A quiet campsite - we need a few more people

[wsn03]

cardigankid said:

I have never been to Le Mans and planning to come next year with wife and boys, 20 & 26. I was looking for somewhere to camp, and am totally up for this. Where is the best place to buy tickets?

Noted, I'll add you to the list and contact you in September.
We bought our tickets at the entrance to Tetre Rouge this year, far cheaper than ordering them from agents in the UK

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

Do you know if he opens it up for the classic?

I did try to send you a email but your profile prohibits it

I think he will, but I will check.
I'll pm you with my email

[wsn03]

All
Im going to start messaging people for details on numbers.
I plan to start pressuring the site owner in September- numbers will be the perfect lever

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

Do you know if he opens it up for the classic?

I did try to send you a email but your profile prohibits it

I've requested an email change, so as soon as they make it I switch messaging on. Meanwhile I have sent you my email address in case you need it.

[wsn03]

Just looking at the stats so far, I estimate about 26 tents including our own for 2020 - registered as interest (that's without getting numbers of those who have just said "interested". At 100 Euro per tent that's 2600 Euros - which is about 2000 more Euros than he got this year I'm sure!

I shall be nailing him down in September, watch this space.

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

wsn03 said:

B'stard Child said:

Do you know if he opens it up for the classic?

I did try to send you a email but your profile prohibits it

I think he will, but I will check.
I'll pm you with my email

Got it - thanks

I'm not looking for myself or the group I run with it's for another mob I hang with who want to camp closer to the circuit rather than 12 miles out. Approx 14-18 people

That's a lot of people! This is giving me great ammunition to throw at him, I'll guesstimate that at say 11 tents for my numbers. Thanks. This is certainly closer to the site - I think its 300m away according to his sign, probably about right.

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

wsn03 said:

That's a lot of people! This is giving me great ammunition to throw at him, I'll guesstimate that at say 11 tents for my numbers. Thanks. This is certainly closer to the site - I think its 300m away according to his sign, probably about right.

It really isn't a lot - last time that group did the classic there was closer to 20 of them and they stayed 30 miles out - hence the need to get closer

Nice bunch but shonky cars

For this site...no it really is!! This will be a lottery win for him, I estimate some 35 tents registered interest so far.
This year he had 1 camper and just 5 tents.

Now then, about these cars?!? Have you told them no Porsche's are allowed (except Le Mans race cars)

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

1 is likely to be a Porker but he won't camp and will be at a local hotel so doesn't count - rest will be a right mixture of shonk

These will help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dfde652J0I&fe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvfOxT8Ql7c&fe...

2nd one features my LC very briefly

Edited by B'stard Child on Thursday 27th June 14:31

That's very cool!
LC? What is that? Not an RD250LC?!?

[wsn03]

Based on the numbers I've been able to guesstimate, I'm going to get the following read out to the campsite owner in French:


Hello

I camped at your site for Le Mans, this year and last year.
2018 – I brought 3 tents
2019 – I brought 5 tents and 1 camper

This year I have been on England’s biggest Le Mans website and told people about your site. I so far have the following approximate number of tents interested (including several from my own group of friends):

• Le Mans 24 hr 2020 – 22 tents
• Le Mans Classic 2020 – 13 tents
• Le Mans 24 hr 2021 – 21 tents

Everyone is interested (and I expect more will join) but only if (as you discussed with me):

a) Toilets are put on the site
b) Showers with warm water are put on the site

This year we had no toilets, the ones in the car park were closed. The fees went from 100 Euros to 150 Euros in 1 year – making it more expensive than the circuit campsites that do have facilities.

Your site is in a lovely setting, and there is no noise from other campers. Everyone who has registered interest with me likes the idea of not being with noisy campers playing loud music and revving cars through the night. The way you kept an eye on our security, with all of you constantly watching out for us is really appreciated - you are always keeping the site safe.

