Spectator announcement
Discussion
When the heavy rain falls most of the campsites have problems, I remember many years ago (probably over 25) we were in town for the parade when a storm hit, We waited until it was over then drove back, the roads were blocked and after a detour we got back to the car entrance to houx and houx annex. What a shock 6 inches of water in the road and looking at the area around you could see the peaks of tents pocking out of water feet deep, the whole of the bottom parts of the campsites looked like a lake with floating debris that was once someones camping equipment. For many years now i have camped on high ground (the name gives it away)and even there you pick the spot using knowledge gained of many years to avoid certain area's.
NEVER camp at the bottom of Houx Anexe. If it rains, (and water runs downhill you know) I have seen so many people completely flooded out.
On a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
On a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
I think that is inevitable due to the situation, the lack of income from the events will push many local businesses into insolvency, but surely the french Gov't is doing something similar to the UK to try and help.
When/if we do go in September it will be a shorter trip and, as things will be more based at the circuit, it is unlikely we will be spending as much. The spending we do will obviously be more likely to be closer to the circuit.
When/if we do go in September it will be a shorter trip and, as things will be more based at the circuit, it is unlikely we will be spending as much. The spending we do will obviously be more likely to be closer to the circuit.
gt6 said:
When the heavy rain falls most of the campsites have problems, I remember many years ago (probably over 25) we were in town for the parade when a storm hit, We waited until it was over then drove back, the roads were blocked and after a detour we got back to the car entrance to houx and houx annex. What a shock 6 inches of water in the road and looking at the area around you could see the peaks of tents pocking out of water feet deep, the whole of the bottom parts of the campsites looked like a lake with floating debris that was once someones camping equipment. For many years now i have camped on high ground (the name gives it away)and even there you pick the spot using knowledge gained of many years to avoid certain area's.
One year I left the window open at our accommodation and got caught out by a storm. Took all night for the carpet to dry around the window. :-)lowdrag said:
NEVER camp at the bottom of Houx Anexe. If it rains, (and water runs downhill you know) I have seen so many people completely flooded out..
I feel this dread every year when i open the ticket pack and look at the campsite plots we have been given vs the map!! Although if the cat predicts it won't rain then i'm normally happy!On another note, I was able to add 4 GE tickets to my booking for September! After thinking it would be a case of picking them up on the gate at face value and this announcement moving to the idea of a limited capacity event, it's a relief!
Roll on September but its going to be a strange one with such a compressed schedule. Is anyone aware if things like the gigs will go ahead over the weekend or is that a stupid idea with social distancing?
lowdrag said:
NEVER camp at the bottom of Houx Anexe. If it rains, (and water runs downhill you know) I have seen so many people completely flooded out.
On a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
If it does go ahead with spectators, I don’t think keeping the numbers artificially low will be that much of a problem. Some headlines about people rushing off on holidays may be happening, but I just don’t see travel bouncing back to ‘normal’ levels. I don’t think attendance is also going to be that big for LM.On a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
I think for many the Le Mans trip is a nice to do in sunny June, but come September with reduced events around the race, many will simply not bother.
Will many of the usual stalls selling bits and pieces open up around the village areas? The race may be happening, but I think the place will feel a bit like a ghost town.
If it’s going ahead I’m going to do it, but like many there I think it will be the diehard fans only.
It must be so hard running any hospitality business in the area (and elsewhere). Hopefully people have enough or adapt to be able to ride it out. If a full on 2nd wave comes I see many places going under. I’m actually wondering what state the village I stay in will be business wise when I go back.
lowdrag said:
NEVER camp at the bottom of Houx Anexe. If it rains, (and water runs downhill you know) I have seen so many people completely flooded out.
On a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
we stayed there above the water line... there was a ditch however that took up a third of our space. Luckily our neighbours had a 8 pitch site and after beers and a chat, we invaded a little corner of their siteOn a different note, today's paper had a big article interviewing owners of camp sites in the area. This has nothing to do with the ACO sites, but the private ones a little further out favoured by many Brits and others. Many were saying that to date takings are down 80% and that for this month and the next there are very few bookings if any, even from the French. Moreover, extremely few from the Brits for September. There is much talk that many sites will go under by the end of the year.
Just thought you'd like to know.
LM240 said:
I think for many the Le Mans trip is a nice to do in sunny June
Eh? I've been going since 2016 and only 2017 was a "sunny June". 2016 it pished it down + dull most days
2018 was dull most days with awful hay fever
2019 was f
king cold Tues/Wed and warmed up Thurs but mega windy. The only one decent day was the Friday. Had this year been held on time it would have been nowt but rain.
