With 2013 edition of the infamous 24 Hours of Le Mans only being 23 days away it is about time to think about the most important things in life: not getting lost, good company and awesome racing. Time for the Ultimate 24 Hours of Le Mans Survival Guide to get you started.
Whilst the second and third priority are easily achievable in Le Mans it is a lot harder to find your way around the city and, of course, the track without running into issues or even getting lost somewhere in between the roughly 250.000 people around the track sooner or later.
It all comes down to your means of transportation and if you're good at navigating or not so good. We are here to help and share our experiences and best practices related to visiting this event and motorsports events in particular. So we'll start with a few general questions and answer some more complicated ones later on.
Where is Le Mans located?
Loire Valley, which is around 200km south-west of Paris. From Paris it takes around 2-3 hours by train and about the same by car. Keep in mind that most French highways are also tollways, so depending on where you are coming from it might be cheaper to go by train. Le Havre and Calais are around 250km and 450km away from Le Mans, respectively. Check out the map
here and calculate your route.
Where should I be heading if I arrived by train?
Should you arrive by train you can hop onto one of the shuttles to the track. You can also take the tram (direction "Antares") and hop off at the "Guetteloup" station, this involves a walk though. You can find a map of the public transportation system
here.
Where am I supposed to stay in Le Mans?
Depends on what you're looking for. There are several campsites at the track but there are also hotels available which are not too far away. Thing is, Le Mans usually isn't having many tourists throughout the year. So there are not that many hotels plus they are all booked out for the race weekend. So if you opt to stay at a hotel you should book at least 4 months in advance. Tickets are usually on sale starting in December, so that's a good time to book a room as well.
What if I'd rather stay at the track?
There is an excellent camp site guide available
here. Beausejour is usually crowded and many hardcore fans camp there, so that's where it's usually at. You will need 1 campsite ticket per vehicle but both your vehicle and tent have to fit inside the allocated space, which is around 5x5 meters. Do not try to be smart and copy your permit - they have a code on them and once scanned at the entry it won't work a second time.
What kind of tickets am I going to need?
You will, no matter what, need a general admission ticket. This will allow you general access to the track but not the grand stands. This means you can basically walk around the track and explore one of the most prominent parts of France. However, should you want to have a proper seat on one of the grand stands you'll have to pay extra. It's still cheap compared to Formula 1 but the general admission will only set you back around 70€ (2013 prices) compared to around 100€ in addition to that for the grand stand ticket (2013 prices).
Where am I getting something to eat & drink?
On site. It's pretty easy and everything is available all over the place. If you're not seeing something you like you can still go to town and buy some groceries.
What if I don't want to walk a lot?
That's not much of a problem due to shuttles being available. However, if you want to make the most of it walking might sometimes be the better option, especially around the track.
What if I happen to lose something or even my whole bag?
There's no actual centralized Lost & Found Office but the staff is always trying to be helpful in recovering items. Just make sure to keep a few things safe: your tickets, your passport, your credit card and a little bit of cash. If you are afraid you might get lost and can't help yourself please contact me through private message and we'll talk about it, I'll be in Le Mans as well so I can easily help out if something goes wrong.
What if there's an emergency?
In France there are several phone numbers for such cases. Call
112 to call an ambulance - this can either be a hospital based one (white, SAMU) or the fire brigade (red, Pompiers) but they'll usually booth bring you to the same hospital. You can also send a text (SMS) to
114. Should you have to contact the police, you can always call
17. Be aware that those numbers might or might not work from foreign mobile phones but from my experience they should work.
What if I don't speak French?
This in itself can be a problem in France but during major events the emergency is usually prepared for people not being able to speak French. Keep in mind that speaking slowly and using the easiest wording possible will help in getting aid faster. There are a
few phrases that might help you.
What should I know about legal stuff in France?
The most important thing: it is strictly prohibited to drink on public property. This means that you can of course have a beer at the track and so on but you are actually not allowed to do so on the street in front of the track. The police will obviously try and prevent as many problems as they can, so be wary of where you are going. Smoking is also prohibited in many public places and especially restaurants. The fine can be quite hefty, so think twice before searching for your lighter.
If you have any other questions, please ask them. Also check out our special
24 Hours of Le Mans 2013 forum where we count down towards the start of the race of the year on June 22nd 2013!
