2025 Le Mans with a 6 year old!
Discussion
If you’re in a group staying en circuit plus GS tickets allows flexibility and meet up points
Ideally a private site with food provided and marquees and TVs etc so can follow race and have shelter et. - ones with trackside or short walk to track even better
Off site with a group is a pain driving in and o on taking up etc - enough driving getting there so don’t need 30 mins of queues etc
Private site with decent security also good for when you stay back at campsite etc
Ring up school for sicky Monday and don’t rush back Sunday
Edit- doing it as above costs an arm and leg so make the most of it
Out can walk on track after race and avoid crush by podium- decent walk back after race and then an easy Sunday is worth it
Ideally a private site with food provided and marquees and TVs etc so can follow race and have shelter et. - ones with trackside or short walk to track even better
Off site with a group is a pain driving in and o on taking up etc - enough driving getting there so don’t need 30 mins of queues etc
Private site with decent security also good for when you stay back at campsite etc
Ring up school for sicky Monday and don’t rush back Sunday
Edit- doing it as above costs an arm and leg so make the most of it
Out can walk on track after race and avoid crush by podium- decent walk back after race and then an easy Sunday is worth it
Edited by RL17 on Friday 28th June 18:35
Just to say, staying off site and driving in each day isn't quite as bad as it's sometimes portrayed. We had zero difficulties last year and this year we only had queues of about 20 minutes getting in to Expo parking on race day, having stopped for breakfast in Arnage (as we do every day!). In fact the only bad queue we had was getting out of Expo at about 12.30 am on race night, but that was just very poor organisation/stewarding. Of course it depends on where you choose to stay. We have always been pretty lucky with traffic.
Edited by Aysedasi2 on Saturday 29th June 08:18
If you’re going to do it, do it like we did this year. Travel Destinations, Silver Glamping. Really good bed, walkable from the circuit, grandstand tickets (vital, we did T21 which was basically perfect), cooked food and great company.
It’s expensive, but if you stay in the public camping you’re taking a massive risk and they wee one may have a miserable time. So spending the money on Porsche Curves private camping is the best way to do it.
I took my 12 year old with me this year, and there times when he was exhausted and REALLY needed a comfortable bed to crash in.
It’s expensive, but if you stay in the public camping you’re taking a massive risk and they wee one may have a miserable time. So spending the money on Porsche Curves private camping is the best way to do it.
I took my 12 year old with me this year, and there times when he was exhausted and REALLY needed a comfortable bed to crash in.
Aysedasi2 said:
Just to say, staying off site and driving in each day isn't quite as bad as it's sometimes portrayed. We had zero difficulties last year and this year we only had queues of about 20 minutes getting in to Expo parking on race day, having stopped for breakfast in Arnage (as we do every day!). In fact the only bad queue we had was getting out of Expo at about 12.30 am on race night, but that was just very poor organisation/stewarding. Of course it depends on where you choose to stay. We have always been pretty lucky with traffic.
Likewise we stayed off circuit this year and last, ten mins down the 323 into Expo. Never queued in and only Sat evening was a bit tricky getting out, but didn’t really delay us. Previously we’d done Thomas Cook, and that was excellent, even then wasn’t cheap. On circuit options thinner all the time and having a proper bed, shower, kitchen, outdoor space has proven to be a revelation. Camping is done!Edited by Aysedasi2 on Saturday 29th June 08:18
Drove in Fri, Sat and Sun… from south direction, exiting into Expo.
Zero.. literally no queue. (Top marks to ACO for revised entry set up, taking away any back log on the road)
Park, cross the road and into entrance.
Slightly slow exiting on Sunday as you’d expect, but nothing extreme.
Zero.. literally no queue. (Top marks to ACO for revised entry set up, taking away any back log on the road)
Park, cross the road and into entrance.
Slightly slow exiting on Sunday as you’d expect, but nothing extreme.
kris450 said:
Going against the grain here compared to most answers but my friend has brought his son the last 2 years. He's was 6 and obviously then 7. Absolutely good as gold the entire weekend and loved every second. They came down on Friday morning and left an hour before the end and listened to it on radio Le Mans, due to him needing to be back for school.
We were camped on Houx as we've done so for years and had grandstand tickets. Not one single issue with noise, the crowds or any of the walking. Oh and the major bit of kit he brings for him is some ear defenders !!
Trouble here I think is nobody knows your child like you do (obvious again). He may adore every second or be bored after 20 minutes. Only you can really know what may happen.
I was scanning through this topic, when I realised this was my friend, and my son he was talking about!We were camped on Houx as we've done so for years and had grandstand tickets. Not one single issue with noise, the crowds or any of the walking. Oh and the major bit of kit he brings for him is some ear defenders !!
Trouble here I think is nobody knows your child like you do (obvious again). He may adore every second or be bored after 20 minutes. Only you can really know what may happen.
I grew up with my Dad telling me about Le Mans, and as soon as I was old enough I wanted to go, and as soon as I had kids then I wanted them to come too. I don’t mind admitting that last year at the start of the race my eyes were glassy thinking about having him there with me for the first time. It’s fantastic bonding time and, more importantly, he loved it.
