This is gonna be my third trip to the famous Nurburgring circuit (check
out my pages for April and September
2003).
The Easter weekend is probably the busiest weekend in the Nurburgring
calendar as the circuit is open to the public for the full 4 days over
the Easter bank holiday.
Use the links below to position to a particular
section.
Leave
work, get home and pack car. Drive
down to Dover forming a convoy on the way.
Friday 19/4/2004
Catch
the 01:00 am Ferry from Dover to Calais. Drive
through France, Belgium and Germany to get to the Nurburgring at around
10:00 am. Check
into the Hotel and freshen up. Do some
laps - yeh.
Saturday 20/4/2004
Get up,
have breakfast. Possibly
convoy somewhere for a rolling road session. Do some
more laps.
Sunday 21/4/2004
Get up,
have breakfast. Do even
more laps.
Monday 22/4/204
Get up,
have breakfast. Perhaps
do a last lap or two. Drive
back through Germany, Belgium and France to Calais. Catch
the 15:30 pm Ferry from Calais to Dover. Disperse
to all parts of the UK at normal speed.
You can
book on-line on the P&O site. Alternatively
you can use Ferry.co.uk who offer
good booking facilities and the option to use their "don't ask
- don't get" service where you can make an offer for the tickets
you want. Check out their site for details.
Typical ferry costs are around 100 - 120 GBP for a standard car and
two passengers. Crossing times with P&O are flexible so even if
you book specific times you can generally turn up and cross at any times
on the given days - subject to availability. Ferries tend to depart
every 30 minutes and you need to be there at least 30 minutes before
departure - you have been warned.
Driving across Europe can be fun but also tiring. UK driving license
holders don't get points for speeding offenses in Europe however fines
can vary from country to country. Excessive speeding, especially over
125 MPH in France and Belgium, can lead to confiscation of your car.
Speeds in excess of 100 MPH typically result in fines of upto £400.
Best to stick to 99 MPH until you get to Germany - you have been warned.
Ferry
Trip - around £100 - £120 for the return trip including
the car and two passengers. Accommodation-
typically around 75 Euros per night for a double room, 50 Euros for
a single room. Petrol
- petrol is cheaper but you are likely to use a fair bit. I would budget
for £150. Lap Tickets-
these cost around £10 per lap but there are discounts for multiple
ticket purchase of 3 or 10 lap passes. Budget for around £100.
NOTE: It is best to think of this, and any Nurburgring trip, as a long
weekend holiday. This way the costs are much easier to accept.
Don't forget the additional considerations such as ...
Medical
Cover - form E1-11 from the post office will provide free European cover.
Alternatively insureandgo
offer good travel insurance for this and any other overseas trips you
may have planned. European
Breakdown Cover - The GT4OC insurance cover provided by Dorset
has a European breakdown cover option for around £40. Track
Day Cover - the GT4OC insurance cover provided by Dorset
includes Track Day cover. This is essential - don't rely on the the
fact that the Nurburgring is a public road as many insurance companies
exclude the Nurburgring or any track, road or otherwise, in their small
print.
For additional information about the Nurburgring and organising trips,
check out this fabulous site
maintained by Ben Lovejoy. This site
is the 'bible' for Brits traveling over.