Driving down on Friday...

[BeeGT]

It was going to happen eventually and finally my usual plans for Le Mans are scuppered by my daughter's birthday on 10th June (Thursday) so this year I face a journey down leaving early Friday morning. Can anyone assist with realistic (!) estimates of journey time from Calais to Le Mans via the autoroutes, at (or slightly above) the speed limit. Am I more or less likely to encounter delays in Rouen on Friday when compared with Wednesday and Thursday. I am allowing for two 2-hour stints with a fuel stop and rest break in the middle.

I'm trying to plan my Friday afternoon / evening and ideally commit to i) arrival at camp by 2pm, arrival for Mulsanne meet by 3pm, arrival for parade in Le Mans centre by 5pm.....

Many thanks

[Nick M]

The 275 mile journey can be done, on a Friday evening rather than morning, in a quick car travelling at 'some' miles per hour, in 3 hrs and 18 minutes.... Including a comfort / petrol stop.

Realistically it's 4 to 4 1/2 hours if you go autoroute all the way and don't get stuck in traffic around Rouen.

We took a risk with our average speed by working on the basis that Les Plods would have packed up for the day by the time we arrived in France (around 6.00pm local time), and in fairness we didn't see a single gendarme on the trip down. Which is just as well.

The journey back on Monday, during the day, was a different proposition with lots of police around so we just cruised along at around the speed limit. Think that took about 4 1/2 hours with a slightly more leisurely coffee stop.

[GAZA62]

Takes around 4 hours driving time normally

[BeeGT]

Thanks to both of you, 4 hours concurs with my thoughts. Better go for that very early ferry then.

[GAZA62]

Remember to stop at Gace for lunch well worth it

[rossc]

Nick M said:

The 275 mile journey can be done, on a Friday evening rather than morning, in a quick car travelling at 'some' miles per hour, in 3 hrs and 18 minutes.... Including a comfort / petrol stop.

Realistically it's 4 to 4 1/2 hours if you go autoroute all the way and don't get stuck in traffic around Rouen.

We took a risk with our average speed by working on the basis that Les Plods would have packed up for the day by the time we arrived in France (around 6.00pm local time), and in fairness we didn't see a single gendarme on the trip down. Which is just as well.

.

• cough*

[Nick M]

And to think you may have to repeat it this year....

Unless you take Audrey Turbo Dismal.... The one saving grace with that would you wouldn't have to stop and refuel. For the entire weekend....

[b3kaw]

GAZA62 said:

Remember to stop at Gace for lunch well worth it

wheres that??

[Trackrod]

Gace sounds good, but where and what restaurant / bar?

[GAZA62]

Gace is about an hour past Rouen the N138 goes right through it and you can exit the Autoroute to Gace.

Some pics from Gace

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u74/GAZA62/LE-M...

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u74/GAZA62/LE-M...

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u74/GAZA62/LE-M...

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u74/GAZA62/LE-M...

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u74/GAZA62/LE-M...

Edited by GAZA62 on Saturday 15th May 19:32

[Supertoadylight]

Hi BeeGT,

Me and my friend went down on the friday last year in the caterham on the friday. Think we ended up on an 8.30AM ferry. Took around 5 hours to get down on the autoroute (including fuel stops, food stops and one breakdown stop...oops!)

However,

I know numerous people have mentioned it already but arriving late friday afternoon/evening is NOT a good plan. It's not true of all le mans folk - but we arrived in the caterham with a flyscreen and helmets with intercoms etc... to beer being thrown in the car, water pistols fired inside the car soaking the stack dash/us/intercom system and although its meant to withstand that...i was not best impressed.

One drunk guy clambering onto the back of the (newly carbon bodied) rear of the car and "asking for a lift down the road" was another low point. This year i'll be taking the ult and on friday - the car will certainly be remaining stationary for the whole of the night!

Friday as a whole i would avoid moving you car at all if you value it! It's a very very small minority but they do ruin the fun a bit and ruin some people's pride and joy. There was a story on here a while ago of a db9 having a bottle of coke being sprayed inside it by some lovely chap which no doubt destroyed the interior...

Arnage is fine - but around the campsites its a nightmare! If you do go on friday - leave early - try be there at lunch/early afternoon and arrive before it all kicks off!

Good luck and see you all there,

John!

Edited by Supertoadylight on Friday 14th May 19:59

[BeeGT]

Thanks Supertoady, we'll be aiming for the Mulsanne meet in the afternoon as our first stop before heading to Bleu Nord to pitch the tent - with hopefully an idiot-free route planned. IIRC the 'hooligan' element, etc tend to be located on the infield near Karting and Houx