With just days to go until you head off to the Le Mans 24 hours, you will no doubt be getting excited about the race (so are we!). To help you enjoy your time away we have come up with our top 5 tips for making the most of your time at the circuit.
Tip 1: Before you leave home check you have all your tickets (channel crossing & circuit passes) and passports. This sounds obvious but you would be surprised by how many calls we get from people that arrive at the ports & the circuit having left everything on the dining room table. Please use the equipment check-list in our pocket guide to make sure you have everything.
Tip 2: When driving to and from Le Mans, please be aware of speed limits. Part of the fun of Le Mans is the drive down and back, but every year the on the spot speeding fines get larger, and being 40km/h over the local limit now sees your license removed. Radar detectors and other camera locating equipment is also illegal in France, so our advice is be aware, take your time and enjoy the drive.
Tip 3: Although there is no racing on the Friday there is still plenty to see and do around Le Mans. Your entrance ticket allows you access to the pit lane from 10am. This is the only time that the pit lane is open to the public and it gives you a great perspective on the start/finish straight and you can see in to the garages to see what the mechanics are up to. From 6pm in the city centre is the drivers’ parade. A bit of fun before the racing starts. Don’t bother trying to drive in as parking can be tricky. From the circuit take the tram from Antares straight to the town centre. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to enjoy before and after the parade. Away from the racing also remember that there will be free concerts near the Dunlop Bridge on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Saturdays line-up this year features The Stranglers.
Tip 4: During the race it is always good to move around the circuit and view from different places. Getting down to the Mulsanne and Arnage corners has always been possible by car but the traffic on race days makes this difficult. This year the ACO are also charging €8.00 to park. Instead of driving we recommend using the free shuttle bus. Departing from opposite the main entrance just board showing your entrance ticket. The bus stops at Beausejour, Arnage and Mulsanne corners.
Tip 5: Waking up, from wherever you slept the night before, it can sometimes be difficult to follow who is winning the race and catch up on what has happened while you had your eyes closed. We recommend keeping up to date with Radio Le Mans. John Hindhaugh and the crew will be broadcasting all week on 91.2 FM providing you with up to the minute news and interviews from around the track. This year you can also purchase Le Mans TV Mobile from Kangaroo TV (save money with the voucher in our pocket guide). This hand-held TV unit will give you statistics as well as pictures from around the circuit and in the pits. It will also carry the feed from Radio Le Mans giving you the best coverage of the race.
Whatever you get up to at Le Mans, have a great time and enjoy the race. Maybe we’ll see you there!
The Travel Destinations Team