I've wanted to go for years, but I joined another forum a while back with a group of guys who go out on a fairly regular basis. I went out in September as a passenger in a Eunos Roadster (MX-5), and knew I had to go again.
It's reasonably pricey though going as a driver.
I cruised through Belgium, which kept fuel costs down. But I did away with about four tanks of fuel. It's about 450 miles from my house in Stamford to the track itself, the G40 isn't that frugal going around the track and I did do some unintelligent driving on the way back which didn't help.
AA breakdown cover costs £48 for cars over 11 years old (a £25 increase!) but it’s well worth having for peace of mind. Check that your insurance covers you for European driving (Brentacre does, and it’s free) and let them know you’re going first.
Don’t go Dover to Calais on the ferry, it’s much cheaper to take Norfolkline to Dunkirk. It’s a longer trip, but a considerable saving. Return to France cost me £69. Bargain.
Then there's the hotel costs. Last September I stayed in a guesthouse about 25 minutes from the Ring. B&B was €26 per night for a twin room, which is sod all. Breakfast was home made, and tasty, the rooms were basic but clean and it was placed just far enough from the track to warm the car up before lapping.
This time I stayed in the Burgstube hotel, which is actually in Nurburg. I could see and hear the track from my room, the hotel was quite car themed and very well placed. Three nights in a triple room cost €106 each, and we had barbecue food on Saturday which added about €15 to the bill including a Weissbeer.
Local restaurants are well priced. The Pistenklause in Nurburg comes highly recommended. It’s owned by Sabine Schmidt’s family. Get yourself a fillet steak. It comes raw with a block of hot tarmac to cook it on. That costs €20, which isn’t that cheap, but it’s fantastic food. I spent a further €24 on beer because I could walk back to the hotel.
The Lindenhof is good as well, that serves grillehaxe which is pork knuckle. Sounds rank, but it’s bloody delicious. There’s a Chinese restaurant in Adenau which is also worth visiting, I can’t remember the name though.
Basically, food costs as much as you want to spend. There are loads of supermarkets about, and if you want to cut costs it isn’t difficult.
Track insurance is now a bit buggered. Competition Car Insurance used to offer policies for tourist laps at £60 per day, but apparently a group of London bankers came out a few weeks back and wrote off nine premium cars. It nearly bankrupted the company. Insurance is now nigh on impossible to get. It’s also pricey and will probably only be third party with no cover for recovery off the track, or back to the UK, and chances are it won’t cover you for Armco damage, which is almost inevitable.
I have to confess that due to problems sorting cover I drove it uninsured. But I avoided busy times and the heaviest rain, took it easy and went out with enough cash in my account to cover unexpected costs. Don’t copy Clarkson and aim for sub ten minute laps, drive within your limits and be honest if you do crash. Don’t carry on driving with a damaged car, if you spill fluids you could cause a biker to come off. Bike accidents are usually quite messy; do you really want that on your conscience just to save a few quid?
Sensibly though if you go easy, and don’t assume you know the track because of Gran Turismo laps you’ll be fine. Accept that you’ll have everyone overtake you on your first few laps and just enjoy the drive. It’s not only exhilarating, it’s also a beautiful part of the world.
Some more cover worth taking is a helmet. Yes it’s pricey, yes it looks like you’re living out a racing driver fantasy but seriously anyone who takes the piss is a fool. What price do you place on your head?
A helmet is also a great bargaining chip for passenger laps. DO go out with other people, it’s a fantastic way to experience the track at speed, and best of all it’s free. Most people in the car park are quite willing to chat, so go and socialise, then pop the question.
If the track is really wet and you don’t feel up to going out, go and find the Camp4Fun park nearby. It’s a quarry, and for €39 per hour you can rent a Suzuki Samurai and go off road unsupervised. Split the driving and you’ll get half an hour of mud plugging each for less than €20. That’s a bargain, and it’s bloody good fun. We went twice!
Sorry it’s a bit of a scrawl, but I hope it helps. I think I spent about £450 this weekend but I wasn’t watching the pennies. I ate well, I drank well, and I have no regrets. I’m going back in August hopefully (probably as a passenger though while I save my pennies).
I'll post my pics up later.
