Le Mans Newbie at 65!!

[BenLowden]

Strasse said:

This might be helpful

https://www.le-mans-guide.co.uk/where-to-shop

2020 website will be published by the end of the month.

Enjoy
Strasse

Fantastic guide Strasse! I'll be putting a link to that in a new page shortly.

[Kev_Mk3]

I set my sat nav for Antares (its the tram stop at the stadium) then follow the signs in down a road. Its simple to follow and will probably come off the mulsanne

[lemans newbie]

Big Robbo said:

You shouldn't have any problems leaving on Monday morning. Were doing the same leaving early Monday, stopping for breakfast at Rouen, before running up to Calais via Leclercs in Boulogne to fill up the boot with alcohol.
Any thing else you want to know just ask

Many thanks for the above, I plan to leave the campsite early on Monday morning and stopping overnite at Rouen as will be totally knackered after watching as much of drivers action as I can. As only me driving will not be pushing it. What will roads leaving campsite arears be like in early Monday morning (6-7.00ish)

[FredericRobinson]

Very quiet on the Monday morning, if you're only going as far as Roeun there's no need to get yourself up early

[Cass63]

Very quiet Monday morning, easy get away, I don’t know why anyone leaves a car on the campsite if they leave after the race, it’s manic.

[The Leaper]

lemans newbie said:

Many thanks for the above, I plan to leave the campsite early on Monday morning and stopping overnite at Rouen as will be totally knackered after watching as much of drivers action as I can. As only me driving will not be pushing it. What will roads leaving campsite arears be like in early Monday morning (6-7.00ish)

I have driven to/from Le Mans several times in my 60s, to/from home in Surrey without an overnight stop. In France much of the trip is on motorways so really good to do significant distances in a day.

R.

[LawrieC]

I usually leave around 11am, and whilst there is a bit of traffic, its nothing like the UK, with the exception of Rouen. Give the morning rush hour some clearance, but arrive before the schools kick out. If you don't use the motorway, then Alencon could be a bit busy before 9am. Have an extra couple of hours in bed, and go the pretty way, as its your first trip. Plus you could always go to somewhere like Pegasus Bridge, if you want to kill a few hours.

[leyorkie]

Rouen
2 hours on the motorway
3 hours on the old N147
If you leave at 7 am you have a lot of time to kill in Rouen.

[surveyor]

Don’t go through the centre and absolutely fine. Centre is probably fine too.

I suspect most of Le Mans has a Monday morning hangover that day, either through watching the race or making money out of it.

[JT3K]

Last few years on the bounce, main campsites have had security until at least early hours of Monday morning. Seems the ACO have finally listened. 2017 however I was awoken at 03:45 by some "scrap collector" idling a knackered Transit next to my head on Bleu Sud. You'll want to be gone early on Monday as most are out by 07:00 to get ferries and you become much more interesting to unpleasant types.

[//j17]

@lemans newbie I'd be tempted to tweak your return plans slightly.

Yes, you can stay on the campsite on the Sunday night and Houx doesn't usually see too much in the way of 'antics' from life's window-lickers and we only ever experienced very polite recyclers. That said not everyone will be planning a slow, late drive home like you so you can expect it to sound like somsone's starting an engine right next to your tent every 15 min. right through the night. I've done the Sunday night and enjoy it - when in a big group. Just one or two of you and I prefer to start heading back - it's just too depressing sitting there knowing you have to wait 360 days before it all starts again

Now leaving right after the race is usually a traffic jam, so I'm not suggesting that - but things clear up after a couple of hours. I usually watch the end of the race, then stroll back to my tent and start slowly packing up. By the time that's done the traffic's usually eased around the circuit (depending on the random traffic flow rules the ACO/local gov./police have decided to put in that year) so I head part way back and over-night in a hotel, revelling in the simple joy of being able to turn around in the shower without touching the walls with your ass, before heading out for a nice meal.

So that's how I'd tweak your schedule but I'd also tweak your route. Unless you have special reason for visiting I'd leave Rouen to the time poor. Yes, sitting at 130KPH on the Autoroute all the way from Le Mans to Calais is the quickest route. It's also the most boring. As you're not trying to hammer home so you can get to work on the Monday sod the Autoroute, just head cross country and enjoy the French back roads - somebody has to, the French don't leaving them generally empty!).

The route I take (down and back) runs Le Mans / Bonnetable / L'Aigle / Everaux (overnight on the way back) / Les Andelys / Gournay-en-Bray / Grandvilliers / Abbeville - at which point I join the Autoroute because the Pais du Calais is dull on ANY road. Catching ~7am Eurotunnel gets you to Les Andelys just in time for lunch/Le Mans around 4-5pm, and heading back the 2.5hrs drive to Everaux's about right for me - as is the ibis Budget in the middle of town with restaurant around the corner that servers till at least 11pm on a Sunday.

[davidd]

One of the big plus points of the porsche curves camping is that we can be ready to go bang on the end of the race. We go cross country to rouen then up the autoroute, not much traffic so can make reasonable (legal of course) progress.
We were home (cambridge) in bed by midnight..

[LawrieC]

davidd said:

…..We were home (cambridge) in bed by midnight..

I'm mostly packed up by midnight, enjoying a nightcap or two.

You've reminded me that if you need to leave when its busy, go south past Mulsanne village to the motorway junction near Ecommoy, and then head north via a couple of junctions, as you miss the town, and any queue to get on the A28. Likewise, if its busy there may be queues at the toll booths just short of Rouen, so get off at the one before (Brionne/Bourgtheroulde). This was very bad when they first opened the motorway, but I hear its better now

[FredericRobinson]

I've had no bother at the Rouen toll booths either Sunday night or Monday morning since the first year, when they were a shambles.