Le Mans '07 - from scotland

[NCH]

Hi all,

Anyone have any experience(s) of the best way, ie: cheapest, most straightforward, least hassle, most fun..etc way to get to le Mans from Scotland with car..

Any suggestions, tales, funny stories, or advice gratefully received!

Thanks

Niall

[tucker20]

Well, for us just travelling from London seems a long way BUT do it, you won't regret it!!
Sure others will be along with advice

[NCH]

Yeah, that's just it!

I went with a couple of friends to the 'Ring last year and that was great. Quality trip.. but it's a fair bit further to Le Mans.
Just curious if anyone had any recommendations on how to do it..

cheers

[RossG]

I'm Glasgow based and have done it for the last 3 years now.

I've only driven it once.

IMO, you are cheaper to drive to London, break there then get on an early ferry from Dover to Calais - these are usefully cheaper than the likes of the Rosyth or Hull ferries.

We usually leave on the Wednesday afternoon to head for London, then leave Le Mans on Sunday and drive north again on the Monday.

With a reasonable amount of hooning about at LM, you can bank on it being an 1800 - 2000 mile trip all in - and that's about certainly a good few hundred in fuel in the R32 at 20 ish mpg.

The cheaper alternative is flying to London and then going as a co driver - it's half the miles, and half the fuel.

But, there is something about taking your own car to LM.

Sadly, I'm not sure I can make it this year

Edited by RossG on Tuesday 27th February 17:35

[20vt_mk2dub]

Thats some fair old drive but oh boy will it be worth it.

A lot of respect for you doing that trip.

Get preparing

[hillfootsbadger]

I've done it 3 times from Stirling !

OK.....I cheat and fly to London and meet up with Team Badger !

[nicholas blair]

We're going from Rosyth to Zeebrugge.

Ferry out Thurs 14th PM / Into Zeebrugge Fri 15th AM. Works out about 4 - 5 hour drive to Le Mans depending on traffic.

Back Mon 18th PM/ Into Rosyth Tue 19th AM

Ferry can work out quite expensive but a few of us have got 2 bed berths inc car for £250 all in - Give them a shout www.superfast.com/

[NCH]

Thanks guys..

As I said before I went to Nurburgring last yr..
Took the ferry from Rosyth (superfast) to Zeebrugge then drove rest of way..

I was at a wedding in France last year, on same weekend as Le Mans, landed at Paris CDG airport with a mate, and thrapped hire car all way to west coast.. passing Le Mans on the way there and the way back..!!
Gutted watching all the bods in their cars hooning about, to and from..

Its a looooonnggg drive from Aberdeen to London/S coast for ferry, but ferry at Rosyth to Zeebrugge is ok, but longer drive from there to Le Mans.. I est. it at about 4-5 hrs depending on traffic..
Could be the only way to go tho really... just suck it up and burn it!

Will explore prices etc..
What is camping/accom. situation at the circuit etc ? Any suggestions ?

N

[markmullen]

It appears I might be going from Edinburgh, don't plan on overnighting though, did it year before last from Scarborough and its only another 200 miles

If anyone hears a sonic boom around Berwick very very early morning on the Wednesday then that'll be me

[ld1racing]

I've not confirmed my plan yet, but probably going from North Shields (I'm Newcastle based) to Amsterdam. The crossing is around 15 hours, and about £160 for the car and an inboard twin. Throw in a quick session at the 'ring (the track is open 1745-1930 on thursday 14th), arrive Le Mans on the Friday.

Works out less milage than a south coast ferry, even with the 'ring detour.

[hollowpockets]

i and a few others from aberdeen area are going rosyth-zeebrugge on the tuesday and back on the monday. this will be my first trip out the uk driving so can't wait!

[offshorematt2]

We're driving from Aberdeen to Ashford (north of Dover) on the Wednesday, ferry across on Thursday morning and on to Le Mans. We're leaving Le Mans on Monday, some heading south for a few days and the rest heading back up the road - probably the ones heading North will get accomodation somewhere on the way up and get home Tuesday but that said, in 2005, we drove from Le Mans to Aberdeen in the one day. Pretty tired at work on the Tuesday morning though!

[tvr driver]

Hi NCH

I live just outside Stirling and have been to le mans on 13 occassions in the last 14 years ( Oh the good old days !! )

I drive on the wednesday morning to north london and crash for the night before a 2 am start and a brisk ( empty roads ! ) drive to folkstone for a quick breakfast and a 6.20 crossing ( free autosport magazine on the tunnel and radio normally ) before a glorious run down to sez during the day ( you must take the N138 from Rouen as this is the real le mans route !! ) then a few beers and great food before a hazy friday morning run to the campsite

This is excellent fun and great driving last year we had a small convoy from dullatur services ( between Stirling and Glasgow ) and it was a good fun drive

We then either drive back on the monday to the tunnel and if feeling brave grab some food in blighty before a mighty run home then sleep for the next eleven months before we do it all again !!!!


Hi to Ricardo and Rpa Janwell who we travelled with last year ( I was the red griff )

Also hi to hillfoots as thats where i live also ( come to broomhall castle in menstrie this saturday and meet some of us tvr nuts if you are free

Otherwise roll on le mans

Tvr Driver

[FredericRobinson]

One of our crew lives in Berwickshire, last time he drove, via Dover, in his 1972 Landy, which isn't the smoothest drive and tops out at about 50 downhill with a huricane up its rear. It took him 3 days to get there and 2 to get back, the old girl coped quite well until the exhaust fell off on the A1 about 50 miles from home. The next challenge is to see how the Wolseley 18/85 rises to the challenge.

[NCH]

Thanks for the replies!
Reading your comments there are obviously different ways and means to get there..

At the moment I am leaning towards just hopping on ferry at Rosyth again and doing the drive from Zeebrugge to Le Mans with perhaps a stop on the way, and vice versa on the way back..
I think it would be the less tiring way to do it, and certainly on the way back would be an easier trip with a nice drive to the port and then hop on ferry for a comfortable overnight cruise, dinner and breakfast, then a quick hop from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. A couple of my mates agree I think.
Turns it into a slightly longer trip, but hey, what's a road trip without some roads!

cheers
Niall

[miniandy]

I drive down from Glasgow on the Wednesday, break the journey on the outskirts of London, then travel down to Dover first thing on Thursday. Results in lots of exotica on the journey and the boat, and a great run down. I couldn't do it any other way!

[s2_dpd]

We're out Rosyth to Zeebruge overnight on the 14th, back on the 18th.

I've done it before and a great crossing.

[//j17]

The way the guys we hooked up with on the ferry last year did it was:

1) Buy cheap MG Midget, unseen on eBay.
2) Drive South.

[Jammez]

I've riden down from just outside Stirling the last couple of years on the Wednesday. I stop over & meet up with the rest of the team just outside Birmingham, get drunk,stay the night, get up at 5am then head to Dover!

Might be chucking the bike in the van for the first bit this time as me arse gets numb & there's not many people to play with on the way down to Birmingham! It's not like the Thursday run to the ferry where there's always loads of exotica to keep us amused.

[Scoot100]

Driven from Glasgow twice to Portsmouth for overnighter, expensive, last year flew to London and went in mates car.

This year planning on Rosyth route, again same prices as Portsmouth but cuts out a long boring drive down the M6.