Too early to plan for Le Mans in 2024?

[A930Rocket]

My son and I were thinking about going to the 24 hours of Lemans. This year is not in the cards but we were thinking 2024.

I know several Pelicans have been there in the past. What advice would you give for a first timer to Europe, Lemans and… ?

Would it be best to see Lemans at the beginning, the middle or the end of the trip?

Do we go with an itinerary or do we wing it?

What about:
Best airline from JFK to Europe and back
Best days to travel
Best airport to land as a starting point
Lodging….No 5 stars but no hostels.
Transportation…especially for Lemans
Luggage….I’d like to minimize luggage. Maybe a small backpack.
Weather during this time period.

Doing a quick search, it looks like it would be cheaper to travel out of NY rather than Charleston. Book CHS to JFK and back to CHS. Then fly business or premium economy to Europe and back to JFK.

What about a trip to see the Porsche factory?

Any Pro Tips?

Thanks!

[Deschodt]

Going this year.. your Q are pretty wide so I'll focus on what I know ;-)
- Remember tickets go on sale a few months before, and this year sold out in 2 days ! hit the website and pay attention !
- Go to Le mans as you land! (or a day after, just in case you have flight delay). You're jetlagged anyway, and in this direction it sucks hard ! you may be up all night, or you'll sleep under the stars listening to cars, either way good time to be jetlagged !
- After that it's up to you. You are 2h drive from paris, but you are also 1h drive to a lot of nice Loire valley castles and destinations, I'd stick around a few days personally (Love "Amboise")... Then I'd head to Paris or the south depending on your proclivities ! By car or train, very nice highways (not free), very good bullet trains (if not on strike) - but I like having a car. Last time I beelined south from the loire valley via Carcassonne (super cool medieval city, has to be seen to be believed) and ended in Barcelona ;-)

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

What about a trip to see the Porsche factory?

!

That isn't just right around the corner. You'd have to train, roughly 7 hours.

If you drive, just put your credit card in the console and don't look when you have to pay the tolls across France. If you look how much it will ruin the trip.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Buy two nice folding lawn chairs and umbrellas somewhere if not in the grandstands. Our next destination was the D-day beaches on the shores of Normandy.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Going this year.. your Q are pretty wide so I'll focus on what I know ;-)
- Remember tickets go on sale a few months before, and this year sold out in 2 days ! hit the website and pay attention !
- Go to Le mans as you land! (or a day after, just in case you have flight delay). You're jetlagged anyway, and in this direction it sucks hard ! you may be up all night, or you'll sleep under the stars listening to cars, either way good time to be jetlagged !
- After that it's up to you. You are 2h drive from paris, but you are also 1h drive to a lot of nice Loire valley castles and destinations, I'd stick around a few days personally (Love "Amboise")... Then I'd head to Paris or the south depending on your proclivities ! By car or train, very nice highways (not free), very good bullet trains (if not on strike) - but I like having a car. Last time I beelined south from the loire valley via Carcassonne (super cool medieval city, has to be seen to be believed) and ended in Barcelona ;-)

Thanks, Deschodt!

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

That isn't just right around the corner. You'd have to train, roughly 7 hours.

If you drive, just put your credit card in the console and don't look when you have to pay the tolls across France. If you look how much it will ruin the trip.

I was hoping we could fly short hops and Uber to get where we needed to see the Porsche factory. Speaking of Germany, the Nurburgring, is on the radar.

List: Lemans, Stuttgart, Nurburgring…

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted

Buy two nice folding lawn chairs and umbrellas somewhere if not in the grandstands. Our next destination was the D-day beaches on the shores of Normandy.

Good idea on the chairs/umbrellas and Normandy.

I got the feeling we will either extend our trip or make a second one with all to see.

[A930Rocket]

Maybe…

Paris to Lemans via train.

Lemans to Paris via train.

Paris to Bonn via plane.

Bonn to Nurburgring via car.

Nurburgring to Stuttgart via car.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Too early to plan for Le Mans in 2024?

It's never too early to plan for something as fun as that.

Might as well have a good long holiday while you are in Europe.

Porsche factory tour... The list goes on.

[A930Rocket]

I’ve never traveled out of the country, so I’m a total nub at this.

Bill, you are right, there is so much to see with sights, history and cars.

I was thinking one week, but depending what we do, maybe we will extend it to two weeks.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I was hoping we could fly short hops and Uber to get where we needed to see the Porsche factory. Speaking of Germany, the Nurburgring, is on the radar.

List: Lemans, Stuttgart, Nurburgring…

Flying: give Ryan Air a look. Cheap fares or at least used to be. Think Southwest Airlines and Greyhound combined. They go to some remote locations. One is Frankfurt Hahn airport, formerly USAF Hahn Air Force Base. It isn't very close to Frankfurt but is closer to the 'Ring.

At the 'Ring, take a look at the skunkworks facilities on the roads nearby. Somewhere I have a photo of my M3 in front of the BMW facility outside the 'Ring.

Uber? Just take the beige German Mercedes taxis

[A930Rocket]

I need to talk to my brother. He’s on the international Olympic committee and travels to Germany all the time.