In 20 years the worst I have seen was 2008, when the tunnels were full to about 2.5 metres on the Wednesday. Up to the level of the railings in the tunnel inside the main entrance.. A few years back I went to look at Beauséjour, and as one takes the track in toward the back all plots on the left had to be abandoned. I saw a lorry up to its axles in the mud. Maison Blanche and Bleu are sandy, so no worries, as is Houx, but I would always be wary of Beauséjour. And think on for this year. Autumn weather, so a probability rather than a possibility of rain, temperatures that might well be in single figures at night (it's July, and it was 6C this morning) plus shorter days and it can either be one of those glorious autumn weekends or else....... I leave it to you to imagine. "Have a nice time", as the Yanks glibly say.
lowdrag said:
In 20 years the worst I have seen was 2008, when the tunnels were full to about 2.5 metres on the Wednesday. Up to the level of the railings in the tunnel inside the main entrance.. A few years back I went to look at Beauséjour, and as one takes the track in toward the back all plots on the left had to be abandoned. I saw a lorry up to its axles in the mud. Maison Blanche and Bleu are sandy, so no worries, as is Houx, but I would always be wary of Beauséjour. And think on for this year. Autumn weather, so a probability rather than a possibility of rain, temperatures that might well be in single figures at night (it's July, and it was 6C this morning) plus shorter days and it can either be one of those glorious autumn weekends or else....... I leave it to you to imagine. "Have a nice time", as the Yanks glibly say.
As I mentioned before, I went to LM for the truck race 28–29 September 2019. During the day it was quite warm and got a bit cold in the evening. It pissed it down early Sunday morning, but I was OK to walk from my tent to the Houx squat bogs for a shower...and in my dressing gown, which got me a bit of stick from the French folk who were still up drinking at 6am.The only thing I took note of was how rough the overnight crossing was from Portsmouth to St Malo - I got lobbed out my bunk at around 3am. It was the same coming back from Dieppe on the Sunday which saw me hide in the empty kiddy's soft play area...damn...those were some rough seas!
I was wondering, if it goes ahead with reduced numbers will they just open a smaller amount of bsj. We normally go to the same pitch which is higher ground, even that has been to boggy on a couple of occasions, one year they put us in the fields next door and another they put us in expo car park.
I can't see them roping off sections of campsites (other than marking out pre-flooded zones if it has been wet in the lead up to the race week), it'll be all or nothing.
There might be a minor saving if there's a couple of toilet fewer to clean but otherwise it doesn't cost them anything to have the whole site open.
I'm also assuming that because there hasn't been any further announcements and we haven't seen people getting swapped into other campsites that everything is going to be open as normal.
There might be a minor saving if there's a couple of toilet fewer to clean but otherwise it doesn't cost them anything to have the whole site open.
I'm also assuming that because there hasn't been any further announcements and we haven't seen people getting swapped into other campsites that everything is going to be open as normal.
Anyone who uses St Malo for the trip, it will be worth keeping an eye out on their sailings.
The company who run the port have gone into administration and nothing is coming or going. How soon the issue is sorted awaits to be seen. This affects condor ferries and Brittany ferries. Using alternative ports also seems an issue because the other dock workers are standing with the st malo staff and said they’d strike if usual routes were diverted.
I’m starting to look at other options as taking the car (or not) becomes difficult where I live.
So far my options look like;
- Ferry to UK and then either get a ferry to Caen or use the eurotunnel. Pro and cons either way or a bit of mix and match with timings available.
- Fly to UK and then to Paris and rent a car.
- Fly to UK and then to Nantes and rent a car.
- Even looking at a company that operates a former landing craft and operates freight and doing the crossing on that!
Potentially going to be a bit of a nightmare, but hopefully the issue will be sorted by September. A lack of a decent schedule could become the next issue then.
The company who run the port have gone into administration and nothing is coming or going. How soon the issue is sorted awaits to be seen. This affects condor ferries and Brittany ferries. Using alternative ports also seems an issue because the other dock workers are standing with the st malo staff and said they’d strike if usual routes were diverted.
I’m starting to look at other options as taking the car (or not) becomes difficult where I live.
So far my options look like;
- Ferry to UK and then either get a ferry to Caen or use the eurotunnel. Pro and cons either way or a bit of mix and match with timings available.
- Fly to UK and then to Paris and rent a car.
- Fly to UK and then to Nantes and rent a car.
- Even looking at a company that operates a former landing craft and operates freight and doing the crossing on that!
Potentially going to be a bit of a nightmare, but hopefully the issue will be sorted by September. A lack of a decent schedule could become the next issue then.
Chrisgr31 said:
Excuse me can we have positive stories about Beausejour please as I am in there this year! Really wanted Expo but couldnt get in!
It's a great campsite. Lots of space, and usually you can spread out a little. We do have a head start because we have found most of the floody bits, and now know where to avoid camping...We have added a strimmer to our camping list as one memorable damp year aco had not tried to cut the grass at all in our favoured plot.
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