Here at Beermountain, as proud ACO Club 24 members, we used to get these tickets direct. Over the last 3 years so many people have joined the club that demand appears to exceed the capability to supply, and you will often not be sure until it's too late that you have an allocation. Believe us, there is no worse feeling than finding out in May that you are on a waiting list and the other options have dried up. I hear loads of good feedback from some campers that get the right tickets each year, but also feedback from many people who get put on wait lists for the less good campsites and don't find out until its too late. The question is, how lucky do you feel?

So, if this is all new to you, your options are:

Direct ACO Booking

At least a year in advance to be safe. Some book further ahead and pay in person at the race the year before - that seems to work well.

You can follow this link to the ACO site "Club 24" page: ACO Tickets

The telephone number of the ACO "Club 24" English speaking line is: 00 33 2 43 61 08 24

The telephone number of the ACO direct ticket line is : 00 33 2 43 40 24 75

UK Ticket Agents

As of 2008 there are now 4 UK agents who have entered into a contract with the ACO to be "official" suppliers. They will probably get access to better tickets and higher guaranteed quantity. We can recommend 3 of them, and their details are below. Each have made commitment to try and meet our needs, and we feel that it makes sense to support them. That said, there are several well respected smaller ticket agents who work hard to service their clients needs. If you already  have a good relationship with your agent, that's a major plus. If not, give these agents a call and let them know you are a Beermountain member.

• Just Tickets A highly popular company with BM members.. You pay in full a long way up front, but in return you get tickets in the best sites. Official ACO agent.

• Travel Destinations Motorsport friendly UK travel agent offering travel & ticket packages to Le Mans and other events, including executive "camping" at Chateau d'Eporce!  Official ACO agent and fully bonded ABTA tour operator.

• 1st Tickets Experienced Le Mans UK ticket agent selling entrance ticket/camping packages. Official ACO agent.

• Race Tours Le Mans orientated UK ticket agent with a good feel for every aspect of the race.

• Page & Moy Well known operator offering a variety of organised trips and tailored arrangements - expect to have to buy a "package".

• Select Motor Racing Tour orientated UK travel agent with lots of F1/Le Mans experience.

• Tickets-2-U No frills UK agent which specialises in "no strings" Le Mans tickets.

Please be warned that the very best tickets can even be sold out by travel agents in July - 11 months before the race. If you are not fussy about which campsite you get though, you might be in with a chance until nearer the time. Also be aware that some agents want to sell you a "package" - they want to make commission on ferries & travel. Others will sell just tickets only. One or two also sell special packages, but be careful as our experience is you pay for what you get. One well known operator has a "VIP" campsite that is really anything but.

EBay/Members Forums

This can be good as it should match supply to demand. However, please bear in mind that the tickets are sometimes not sent out to the original purchaser until 2-3 weeks before the event - it is actually not legal to sell tickets you don't physically own in some countries. Furthermore, avoid the profiteers at all costs. No one should have to pay more than a small amount over the original ticket value. If you see anything at a high price, ignore it - this is a mugs game. We hear that it is also not strictly legal to sell unless the original purchase price is made clear on an auction sale. Also bear in mind that the seller might not actually have the ticket yet. Are you prepared to wait until the week before the race to then be let down? If you are going down this route, try to trade with someone who you know is a bona fide member of a club. Beermountain has a "buy, swap, sell" forum where you can usually find reasonably priced late deals.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a member of the ACO to buy tickets directly from them?

No, any one can buy tickets from the ACO directly. The ACO have a special "Club 24" package which if you join, gets you reduced price tickets, access to a special members visitor centre, plus race information and other benefits.

What tickets will I need to watch the race?

As a minimum you will need an "Enceinte General" (general admission) ticket for each person. This gets you into the circuit and general viewing areas. Beyond this you may need a camping pass, and you can also buy tickets to the grandstands. You will always need a general admission ticket, whatever other tickets you have purchased. They are now bar coded and scanned as you enter and leave the circuit. Do not try and copy them or thin k you can share them around.

How many campsite tickets will I need?

As a general rule, at least one per vehicle. Most campsites allow you to pitch as many tents as you like as long as your car/motorhome has a pass, but now many are adding a 7x5m space allocation which may be marked out when you arrive. The current exception is Camping Houx, where one pass relates to a numbered and marked pitch. Roughly marked slots have also been added to Houx Annexe now, but these are not enforced too rigidly yet. We expect all sites to have marked and numbered pitches by 2009.

The tickets for the campsites seem to be sold out...

Yes, this happens every year for the best campsites. You need to book early! Try the ACO and a couple of travel agents. If all else fails, you could just bring a sleeping bag and sleep trackside, but we don't recommend this. You can usually camp up to 30 minutes away in a number of places, so don't despair!

Can I camp in one of the car parks?

No. You will more than likely be prevented from doing this, but sleeping in the car is always an option. We have heard of officials patrolling and issuing fines, but this must be quite hard if you are in a motorhome!

Which grandstands are the best?

This is all down to personal preference. Generally, the closer to the start/finish line the more expensive. The grandstand over the top of the pit sounds great, but has no view of the pits itself, so isn't really as good. The best in our view is the ACO (J) grandstand, but this is for members only (including "Club 24") and is limited to 2 tickets per member.

What about pit walk tickets?

You can but these, but for their cost we don't see the advantage - the pits are open to all on Friday, so the only advantage is on the morning of race day when you have access to the pit up to 1 hour before the race starts. We're too busy noshing on champagne and canapés in the village to need this on Saturday!

Which campsite do you recommend?

There is no right or wrong answer here. See our guide to campsite form and choose the one that best suits your needs..

I've heard about things called "counter marques". What are these?

You don't buy these, they are just a simple system to validate tickets. Every time you leave the grandstand or circuit during the race, an official will give you one of these. Look after it as you need to surrender it every time you go back in. In 2007 these were replaced by a trial of bar coded tickets which were scanned. We expect this now to be the norm.

How much are the tickets?

The ticket prices are not normally set until Jan/Feb each year. You can reserve tickets without paying until such a time as the prices are fixed. Check the ACO web site for the direct price and use this to judge the fairness of any deals you enter into - ACO ticket prices

I've bought my tickets, how do I keep them safe and ensure they don't blow away when I'm upside down on the fun fair rides?

You can by plastic pit pass holders which go around your neck and keep everything secure at stalls all round the track.

Do I really need a grandstand ticket?

No. Lots of people think it's better to move around the track and watch from a number of standing locations. However, if you want a clear view of the start/finish you will be lucky to see anything without one, as you are likely to be in a standing crowd about 20 people deep.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck, and hope it all works out - what's the point of worrying?