Attending the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans - Advice Needed

sand_man · 09-25-2014, 06:05 AM

So it looks like I might finally be fulfilling a boyhood dream of mine; seeing the 24 of Le Mans!! My sweetheart and I have been doing some travel research. There are "tour guides" which offer packages providing hospitality, transportation, support, access, advice, experience, logistics, etc. This is our first time and she will be with me. I guess the thing keeping me from pulling the trigger on one of these "packages" is paying for something that might really be over-sold and/or not all that useful. I could be happy sleeping in the grandstands with a raincoat, a baguette, and a hunk of cheese. However, it's doubtful that she will be able to endure the whole thing and will want to get in and out of the track throughout the event. Booking with one of these companies could help remove a lot of travel stress and barriers. What says the experienced PPOT brain trust?

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5String43 · 09-25-2014, 06:18 AM

I can't comment on the companies you list, but I do have one thing to offer:

When we were in France two years ago I took along a bunch of dollars, only to find that the banks don't have change booths. Same thing in Belgium. A lady in a tourist office confirmed this as a government initiative but said she had no idea why it had happened. So be sure to get any cash you need at an airport change booth when you arrive, and/or plan on working from a debit card.

Another thing - all across Europe now, they are using cards with chips in them, rather than those with magnetic strips on the back. You might want to ask your bank to send you one of these new ones.

javadog · 09-25-2014, 06:21 AM

I would want a hotel room somewhere and I promise you she will, too. Camping in the rain anywhere near 10,000 drunken Brits will not endear you to her.

GPT seems to have a good reputation. You do have a little time to research it on your own, if you want.

JR

creaturecat · 09-25-2014, 06:30 AM

Ibis is a great motel chain in France.
Inexpensive and more than decent.
There is one in the neighbourhood.

sand_man · 09-25-2014, 06:36 AM

Sorry I wasn't more clear. Yes, we will get a hotel, no camping. Although it is doubtful that once the race starts, I will leave the track! I'm staying for the whole thing! And this will be part of a larger trip to Paris. So once the race concludes, that's where we are heading to finish up the trip.

sand_man · 09-25-2014, 07:35 AM

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is if it is worth it for a first timer to book with a tour guide (a Le Mans "Specialist") or just muddle through. I tend to be a bit of a lone wolf and not really down for group stuff. I want to come and go as I please. I guess it would bring a certain piece of mind to my companion...after all, I don't know what I don't know!

jtfreels · 09-25-2014, 10:15 AM

Add this to your list to investigate
Tickets for the Le Mans 24 Hours, Le Mans Classic, 24 Hours Moto and World Endurance Championship from Official Ticket Agency Travel Destinations (or same company at Tickets & Travel for Le Mans, Nurburgring & Spa Francorchamps.)

British based, they've been doing it for years.

Jay

sand_man · 09-25-2014, 10:49 AM

Thank you!

motion · 09-25-2014, 11:01 AM

Totally jealous! Have fun!

Balloonmeister · 09-25-2014, 02:24 PM

I went to the race last year. Stayed at a hotel (L'Universe - very nice four star - GPT was also staying there) in Tours, about an hour train ride to Le Mans. The L'Artist in Tours is also nice, a three star. Both hotels are within a short walk to the Tours train station. Once you arrive at Le Mans station, go outside and you can take the brand new metro system straight to the track - very easy commute. Avoided the jacked up prices around the town of Le Mans and Tours is a beautiful city that you should visit also. I bought my race ticket on-line. It was only General Admission and after a few hours of standing, I was wishing I had spent the money for a seat in the stands.
WRT euros, I always get my euros when I arrive in country using my debit card. Many banks have ATMs street side and I have had absolutely no problem getting euros. You should notify your bank, however, that you will be traveling overseas so they don't shut down your card. Also, you probably won't be able to buy train tickets with a credit card that does not have a chip. You can either buy the ticket beforehand through RailEurope or pay cash at the station (I would buy beforehand as they sell all available tickets going into Le Mans on that weekend). Enjoy the race - it is truly an unforgettable event. Also, don't forget to go to the track on Friday when the pits are open and you can take pictures of the teams working on the cars and even walk out on the track up to the Dunlop bridge. They brought out a number of previous Le Mans winners from the Museum (which is also right outside the track entrance) and had them displayed for you to take pictures. Friday evening is the Parade des Pilots or Drivers Parade in Le Mans. That is an absolutely don't miss event - get there before 3 PM so you can find a place to sit and watch the parade (and all of the other wackos there) - tons of fun!

