Leave sunday or monday?
Discussion
Debating whether to book a hotel for the sunday night or stay in camp until monday morning.
Going on a euro roadtrip afterwards so no rush to be anywhere.
I gather that the security becomes not so much there after the race, and local gypsies will help me with my possessions.. but then there's nowhere open to eat on sunday night and the traffic to leave will not be fun.. so monday/sunday what do you do?
Staying at Houx
Going on a euro roadtrip afterwards so no rush to be anywhere.
I gather that the security becomes not so much there after the race, and local gypsies will help me with my possessions.. but then there's nowhere open to eat on sunday night and the traffic to leave will not be fun.. so monday/sunday what do you do?
Staying at Houx
I'd stay overnight Sunday in a hotel. Lots of eating places in Le Mans on Sunday evening by the way.
The hotel you choose could be some miles away but you could then have dining issues maybe.
We always stay in a hotel Friday and Sunday nights some distance from LM and the local restaurants are always open.
R.
The hotel you choose could be some miles away but you could then have dining issues maybe.
We always stay in a hotel Friday and Sunday nights some distance from LM and the local restaurants are always open.
R.
The Leaper said:
I'd stay overnight Sunday in a hotel. Lots of eating places in Le Mans on Sunday evening by the way.
The hotel you choose could be some miles away but you could then have dining issues maybe.
We always stay in a hotel Friday and Sunday nights some distance from LM and the local restaurants are always open.
R.
ThanksThe hotel you choose could be some miles away but you could then have dining issues maybe.
We always stay in a hotel Friday and Sunday nights some distance from LM and the local restaurants are always open.
R.
Lots of places open then, is this just in Le Mans or France in general? I rarely go to france so I know very little
Found a dirt cheap apartment in centre of town already.
In LM there are restaurants open in the old town part of the city centre and elsewhere, and also on the outskirts, particularly on the northern outskirts, although these are maybe more down market, for France.
Outside of LM there are restaurants available but some do close on Sunday evening. So, if I were you I'd consider booking a hotel and ask if their restaurant is open Sundays and if not ask if there are others available in their location.
R.
Outside of LM there are restaurants available but some do close on Sunday evening. So, if I were you I'd consider booking a hotel and ask if their restaurant is open Sundays and if not ask if there are others available in their location.
R.
The "gypsies" thing is a bit blown of proportion I think, in the 6 years I've stayed there they have always been polite to us on the Sunday/Monday asking us before they take anything near our area just in case we weren't finished with it.
The issue is with the petty young thieves and they don't wait until Security is gone on Sunday/Monday, they just jump fences during the race and look for quiet areas, we've confronted them twice before.
The issue is with the petty young thieves and they don't wait until Security is gone on Sunday/Monday, they just jump fences during the race and look for quiet areas, we've confronted them twice before.
I've been the only man standing on Sunday the last couple of years so taken the drive part way back+hotel option. As you're not trying to make the coast and a scheduled crossing you can take your time packing post race and let the worst of the traffic clear. Add in a back-country route and there's no real traffic stress.
Previous years there's been a group of us so we've stayed on the campsites Sunday night and never had any issues. With a few of you 1 or 2 can stay with the tents while the others forage for food (the chineese on the Mulsanne does take-away for example) if you haven't shopped for it (Confit du Canard (duck) is a good option as it comes in a tin so won't have gone off like fresh meat and just need heating-through). We never had anything but polite encounters with the local 'recyclers' on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. Yes you'll find people who haven't been so lucky but we found they only poked around camps that were clearly abandoned.
The only problem with staying Sunday is the depression that kicks in when Radio Le Mans goes off-air, knowing you've got 360 days till you pack the car for Le Mans again
Previous years there's been a group of us so we've stayed on the campsites Sunday night and never had any issues. With a few of you 1 or 2 can stay with the tents while the others forage for food (the chineese on the Mulsanne does take-away for example) if you haven't shopped for it (Confit du Canard (duck) is a good option as it comes in a tin so won't have gone off like fresh meat and just need heating-through). We never had anything but polite encounters with the local 'recyclers' on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. Yes you'll find people who haven't been so lucky but we found they only poked around camps that were clearly abandoned.
The only problem with staying Sunday is the depression that kicks in when Radio Le Mans goes off-air, knowing you've got 360 days till you pack the car for Le Mans again
//j17 said:
The only problem with staying Sunday is the depression that kicks in when Radio Le Mans goes off-air, knowing you've got 360 days till you pack the car for Le Mans again
OMG ... about 8pm from memory? one of the saddest feelings known to man. 
last few years i've jumped ship about 2pm to avoid traffic jams and listened to the last hour in the car on the way out of le mans ... looking forward to staying for the finish this year as have a hotel booked for sunday night 'half way' back to calais.
the finish, pit straight invasions and podium, followed by a wander up the track under the bridge for a bit of final atmosphere, are well worth staying for ... but if you have to be back at work on monday it's a bit of a rush home.
