Tickets (or lack of them)
Discussion
The ACO are notoriously poor at confirming your order. We've always booked our tickets around September/October for the following year's race, and every year the ACO send out a letter in the January saying they haven't yet confirmed the actual date or the prices or anything. They then just send out the tickets with a few weeks to go to the main race (if you're going to PQ you can collect them from their office at the circuit) and this may or may not match what you ordered.
The best tactic is to telephone them and they can look you up on the computer and tell you what they have allocated you.
The best tactic is to telephone them and they can look you up on the computer and tell you what they have allocated you.
I spoke to the ACO today about ticket allocation they have confirmed that race entry tickets will be no problem, but at the moment they are only looking at October's booking forms. The only thing they would confirm is that virtually all the campsites are nearly full. Going to send E-Mail to them tonight to try and get a more definate answer any more news and ill let you know.
I’ve just got off the phone the ACO to check out booking.
Eight of us booked directly with them back in December.
They have told be that they are working on bookings that received in October at the moment and that they have already run out of camping space.
They have already started a waiting list but they said there is no point anyone who booked after October going onto it as there is just no space.
I can’t believe this, it’s just such a mess.
I’ve spoken to the TVRCC and they made their booking whilst at the race last year and even they did not get the allocation they wanted and the limited space they did get is scattered across all the camp sites.
Anyone got any comments / good ideas.
Eight of us booked directly with them back in December.
They have told be that they are working on bookings that received in October at the moment and that they have already run out of camping space.
They have already started a waiting list but they said there is no point anyone who booked after October going onto it as there is just no space.
I can’t believe this, it’s just such a mess.
I’ve spoken to the TVRCC and they made their booking whilst at the race last year and even they did not get the allocation they wanted and the limited space they did get is scattered across all the camp sites.
Anyone got any comments / good ideas.
Get the EC to pass a law banning the ACO from organising Le Mans. Give management rights to someone with slightly more organisational skills (say the NHS).
Alternatively, turn the unofficial wheel spin tournament into an official drag race. Tickets allocated based on your 0-100 times.
Alternatively, turn the unofficial wheel spin tournament into an official drag race. Tickets allocated based on your 0-100 times.
quote:
Anyone got any comments / good ideas.
????????
Is this true???
I got a letter confirming receipt of my booking when I faxed it off back in December. As such I've booked all the crossings now.
WTF do they send out confirmation if they have already booked up their allocation???
Idiots.
So are we saying that my mates and I are now going to be stuck with nowhere to stay having paid 120 quid for our crossings?
-andy-
Is this true???
I got a letter confirming receipt of my booking when I faxed it off back in December. As such I've booked all the crossings now.
WTF do they send out confirmation if they have already booked up their allocation???
Idiots.
So are we saying that my mates and I are now going to be stuck with nowhere to stay having paid 120 quid for our crossings?
-andy-
ok then if there is a group of you how about
find somewhere near to park/camp shuttle people in from there where you leave all the cars.
pay for one chap in a taxi to drive back from where you leave the cars.
take a bivi bag and stay at the racetrack for the duration.
plenty to eat/drink there
race tickets can be bought on the door
same chap dose the taxi to pick up one car and shuttle peeps back..
either that or park up off the road that runs parallel to the mulsanne.
hastle but better than losing a deposit to the ferry companies...
just a thought...
( bloody good job i bought an extra banker set of campsite tickets!!! in a campsite i didnt want incase the proper ones didnt come through
)
G
find somewhere near to park/camp shuttle people in from there where you leave all the cars.
pay for one chap in a taxi to drive back from where you leave the cars.
take a bivi bag and stay at the racetrack for the duration.
plenty to eat/drink there
race tickets can be bought on the door
same chap dose the taxi to pick up one car and shuttle peeps back..
either that or park up off the road that runs parallel to the mulsanne.
hastle but better than losing a deposit to the ferry companies...
just a thought...