sand_man · 09-26-2014, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balloonmeister

I went to the race last year. Stayed at a hotel (L'Universe - very nice four star - GPT was also staying there) in Tours, about an hour train ride to Le Mans. The L'Artist in Tours is also nice, a three star. Both hotels are within a short walk to the Tours train station. Once you arrive at Le Mans station, go outside and you can take the brand new metro system straight to the track - very easy commute. Avoided the jacked up prices around the town of Le Mans and Tours is a beautiful city that you should visit also. I bought my race ticket on-line. It was only General Admission and after a few hours of standing, I was wishing I had spent the money for a seat in the stands.
WRT euros, I always get my euros when I arrive in country using my debit card. Many banks have ATMs street side and I have had absolutely no problem getting euros. You should notify your bank, however, that you will be traveling overseas so they don't shut down your card. Also, you probably won't be able to buy train tickets with a credit card that does not have a chip. You can either buy the ticket beforehand through RailEurope or pay cash at the station (I would buy beforehand as they sell all available tickets going into Le Mans on that weekend). Enjoy the race - it is truly an unforgettable event. Also, don't forget to go to the track on Friday when the pits are open and you can take pictures of the teams working on the cars and even walk out on the track up to the Dunlop bridge. They brought out a number of previous Le Mans winners from the Museum (which is also right outside the track entrance) and had them displayed for you to take pictures. Friday evening is the Parade des Pilots or Drivers Parade in Le Mans. That is an absolutely don't miss event - get there before 3 PM so you can find a place to sit and watch the parade (and all of the other wackos there) - tons of fun!

Really great advice!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all that!

kevin993 · 09-26-2014, 05:45 AM

We went for the first time this year and struggled with many of the same questions. Short on time now, but will come back later with more. Three favorite photos from the ones I took to hold you in the meantime:

sand_man · 09-26-2014, 06:08 AM

Drooool

sand_man · 09-26-2014, 06:13 AM

I've been to many of the US venues multiple times over the years (Sebring, Daytona, Road Atlanta, VIR), but have concerns that overall access for Le Mans might be much more limited and controlled. And the circuit is huge! So trying to figure out vantage points might be difficult for a "stupid American"!

creaturecat · 09-26-2014, 06:50 AM

Hotel-wise, If you are willing to travel a small distance, Chinon is a great little city with a medieval center.
In May, we stayed here: BEST WESTERN Hôtel De France (Chinon) - SITE OFFICIEL - Accueil
It was a great little hotel on the city square.

tevake · 09-26-2014, 07:29 AM

I car camped at Maison Blanc for the classic a few years ago. And loved the full Emerson experience of camping in the thick of it all. But for the wife's comfort
Getting a room to retreat to may be a good idea, it is a long weekend. You may want to spend more time at the track than she does. That may make staying right in the area a better fit.

I found the bleachers area on the main straight to be just too loud to hang out there for long. So walking with my folding chair with backpack straps to different points along the track was my choice. The area just before pit in was cool with some esses there just before the start/Finnish straight. Nice berm there to gain some view from.
Another good view point is down the hill past the Dunlap bridge going toward the muslin straight, great series of turns there to be seen from inside of the track.

When I went, it was a last minute decision so going with one of the Brit companies that had packages ( tickets, camping, seats). Worked well for me.
But with more time to plan you may be able to make your own arrangements.

For me getting to feel the history and to experience the amazing event that it is today was a true lifetime peak experience as a car lover/motor sports enthusiast.

I think you will love being there.

Cheers Richard

sand_man · 09-26-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tevake

For me getting to feel the history and to experience the amazing event that it is today was a true lifetime peak experience as a car lover/motor sports enthusiast.

I think you will love being there.

Cheers Richard

Thank you, Richard! I'm sure to be in awe! My next "bucket list" dream, is to experience every US race in the current Tudor/IMSA United SportsCar Championship! From Daytona to Road Atlanta and all the events in between, coast to coast!!!! Need to incur more Paid Time Off from my employer!

kevin993 · 09-26-2014, 07:42 PM

OK. Here we go. Opinions will differ and there are caveats that apply, but let's presume both of those are assumed.

