Le Mans by train(help needed)

[F.O.F.]

i will be travelling to le mans this year by flying to paris and then getting the TGV to le mans.could someone tell me what is the closest train station to the track

thanks in advance to anyone who can help

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by F.O.F.

i will be travelling to le mans this year by flying to paris and then getting the TGV to le mans.could someone tell me what is the closest train station to the track

thanks in advance to anyone who can help

you'd be better off flying Ryan Air to Tours and hiring a car from there if you can.

[TimD]

Friend of mine did this in 2004 for the Classic 24 hours and the TGV was so quick he got to the circuit about an hour and a half before anyone expected him to!

There are stations in Le Mans town centre and Arnage, although I've a suspicion the Arnage one is more of a branch line. Certainly the main Le Mans one is well-served by taxicabs and most of them will be filling up with people aiming for the same destination. With that in mind, there should be plenty of opportunity for fare-sharing.

[ss_collins]

you'd be better off flying Ryan Air to Tours and hiring a car from there if you can.

Sorry not true - best way to Le Mans is to fly to paris the TGV to Le Mans station - takes about an hour and a half from Paris (train is direct from Charles De Gualle - I did it about three months ago for a meeting in LM and its really the best way to do it. Fairly easy to get to the track though likely the taxi man will spank you.

Arnarge station is in walking distance of the track but its tiny and I don't think is served by many trains

Hiring a car in Le Mans is do-able, but parking can be an arse.

I've done the fly to Tours jobbie and its not really as good and it takes longer.

[Suze]

I'm flying to Tours from Stanstead with Ryanair and then a hire car down to LM...not done it, sure it'll be fine, we'll see.... Sam's route may work but he had uber problems with it when he did it iirc...

[Bodysnatcher]

Just get the TGV to Le Mans.

There are just 5 trains a day from Le Mans up to Arnage, checked it out before for one of our team of marshals.
Totally pointless for our requirements.
hope this is the timetable

Get the bus/a taxi/a mate/(10/10ther?) to come down and pick you up

[F.O.F.]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

Get the bus/a taxi/a mate/(10/10ther?) to come down and pick you up

yeah we've got mates marshalling who can help once we get to the town

[Bodysnatcher]

y'mean like Hollywood?

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

Sorry not true - best way to Le Mans is to fly to paris the TGV to Le Mans station - takes about an hour and a half from Paris (train is direct from Charles De Gualle - I did it about three months ago for a meeting in LM and its really the best way to do it.

I've done the fly to Tours jobbie and its not really as good and it takes longer.

I was thinking of cost Sam. We flew to Tours from Stanstead (just about a 1 hour flight) last September and it was really cheap, as was the car hire, and LM is only 1 hour's drive away.

[Asp]

There's plenty of budget airlines who fly to CDG, so the relative cost of the flights shouldn't be a huge difference; and the TGV is never an extorionate cost (no idea what car hire would cost but again I can't imagine it being much different)

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Asp

There's plenty of budget airlines who fly to CDG, so the relative cost of the flights shouldn't be a huge difference; and the TGV is never an extorionate cost (no idea what car hire would cost but again I can't imagine it being much different)

Ah that makes a difference then. I was assuming that the TGV would cost an astronomical amount - being used to travelling on English trains one does get the idea that all train travel is expensive!

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Suze

I'm flying to Tours from Stanstead with Ryanair and then a hire car down to LM...not done it, sure it'll be fine, we'll see.... Sam's route may work but he had uber problems with it when he did it iirc...

When are you going out Suze?

[Asp]

Originally Posted by Sheila M

Ah that makes a difference then. I was assuming that the TGV would cost an astronomical amount - being used to travelling on English trains one does get the idea that all train travel is expensive!

Of course, if cost is more important than time, there are the "Slow" regional trains (ter). They take more than 2hours though.
The price difference between the two is somewhat variable, and often isn't worth the saving, but when you get round to knowing what you want check out voyages-sncf.com to compare and book.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by Piglet

When are you going out Suze?

Flying out Wednesday, and back Monday. Paid £50 for flights so was cheap, and about €220 for hotel for five nights.

When are you going?

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Suze

Flying out Wednesday, and back Monday. Paid £50 for flights so was cheap, and about €220 for hotel for five nights.

When are you going?

Hotel??!!! You big softy!!

We're going out on the Sunday before (well the rest of us are Happy Snapper is going out for pre-qual and staying out there) and we're staying until the Monday morning after the race. I'll pm you my mobile number and perhaps we can meet up at some point? You can come and make use of our shade when you get fed up of wandering round the track in the heat (or the rain!). We'll be on Maison Blanche campsite and on Friday will be in Le Mans for the drivers parade.

[Suze]

Yep that'd be good, PMed you mine too. Staying in Arnage iirc....not too sure! Are you flying there and back? I have a grandstand seat so may get some shade...

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Suze

Yep that'd be good, PMed you mine too. Staying in Arnage iirc....not too sure! Are you flying there and back? I have a grandstand seat so may get some shade...

Flying? no jeez with the amount of camping kit and camera kit we're taking we're up to three cars!!

A grandstand seat is good and Arnage is nice, you'll have lots of entertainment withe the brits and their cars!!

[Suze]

Yep, looking forward to it all! I won't break the flying weight limit...

[F.O.F.]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

y'mean like Hollywood?

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Piglet

Hotel??!!! You big softy!!

No, just sensible

Having done the camping thing at Le Mans for years, we have hotelled it (Firday/Saturday night) for the last 11 years. We'd never go back to canvas, for sure. But anyone who actually sleeps during the night at Le Mans isn't a softy anyway, just plain daft..... The night is the best part of the whole event by miles......

[Suze]

I think a hotel is a good option...!

[F.O.F.]

recieved TGV tickets yesterday,got my confirmation e-mail from aer lingus and hollywood finally recieved confirmation of acceptance by the ACO...all is good

[ss_collins]

my problems were the airline not the trains.

TGV is 33 euro each way if memory serves but its cheaper if you are under 25.

[Suze]

I must've got confused with Magny Cours....the way I'm doing it will still be good, I think. Time will tell...

[F.O.F.]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

TGV is 33 euro each way if memory serves but its cheaper if you are under 25.

Yeah,you're right.I thought 33euro was very reasonable.And it does it in 55 minutes so you cant really argue with that