So – if you fix a price and keep to it, put in proper washrooms and don’t allow loud music period, and no excessive noise after 12pm (that doesn't include people chatting etc, just not being silly with noise) then you will be able to grow this site, because these people will spread the word and bring more people each year.

Can you please confirm you are going to put in washrooms, if so I will tell everyone and they can make their plans.

If you cannot build them you could hire toilets and showers? As they are temporarily you wont have to deal with the waste the same, shower water would just drain away and the toilets are cassttes. There are companies in Le Mans that do this as a lot of the sites around the circuit are serviced this way.


In April during Moto24 I will visit the site, will meet you there at 10:00am on Easter Sunday. If I can see the washrooms or plans to hire them then I can tell all these people you have washrooms in place. I will then get you confirmations and get a message to you telling you how many have confirmed they are coming.

I hope that works for you. You have a great site, a great chance to grow it – I would like it to succeed because I plan to use it every year indefinitely, but I don’t want to be the only person there using the trees for a toilet!

Best Regards, and see you Easter Sunday in April

Will

Edited by wsn03 on Thursday 27th June 14:51

Edited by wsn03 on Thursday 27th June 16:55

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

wsn03 said:

but I don’t want to be the only person there using the trees for a toilet!

This may get lost in translation

consider revising to in this decade it's not acceptable to be using trees as latrines

LOL!!
Like the car, that is proper!!

[wsn03]

cardigankid said:

wsn03 said:

cardigankid said:

I have never been to Le Mans and planning to come next year with wife and boys, 20 & 26. I was looking for somewhere to camp, and am totally up for this. Where is the best place to buy tickets?

Noted, I'll add you to the list and contact you in September.
We bought our tickets at the entrance to Tetre Rouge this year, far cheaper than ordering them from agents in the UK

You mean you can just wait until the event and buy your ticket on the way in? I looked at Beermountain and got the clear impression that tickets get sold out in July of the previous year (i.e. now) and you could find yourself dealing with ticket touts.

What’s the score with cars? Can you park next to your tent like a regular campsite? We would bring a (reasonably sizeable) 4 man tent. We could come in a limo, a couple of sports cars, or even rent a motor home if that’s the best option.

Is it worth bringing grub to barbecue (I’ve got about the best source in the UK for this) or is that coals to Newcastle.

Lastly, is it likely to end up like Glasto in the rain, or will it be fairly civilised? That would affect our choice of transport. The pictures look great, certainly, and the words ‘cake shop’ caught my attention.

Sorry for all the naive questions, but this is all totally new to me.

Hello
1. You can buy GA tickets on the gate at Tetre Rouge, there's a ticket booth by the entry. 83 Euros, cheaper than buying from a UK agency.
We found a shop selling lanyards and ticket holders by the entrance where the museum is too.

2. Cars - there is a lot of driveway and parking. The grass the tents go on is a good 12inches or more raised from the hard stuff so cars are not parked next to tents, generally a few yards away. The owner finds us places to park. Motorhomes are on the hard standing, we had one parked on the edge of the camping area, see picture



3. No need to buy food! 5 minutes away by car, on a quiet road with no traffic is a butchers full of seasoned meat, including on skewers for the bbq...looks superb. Next to it is a very good bread shop. There are various other little shops nearby selling all the usual convenience items too. If its the 24hr you're coming too I will be able to show where everything is.



3. Rain - the long drive and hard standing means rain is not a problem at all.

No question is a bad question. The more you ask on here is the more you're helping others to be sold on it. We love the place, and we'd like it to succeed so that it stays as a campsite. We've even decided to bring a portable loo and shower in the event our owner doesn't deliver!! Sounds nuts, but we just don't want to be anywhere else (having stayed on other sites) - when you stay there you'll see why.

[wsn03]

cardigankid said:

Looks ideal!

One last point - when best to arrive and when to leave, if doing the full event?

My recommendation...but everyone is different

We sail Wed night - the boat journey and the big dinner we have on it is a treat in itself - St Malo sailing sets off 815pm, so lots of time for a good evening and a full nights sleep.