1) What type of experience are you looking for? Le Mans is NOT spectator friendly. Getting anywhere close to the cars, pits and garages is impossible without credentials. (The Friday pit walk is the closest most people can get and you'll share pit lane with thousands of your closest friends.) The fences around the track are high and an unobstructed view is rare. Most spectator viewpoints are a fair distance from the track. If you're a photographer, you need big lenses and good eyes to find ways through and around the fencing.

All of that means that you need to decide what you're looking for. IF you want to get closer than the average spectator, then you'll have to either pay up exponentially or find someone at Audi or Porsche who will extend hospitality benefits to you. LeMans is all about credentials and access. With normal spectator credentials, you can walk alongside the track a fair distance and get a great sense of the event, but you'll never actually get close to the cars. There is a huge sponsor presence, so if you're close to the pit complex, you're aware of all of the sponsor guests being shuttled around, getting access to hospitality, being set up for helicopter rides around the track, etc. Take some comfort though - many of those people with good hospitality access still don't have sufficient access to get them into the heart of the pits.

If you're content with just taking in the event from the general spectator areas, things are much cheaper. Another hybrid option is to join the ACO club which gets you some light hospitality which can be a welcome benefit after walking around the track area and also some cover if the weather gets ugly.

2) Timing is important. Crowds are less on Wednesday and Thursday and obviously much greater on Saturday and Sunday. We covered much of the track and spectator areas on Wed and Thurs before the crowds got there. Grandstands are open access on Wed/Thurs, but you need a ticket for each specific grandstand on Sat/Sun. Some people get tickets for multiple grandstands for the race. Some grandstands in particular are very popular - Ford chicane, Dunlop bridge, above the pits.

3) LeMans is big, but most of the track is not accessible. You can walk from the Porsche curves all the way down to Tetre Rouge. It is a long walk and you can see several different corners. You can also get on the inside and outside of the track at some of those same curves if you're willing to walk. Again, decide how badly you want to see other parts of the track. There are shuttles to take spectators to places like Indianapolis, but the waits are long and the views pretty obstructed by fencing when you get there.

4) The travel companies are very well organized and have lots of options. None, however, are next to the track like at Daytona, Sebring or Watkins Glen. They're within a few hundred yards of the track and a relatively easy walk, but don't expect to "camp" and watch the cars go by your front door. We chose to stay at a hotel about 15 minutes away which was dirt cheap and worked fine. We booked many months in advance and didn't pay a premium, but lodging gets much more sparse and expensive as you get closer to the track.

5) There are lots of resources on the internet that can help with advance information about viewpoints, planning, etc. The ten-tenths forum by itself is a wealth of knowledge in their LM sub-forum and there are people with full websites that have guides that are refreshed year to year. Here's a good example - Aysedasi's Le Mans

Hope that helps. Happy to answer any questions. We had a great time and were glad we went, but we're not in a hurry to go back soon. The Nurburgring 24 hour race on the other hand is a very different story, but I'll save that for another time...

I ended up with a zillion photos, but here are just a few:

sand_man · 04:29 AM

^^^I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share all of that!!! I don't want to say that this will be a once in a lifetime thing for me, but I know it will be years before I ever get to do this again. I'm 45 and it has taken me nearly 40 years to get this far! So I'm willing to pay to take advantage of what I can, while I can. I don't want to cheat myself. We looked into this one other year (maybe 2013 or even 2014), and one of these packages was aligned with Team Oreca and all of their hospitality and festivities. However, I doubt that included access to their pits.

You have confirmed my suspicions that much of the event is access driven. The US venues have spoiled me. Is it possible to get to the pits; are passes available for purchase? I'm a gearhead and grease monkey at heart, so I enjoy being around the mechanics and engineers and watching the wrench turning.

Won · 09-27-2014, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sand_man

I've been to many of the US venues multiple times over the years (Sebring, Daytona, Road Atlanta, VIR), but have concerns that overall access for Le Mans might be much more limited and controlled. And the circuit is huge! So trying to figure out vantage points might be difficult for a "stupid American"!

Went in 2013, missed it last year. My friend and I were able to get into any of the grandstands including the main straight one past midnight-ish with general admission tickets, but apparently that's not always the case.

Also try to get in touch with guys from Porsche Club GB or the likes.