[LM24] Le Mans Tickets

[jambo1998]

I'm going to Le Mans next year (woo-hoo!!) and just wondered that grandstand seats would folk recommend. I had tickets for the pitlane this year and thought they were ok, but are any of the other grandstands better?

Thanks

[Truckosaurus]

The ACO stand is the best, but tickets are hard to come by.

I've recently been favouring the Dunlop stand, cunningly located at the Dunlop curve. You get to see the cars being a little more than just accelerating up the straight, and there is a big screen opposite so you can keep up with the action. The downside is that it is a bit of a walk to find the nearest bogs, drinks and scoff.

My next choice would be the first temporary stand to the north of the ACO complex, as that should still have a good view of the screen in park ferme. You'd have to check the ACO's map to find out its name/number (and hope they've not renumbered things again for 2006).

[Bentley Beermon]

Has anybody heard from the ACO regarding ticket allocation yet??

[Dauer 962]

No confirmation or anything else ( except their confirmation of order receipt ) in my post box yet.

[Bentley Beermon]

Same hear I was hoping they would confirm soon as my fellow beermonsters are getting quite annoyed about it, one year I will let someone else organise it.

[Paddy_NL]

Got my invoice for the camping site last Saturday. I'm on the waiting list for Maison Blanche, even though I placed my order on June 17 this year!!

The travel agents seem to get more tickets each year

[Bentley Beermon]

I know I tried all the usual suspects in late June this year and all the best sites had gone, it is getting beyond a joke now.

[bgeorge104]

I've had my ticket allocation (Houx) confirmed by ACO & I've sent my payment by fax.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Paddy_NL

Got my invoice for the camping site last Saturday. I'm on the waiting list for Maison Blanche, even though I placed my order on June 17 this year!!

The travel agents seem to get more tickets each year

Paddy - check you email

[BobHWS]

I am planning my first ever trip to Les 24 Heures du Mans (coming from the U.S.). I have read most of the information in this forum related to tickets, but I am still confused about the best strategy for acquiring tickets. I have a place to stay. I just need tickets for 2 grandstand seats. I see three options:

1) Try to acquire them through the official site. But is it too late to do that? The link to "tickets" on the official site is not live.

2) Purchase them from a ticket broker. I have contacted a few and received some offers. I realize that I would pay a premium, but it seems like the safest way to assure having good seats.

3) Wait and purchase them on the secondary market in Le Mans or in "cyberspace." I don't mind doing this since I have lots of experience buying tickets on site for sports events. I'm just wondering how common and how costly it is for Le Mans.

I must say that compared to buying tickets for an F1 race (like the Canadian GP that I've attended 6 times), the Le Mans folks don't make it easy for a newcomer to understand the ticket-buying process.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by BobHWS

I am planning my first ever trip to Les 24 Heures du Mans (coming from the U.S.). I have read most of the information in this forum related to tickets, but I am still confused about the best strategy for acquiring tickets. I have a place to stay. I just need tickets for 2 grandstand seats. I see three options:

1) Try to acquire them through the official site. But is it too late to do that? The link to "tickets" on the official site is not live.

2) Purchase them from a ticket broker. I have contacted a few and received some offers. I realize that I would pay a premium, but it seems like the safest way to assure having good seats.

3) Wait and purchase them on the secondary market in Le Mans or in "cyberspace." I don't mind doing this since I have lots of experience buying tickets on site for sports events. I'm just wondering how common and how costly it is for Le Mans.

I must say that compared to buying tickets for an F1 race (like the Canadian GP that I've attended 6 times), the Le Mans folks don't make it easy for a newcomer to understand the ticket-buying process.

Grandstand tickets are not usually as hard to get as camping tickets. However if you want seats in the better Grandstands then I would book soon. You may still be able to get them directly from the ACO in which case this would be the cheapest option.

[Truckosaurus]

I'd agree with Mal, contact the ACO, either by phone or email, you can download a booking form (even if it says '2005' on it) from the http://www.lemans.org website and send that in.

The problem with buying from a ticket agent is that they'll sting you for (over priced) entrance tickets too.

[BobHWS]

Mal & Truck, thanks for your responses. I did go back to the official Le Mans site and this time I found the ticket information from last year. It is helpful. For anyone who is interested, here is a direct link to the English language ticket info for 2005:

Le Mans ticket info from 2005

Judging by how things were handled in 2005, it looks like the site will post ticket information sometime after the New Year. Also, I sent an email to ticket@lemans.org asking for information. I guess first-time purchasers like myself just need to wait for the site to post ticket information, if we want to buy directly from the ACO.

So I think I will wait and see. If I'm not successful trying to buy my tickets from the lemans.org site, then I feel pretty confident that there will be several options for procuring tickets later. It doesn't seem worth it to pay a premium to a ticket broker now. I think I can wait and pay a scalper or someone who has extra tickets the same premium (or maybe less) at a time that is closer to the race.

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by BobHWS

...I guess first-time purchasers like myself just need to wait for the site to post ticket information, if we want to buy directly from the ACO....

