Leave sunday or monday?

[//j17]

EnjyBenjy said:

You can watch the queues of cars trying to get out of the campsites with a beer in your hand.

Plenty of that to be done. Can remember one year sitting in Houx drinking beer and watching the guys who had been next to us queuing to get out. Took over an hour for them to get from their pitch to the main roadway through Houx - or to put it another way to travel 20m! That was about 5/6 years ago and the worst I can remember the Sunday traffic being though.

[tscalfa]

coogy said:

For the last 8 years or so we have left after the race has finished after the podium etc. We then head up to Alencon, stay at a cheap hotel and pop in to town for a meal before continuing home on the Monday. The benefit of a proper hot shower and comfy bed the night before makes the journey home far more pleasant.

I'm planning to do the same and staying in Alencon. How long does it take after the race has finished for the traffic die down, I don't fancy queuing for an hour just to get out of the campsite?

[Some Gump]

//j17 said:

Plenty of that to be done. Can remember one year sitting in Houx drinking beer and watching the guys who had been next to us queuing to get out. Took over an hour for them to get from their pitch to the main roadway through Houx - or to put it another way to travel 20m! That was about 5/6 years ago and the worst I can remember the Sunday traffic being though.

Lol, our mates last year spent 2.5 hours to go from their tent site to the end of the rang in Houx - about 40 m. They really weren't happy....

[coogy]

tscalfa said:

I'm planning to do the same and staying in Alencon. How long does it take after the race has finished for the traffic die down, I don't fancy queuing for an hour just to get out of the campsite?

I guess it depends on where you're camped.

We stay on Bleu Nord and make a habit of packing up camp when we get up on the Sunday morning, head to the track for about 12pm to watch the end of the race. Upon returning to the vehicles after the race its pretty straight forward to get out and has never taken more than 15 minutes or so. Alencon is about 45 minutes up the Autoroute. Sorted.

[nigelonich]

We are away Sunday but heading to Monaco via the Route Napoleon to get trashed and then spend two days recovering in the sun all being well. The fact of the matter is that we keep watching this and just HAVE to replicate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dss44VBDN8

[jamiebae]

If you're planning to leave on Sunday I'd strongly recommend packing up your camp on Sunday morning and moving the car to the outside of the circuit - either up by Arnage or near parking Bleu. Just park it by the road with all the other cars and it'll be much easier to get out.

Depending on where you're pitched it can take 2-3 hours to get to the exit of the campsite and if you're in Houx you've then got to crawl for miles to get to the outside of the track.

[Dickie Dastardly]

like many of the previous posters we've always stayed the Sunday night, it can be a bit like a post apocalypse scene but it is very chilled and there is generally a good feel to it.

We've had some of the best laughs at this time, chilling out round a campfire with beer, red wine and a few games of French boules - job done... (only bugger is a Monday 6am rise to motor back to Zeebrugge)!!

[va1o]

Leave Sunday. There is usually plenty of time after the race to drive to Calais and get a crossing back before midnight. Too many s about to make it comfortable camping that night and nothing really going on to do.

[itannum990]

Well that's about 50/50 stay or go! No help whatsoever haha

[gman2207]

This is my fourth year, first two years I left on the Sunday, last year I stayed and this year i'm staying. I prefer the night sleep before heading home rather than the long drive overnight back to Manchester.

[24lemons]

A nice chilled Sunday evening and a nights sleep make the long drive home on Monday much more bearable in my opinion.

[lucky b]

Last few years we've left Sunday after the race and stopped in Honfleur, either hotel or staying in motorhome depending what we've travelled in. Will do the same this year or we'll carry on to Le Touquet Paris Plage.
It's a nice way to end the weekend with a decent meal and breaks the journey to Calais. Early crossing on Monday and home in lincs just after lunchtime on Monday relaxed and relatively presentable for the homecoming!

[blueg33]

Away from LeMans it can be tricky to find a restaurant open on a Sunday unless in a largeish town. We have struggled some years even when the French owners of our chateau have suggested places

[blueg33]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

[jock mcsporran]

I've been leaving about 30 mins before the end of the race for a number of years with very few traffic issues. Going south is very easy and quickly out of town. This year I'll be staying till Monday but only because we're on the overnight ferry on Monday night so no rush to get anywhere.