[LM24] Question about mailing date for 24H du Mans tickets

[BobHWS]

I live in the US and I am planning my first trip to the 24 Heures du Mans in June (fulfillment of a lifelong dream ).

I have been dealing with the LM ticket office via email and phone and I have received a "ticket allocation form" assigning me two general admission tickets and two seats in Tribune 16. All well and good--all I have to do is fill in my credit card number, sign and date the form and fax it back to the ticket office.

However, I am concerned about receiving my tickets before I leave for France. I plan to leave for France Wednesday June 2. The letter that I received from the ACO states "All orders which have been settled (tickets + forwarding charges) will be sent by UPS, between April and June."

Should I be concerned that my tickets might arrive after my June 2 departure?

If so, what should I do? Will the ACO hold my tickets for pick-up at the ticket office? Should I ask the ACO to mail them to the home of some friends in France where I will be staying during part of my trip?

I have read some threads about tickets but I still don't feel reassured about being able to receive them in the US before June 2 (and receiving them on May 31 or June 1 would not be good for my blood pressure ) .

[lemansfan]

To hold your Blood Pressure down I would do as follow .

1 .Waiting until your Confirmation from the ACO .
2 .Message to ACO that you will pick up your Tickets .
3 .If I am right you will get the Tickets in the Welcome Center nearly Parking Expo .Must be the white round Building .Good Luck for You .

,http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...8,0.043259&t=k

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by lemansfan

3 .If I am right you will get the Tickets in the Welcome Center nearly Parking Expo .Must be the white round Building .Good Luck for You .

Didn't they call this building the 'Rotunde' in the past?

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Didn't they call this building the 'Rotunde' in the past?

La Rotonde.......I'm sure you picked up a grandstand ticket from there 2 or 3 years ago?

It's quite the most sensible option for BobHWS and he'll be able to buy us all a beer and a merguez sandwich with the money he saves on UPS shipping costs.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by BobHWS

Will the ACO hold my tickets for pick-up at the ticket office

Yes. Delete the shipping fee, write in the new total and write on the form that you want to pick up the tickets when you arrive at the circuit.

I can't find the ACO's instructions for picking up tickets at the circuit during race week. I believe it's from the new ticket office in the Museum building which is to the left of the main entrance up until a certain day (it's also an ACO gift shop), then from La Rotonde after that. For peace of mind, it may be worth emailing ticket@lemans.org with the question (and make sure you advise them which day you intend to pick them up). Once they've told you, we'll give you instructions on how to get to where you need to go to pick them up. La Rotonde is a few minutes walk from the circuit entrance in the 'CENTRE DES EXPOSITIONS'.

[Adam43]

It has been a few years since we've ordered tickets direct from ACO. We were lucky to get confirmation, the tickets were very late. They were very consistent in this - every year we went through the pain. We did it to have a chance at the ACO grandstand. However the pain wasn't worth it.

Eventually we went to Just Tickets (or similar) and for a small premium you get good confirmation, tickets very early and piece of mind. We even got tickets in the ACO grandstand.

This year we are off to the Classic instead. I wonder if it is similar?

[lemansfan]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Didn't they call this building the 'Rotunde' in the past?

Sorry ,you are right .The name of the Building is Rotonde .Must be the place to pick up your Tickets .In the Museum it is only a Ticket Sale Point .

://www.sarnafil.fr/index/flat_roof_general/national_references_france/ilnk_pop_la_rotonde_lemans

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

La Rotonde.......I'm sure you picked up a grandstand ticket from there 2 or 3 years ago?

That's the one - and yes, you're right!

It's quite the most sensible option for BobHWS and he'll be able to buy us all a beer and a merguez sandwich with the money he saves on UPS shipping costs.

Excellent plan!

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

That's the one -

Indeed, this was the 'Rotunde'!

[BobHWS]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I will place my order and notify the ticket office (by both email and phone) to hold my tickets for pickup.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

Indeed, this was the 'Rotunde'!

Oh my God - I'd put that memory into the deep dark recesses of my mind long long ago - now she's back to haunt me!

[lemansfan]

The Nightmares from a long Time ago are coming back .

[GT6]

The video will not come up on my office computer but I presumme it is the lady we used call Big Bertha. I remember seeing her in my early years, but that was in the days of the old fun fair, and that like her has passed into history.

[BobHWS]

I spoke by phone with someone at the ticket office today and she said that she would change my order from "send tickets" to "hold for pick up." Then I added my cc info to the ticket order/allocation form that I had received in the mail and faxed it to the ticket office. I was also told that I would receive a confirmation by mail with instructions on where to pick up my tickets. Since I plan to be in Le Mans by Monday during the race week, I figure that it should be OK.