5 weeks until car packing night!
si.
One thing I've never understood about Le Mans. The race ends at 3pm and EVERYTHING shuts at 3pm. There's still 200,000 people kicking about, many of whom aren't rushing straigh off and so would buy some of the assorted tat they had avoided all weekend, but can't as all the shops and stalls are closed.
Really does depend where you are based.
We always stay Sunday night, so do about 1/3 of the site. It's a proper chill out. We are a little spoilt though with a secure site inside the ACO gates and beer on tap.
It is however depressing on the large public sites as it does seem like an exodus after the race and silence decends.
We always stay Sunday night, so do about 1/3 of the site. It's a proper chill out. We are a little spoilt though with a secure site inside the ACO gates and beer on tap.
It is however depressing on the large public sites as it does seem like an exodus after the race and silence decends.
//j17 said:
Confit du Canard (duck) is a good option as it comes in a tin so won't have gone off like fresh meat and just need heating-through).
Sunday evening, bung a couple of tins of cassoulet* on the stove , open a bottle of robust red wine, and relax...Then on Monday stock up on nibbles in Super U at Arnage and do the steady drive back to Calais, stopping regularly to brew up and get some caffeine into my system. Get back to my own bed about 11 at night and feel dead smug 'cos Tuesday is my day off, so I don't have to be in till Wednesday.
BJS goes slightly manic on Sunday nights - in what was is not predictable. Typically it's mostly UK folk left, and it's one of my favourite bits of the weekend.
There was a pleasantly chilled evening by a campfire last year in our corner where various groups who had not known each other shared storied and a few beers.
This year need to make sure I'm not parked downwind though.....
There was a pleasantly chilled evening by a campfire last year in our corner where various groups who had not known each other shared storied and a few beers.
This year need to make sure I'm not parked downwind though.....
I've done Sunday night for four years now and wouldn't bother leaving. Yes, the Kyriad in Rouen is passable for little cash but TBH, other than some scavenging 
s who tend to leave you alone if you're obviously still there and some manic b****rds hell bent on setting fire to gas bottles, you're usually fine. Lock up the valuables and be done with it. Plus that makes it 358 days until you get back rather than 359 :'(
s who tend to leave you alone if you're obviously still there and some manic b****rds hell bent on setting fire to gas bottles, you're usually fine. Lock up the valuables and be done with it. Plus that makes it 358 days until you get back rather than 359 :'(I normally stay Sunday night as it means that you dont have to rush to pack up and leave as soon as the race finishes. It makes for a more relaxing day in my opinion.
Campsites can get a little Mad Max in the evening but the strangest feeling is the sudden silence and emptiness. Last year I took a wander around the back of the pits, the village and the spectator areas and it felt like the day after the apocalypse, all the litter, discarded beer glasses, champagne corks and ticket stubs strewn about the place and not a soul in sight. Only hours before it had been a madhouse with the noise, crowds and festivities. Very strange atmosphere.
Campsites can get a little Mad Max in the evening but the strangest feeling is the sudden silence and emptiness. Last year I took a wander around the back of the pits, the village and the spectator areas and it felt like the day after the apocalypse, all the litter, discarded beer glasses, champagne corks and ticket stubs strewn about the place and not a soul in sight. Only hours before it had been a madhouse with the noise, crowds and festivities. Very strange atmosphere.
For the last 8 years or so we have left after the race has finished after the podium etc. We then head up to Alencon, stay at a cheap hotel and pop in to town for a meal before continuing home on the Monday. The benefit of a proper hot shower and comfy bed the night before makes the journey home far more pleasant.
surveyor said:
BJS goes slightly manic on Sunday nights - in what was is not predictable. Typically it's mostly UK folk left, and it's one of my favourite bits of the weekend.
There was a pleasantly chilled evening by a campfire last year in our corner where various groups who had not known each other shared storied and a few beers.
This year need to make sure I'm not parked downwind though.....
Agreed, Sunday night is one of the highlights - very chilled and a great atmosphere. You can watch the queues of cars trying to get out of the campsites with a beer in your hand.There was a pleasantly chilled evening by a campfire last year in our corner where various groups who had not known each other shared storied and a few beers.
This year need to make sure I'm not parked downwind though.....
Leave somewhen on Monday and catch a cheap cabin in the ferry for a shower and kip. Lovely stuff.
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