Now, he is something of a nerd when it comes to sport, and F1 in particular, and is a big Ferrari fan, which has helped the last two years. He would happily sit in the stand for hours watching the cars, taking it in, and timing them himself. If your child is at all similar, then I see no reason why they wouldn’t love it too.
It’s a different experience to when you go without kids, obviously, but not necessarily worse for it. I missed out on some night racing, but was up earlier to go and watch in the morning with him, for example.
We have been to Le Mans a lot, so are well drilled, and know our way around, as a group, which definitely helps. We stay in Houx, which is well located, so doesn’t need much walking. It can get noisy, especially when the bands are on nearby, but he slept through it all no problem, without any ear defenders even. I brought ear defenders for the track, but they weren’t needed as much this year. Probably because there was no NASCAR this time!
I would say grandstand seats are essential. We are in the Goodyear Stand, which is an awesome viewing spot, is good for all the theatre before the start of the race, and has a screen in front of it, so makes it very easy to follow the race. We get tickets through Just Tickets, who have been great with us. This year we discovered the Family Zone, which is a good place to get away from crowds for a bit, there’s some games for them to get involved in, and queues for food and drink are shorter. There’s a screen there too, so don’t miss out. Toilet queues are a problem at most of the circuit, so that is something to think ahead on. Likewise, use the showers in the evenings to avoid the crowds.
As Kris says, we came down early on Friday, and left on Sunday. It would be great to go down for Thursday for the qualifying, and leave on the Monday, like we used to. To be honest though, with a walk on the track and the pitlane on Friday, support races and the race itself on Saturday and Sunday, it’s plenty, and still feels like value and cracking weekend.
Hope that helps
hughc4s said:
This year we discovered the Family Zone, which is a good place to get away from crowds for a bit, there’s some games for them to get involved in, and queues for food and drink are shorter. There’s a screen there too, so don’t miss out.
Shhhh! Don't tell everyone about it! I spent a fair bit of time there this year, despite being at the circuit on my lonesome this time. It was really quite civilised.I'd also recommend taking kids to the retro gaming tent, which was over by the concert stage. Good nostalgia for parents and lots of games for the kids to have a go at too.
Le Mans 2025 Review – With a 6-Year-Old
Last night, we returned from our first father-and-son trip to Le Mans – and it couldn’t have gone better.
Most, if not all, of the concerns I had beforehand didn’t come to pass, so I thought a write-up of our weekend might help others considering a similar trip.
Friday 13th June 2025
We left Essex around 05:30 to catch the 08:36 Eurotunnel train to France. Despite leaving my wallet behind (which added 45 minutes to our journey), we still managed to catch a slightly earlier train from Folkestone. The drive there was incredibly quiet, giving us time for a quick coffee and toilet stop before breezing through an empty border control.
I followed Google Maps straight to Le Mans without stopping, and we arrived in around 4 hours and 15 minutes. At this point, I must say the Emovis tag was a lifesaver – especially since my 6-year-old, Cooper, slept for three hours of the journey. For context, he usually doesn’t sleep that long in the car due to the uneven UK roads, but the smooth French toll roads worked wonders.
We had originally booked to camp at Hippodrome, but managed to switch to Houx the Tuesday before – and I’m so glad we did. Not only was it closer to the circuit, but we were also pitched opposite a brilliant group of men who made both of us feel welcome, safe, and part of the group. I only caught one name (Chris), but they genuinely made a huge difference to the experience – Cooper truly believed we were all one big team.
That afternoon, we headed into the circuit to get our bearings and explore the kids' zone. It was extremely hot – the car read 34°C when we arrived – so the kids' area provided much-needed shade. We spent most of the afternoon there, enjoying video games, quad biking, and even a mini Ninja Warrior-style course. We grabbed some dinner at the circuit before calling it a night in the tent.
There was very loud music in the campsite until around 3 or 4am, but surprisingly it didn’t affect our sleep too much.
Saturday 14th June 2025
I tried to keep Cooper asleep on Saturday morning, but he had other ideas and was wide awake by 06:30! After a quick shower, we popped to Boulangerie Feuillette in Arnage for breakfast – a well-recommended spot.
We took it easy in the morning to conserve energy, heading to our seats in T18 (ACO Grandstand) for the race start. We arrived around 14:30 and, in true child fashion, Cooper promptly fell asleep – and stayed asleep until around 18:30 – missing the entire start! I, however, sat back, relaxed, and listened to the coverage on Radio Le Mans.
His long nap paid off, though, as it meant we could enjoy the night racing together. We explored from T18 all the way to Tertre Rouge, finally heading back to camp around 01:30.
Sunday 15th June 2025
We were up early again on Sunday, as we planned to leave between 13:00 and 14:00. After packing up the car, we headed back to the grandstand with breakfast in hand and spent the morning between Maison Blanche and Tertre Rouge. We also visited the Manufacturer Village to collect a few freebies!
