How much will it cost?

[Dan_1981]

I know this is a very very vague question but could some kind soul give a rough idea of what LM is likley to cost.

I don't mean food & drink and petrol and all that sort of things.

Just a basic outline cost of

ticket, camp site, crossing (ferry or chunnel)

I imagine its likley to be cheaper if I organise this myself but how much cheaper than if I go with someone like PH or one of the other various tours mentioned on here.

I don't need luxury 5 star access just the nomral camping and a decent campsite.

Thanks for any help.

[indyxe]

Dan_1981 said:

I know this is a very very vague question but could some kind soul give a rough idea of what LM is likley to cost.

I don't mean food & drink and petrol and all that sort of things.

Just a basic outline cost of

ticket, camp site, crossing (ferry or chunnel)

I imagine its likley to be cheaper if I organise this myself but how much cheaper than if I go with someone like PH or one of the other various tours mentioned on here.

I don't need luxury 5 star access just the nomral camping and a decent campsite.

Thanks for any help.

If you were to organise tickets etc, yourself you can do it on a budget for example below.

Ferry £50 return (average cost from dover calais)
Gen Entry 67euros (ACO)
Camping pass 51 euros (ACO) (example Bauesjuor)
Fuel ?
Food ?
Drink ?
Breakdfown Insurance ?
Personal travel insurance ?

I think for 2 people traveling in 1 car can do it easily for £250 each NOT INCLUDING fuel. and thats including food and drink, camping and entry to the circuit

Edited by indyxe on Thursday 28th October 19:30

Edited by indyxe on Thursday 28th October 19:31

[fatboy18]

Yep, your question is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string It all depends what campsite you want, hotel? grandstand tickets, parking tickets if not staying on circuit etc

What do you fancy doing?

[Dan_1981]

fatboy18 said:

Yep, your question is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string It all depends what campsite you want, hotel? grandstand tickets, parking tickets if not staying on circuit etc

What do you fancy doing?

Yeah sorry about that - very vague I know.

No idea which campsite - one at the track! a decent enough one(?)

no to the hotel.

Just general entry tickets.

I guess parking tickets won't be required as i'd like a circuit campsite.

[daytonadeferred]

I've been for the last 4 years and never spent more than £350 overall, each time.

That's tickets for the circuit + Dunlop stand, ferry, cheap (but good) municipal campsite, food, beer, and petrol (shared with co-driver).

It's quite easy to go even cheaper than this though.

[fatboy18]

OK, here's what I did last year.

Checked out threads on PH for cheap ferry prices, Living in south east England the Dover routes came up cheapest with Norfolk Line being best price £35 return from Dunkirk (book early, start checking prices now).
Driving solo meant more expense(fuel stops) but I look at the weekend as a Driving holiday with a motor race thrown in I used the french D roads as to Motorways and toll roads, the journey took a bit longer but I saw a lot more of real France and only 3 policemen all the way to Le mans.

I had friends staying on Houx Annex campsite and got a camping ticket through them ( I think it cost around £50), bought my general entrance weekend ticket at the campsite entrance

General Entrance weekend ticket 2010 was 65,Euro

Fuel in a Dodge Viper....Lots
Oh and don't forget European breakdown cover, I found a cheap one for my needs via Google 'Vehicle Rescue Direct'

Hope that helps

[vetteheadracer]

Booked the Eurotunnel earlier this week for going out on Thursday 9th of June back on the 13th and it was £90 for a car and two occupants.

I think from memory that the tickets were €55 each for general entry this year.

[MATTP77]

It is kind of expensive, but you are basically on holiday for a long weekend. It costs the same as any holiday - which is entirely dependant on what you do, and what kind of package you go for.

I couldn't recommend it enough though. Even on a budget it would be a blinding weekend.

[Blockf01]

I have combined the 24 hour with my holiday.

I have taken a mobile home in Tours for 4 nights (over Le Mans weekend, to dump bags etc, and also see some Chateau's) then a further 6 nights in Normandy. The full cost (after discounts etc) including Eurotunnel, insurance was £630, with the cost of my parking @ Le Mans and tickets took cost to just over £1000.00, which I didn't think too bad.

Am really looking forward to my first race

[The Leaper]

On order to put another perspective on costs for LM 2011, having booked everything my total is € 784.52. This is for two people and covers:

ACO membership for 1 year
2 GE tickets
2 tribune tickets
1 parking ticket
2 single rooms on a B&B basis in a hotel for Friday and Sunday night (we always sleep at the circuit on the Saturday)
1 Eurotunnel return ticket.

Obviously not included is fuel, food and drink etc.

This represents a DIY cost and works out significantly less than getting everything via some of the ticket agencies according to reports elsewhere.

R.

[Rs2oo]

2 people in 1 car. Pretty much same price every yesr since 2005 for us.

ferry £48
Campsite through agent £90
2 x entry tickets £120
Petrol £140
Tolls £30

Total £428 Div x 2 = £214 per person


add Grandstands x 2 @ £90 each = £180 grand total £304 p/p plus your food/drink/gas/spends

[MATTP77]

Rs2oo said:

2 people in 1 car. Pretty much same price every yesr since 2005 for us.

ferry £48
Campsite through agent £90
2 x entry tickets £120
Petrol £140
Tolls £30

Total £428 Div x 2 = £214 per person


add Grandstands x 2 @ £90 each = £180 grand total £304 p/p plus your food/drink/gas/spends

incredibly cheap & fun holiday even with grandstand seats if you ask me. This will be my third LM in 2011, and we are leaning toward getting some seats this year as we never had them previously.