If you know what you want then put your order in, the 2006 info will be as 2005 except for a couple of extra Euros on the price (maybe...)

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

If you know what you want then put your order in, the 2006 info will be as 2005 except for a couple of extra Euros on the price (maybe...)

Thanks, Truck, that's good advice, because that's essentially what the Le Mans ticket office told me in an email response to my inquiry about tickets for 2006. The email said:

Monsieur, Vous trouverez ci-joint les informations de 2005 car la brochure 2006 n'est pas encore éditée. Nous acceptons les commandes par fax, courrier ou e-mail.

Translation: Sir, Enclosed is the information for 2005, because the 2006 brochure is not out yet. We accept orders by fax, mail or email.

They enclosed a copy of the 2005 ticket brochure, which can be found on their Web site here:

2005 Le Mans ticket brochure and order form in English

So I guess anyone can use the 2005 form to order 2006 tickets now and they will just bill your credit card for 2006 prices once those are confirmed.

Here is the mailing address and fax number for the Le Mans ticket office:

Service Réservation / Booking Office
Circuit des 24 Heures
72019 Le Mans Cedex 2
FRANCE
Fax: (0033) (0)2 43 84 47 13
Faxing from the U.S.: 011 33 2 43 84 47 13
www.lemans.org/ticket

[Bentley Beermon]

Just recieved allocation from ACO for parking bleu not Houx as ordered but hey at least we will be there. I rang to find out if any chance of anything else and was told they startsed taking orders at pre qual 2005 for 2006 race, so order early for 2007 seems to be the rule.

[Horch]

Hello , everybody .
I was wondering how the entry ticket system works at Le Mans .
I was planning to go there for the first time this year , but the official site isn't very helpfull . So that's why I'm posing this question :
Can you get around the track with only general entry tickets ?
Or are there different zones where you have to pay for every "zone" you want to enter ???
Tickets for a grandstand are less interesting for me because I don't want to see the whole race from the same point of view , unless the seats are reserved and I can go to other places at the trackside and return to take a rest .
Sorry if this is a stupid question , but I hope to get some clarification .
Thanks in advance , greetz . Horch

[bgeorge104]

Originally Posted by bgeorge104

19 Dec, I've had my ticket allocation (Houx) confirmed by ACO & I've sent my payment by fax.

I've had my payment confirmed by letter with copy of reciept, time to book the ferry.

[Piglet]

Horch

You can get around all of the track (other than Red "no access" zones) with a general admittance ticket. It is the best event around for access and atmosphere so it's definately worth a trip.

Grandstands - on the quali nights (Weds and Thurs evening) the grandstands are open to all so you can move around and view from different places (the grandstand above the pits is well the steps up to it!) but from Saturday onwards the grandstands are ticket holders only and there is no "roaming" ticket system.

Contact the ACO to see if they have any grandstand availability otherwise watch this forum or Pistonheads or Club Arnage to see if tickets come up. Try to avoid buying from e-bay as you only encourage people to profiteer.

Go and do it - you know you want to!

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Horch

Tickets for a grandstand are less interesting for me because I don't want to see the whole race from the same point of view , unless the seats are reserved and I can go to other places at the trackside and return to take a rest .

When it's hot (like last year) or if it's p**sing down, you'll really appreciate a reserved grandstand seat to escape to. If you intend to watch the prerace activities/formalities on the pit straight (which go on for several hours), again, you'll appreciate that seat. We usually spend the first 2-3 hours and the last 1-2 hours of the race in our seats, making occasional brief returns to recuperate. There's still plenty of time to get to Tertre Rouge, Mulsanne corner, Arnage and the Porsche curves during the 24 hours. Unless you find the cost to be prohibitive, get a seat (just my opinion)!

[Maingz]

Hello Everyone

Seems like an appropriate place to tap into some experience.

There are a few of us who are all well up for a trip to Le Mans this year. Having organised a setup for last year (well too late) we are determined to get down for this year's race. My thoughts were with a Winnebago (hired for the week) and a camping spot on the Houz Annexe. Now I can get hold of a ticket for the camp site although getting hold of general admittance tickets is another matter.

We were also thinking; Barbeque, Tins, Paddling Pool, Mountain Bikes

Any help greatly appreciated

[Dan Friel]

The plan sounds extremely sensible. Getting Houx Annexe permits is the hard bit - and that's done, general admittance tickets are available on the gates so there's no problems there.

[333SP]

Originally Posted by Maingz

Hello Everyone

Seems like an appropriate place to tap into some experience.

There are a few of us who are all well up for a trip to Le Mans this year. Having organised a setup for last year (well too late) we are determined to get down for this year's race. My thoughts were with a Winnebago (hired for the week) and a camping spot on the Houz Annexe. Now I can get hold of a ticket for the camp site although getting hold of general admittance tickets is another matter.

We were also thinking; Barbeque, Tins, Paddling Pool, Mountain Bikes

Any help greatly appreciated

Good place for info would be club arnage, good search facility, this question has been dealt with many times. Beermoutain team also have a good help section. They always have a vey large camper so also good source.

[Maingz]

cheers guys, taking the tips