Advice about travelling to Longchamp for the Arc

Arc Trials Day travel notes:

I have identical Eurostar tickets for Arc Day as I had for Arc Trials Day.

I went out on the 08:19 that was scheduled to arrive at 11:47; however, due to some unexplained delay at the Chunnel it arrived 15 minutes late. I went straight down to the Metro/RER station at Gare Du Nord and bought a return ticket to Suresnes Longchamp (cost €7.10). I then got RERB to Châtelet Les Halles (next stop), where I changed to RERA for La Défense (three stops) and from there got Tram T2 to Suresnes Longchamp (three stops). I then walked through Suresnes, over the Seine bridge to the racecourse. I arrived at about 13:10 so it was nearly an hour including interchange time. As the first race on Arc Day is usually at 13:30, this is going to make it a bit of a tight squeeze.

After Treve’s victory, the subsequent races were all late so the 18:00 ran at about 18:10 and I left at 18:15 (missing the closing handicap at 18:30). I got back to Gare Du Nord at about 19:15 to catch my return Eurostar at 20:13.

I think it is going to be absolutely crammed on Arc Day this year as France Galop are promoting the Treve factor quite heavily. Arc Trails Day is usually pretty sparsely attended but there was quite a Treve fan club there even with the weather. It was noticeable how they all disappeared before the Prix Du Moulin, just like half the French disappear straight after the Arc rather than stay for the rest of the card.

 

When I went to Longchamp, my phone roamed onto the Orange network in France and set the time on the phone to European time (one hour ahead of BST). When the Eurostar came back through the Chunnel, the phone switched back to the native 3 network; however, the time has not returned to BST. Also, the Weather app is still showing me the weather for Paris even though I have the location service enabled and I am in East Yorkshire. There is almost a temptation to report these two little features to Microsoft although I suppose I should not be surprised that Windows Phone has the sort of pesky little issues that most previous MS systems have had – at least I have not had the blue screen of death yet!

As I will be back in Paris in three weeks time, maybe I should just leave the phone on French settings...

 

How much is that return for you QM?

Just thinking if you went by car with 4 in the car it would cost about £80 return each (Portsmouth - Caen) if you went overnight Sat and returned overnight Sunday. That would be without a cabin but a 4 berth cabin would be cheaper than hotels. Fuel on top but much more freedom. Car Park 3 Euros

 

The Eurostar ticket for 4th October cost me £57.50 each way (£115) when I bought it months ago. The equivalent ticket today is £289 in total (just checked!).

Yesterday, to drive to London and back cost me £44 in petrol (440 miles); my Tube fare on my Oyster card cost £6.20 (£3.10 each way) and my Paris RATP ticket cost €7.10 (€3.55 each way).

So that will come to something around £170 for Arc Sunday. Expensive business this horse racing...

 

You're mad - that's a ridiculously long day Hard to beat an Arc day though.

 

Considering your journey QM that sounds reasonable. Just as well you know what you're doing and know the routes out the back of your hand. Does sound very tight though.

 

Is anyone else here going to the Arc this year?

 

Oddy, to fly from Birmingham I would first have to drive there and pay for airport parking. The RER from Charles De Gaulle to central Paris is about €10 each way (or you could buy a Paris Visit ticket that might be cheaper). Stopping Sunday night means hotel costs. Heck, what if Treve does not win? That would make it seriously expensive!

My £170 is all in except food and paying at the gate at Longchamp. I eat every other day of the week (fortunately) so I never factor food and drink into expenses (unlike MPs).

Mr Starkey is right – I am mad.

 

Push the boat out once QM FFS! Life's too short to be budgeting every penny like that! We're a long time dead and let me tell you, ya can't bring it with ya when your gone!

 

However do you manage that? I skipped lunch one day last week and thought I was gonna pass out by 4pm.

 

I think it is brilliant actually. Always amazed at the trouble some people are prepared to go to in pursuit of a hobby.

 

Get yourself down the local A&E (but not on a Saturday or Sunday) and get your constitution checked out if you cannot manage to skip one meal in the middle of the day. I never had dinner on Sunday in Paris and drove home scoffing a packet of chocolate chip cookies after 11pm without even feeling faint...

 

I'm all checked out thanks QM. Just a bit of a pig.

 

Regarding the above posts reminds me of sitting in Birmingham airport following the Cheltenham Festival. My friend and I had put my mum on the train to Edinburgh and were popping over to Paris for a few nights to see Scotland getting their biannual tanking at the Park des Princes. Festival radio was being relayed in the airport lounges and your archetypal Irish farmer was being interviewed. He was asked how he had got on? He replied in an understated fashion: "not too well, I only have eight punts left". The interviewer asked how much he started the week with? Again he seemed willing to reply: "About 4000 punts sir". The interviewer then asked how he felt of the passing of his annual savings? . He replied and please accept my apologies for the phrasing/spelling: "Shore there's no pockets in a shroud".

Never skimp on your favourite hobby/passtime/lifestyle choice!!!!!

 

QM, fair play for all your efforts in getting to Longchamps. I'd rather watch racing on the TV than doing your trip, but that is the joy of sport, you can follow it in many ways, on different budgets or with different strategies.

I won't be going this year, my money is going on Cheltenham membership again, and despite my fondness for Paris and the racing, the flat has been pretty sterile for me this season. That said, if Treve wins as it looks like she will, the roof will lift off the stand once more!!

 

I've been reading this thread with a bit of added interest as my good lady recently mentioned that she was considering treating me to a visit to Longchamp for the Arc 2016 in celebration of my hitting a particular milestone. I had no idea until it was mentioned on here about the redevelopment plans which rather scuppers everything. It just won't be the same at Chantilly. The good lady was a bit peeved by this but I did mention that there was an event in Galway which I've always wanted to go to but it does last a bit longer. When I mentioned it was a week in August the look I got suggested I have a fair amount of work to do to convince her of it's merits.

 

If you still fancy Paris and are interested in the 'jumps' you could wait until November 2016 and visit Auteuil for 'Le Weekend International de l'Obstacle'. This is a two day festival of the best chasing and hurdling France has to offer (ref. The Fellow and Barracuda). I usually attend the Sunday which includes three Grade 1 races and is easily on a par with a day at the Cheltenham Festival. As usual in France entry is reasonable (8 Euros) and includes your racecard etc. The track is more accessible than either Longchamp or Chantilly as it is situated on the corner of the Bois de Boulogne right at the edge of the Auteuil neighbourhood. Any of the metro stops with Auteuil in the title will suffice and it can also be reached by bus 62. Each day is not as busy as the Arc weekend but are better attended than most French racing days.

 

Dan, I usually go for the whole Arc weekend and stay in Suresnes or Puteaux on the Saturday night; however, since the Qataris took over sponsorship they have messed about with the Saturday racing. Two years ago they moved the start forward so that the first race was at 12:30 because they had arranged a polo match for after racing. The racing ended at 16:30 by which time it was raining, so I expect the polo match was called off. Last year they moved the start time back so that the first race was at 14:30. The weather was miserable by the end of the afternoon and by the time the last race was run at 18:50 it was virtually dark. The only highlight was seeing Freddie Head’s improving grey called Solow trot up. So this year I decided to skip Saturday.

 

Cheers BK. That's definitely a possibility. Will investigated further. The good lady would certainly prefer Paris.