24h Du Mans - the World's best motor race! (Le Mans)

Member Name: depurple2

Product:	Le Mans
Date:	09/10/06 (860 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great atmosphere, good food, lots of lovely cars

Disadvantages: Nasty campsites, no sleep

If you love cars, a visit to the Le Mans 24 hour race is a must.

Most of the year, Le Mans is just a fairly average French town, located in the Sarthe Region of the Pays de la Loire. It has two motor racing circuits - The Bugatti circuit, which is a short permanent circuit, and the Circuit de la Sarthe, which comprises of a section of the Bugatti circuit plus some public roads (closed!). It is on this circuit that the 24 hour race is run.

I haven't been to Le Mans other than for the race, so I can't comment on what it is like at other times of year. I will tell you about the race week though.

Getting there
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First you have to cross the channel - you have 2 options. There is the ferry, either Dover to Calais or Portsmouth to Ouistrem, or the Eurotunnel. I usually go out overnight on the Portsmouth to Ouistrem ferry. This is my last chance of a proper shower for a week so I make the most of it! I go out on a motorbike, and Brittany ferries are quite good for bikes - you get to board first, and they tie the bikes down well. When you get to Ouistrem, it is about 200km to Le Mans.

The main road to Le Mans is the N138. This goes most of the way from Calais to Le Mans, so is suitable if you come from there as well. It is a single lane/dual carriageway road. There are also toll motorways which cover a lot of the way, they are faster, but it is more difficult to stop for a break or snack. WARNING - there will be speed traps - the look out for British number plates. Expect at least a 700 Euro fine if you get caught.


Where to stay
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There are basically 3 options - hotel, public campsite or private campsite. I haven't stayed in a hotel, but from talking to people who have you need to book well in advance.

The public campsites are large and noisy, with few facilities. As people tend to drink rather a lot, the campsites look a bit worse for wear by the end of the week. Theft can also be a problem, so carry any valuables with you or lock them in your vehicle.

I stay in a private campsite. I am a "Commisaire", one of the track marshals who can be seen waving flags and running around with fire extinguishers. This means that we get a campsite provided for us, but as it is not in a very nice place, we rent a garden from a French person instead and camp there. The "facilities" consist of 2 portaloos and a cold shower attached to the hosepipe.
Other private campsites are can be booked through motoring clubs - most car clubs seem to have one. These are quite nice, usually with a food tent, hot showers and decent loos.

Here are some tips:
If you want a decent shower, there is a swimming pool called Les Atlantides in Le Mans. It is only about 3 Euros to swim, but you are not allowed to swim in shorts-style trunks.
Don't take too much stuff with you - you can buy nearly everything you might need in the supermarket - there is a Carrefour at one end of the town, and a Super U at the other. They sell barbecues, clothes, camping gear and nearly everything else you can think of quite cheaply.
If you have access to electricity, get an electric cool box. They cost from about 40 Euros in the supermarket, and your food doesn't go soggy like with ice packs.
Take bags with you to the supermarket - the French supermarkets don't give out carrier bags.


What to do
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The track action starts on the Wednesday afternoon, with a couple of practise sessions - normally one in daylight and one in the dark, then the same again on Thursday. The roads that make up the track will close about an hour before the cars come out, so make sure you are where you want to be by then. The French also impose random no entries/one way systems, so it is easy to get lost.

Friday is a day off for the cars. The shopping village is open, and you can buy a huge assortment of car merchandise, or overpriced snacks, but not a lot else.

There is also a fair, but I've never been on any of the rides. I got put off it a bit when I saw them welding bits on one of the rides while it was still going.

If you fancy going a bit further afield, there some beautiful Chateaus about an hour's drive away. I can recommend Villandry - it has fantastic gardens to look round.

If you are a car nut, it is worth spending Friday just driving round the track (you can drive most of it, the only bit that is closed is the Bugatti circuit). Groups of sports cars tend to gather according to make - Porsches on one corner, Lotuses on another. Again, watch out for the speed traps.

Saturday has a race or two in the morning, generally of historic Le Mans cars. These will only last about an hour. The 24 hour race usually starts at 4pm, but was an hour later last year. A good place to watch (especially in the dark when the brake discs glow red hot) are the corners of Arnage and Indianapolis, as the cars are slowest there, and often spin.


Getting back
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After the race finishes, there is usually a mad dash for the ferry/tunnel, so it is worth having your car packed up before hand.

The gendarmes again impose random one-way procedures, so it is worth having a map with you as you will often end up heading in completely the opposite way to where you want to go.

Speed traps are rife on all the roads that lead to the ferries/tunnel, as the gendarmes know the Brits will be coming! A lot of French people sit on the side of the road in deck chairs waving to all the motorbikes and sports cars which is nice.

I usually go back through the tunnel - be prepared for chaos at the Eurotunnel terminal, with trains not running at the time they are supposed to, and information boards being wrong.

When you finally get back to Britain, have a good night's sleep!

Summary: If you love cars, you must go at least once!