The seasonal festivities are over. If you love motor sport, the closest you probably got to it over the holiday was Forza on the Xbox. That makes now the perfect time to plan a trip to one of motor racing’s classics. At the 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15th-16th June 2019, 60 of the world’s fastest cars will do battle on the hallowed 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Will you be there?

Your Le Mans options

Okay, so prime Le Mans accommodation is long sold out – or commanding silly prices for race week. But there’s still time to grab some of June’s action. Plenty of options remain, ranging from budget coach trips to stylish on-circuit ‘glamping’. You could even combine cheaper accommodation further from the circuit with a daily ‘commute’ by train, bus or tram – or, if you’re really brave, car...

You’ve never been? There’s nothing quite like the 4am buzz of French beer, barbeque and speeding Toyotas, Rebellions and Aston Martins. How about combining more time in France? For a change from Calais or Caen, sail to Cherbourg or St-Malo, then stay overnight at Auberge de la Sélune in Ducey, near mystical Mont St-Michel.

Next morning, enjoy a leisurely drive to Le Mans – stopping somewhere like the lovely little organic café ‘Pour Tous les Goûts’ in sleepy Sainte Suzanne. After the race, of course, the rest of France awaits…

Drive the circuit

Fancy driving Le Mans? Unless you’re in a car club, access to the full circuit is near-impossible, but you can still drive most of it on public roads. Start at Tertre Rouge on Le Mans’ outskirts, then imagine that 50mph in an MX-5 is 213mph in an Alpine A470 prototype, as you chase trucks and camper vans down the legendary Mulsanne Straight.

Hang a sharp right and continue towards Indianapolis and Arnage corners in the 200mph tyre-tracks of Steve McQueen and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. Then follow the old two-lane D139 through notorious Maison Blanche – last taken flat out by 240mph Porsche 917s in 1971 – to the fascinating Musée des 24 Heures du Mans.

Be part of Le Mans’ glorious history

Whether you visit lovely medieval Le Mans, the circuit and its museum en route to somewhere else, or watch the race from start to finish, look forward to being part of Le Mans’ glorious history. Don’t miss it!