Riding to the French Motor GP in May from Brum - Advice Please?

[12solutions]

Hi All

New to the site but wanted to ask a question for all those experienced in riding to France. I planning my first ever trip to France ( albeit a short one ) to the Motor GP in Le - Man in May. My initial idea is to ride from Birmingham to Portsmouth and get the ferry to Caen. As I understand it the circuit from the Caen port is only1 hour away- can anybody confirm is thatcorrect? Has anybody done this trip and is it possible to do the trip say leaving on the overnight ferry on Saturday and coming back early Monday morning? Any advice appreciated??

 

[Wapping]

It's more than a hour, not least as it's a touch over 100 miles.

Easy to do it yourself. Fire up your PC, insert 'Caen to Le Mans' and you should find that Google maps will display both the route, the distance and estimated time it will take. Job done. I just did it and it estimates the direct route at about an hour and three quarters.

As to whether your timings work? Look at what time the ferry arrives / departs, the time the race / practice starts and stops. Then mix in your travel time. You'll work it out, I'm sure.

PS The ferry docks in Ouistreham, not Caen; a little way north.

 

[Reggie P]

I love Britanny Ferries, great food , lovely staff. Well worth buying a cabin on the overnight ( they sell out fast too so do it today? ) .If you want to save share with someone on the forum ? Have a great trip.
ps don't fall foul of the French (legal) requirement for high viz.

 

[E. Buygum]

Moto not Motor. What they said. If you're camping at the circuit, are you aware the atmosphere is err "lively"? Well worth getting there a day or two early if possible. Le Mans ain't what it once was: it's hard to find a grassy knoll to spread out on these days so having an extra day is invaluable to get the place sussed and have a look around, staking your claim to a decent spectating place early on race day.

 

[Andy63]

Moto not Motor. What they said. If you're camping at the circuit, are you aware the atmosphere is err "lively"? Well worth getting there a day or two early if possible. Le Mans ain't what it once was: it's hard to find a grassy knoll to spread out on these days so having an extra day is invaluable to get the place sussed and have a look around, staking your claim to a decent spectating place early on race day.

Agreed its very busy and finding a decent viewing point can be a challenge.

We went in 2014 and could not get a hotel in Le Mans for love nor money so we rode to Tours and stayed there and got the train to Le Mans on race day, it was fairly straight forward we took a tram from the station at Le Mans to the race track.

There is plenty of motorcycle parking at the track if you ride to it on race day however leaving after the race will be interesting.

 

[GuS]

I've been a few times from Leicester and travel down via tunnel easily done in one day (480 miles), especially now its all A roads. Booking in at Tunnel, waiting and tunnel trip gives you ample rest ready for trek through France.

 

[Parchman]

I used to do a lot of sharply legging it out of work on Fridays to get to France. Traffic and holdups can be a real downer as there isn't much wiggle room, ferry wise, once the shit hits the fan.
I have missed several ferries over the years, which meant missing hotel reservations and nice meals in decent restaurants. At least the Calais, or the much missed by me at least, Boulogne, ferries were reasonably frequent. The longer western ferries are a bit more of a pain in the bum if you get left behind.

I have travelled down to there often to visit friends who live opposite Caudebec on the Seine. Doing the ride from Calais takes about 2 hours these days with autoroutes all the way. Another hour and a bit to Le Mans (?).

The ride to Rouen/Le Mans is moderately interesting, unlike watching the sea for 41/2hours.
If you should decide to take the long watery option, then invest in a cabin. Usually very cheap for the day crossing and priceless for a nightime one.
The recliners are a joke, the other passengers will drive you nuts, first of all running around to bag the best spots, then eating, then boozing, then puking at the first sign of a swell. Not to mention the noise and constant mooching.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Have a little look here as well.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/419034-MotoGP-Le-Mans?highlight=Le+mans

Enjoy yourself.

 

[haditlowered]

The AA has lots of info - take a look at this from their site...anyone been done for having a Sat Nav with camera locations on it!! - http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/driving-abroad-whats-new-2012.html

Since 3 January 2012 French laws have prohibited drivers from carrying any device capable of detecting speed cameras. This includes products or devices able to warn or inform of the location of speed cameras e.g. satnav or gps systems capable of showing speed camera sites as Points of Interest.

The law is primarily aimed at speed camera detectors and sat-navs. It is unlikely that the French police will turn their attention to atlases but there is no guarantee this would be the case.

As well as the ban on warning devices, the French government is installing around 400 new, unsigned, fixed speed cameras as well as taking down signs indicating the location of existing camera sites.

If you have a satnav capable of displaying French camera locations in France then you must at least disable camera alerts. Contact the manufacturer for advice too as a software or database update is likely to be available that will remove camera data for France from the device.

If you have a satnav system built into your car then contact the vehicle manufacturer in the first instance.

 

[Mr Derek]

Riding to the French Motor GP in May from Brum - Advice Please?


Er.....Find somewhere better to go back to?

 

[ymfb]

We have been to Le Mans a few times including once for the Moto GP. We stayed in Vendome, but the Mercure in Alencon would be my first choice, but possibly that's too late now.

Go large and get a grandstand seat, if the weather is good you will struggle to get a view, if it rains you will be glad of a roof over your head.

Make sure you fuel up before the race as every filling station between Le Man and Ouistreham will be rammed after the race.

I would allow 3 hours to get back to Ouistreham after the race, because it is mental. Watch your speed and riding behaviour on the way back as the Gendarmes will be out in force.

If I was doing it again I would take the Monday off work and go to a museum (will search for its name) catch the 4 o clockish ferry home and enjoy one of the best buffets available on the ferry home.

I

 

[ymfb]

The museum I referred to above is The Manoir de L`Automobile and it can be found in Loheac, 35km south west of Rennes via the D177. Follow the D50 in the direction of Lieuron.

It's 2 hours West of Le Mans and is a great museum, worth the ride alone in my opinion.

 

[dave hendy]

The museum I referred to above is The Manoir de L`Automobile and it can be found in Loheac, 35km south west of Rennes via the D177. Follow the D50 in the direction of Lieuron.

It's 2 hours West of Le Mans and is a great museum, worth the ride alone in my opinion.

+1 great place but it shuts for 1 hour at lunch time

 

[Parchman]

I thought the French populace were now changing the speed camera site nomenclature to accident hot spots or similar on their satnavs and hand helds/phones, just so people would know to take it easy... No one wants to come a cropper.

Of the several bike and car sites I inhabit, I am still waiting for someone to own up to getting "done". Anyone here? I have been flashed - just outside Clermont Ferrand heading for Millau on the A75, yet to hear anything, despite several re-entries since.
Despite all the extra cameras on main routes and crap bumps and chicanes in villages, rural France is mostly devoid of any form of enforcement, so I continue to use the back roads as much as possible.

 

[Wapping]

Leaving aside posts involving the word

nomenclature

it seems the OP has either got what he wanted and probably more besides, changed his mind when faced with the complexity of it all or died, as we have heard nothing.


noun: nomenclature

The devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline.
"the Linnean system of zoological nomenclature"

 

[dicktheleg]

If you use the toll motorways make sure you press the help button at the toll station and tell them you are "en moto", the price is half what the car toll is....