Le Mans Virgin - 2009 plan look ok?

[BenH M Coupe]

I'm planning my first Le Mans trip this year after years of dithering - can't wait! I'm passing it off as my 30th birthday event although that is actually about 2 months earlier

I've been browsing all the info sources (This site, Beer mountain, Club Arnage etc) as regards ticket booking and, to the uninitiated, it still seems fairly bewildering! Given I have left it this "late" already, I reckon my best option is to avoid ACO direct and get campsite tickets with a reputable ticket agent. Given also that prices don't seem to be available until ACO announce them later in the Autumn, my plan is thus:

- get a few quotes for a few different campsites from a few agencies (eg justtickets etc)
- decide on the best deal/campsite and reserve them this month
- wait until prices / tickets confirmed before booking everything else like ferries etc

Does this all sound sensible?

In terms of where to camp, I guess this may be down to what is still available, but ideally we would like to:
- be close to the atmosphere/action/amenities (village?)
- avoid the chavs as far as possible
- be able to get at least a bit of sleep at some point
- we'll all be in cars, no need for full campsite service (but toilets and showers would be good!)

Specific questions it would be really helpful for anyone's advice on:

1) Would maison blanche & houx annexe be reasonable campsite choices for above criteria (poss also karting nord)?
2) Beausejour sounds like it is to be avoided for me due to chavs / location - sound right?
3) Do any of the ticket agencies supply campsite tickets WITHOUT general admission tickets (as seemingly these are easily/cheaply available directly from ACO at any time within reason)?
4) Presumably no need for parking tickets if buying sufficient campsite tickets?
5) Is there still construction work going on at some campsites?
6) Anything else I have missed!?

Many thanks in advance - sifting through old forum posts has been invaluable to get me this far already!

[GaryHetherington]

Hi, Can't answer all your questions but i can try to add a bit of info from my experiences:

1) not really sure - i always stay at expo and love it!
2) it's quite likely that through the agencies you'll only get beausejour now. Think most will take your booking now for any site you want then come april/may they'll tell you they've only got beausejour left. (Apologies to any decent agencies if this isn't correct but I'm just talking from my experiences.)
3) No! every agency i have ever spoken to will only sell a camping ticket with atleast 2 general admission tickets (at quite a big mark up). Try the tourist information office at le mans - got my tickets from them the last couple of years and they only charge the face value on camping and entrance tickets (+16.5 Euros for postage). Get your order in ASAP though as again most of the decent sites have probably already sold out.
4)correct - leave your car at the campsite and there is no need for any parking tickets.
5)there are a couple of other threads that talk about the building work going on at the moment. I'm sure they will be updated again soon by the guys that live nearby.
6)Don't leave it too late to book ferries/tunnel. The decent time crossings go pretty quick. Have booked our eurotunnel crossing already even so the ACO still hasn't confirmed the dates yet! Eurotunnel will let you change days/times at no charge just in case ACO don't go with expected date.

Hope that was some help!

[BenH M Coupe]

Many thanks Gary - useful stuff. I've emailed the tourist office but they don't have the 2009 form yet (obviously). I guess it's worth doing a tippex job and using it as 2009 if none of the agencies can help...

Anyone else have anything to add re staying at Beasejour site and whether it's worth contacting the agencies?

Cheers

[alman]

racectours.co.uk sorted me out fine the past two years, usually booked about december time and went maison blanche first then houx annexe this year.

[GaryHetherington]

BenH M Coupe said:

Many thanks Gary - useful stuff. I've emailed the tourist office but they don't have the 2009 form yet (obviously). I guess it's worth doing a tippex job and using it as 2009 if none of the agencies can help...

Anyone else have anything to add re staying at Beasejour site and whether it's worth contacting the agencies?

Cheers

First year I just emailed them and said I wanted Expo tickets so they said they would put my name on a list. Once the form came through got it back to them pretty quick and now they email me every year asking if i want them again. Quite nice helpful people too!

[MadMacMcMad]

Give the agencies a shout. Compare prices and look at posts on this forum after the 2008 event to guage the good from the bad.
Some of them are OK and will save you a lot of leg work.
No need to fork out cash yet, but worth looking around. If they want your cash now,look somewhere else. but always worth talking to them to get free info.

[jonesey]

Teamlangoustine is who I went with on my maiden voyage, fantastic site, inside tertre rouge, (30 seconds walk up the steps) showers and toilets that were cleaned 3/4 times a day, gated site with security and best of all awesome drinking buddies. They sorted ferries, grandstand ticketsthe whole lot.

[Slurms]

Techonopark is often available late, it's a good location and last year the site was great.(maybe because of flooding it was half empty)

Really good atmosphere on the friday night and ok the site doesn't have showers but it's only a couple of mins up the road to Karting Nord..