We finally left Houx around 13:30 and arrived in Calais around 17:30–18:00, with Cooper sleeping most of the way again.
Summary
We didn’t encounter any of the massive crowds people had warned us about. While there was a fair amount of walking – 5 miles on Friday, 12 on Saturday, and 7 on Sunday – we could have saved some distance by using the free shuttle trains and buses.
Every 6-year-old is different, but Cooper was crying when we left, wanting to stay "another night like our friends in the campsite". Unfortunately, school and work beckoned. That said, getting ahead of the rush and listening to the final few hours on Radio Le Mans made the journey home fly by.
We’ll definitely be back next year, life permitting – and if you’re thinking about taking your little one, I wholeheartedly say: go for it.
Last night, we returned from our first father-and-son trip to Le Mans – and it couldn’t have gone better.
Most, if not all, of the concerns I had beforehand didn’t come to pass, so I thought a write-up of our weekend might help others considering a similar trip.
Friday 13th June 2025
We left Essex around 05:30 to catch the 08:36 Eurotunnel train to France. Despite leaving my wallet behind (which added 45 minutes to our journey), we still managed to catch a slightly earlier train from Folkestone. The drive there was incredibly quiet, giving us time for a quick coffee and toilet stop before breezing through an empty border control.
I followed Google Maps straight to Le Mans without stopping, and we arrived in around 4 hours and 15 minutes. At this point, I must say the Emovis tag was a lifesaver – especially since my 6-year-old, Cooper, slept for three hours of the journey. For context, he usually doesn’t sleep that long in the car due to the uneven UK roads, but the smooth French toll roads worked wonders.
We had originally booked to camp at Hippodrome, but managed to switch to Houx the Tuesday before – and I’m so glad we did. Not only was it closer to the circuit, but we were also pitched opposite a brilliant group of men who made both of us feel welcome, safe, and part of the group. I only caught one name (Chris), but they genuinely made a huge difference to the experience – Cooper truly believed we were all one big team.
That afternoon, we headed into the circuit to get our bearings and explore the kids' zone. It was extremely hot – the car read 34°C when we arrived – so the kids' area provided much-needed shade. We spent most of the afternoon there, enjoying video games, quad biking, and even a mini Ninja Warrior-style course. We grabbed some dinner at the circuit before calling it a night in the tent.
There was very loud music in the campsite until around 3 or 4am, but surprisingly it didn’t affect our sleep too much.
Saturday 14th June 2025
I tried to keep Cooper asleep on Saturday morning, but he had other ideas and was wide awake by 06:30! After a quick shower, we popped to Boulangerie Feuillette in Arnage for breakfast – a well-recommended spot.
We took it easy in the morning to conserve energy, heading to our seats in T18 (ACO Grandstand) for the race start. We arrived around 14:30 and, in true child fashion, Cooper promptly fell asleep – and stayed asleep until around 18:30 – missing the entire start! I, however, sat back, relaxed, and listened to the coverage on Radio Le Mans.
His long nap paid off, though, as it meant we could enjoy the night racing together. We explored from T18 all the way to Tertre Rouge, finally heading back to camp around 01:30.
Sunday 15th June 2025
We were up early again on Sunday, as we planned to leave between 13:00 and 14:00. After packing up the car, we headed back to the grandstand with breakfast in hand and spent the morning between Maison Blanche and Tertre Rouge. We also visited the Manufacturer Village to collect a few freebies!
We finally left Houx around 13:30 and arrived in Calais around 17:30–18:00, with Cooper sleeping most of the way again.
Summary
We didn’t encounter any of the massive crowds people had warned us about. While there was a fair amount of walking – 5 miles on Friday, 12 on Saturday, and 7 on Sunday – we could have saved some distance by using the free shuttle trains and buses.
Every 6-year-old is different, but Cooper was crying when we left, wanting to stay "another night like our friends in the campsite". Unfortunately, school and work beckoned. That said, getting ahead of the rush and listening to the final few hours on Radio Le Mans made the journey home fly by.
We’ll definitely be back next year, life permitting – and if you’re thinking about taking your little one, I wholeheartedly say: go for it.
Great review OP. I was there for my first visit with my 3 year old son and was thinking it could be great or a disaster, overall it was great!
It was indeed very hot but I would certainly take that over pouring rain. The Family Fan Park was superb, we also went on the wheel which was excellent viewing!
Superb organization at the entire event and one of those memories that will be very special, he probs wont remember but he loved every minute of it. Car spotting in the camping areas as well as the track.
For kids who love cars and racing I would recommend, maybe I will add the helicopter ride next year if he is good!
It was indeed very hot but I would certainly take that over pouring rain. The Family Fan Park was superb, we also went on the wheel which was excellent viewing!
Superb organization at the entire event and one of those memories that will be very special, he probs wont remember but he loved every minute of it. Car spotting in the camping areas as well as the track.
For kids who love cars and racing I would recommend, maybe I will add the helicopter ride next year if he is good!
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