We do this to get to Le Mans Thursday afternoon.

This year our plan:

Thurs pm - museum and Village shops etc at the circuit
Eve: dinner at Arnage or KFC on the circuit
Night: Qualifying at the Grandstand

Friday: am- pitlane walkabout
Pm - St Saturnin car show
Eve - dinner in a village with a local mate of mine

Saturday: pm: stadium for race start
Eve: outback sections of the course for dinner and viewings
Night: Tetre Rouge

Sunday: am - pack up, Arnage corner (but probably too hung over)
Pm: stadium for finish and podium
430pm - head for Calais. Dinner en route in Rouen, hotel in Boulogne Sur Mer

Mon: am - sail Calais/ Dover

I would love to stay a lot longer but im doing Moto 24 Le Mans and Spa...my missus only has a finite sense of humour

Let me get confirmation regarding washrooms before you fix this site as a plan

Then I'll tell you where everything is when you get there

Edited by wsn03 on Friday 28th June 20:19

[wsn03]

cardigankid said:

The family is up for this but want me to take a motor home, which I will need to rent for the occasion. I see that Brittany Ferries don’t open their bookings until October. Thought of coming over on the Wednesday or the Thursday assuming we can get on the boat.

One of our group brought a motorhome. Booked in December I think it was, no problems outbound to St Malo and inbound on the tunnel. The site takes motorhomes

[wsn03]

cardigankid said:

The family is up for this but want me to take a motor home, which I will need to rent for the occasion. I see that Brittany Ferries don’t open their bookings until October. Thought of coming over on the Wednesday or the Thursday assuming we can get on the boat.

Btw if you're in a motorhome dont plan on using it to drive around, you'll struggle to park it anywhere. Get a motorhome with a big boot for bikes. We use folding bikes that we pick up on ebay and gumtree - I paid between 15 and 50 quid each for all of mine....bought over several months. Our motorhome guys travelled around in our cars and on bikes.

On bikes you can from our site reach the stadium, the museum and Village shops, the restaurant on the Mulsanne Straight, Arnage village and the bread shop and butchers up the road. Just get cycle fit before you go, 2 of our guys didn't and it slowed us down a lot....its nothing major but saddle sore and lack of fitness was a bit much for them.
We wore hi-viz jackets ( you have to travel with them in a car by law) and lights.


Those GA tickets get you into the stadium where we sit on blankets to watch the start and finish on giant banking opposite a big screen. At qualifying you can get into.many of the grandstands including opposite the pits

[wsn03]

B'stard Child said:

Any Updates?

Im about to find someone French to speak to this guy. Give me a couple of weeks

Edited by wsn03 on Tuesday 17th September 13:25

[wsn03]

Update:
I had a computer and my data fatally crash last week. All now recovered onto a brand new machine picked up today.

A friend of mine is planning to get a local to ring the campsite to read out a letter explaining the possible interest I have from here, looking for confirmation regarding hiring or building facilities for Le Mans 24.

I should have feedback on all that I would expect around mid October, then I will follow up to see who is still interested in going ahead with staying there for 2020.

We have decided to stay regardless because we like it so much. We have found fold away portable shower and loo as well - in a worst case scenario that will be our solution, but we're not going to tell the campsite owner that!

Edited by wsn03 on Saturday 28th September 00:10

[wsn03]

itcaptainslow said:

Super, thanks for that

You're welcome!!

[wsn03]

Rs2oo said:

Hi. I'm not going to LMS next year but a friend who has never been before wants to go with his wife as part of a touring holiday in France. He has a caravan. He's not on Pistonheads so can you message me with details so I can pass them on to him. Thanks.

Hi, will do this now

[wsn03]

FARP said:

Hi could you contact me by pm got a question for thanks

Hi
Will do this now

[wsn03]

FARP said:

Hi could you contact me by pm got a question for thanks

Hi there
Your user doesn't permit emails.
Mine now does, can you pm me and give me an email address?

Just click on my username and go for the "email user" option
Cheers