[Plug550]

Based on your requirements, ie value and basic parking, my advice would be to just turn up and pay on the gate. Forward planning is advisable when you need several adjacent pitches, warm showers, flushing karzi's, electric and all the home from home comforts. Pitching up and sleeping in your car is pretty well catered for!

[eddyendo]

hi there, we've been and stayed at houx annexe last 2 years. I am told in 09 that houx annexe won't be available as they are building a grandstand, but houx still is. The atmosphere is really good down there, and the roundabout is always good fun friday night.
A couple of mates stayed at karting nord, but it is a bit of a treck compared to houx which is about 10 mins walk from the village and grandstands.
I'd avoid basejours as like you say, chavs, and also all the danes get up there, who litterally bring their village, trampolines, swimming pools, tv's etc (abit wierd).
If you want an all in package check out ''team lagoustine''. We met some guys down there in 07 who were with them, and met them again this year. The ''team lagoustine'' organisers had hired their own field right next to houx annexe, and had set up a big tent with music and the like, and we all went over for a bit of a party. So thats good if you want the atmosphere, nice cars etc but without any chavsetc,

hop this helps, as it is abit of a stab in the dark first time round.

[BenH M Coupe]

Thanks to everyone for the responses - all helpful. Will be phoning round the agents in the next few days!

If Houx annexe is so big, where will all the people who normally go there go?!

[E36GUY]

BenH M Coupe said:

Thanks to everyone for the responses - all helpful. Will be phoning round the agents in the next few days!

If Houx annexe is so big, where will all the people who normally go there go?!

HA is actually pretty small compared to the other sites. And rocky and, IMO pretty crap looking! Not to mention all the damage that happened in 08 with cars getting keyed. Made me glad we were behind a fence

[BenH M Coupe]

I've been offered campsite tickets for Houx annexe from "reputable" agencies. I thought Houx Annexe would be much smaller / non-existant this year...? I'm a bit worried about reserving tickets which won't materialise in Nov/Dec and then being stuck with no tickets and no-one has anything decent left.

Also would it be foolish for one of my mates to camp next to his Ferrari on this campsite (from a security point of view)?

Anyone able to offer any advice?

Thanks

Ben

[dazV12]

hi bud
personally i'd go for maison blanche all the developments should be done, we were there this year and had no problems
why not join in with some other people your welcome to join us there should be about 12 of us this year,
if tickets are like last year there's no need to panic buy there were still available up until may last year but don't bank on it! we book at christmas and have no problems with tickets 2 u.
1 tip is make sure you buy 1 camping permit for every 2 of you as the 7x5 meter plot is really small you struggle to get a tent car and gazebo & barby up on one plot,
ferries? dover to calais will always be available
we use the speed ferry dover-boulgne that sold out about may as we tried to book another car on. if your running old or thirsty cars i'd recommend pompy to le havre or cherborge (excuse french spelling)its about 70 miles closer
just enjoy the trip down there as well as your time there, learn a few french words use them and stop off in a little village for lunch en-route

see you there
Daz
The gulp boys

[Blues]

jonesey said:

Teamlangoustine is who I went with on my maiden voyage, fantastic site, inside tertre rouge, (30 seconds walk up the steps) showers and toilets that were cleaned 3/4 times a day, gated site with security and best of all awesome drinking buddies. They sorted ferries, grandstand ticketsthe whole lot.

Another one here for Team Langoustine

My first time last year was brilliant. The guys looked after us all well. We were secure in a gated area, Marquee with Bar, large plasma TV with satellite for the racing. Plenty of clean toilets and hot showers.

I hadn't been camping for 40 years before last year, but am already looking forward to 2009

[ZOMBIEFLESHEATER]

Hi new to this game as well, my mates are growing up and we decided to try Le Mans next year as some work friends went a few years ago..
They told me to join PH to find the best way to get there, ie tickets ferries etc, this forum is cool and already I cant wait...When we get there is there an initiation....
Please help us novices..

[E36GUY]

No initiation however be warned. If you go once it's very likely you'll end up going every year. Great fun all round!

[ZOMBIEFLESHEATER]

Great, I have looked at a couple of ticket company sites but am confused...Someone mentioned the PH campsite where it is all sorted, but that was further down this forum, or do we have to get tickets for another campsite...do we need grandstand, tickets to get in and what about ferries????

HELP

[E36GUY]

ZOMBIEFLESHEATER said:

Great, I have looked at a couple of ticket company sites but am confused...Someone mentioned the PH campsite where it is all sorted, but that was further down this forum, or do we have to get tickets for another campsite...do we need grandstand, tickets to get in and what about ferries????

HELP

You have email on this Zombie

[ZOMBIEFLESHEATER]

Where is the info for White Rabbit.....E36 GUY