Le Mans 2027. A race that outlasts a driver's day.
The 95th running of the 24 Hours falls on 9 to 13 June 2027. A quarter of the circuit is a public road for the rest of the year, and the town of Le Mans turns itself inside out for the week.
The race week
Le Mans 2027 at a glance
- DatesWednesday 9 to Sunday 13 June 2027The 95th 24 Hours, and round five of the World Endurance Championship.
- WhereCircuit de la Sarthe, Le MansPart permanent circuit, part public road. The Mulsanne straight is an ordinary route nationale in March.
- The raceTraditionally starts mid afternoon on the SaturdayIt finishes twenty four hours later. The organisers publish the full timetable nearer the date.
- Nearest airfieldLe Mans Arnage (LME)A few kilometres from the circuit, with a runway of about 1,420 metres, so not every aircraft fits.
Dates as announced by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Session and start times are confirmed in the official programme.
Why it needs planning
The week is long and the roads are not yours
Le Mans is a five day event that most people treat as a weekend. Scrutineering brings the cars into the Place des Jacobins in the middle of town, the drivers' parade on the Friday evening closes streets in the centre, and the sections of circuit that are public road shut in stages before the race. Hundreds of thousands of people arrive with tents, campervans and a plan to park somewhere near the Porsche Curves. By Saturday lunchtime the ring road is working hard.
Le Mans Arnage sits almost next door to the circuit, which is marvellous and finite. Its runway is short, the handling capacity during race week is limited, and slot pressure sends a good deal of traffic to Tours, Angers, Rennes or Paris instead. Tours has a longer runway and sits roughly an hour away by road. Paris Le Bourget is two hours or so. Either can be the right answer depending on the aircraft, and we would rather tell you in January than on the Thursday.
Then there is the obvious problem with a twenty four hour race: it is longer than any driver's day. We plan Le Mans as a relay, with a handover point agreed in advance and a briefed second chauffeur taking the night, so that there is always a rested driver and a car you can retreat to at three in the morning. Anyone offering you one person for the whole race is either not doing it or not telling you.
Getting there
Ways to reach the Sarthe
| Route | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Le Mans Arnage (LME) to the circuit | About 10 to 15 minutes | Closest by a distance. Short runway, limited race week capacity, arrange very early |
| Tours or Angers, then car | About 1 hour by road | Longer runways and more room. A common answer when Le Mans is full |
| Paris Le Bourget, then car | 2 hours to 2 hours 30 | The usual arrival for larger aircraft coming from further afield |
| Paris Montparnasse to Le Mans by train | About 1 hour | Fast and reliable. We meet the train and drive the last leg |
| London to Le Mans by air | About 1 hour 15 flying | Plus the ground legs. Your car in London, the flight, a car in France |
| London to Le Mans by road | About 7 to 8 hours plus the crossing | Genuinely popular with clients who want their own car and chauffeur for the week |
Editorial ranges from timetables, mapping and operator guidance. Race week traffic changes all of them.
What clients usually book
A car that does not sleep
- A relay of two chauffeurs across the race, with a handover point and a rest plan agreed in advance
- One of our own cars and chauffeurs driven down from London, for clients who want their own car in France
- Collection at Le Mans Arnage, Tours or the TGV platform, whichever the aircraft and the slots allow
- A base at a hotel or chateau outside the town, with the car running in and out through the night
- A second vehicle for guests who want to leave after the start and come back for the finish
- The Friday in the town centre for the drivers' parade, when the centre is closed and walking is faster than driving
A typical plan
London to the Mulsanne
- 01
London
One of our own chauffeurs collects you and drives to Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill, or straight to the tunnel if you are going by road.
- 02
France
A short flight into Le Mans, Tours or Le Bourget, or the TGV from Paris if you are arriving by rail.
- 03
The circuit
A car briefed on the closures, the gate your pass works at, and where it can legally wait during the night.
- 04
The finish
A rested driver on Sunday afternoon and a departure plan made days earlier, because everyone leaves at once.
Book early
Race week fills a year ahead
Rooms in the Sarthe, aircraft slots at Le Mans Arnage and experienced drivers for an overnight race are all in short supply. Tell us your plans as soon as your tickets are confirmed.
Around the week
Related pages
Getting to France
On the ground
Start planning
Tell us how long you are staying
Which days you want to be there, how many of you, whether you want your own car from London or a car arranged in France, and whether you need the flight as well. We come back with a plan for the week, including the night. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About travel to Le Mans
Can one chauffeur cover the whole race?
No, and nobody should tell you otherwise. A twenty four hour race needs a relay of two drivers with a proper handover and rest. We plan it that way from the start.
Can you drive us from London?
Yes. Our own cars and chauffeurs are based in London and Manchester and long European drives are something we do regularly. We will compare that with flying and let you choose.
Can we land at Le Mans Arnage?
Sometimes. The runway is short and race week capacity is limited, so plenty of aircraft use Tours, Angers or Le Bourget instead. We will tell you early if your aircraft does not fit.
Where does the car wait during the night?
At a point agreed with the circuit's traffic plan for that year, close enough to reach on foot and legal to stand in. Your driver confirms it with you before the start.
Can you supply tickets or hospitality?
No. Those come from the organisers and their appointed agents. We arrange the travel around them.
Are you an official partner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
No. We are an independent company arranging travel to and from the race.
One contact, wherever you are