Best route to le-mans on friday morning

[copilot]

What's the best route to le-mans on the Friday morning? Only done it twice. First time was a last minute invite in a friend's camper van, great route with french flok waving most of the way in & plenty of roadside cafe stops. Second time as copilot in a TVR Tuscan2 great drive but got lost & saw no atmosphere until it was too late (queue into circuit).

Problem is, I can't recall the way we went first time. Any suggestions?

Edited by copilot on Thursday 8th March 20:31

[the leaper]

Hi Dave,

I've been going to LM since 1996 and always travelled down overnight Thursday or early-ish on Friday, back Monday morning. This year it's Friday as usual. I always use Le Shuttle so it's a dash from Calais. It's a case of

1. The fast run to Rouen
2. Coping with Rouen traffic via the route through the town, goods yards etc; time to grin and bear it, cool down etc.
3. Then the N128 traditional and great route, or the new A road, the latter being the faster. When we went to Le Classic Le Mans last year the new road cut the time by maybe an hour.
4. If you travel overnight petrol stations are few and far between. Some have auto pumps that take cards only but usually a UK card does not work. So if you're starting from Calais fill up there.

Matters to note:

4. There are police everywhere on the Friday, and probably other days too, so go over the limit at your peril. If you're caught you may be taken to the nearest ATM to pay the on the spot fine. If this sounds like taking your time to avoid fines, that's exactly it. Just enjoy the other great cars on the way down. If you want a recommended restaurant near Rouen to stop for lunch let me know.

5. I do not know where you're based at Le Mans. If in the town centre it's essential to get there before absolute latest 16:00 otherwise you will get wrapped up in the road closures created for the LM cars parade in the town centre, a disaster if you're trying to get to a centre hotel. This happened to me in 2005 and it took maybe 3 hours to do the last 2 miles. Also, if you're based at a near-circuit campsite be aware that the roads south of Le Mans are suffering badly with the new tramway being built, and also there will be LMers doing their stuff, creating havoc too (and why not!) near the circuit.

Good luck, and enjoy the trip down!

If you need any other advice you'll get it on the other Le Mans threads.

R

[fabster]

YAWN - Rouen and N128 - great if you want to line the gendarmes pockets. But go round east or west of rouen (eg via Yvetot) and the roads are better / emptier. Its all about the drive not about how short you can make it - drive faster for longer!!!!!!

[the leaper]

Fab, I agree the northern route is ace and usually empty. There's more peages though, but the spectacluar parts of the route maybe make up for this. Copilot refers to a Friday trip down so I assumed he needs to get to LM asap, so IMHO Rouen and the new a road is the fastest. R.

[copilot]

On one hand, I'm taking my 17 year old son for the first time and would love him to be able to take in the atmosphere, chill out, stop at the odd roadside coffee with complete strangers and chill...However i'm going with a couple of mates...TVR Tuscan & Cobra So... plan A was to chill on the way in and then spend an extra day on the way out getting lost! will need somewhere to stay (have another thread on that one). I'll know what will happen... I'll drive like a tt and get nikked

[DeanoX]

"drive faster for longer!!!!!"

Fabs - You been working on that excuse since you got beaten to Le Mans by a bunch of 4 seat family saloons ?

Edited by DeanoX on Thursday 8th March 23:25

[lynxd67]

If the question is "what route to take from the port of arrival" your choices are limitless. However, if the question is "what's the best way to get to the circuit on arrival at Le Mans" then, since I live here, my advice would be simple. Take the A28 around Le Mans direction Tours. Exit the autoroute at the signpost marked ZI Sud and you then take the southern ringroad marked Laval. This is the road that takes you direct to the circuit. Yes, there will be queues but coming down the N138 from St Saturnin, around the inner ring road past the university, and then the enormous bottleneck from there to the circuit will be a damned sight worse.

[chrisgr31]

DeanoX said:

"drive faster for longer!!!!!"

Fabs - You been working on that excuse since you got beaten to Le Mans by a bunch of 4 seat family saloons ?

It is rather amusing when driving ones diesel to or from Le Mans and to have all the exotica blat past you at warp speed, only to then pass them again as they are all queueing to refill for the second time!

Mind you I do remember in the days before child blatting down in my Impreza pre autoroute, and after a days delay in Rouen awaiting a new tyre. Found a motorbike and followed him reasoning that if it was safe for him to pass it was safe for me to pull out and look. When he realised what I was doining he went right over the other side of the road so I knew it was clear. Had a stunningly fast journey from Rouen to Le Mans! Thanks mate whoever you were.

[DeanoX]

My quickest journey from Calais to Le Mans?

Going back 2 weeks after Le Mans to collect my Impreza I had to leave there to be repaired. No stops. No distractions. No traffic. And all in a 1.2 Hire Ka.

Very very dull though :-D

Edited by DeanoX on Monday 12th March 10:45