody watching the cars loading up. I have pictures somewhere.
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