The starting point is to consider your needs, as some sites will meet them much better than others. If you have a choice, things to review include:

• Do you need electricity? (Houx only, not Houx Annexe)
• Will you arrive late and benefit from a numbered (guaranteed) space? (Houx only)
• What sort of atmosphere do you want? Relaxed (Maison Blanche, Karting Nord, Beausejour) through to "stag" (Houx Annexe)
• Are you on a bike where some hard standing would be good? (Expo)
• How far do you want to walk to the track? (Maison Blanche, Karting Nord are trackside)
• Where are your friends camping? - its worth trying to all get to the same space!

What to expect?

• All sites have friendly locals on the gates to check a valid pass (one per vehicle) for all vehicles coming in and out. They should be stuck to the inside of the windscreen - sometimes this is enforced to prevent multiple use.
• All sites have WC facilities, the good ones have showers. They will be crowded at peak times, but the janitors often do a sterling job keeping them clean - make sure you tip them generously if this is  your opinion!
• Only Houx and in 2008 Maison Blanche have marked pitches with numbers. Some sites have roughly divided spaces allocated on arrival, others have no markings. Marked spaces are likely in all campsites by 2009.
• The later you arrive, the tighter finding a big space will be. The tick is not to panic and think flexibly
• Garbage will be collected daily from the bins/oil drums
• Security is generally good, but slightly vulnerable in the early hours of the morning - put generators and valuables away - pikeys with bolt cutters in local plated white vans have been known to operate...
• Rest assured if you have a problem, you will be surrounded by helpful experts who are often amazingly generous with their time and help.

Arrival Drill

We don't want to take the fun out of it all (and the learning from your experience!), but you might want to consider a things before you start pitching your tent:

• Are you in the right space? - if it's numbered, have you read the numbers from the right end? It's a complete pain to have to move and re pitch all over again if you are in the wrong spot
• How far is it to the water supply? - does your hose reach? (if this matters to you)
• Is the spot liable to flood? - look for tell tale signs (inc no one else camping there!)
• Are you setting up next to someone with a huge DJ party sound system that will ruin the weekend? - now is the time to do something about that and vote with your feet
• Once you have the perfect spot, if it's busy, use barrier tape to roughly identify your space until you have built your camp - once it's up you might need less space than you thought, so don't be greedy, pull your perimeter in a bit!
• Allocate jobs to your team - priorities are shade (gazebo), cold beer, and food (Carrefour)
• It sounds obvious, but it can be bloody hot - have a case of mineral water on top of the pile so your team remain hydrated during the build phase (its hard work)
• Finally, take pride in your set up - all those around you will - don't rush it, and make sure everything is a "proper job"! No prizes for finishing first!