Now that I've ordered my tickets, I must say that it's a lot more complicated than ordering tickets for the F1 race in Montreal. You can order those tickets via phone or internet and they are sent to your home a couple months before the race.

In the final analysis, though it wasn't that difficult to order tickets directly from the ACO, the whole process seemed so formal and bureaucratic (and typically French ) by comparison to my experiences with Montreal.

[Aysedasi]

Yep, that sounds about right - but it'll all be forgotten in June Bob when after experiencing Le Mans, you realise that you never really want to go to an F1 race again.....

[Kpy]

Originally Posted by BobHWS

Now that I've ordered my tickets, I must say that it's a lot more complicated than ordering tickets for the F1 race in Montreal. You can order those tickets via phone or internet and they are sent to your home a couple months before the race.

To be fair to the ACO, this year you can order tickets on-line and those tickets are already being mailed.

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by Kpy

To be fair to the ACO, this year you can order tickets on-line and those tickets are already being mailed.

That's true, but the complicating factor for me was that I wanted to join the ACO in order to have a chance at better seats and to have access to the ACO area during the weekend.

I was able to join the ACO online and I received an email confirming that I was a member and that my membership packet including my membership number would arrive by mail. Since I didn't have a membership number, I couldn't sign in as a member and so I couldn't order the cheaper priced ACO general admission tickets and try to order some ACO stand seats.

I emailed the ACO and they sent me my number, but they said it wouldn't work right away on the Web site (which turned out to be true). So I emailed the ticket office, identifying myself as an ACO member and stating what I wanted. They replied that I would receive a form in the mail with my ticket allocation. So I wait a week and the form arrives and I've been assigned seats in Stand #16, which is not an ACO Stand but it's closer than what appeared to be available online. Then, as explained above, I had to phone to change my ticket distribution status from "will send by mail" to "hold for pickup." Then I faxed my cc info with the allocation form.

In the end, everything seems to have worked out fine (this will only be confirmed for sure when I pick up my tickets in June ).

I'm not knocking the ACO. Everyone that I have dealt with by phone and email was extremely polite and helpful to me, as I would expect based on my many travels in France (I speak French, so that does help, but it wasn't really necessary). And now that I understand how the system works, it would be an easier process next time.

Depending on your circumstances and needs, ordering tickets direct from the ACO can be a bit complicated. But I wouldn't hesitate to advise people to order direct from the ACO--just do you homework first and be prepared for possible small delays in the ordering process.

Thanks again to everyone who offered their advice and comments. I'm looking forward to fulfilling my dream of going to Le Mans.

[Aysedasi]

In case it's of any consolation Bob, I had a seat in the ACO stand in 1993. I wouldn't particularly want to sit in there again. The lower seats give little better view than any of the stands either side, IMO.

[BobHWS]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Yep, that sounds about right - but it'll all be forgotten in June Bob when after experiencing Le Mans, you realise that you never really want to go to an F1 race again.....

I could forsake F1 in general, but it would be hard for me to forsake the Montreal F1 race.

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

In case it's of any consolation Bob, I had a seat in the ACO stand in 1993. I wouldn't particularly want to sit in there again. The lower seats give little better view than any of the stands either side, IMO.

A, thanks for the tip. Since this is my first trip to Le Mans (as a spectator anyway--I did visit the track once a long time ago), I have a lot to learn about how to experience Le Mans. I went to the Montreal F1 race 10 years and learned something new about how to enjoy the race weekend every year.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by BobHWS

I went to the Montreal F1 race 10 years and learned something new about how to enjoy the race weekend every year.

Hold that thought Bob, it's a very good one. This will be my 25th year at Le Mans and I feel just the same.

[Le Vieux]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Yep, that sounds about right - but it'll all be forgotten in June Bob when after experiencing Le Mans, you realise that you never really want to go to an F1 race again.....

I haven't attended a formula one race since 1971 - or was it 1972?

I'd rather watch genuine motor racing.

[BobHWS]

I received a letter of confirmation for my ticket order from the ticket office today. It states that tickets can be picked up at the 24 Hours Museum from April 1 until June 6, and then at the Accueil General (Welcome Center) of the Parc des Expositions from June 7 through June 13.

So all in all, buying tickets directly from the ACO has turned out to be a good experience...hmm, maybe I shouldn't say that until I have the tickets in my hand in June.

[Dani Filth]

my experience with the ACO isn't that bad .. they actually sent us the allocation in a couple of days .. it wasn't what I wanted though but I was a bit late asking

[FastJoel31]

So we know about getting tickets from the ACO - but does anyone know when JustTickets starts mailing out?

[Dani Filth]

I believe most agencies send them about 1 month before the race