( bloody good job i bought an extra banker set of campsite tickets!!! in a campsite i didnt want incase the proper ones didnt come through
)
G
When we went 5 years ago, our 1st time, we didn't even order any camping permits, we arrived at about midnight Friday, bought a camping ticket for 'camping blue' (about £10) off a french bloke at the gate and got set up, it may have changed a bit now but I wouldn't worry about it too much!
If any of you guys try to find hotel/B&B accomodation now I wish you luck - I started looking at the begining of february - everywhere but everywhere was booked up then. Spending hours and hours on the net, phone and fax I started looking further and further away - the first availability I got was around 50mls outside of Le Mans. I was despairing, especially as I had already booked the ferry from the wednesday before, but out of the blue I got a closer-in cancellation. I wouldn't want to go through that again. All I need now are my entrance and car park tickets from ACO.
For the last 3 years we have camped in Bleu parking - everyone does and its only a tenner. Saying that, this year we have been lucky enough to get tickets for Houx.
Blue parking is fine, just don't expect much in the way of facilities - can always go to one of the other proper camping sites if you want a shower etc. Also, it can be a bit of a nightmare if you want to take your car out over the w/e - some local Frenchie invariably nicks your parking spot, but its not the end of the world....
Don't let the lack of somewhere to camp put you off, you will be fine. It worried me the first year turning up on spec, but I would happily do it again if necessary. We have only bothered to get a proper camping place as we want to got out to a nice restaurant in town and have the parking issue mentioned above to contend with!
Blue parking is fine, just don't expect much in the way of facilities - can always go to one of the other proper camping sites if you want a shower etc. Also, it can be a bit of a nightmare if you want to take your car out over the w/e - some local Frenchie invariably nicks your parking spot, but its not the end of the world....
Don't let the lack of somewhere to camp put you off, you will be fine. It worried me the first year turning up on spec, but I would happily do it again if necessary. We have only bothered to get a proper camping place as we want to got out to a nice restaurant in town and have the parking issue mentioned above to contend with!
I've been about 4 or five times now and always had camping. I wasn't going to go down last year as I didn't organise camping in time but then WEZO gave me the tip about Bleu parking as one of our party had a camper we thought we would give it a go. The camper drove down there on the Thursday and I took the Griff down there on the Friday night. I didn't arrive until about 12:30am and I just drove straight in and parked. I have received an email back from the ACO and they are saying there is no camping at the site so I guess I will be camping in Bleu again this year.
Just found out that we are on the waiting list even though we booked in October. ACO are completely useless. On a similar topic if anyone has taken out the ACO breakdown cover for the trip on the assumption that you actually get anything for your money - forget it and get AA cover.
There are at least 15 in our group (6 cars and 4 bikes) - How big is this blue car park ?
I should be there early Thursday so I keep you all a place if you like.
There are at least 15 in our group (6 cars and 4 bikes) - How big is this blue car park ?
I should be there early Thursday so I keep you all a place if you like.
Do people reserve spots in advance or is Bleu strictly turn up, first-come-first-served?
Also, as on my other posts, those who have lost their camping bookings through the ACO cock-up, are you still getting your Grandstand tickets etc? Do you pick these up there, or are they posted to you?
-andy-
Also, as on my other posts, those who have lost their camping bookings through the ACO cock-up, are you still getting your Grandstand tickets etc? Do you pick these up there, or are they posted to you?
-andy-
I've just spoken to the ACO again. We have now cancelled our booking for this year. We booked in December and are apparently on a waiting list with a 1000 or so other people. As there were eight of us that all booked at the same time and all wanted to camp together the ACO said there would be no chance of enough cancellations coming up, so we decided to knock it on the head this year. Our booking has now been transferred to 2003 and there are already quite a few booking for then an also 2004.
This Le Mans thing is just starting to get too popular
This Le Mans thing is just starting to get too popular
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