Travelling back on the sunday night...

[Rolls]

As title - thinking of heading back on the sunday night straight after the race this year rather than stay till the money as i'm rather short on leave at work..
So that begs the question - how much traffic am i likely to encounter? - will be catching the train, so need to head back via Rouen (ish)

[James_N]

I can only speak for Houx, but in previous years after the race, traffic has been at a standstill waiting to leave the site for hours and hours. Once your out the site though and onto the A28, its plain sailing.

I'll be leaving Houx on the sunday night night next year, but as my caen boat isn't until Monday morning, I'll be leaving Houx about 7pm after all the traffic has gone. Short drive up to caen, and park up at the docks and sleep in the caravan.

[Red Firecracker]

We normally leave about 9pm from Houx and have a very traffic free run up to Dieppe.

[Bantha Fodder]

Normally you can get away from most campsites easily enough by 5pm. Maybe earlier from some on the outside of the circuit. It is still possible to make the Eurotunnel after about 9pm, maybe 10pm to be on the safer side.

[Rolls]

That's what I was thinking - we're staying on the TL site, so give it a couple of hours after the madness has calmed down a bit, and then jump on the road? - or leave literally as its ended? - figure being literally ontop of the motorway where we're camping, we should be able to clear Le mans quickly... - its more the toll @ Rouen that worries me!

[Vette_1978]

I go for the leave right at the end. I've done it a few times but this has been driving up to Caen and not through Rouen. If you're at the TL site and watch from there then you could be out running clear pretty soon.

[Billywizz74]

In 2009 I left at about half four. We were parked near the airport, got to Calais for about half nine I think. It was a balls out drive back, very lucky not to get a tug.

[indyxe]

We were on bleu nord this year and after the race the traffic was grid locked for a couple of hours , by 6pm though the traffic was running freely , for the first year I'm leaving on the Sunday night about 6pm from houx ,

[Rolls]

Thanks for all of the input peeps! What do people find the tolls like on Sunday night? Generally pretty clear? Will just sit at slap bang on the speed limit the whole way tbh.. Had the joys of an armed escort off of the motorway once (and the lovely chaps relieved me of €90), and I'm not keen to repeat!

[Some Gump]

This year, we saw people taking 3 hours to get through the gates.
Leaving at peak time is an utter waste imo, you could be having one last barbie of le saucicon rouge,..

[Sealine South]

I always leave immediately after the finish. Wathc them come round through the Porsche Curves and get in the car and go.

I camp in Maison Blanche and I am out on the main roads within 10-15 minutes. The train is easy on Sunday night.

Done it that way for the last 5-6 years and never had an issue.

[SEE YA]

We always leave on the Monday morning, after a nice breakfast and then a drive for Caen for our ferry.

[gt6]

You should have no problem if you leave straight after the race from TL you head out under the tract at TR and then once you join the main rpad you can either head back into le mans (my choice) or join the ring road, if you are away quickly you will have no problem getting to Calais soon after 9.00 without having to risk speeding fines

[Rolls]

^^^ exactly my thinking!
Thanks for all of the input :-)

[BeeGT]

If I'm travelling at a time when the Rouen toll is going to be busy then I usually leave at the previous junction and cut the corner to rejoin the the A13 just east of the service area, just be aware that the toll booths at that junction are not manned and you park first then pay your toll via a ticket machine , but I've rarely waited behind more than three persons in front of me.

You can leave the Tertre Rouge area of the circuit on Sunday around 5pm-6pm and not be held up at all and aim for the Eurotunnel for circa 9.30pm-10.30pm.

[va1o]

We had no problems last year, left WRR just under an hour after the race finished and made it in time for the 21:45 crossing back to UK. Stopped a couple of times on the way and got lost in Rouen. Don't remember there been any traffic coming out of LM. Problem with going back on the Monday is all the s are out in force on the campsites Sunday evening.

[SEE YA]

va1o said:

We had no problems last year, left WRR just under an hour after the race finished and made it in time for the 21:45 crossing back to UK. Stopped a couple of times on the way and got lost in Rouen. Don't remember there been any traffic coming out of LM. Problem with going back on the Monday is all the s are out in force on the campsites Sunday evening.

They are around all the LeMans week, for us we just like a no rush trip back on Monday morning after breakfast for the afternoon ferry to Portsmouths.

Edited by SEE YA on Tuesday 31st December 22:58

[therealpigdog]

We left around midnight on Sunday after steak frites in Arnage. Very quiet roads and no gendarmes - needless to say we got to Calais far quicker than the trip down there. Definitely doing the same again next year.