Quite looking forward to it really. RS - Which GS do you occupy? Any ideas on the better ones?

[The Leaper]

Mattp77,

In response to your request to RS about which grandstand...

• I would not recommend the pits grandstands as they do not give you a view over the pits unless you are in the front row or standing at the front of the gangways.

• My son and I have been going to LM since 1996 and always got seats in La Sarthe (previously Maison Blanche) grandstand: by the Ford Chicane and the entrance to it, opposite the pits entrance, angled so you see all the way up the pits straight, and now less busy in front of the grandstand compared to those opposite the pits.

• The ACO grandstand has the plus of bars and food in there plus decent loos. We used the ACO grandstand for this year's Le Classic because of the signficant pits action at the event. Worked out OK. We've also been in Lagache in earlier years. All the grandstands opposite the pits obviously give you a great view into the pits and all the atmosphere of the start/finish.

• We're already booked in La Sarthe grandstand for 2011.

R.

[MATTP77]

Thanks for that insight - we will hopefully be discussing this matter at the next group reunion! im pretty keen for la sarthe, quali is pretty good fun there isnt it? I remember last year a ferrari having some issues with those

[Dan_1981]

Useful insights thankyou all so far.

Do all camping pitches have parking for the car or do some sites you park away from where you camp?

Now to deicde if we want to do it via an organised lot such as the PH guys or Team Languistine (sp)

Are there any other reccomended orgniased trips?

Or whether we should just do it on our own. Which of course then we have to deicde where we want to camp.

[fatboy18]

OK in general, you park where your pitch is. Now not wanting to put too many noses out of joint, there are packages available from various motor sport tour operators, the prices vary rather a lot

One of the problems in the past years has been getting hold of camping tickets direct from the ACO. Its easy for them to sell camping tickets 'on block' to tour operators. You can leave a request with the ACO for camping tickets, but they don't bother telling you weather you have been given the allocation until nearer the event Tickets do come up for sale on eBay and there are swap threads on www.BeerMountain.com
If you google camping at Le mans you will get a list of operators. The Le mans tourist board is also worth a call. I believe you can get tickets and information from them

One of the things which really annoys me is that many tour operators will not sell you a camping ticket unless you book their hospitality package or you have to also book there ferry crossings etc, Yes Ive heard all the arguments as to why they do this, their costs etc. but it still annoys me when you know what the package could cost, especially in these times of recession when monies for some are a bit tight, Or your doing a solo run to Le mans

Edited by fatboy18 on Friday 5th November 18:14

[Rs2oo]

MATTP77 said:

Rs2oo said:

2 people in 1 car. Pretty much same price every yesr since 2005 for us.

ferry £48
Campsite through agent £90
2 x entry tickets £120
Petrol £140
Tolls £30

Total £428 Div x 2 = £214 per person


add Grandstands x 2 @ £90 each = £180 grand total £304 p/p plus your food/drink/gas/spends

incredibly cheap & fun holiday even with grandstand seats if you ask me. This will be my third LM in 2011, and we are leaning toward getting some seats this year as we never had them previously.

Quite looking forward to it really. RS - Which GS do you occupy? Any ideas on the better ones?

We use Sommer. If you buy through an agent, you can request the row of seats you want and they will oblige if they can. Sommer is opposite the pit exit and you have a view of the aston Martin and Audi garages. There is a giant screen directly opposite and as its right on the edge of the track above the pits, its quite close so you have a great view of the screen. Have been in others but this is our favorite, ticks all the right boxes for us.

[TubbyNorman]

Don't bother with grandstand tickets, lot of money, not much value. OK, useful at start and finish of race, but otherwise 23.5 hours of zero use as better general view points elsewhere.

Spend what you save on beer, much better for you. (Said tongue in cheek, as the political correctness people are probably here on PH as well as everywhere else in life!)

[MadMacMcMad]

I am afraid I disagree.
There are 1/4 million people there. The grandstands are worth every penny if you want a decent view without fighting for it or waiting for 3 hours before race start, for the busy start/finish and also a good place to sit and chill any time during the race.
Unless you want to stand or sit on grass for 24hrs, they are a must. Sitting is not an option if it's peeing down.
If it rains, you have cover, if it's really hot, then you have shade. I'm afraid that in the Loire valley in June, it's one or the other.

Much better value than any other major motor racing event.

IMHO

[lucky b]

MadMacMcMad said:

I am afraid I disagree.
There are 1/4 million people there. The grandstands are worth every penny if you want a decent view without fighting for it or waiting for 3 hours before race start, for the busy start/finish and also a good place to sit and chill any time during the race.
Unless you want to stand or sit on grass for 24hrs, they are a must. Sitting is not an option if it's peeing down.
If it rains, you have cover, if it's really hot, then you have shade. I'm afraid that in the Loire valley in June, it's one or the other.

Much better value than any other major motor racing event.

IMHO

100% agree with you Andy. As booking for 2011 shows.
Tried without GS last year and really regretted it at the start of the race as the atmosphere, build up etc etc was nothing at Tertre Rouge compared to being on the pit straight.
At the end of the race it was nigh on impossible to see even a big screen, let alone a car along the pit straight from the standing area unless you got there 3 hours before the end, bagged a spot and guarded it with your life.
Personally, I'd rather have a guaranteed seat that you can use at any time, knowing that it will always be available when you want it. You can go and get cold beer, food and use the toilet etc without losing your prime position.
Colin