Nurburgring - question

[simon drabble]

is it easy to get to by plane/train alternatively how long does it take to drive to from Calais?
thanks

[smokystove]

You could fly to Cologne or Frankfurt and take the train to the 'Ring, but both are complicated with several changes and busses and take anywhere from 3 to 4.5 hours depending on which.

Best bet I think would be to fly to Cologne/Bonn Airport and rent a cheap car, it's just under 2 hours drive.

Maybe a native can tell you better but it's the only expedient way I know of and have lived in Germany for several years.

[Moosehead]

Easy to fly to Bonn/Cologne, pick up a rental and you'll be at the circuit within an hour.

Calais - 4 to 4.5 hrs with trailer pending on traffic and which way you go. I always travel at night and get round the Brussels ring road before the morning rush hour. You can easily add an hour if you get held up in that.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by simon drabble

is it easy to get to by plane/train alternatively how long does it take to drive to from Calais?
thanks

Simon I would say 4 to 4 1/2 hours depending on the traffic, especially round the Brussels ring road. I'm sure that their will be many 'experts' who will say that there are better ways to go ..... but I'm a simple soul and just follow the 'sat nav' route. Good luck ..... are you off to the Old Timer meeting?

[johngee]

Moosehead beat me to the answer ..... but at least we agree!!!!!!!!

[smokystove]

Correction... Moosehead is right, it is only about an hours drive.

[simon drabble]

No John, weekend of the Silverstone Classic Alex has a FF meeting at Nurburgring. Being a good father I have turned down a drive in the Pre63 GT race to go and watch him!

[johngee]

Simon - your paternal responsibility does you great credit . I hope he does well and have a great trip, whichever route that you take.

[Kevin Cooke]

A few years ago I picked up my then new 996GT3 from Manthey Racing at the gates of the Ring late one Friday afternoon after they had done some work on it. It was the day of a BA strike so I'd left London crack of dawn by train from W/Loo.

Due to road closures for an event I got diverted off towards Luxembourg so simple followed my nose (no Sat Nav just a map) W/SW over the hills and joined the E42 just south of St Vith, past Spa then straight to the shuttle at Calais.

One of the best drives of my life and no way will I divulge the elapsed time as I'm sure the statute of limitiations on the various offences commited will not yet have lapsed. Still got the GT3 great car.

Regards

Kevin

[simon drabble]

I shall be doing it at a more sedate pace in my Jaguar due to my wife being next to me and my last drive in Europe resulting in a EUR 750 fine.... sadly I got the date of the Classic wrong so I could have done both - seems 2012 is a year I am not destined to race!

[simon drabble]

looks like it will be my first and last trip as the circuit has just been declared bankrupt and in the current environment I doubt bidders will be queuing up to buy it

[flor]

They might be bankrupt, but they are government owned, so the Ring is probably not for sale...

[old man]

That despite a subsidy totalling over half a billion Euros it is said. Thought they got all financial matters correct in Germany, it was only the UK that makes a mess of things?

[simon drabble]

Originally Posted by flor

They might be bankrupt, but they are government owned, so the Ring is probably not for sale...

I think that is the reason for its demise - it is in contravention of the European Commission's ruling on state lending. Another reason why the EU needs to fall apart....

[flor]

Originally Posted by old man

That despite a subsidy totalling over half a billion Euros it is said. Thought they got all financial matters correct in Germany, it was only the UK that makes a mess of things?

As Simon mentioned the subsidies were judged to be illegal and therefore need to be paid back I assume. Thats the reason for the bankruptcy.