Advice for LM19

[DanTVR]

Hi all,

Hoping you experienced guys can offer some advice for planning our 2019 Le mans trip. We have sorted camping at a private site and ferry booked for Thursday AM returning on Monday.

I have been to Le mans about 8 years ago and was with a group of people so didn't get round and see as much as I would like! This time we want to experience all the best bits so im looking for recommendations!

We want to get to the drivers parade on Friday and have a spot earmarked for watching the start at Porsche curves.

Everything else is open, we are there for a stag do but not the typical drinking ourselves into oblivion and getting arrested type. Would love to catch more of the action around the area and also info on good bars/attractions etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Big Robbo]

Go for a meal in the old town, visit the cathedral, go to st saturntin for the car show it all depends on how sober you are to enjoy things

[Strasse]

Have a look here: www.le-mans-guide.co.uk


Might give you some ideas.....have a look at the "full monty"
Regards
Strasse

[chrisring]

As Big Robbo said.. Friday is a good day. We used to get the tram and Bus to St Sat' for the Classic British Welcome, bus back to town for a few beers before the parade, Watch about half the parade and head up to the old town for a nice meal. Then tram back to the circuit.

[gt6]

If one of you can refrain from drinking on Thursday evening do the tour, visit the viewing area's at mulsanne and arnarge, they are great places to see the cars mulsanne as the use full pwer and reach amazing speeds heading out towards indianapollis and well arnarge when it is dark will be the highlight of your trip, wonderfull sight that might mena you go back there again during the race.

[ellroy]

Give the museum a go, they’ve got some great bits of kit in there.

[giveitfish]

One thing I can't believe it took me a couple of trips to realise … all the grandstands are free to all during practice and quali on Weds and Thurs.

View down from the edge of the pits grandstand is worth a visit at night for some good pictures!

[MrC986]

OP, if you're into your music Franz Ferdinand is apparently playing this year on the Saturday night up by the Dunlop bridge.

[delta0]

My plan:
Thursday - watch qualifying probably around Porsche Curves.
Friday - pit walk and then straight to Le Mans Town for the parade, lunch and beers.
Saturday - race day, watch from the grand stand for a few hours then walk around ford Curves, tetre rouge etc. I make sure I get around to Mulsanne and then Arnage/Indiapolis. Sunset and night racing at Arnage/Indiapolis. They sell wine by the bottle down there with some bbq food as well.
Sunday - up before sunrise, around 4am. Racing, breakfast and meet the others that couldn’t be bothered with getting up that early.

Edited by delta0 on Friday 22 March 23:22

[hyper jay]

if you can take a old push bike each and a bike lock. The buses are hard work ,Bike to Aranage / Indy and generally be mobile when it suits you

[hyper jay]

if you can take a old push bike each and a bike lock. The buses are hard work ,Bike to Aranage / Indy and generally be mobile when it suits you

[Genuine Barn Find]

There’s so much to do.....
We’ve down the Great British Welcome for the past few years, but will be doing the pit walk on Friday and having a mooch about in the village as we are track side this year.
Le Mans centre is worth a visit, but I’ve always thought that Arnage on a Friday afternoon/evening is better - it’s probably the only thing we do that’s written in stone, aside from Indy down to Arnage at night (which will never leave you as the atmosphere there is electric).

[DanTVR]

That's great info guys thanks for the replys. Certainly lots to look at before I plan it all out. Bikes are a decent idea it's just transporting them. Is it worth renting them around the area or not advisable?

Also does everyone just buy their tickets when they arrive or order them online?

Thanks again!

[Hairy Mary]

If you just want GE passes and you are camping outside the circuit, then just buy when you arrive.
If you want a grandstand or you are in a private site or Houx, then buy before you arrive. Otherwise you will have go looking for an outlet before you get into pitch your tent.
Personally, I don't like arriving without tickets in hand. OCD thing!

[The Leaper]

If you want GE tickets only, buy at the gate. Anything else, buy now, and you are probably far too late for most anyway unless you go to an agency.

R.

[smudger911]

Genuine Barn Find said:

There’s so much to do.....
We’ve down the Great British Welcome for the past few years, but will be doing the pit walk on Friday and having a mooch about in the village as we are track side this year.
Le Mans centre is worth a visit, but I’ve always thought that Arnage on a Friday afternoon/evening is better - it’s probably the only thing we do that’s written in stone, aside from Indy down to Arnage at night (which will never leave you as the atmosphere there is electric).

+1.

[Chrisgr31]

The Leaper said:

If you want GE tickets only, buy at the gate. Anything else, buy now, and you are probably far too late for most anyway unless you go to an agency.

R.

If you want tickets go on the the official site fairly sure there are lots of grandstand tickets left and even possibly camping in Beausejour

[JT3K]

For me, although I love the race itself, it's the alternative LM that brings the most joy:

• Relieving oneself at the decrepit 1920's urinals behind start/finish like racing fans have since the early days
• Taking a little wander on my own and having a beer in memory of the '55 racegoers
• Radio Le Mans and whatever it is that makes us laugh this year (repeated shouting of "RADIO LE MANS DOT COM" or literally everything being sponsored by Mobil1)
• Death-karting on the wooden planks near Terte Rouge and marvelling how it's still allowed
• The cat forecast
• Standing on the banking at the bottom of Maison Blanche and feeling being punched in the chest as the Porsches upshift at full chat
• Walking the infield at 3am on Weds morning and seeing everything gearing up but in complete silence, paying note to how much it's changed since Steve McQueen's '71 epic ('70 race)
• Hanging through the fence in the grandstands over the pits and marvelling at the activity in a garage as a car is clearly on the way in (for free on Thursday night)
• Trying (and failing) every year to "break a minute" in the real go-karts (1:00:3xx last year)
• Relieving oneself in the right-hand-side urinal at Maison Blanche lower banking portacabin during late evening in the race as there's a window that beautifully frames the Porsche Curves and the cars coming around it
• Garage 56
• Bumping in to people like John Hindhaugh, Derek Bell or Rory Reid throughout the week
• The walk up to the Dunlop Bridge on Friday early afternoon
• My drunken nap after the Beermountain AGM
• Sitting in the stand at the Ford Chicane and watching as the cars bounce off the curbs
• Tartiflette night
• Being on Maison Blanche as the support quali/race comes in and they need someone to help push them up Maison Blanche to avoid unnecessary heating
• "Scrumping" for crash bits of carbon fibre on the way up to the start/finish at 15:01 on Sunday
• Beers with people I haven't seen in a year
• The Friday night feature film at our campsite
• Calling my dad from trackside on Sunday to wish him a happy Father's Day
• Standing on the start/finish straight through all the other national anthems and the rousing rendition of God Save the Queen that usually follows the silence of the others
• The beer runs to Carrefour
• All the things I've never done and don't get done this year because I'll do them next year (I'm looking at you, museum)
• The sheer idiocy of our campsite, what we manage to achieve and how we could upstage it next year

Edited by JT3K on Monday 1st April 14:16

[//j17]

JT3K said:

For me, although I love the race itself, it's the alternative LM that brings the most joy:

• Taking a little wander on my own and having a beer in memory of the '55 racegoers

I'd add:

• Driving up the D338 at least once in the week to pause briefly in respect at Simonsen's tree.

[JT3K]

//j17 said:

I'd add:

• Driving up the D338 at least once in the week to pause briefly in respect at Simonsen's tree.

Seconded. I many not get "there" but I sure as hell stop the first time I see it on coverage. Still can't believe he didn't just get out, a little dazed, and walk off.