Road Trip to Spa F1 2019!

Road Trip to Spa F1 2019!

Author
Discussion

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

195 months

Sunday 16th June 2019
quotequote all
As a gift to my Dad , I'm taking him to Spa for the F1 as it's one of the circuits he wants to tick off. Ferry and tickets booked I'm now at the stage of sorting some accommodation and I'm at a loss as to which town to stay in.

I know the area well, however if it's anything like The Nürburgring F1 experience traffic will be a nightmare so I'm thinking we have 3 options as far as I can see it;

Spa
Melmedy
Stavelot

If we stay in Spa, as fantastic as the town is there is really no other option than to drive in, quite what that experience will be like I can only imagine!

Does anyone have any experience of where to stay? I've done a search but most threads advise on camping-something we won't be doing! We don't mind hiking in from another town for an hour or so, or if possible driving for ten mins and then dumping the car somewhere to hike the rest.

Any tips?

sparta6

3,689 posts

99 months

Sunday 16th June 2019
quotequote all
Spa town is excellent.
We stayed at the Radisson Blu and the funicular next door takes you upto....a large open spa.
Good restaurants and a small market selling all kinds of stuff including motorsport memorabilia.
Renting a scooter for the circuit trip is worth considering

Edited by sparta6 on Sunday 16th June 18:46

HardtopManual

2,404 posts

165 months

Monday 17th June 2019
quotequote all
I've stayed as far away as Leuven before (an hour on the train to Verviers where you can pick up the circuit shuttle bus, which sails past the queues of cars)

So don't worry too much about being close to the track.

tozerman

1,175 posts

226 months

Tuesday 18th June 2019
quotequote all
Try Houffalize, we stayed there in2014 for the Belgium GP. Only about half hour drive, lovely little town. Google it incase I spelt the name wrong...

LeoSayer

7,299 posts

243 months

Wednesday 19th June 2019
quotequote all
When I went to Spa some years ago we stayed in Aachen over the German border, which is about an hour's drive from the circuit.

Lovely medieval town.

95 fiesta si

1,600 posts

151 months

Saturday 22nd June 2019
quotequote all
You will love it, real nice place and surrounding areas, me and my Dad went there way back in 1994.

Damon Hill won, Hakkienen 2nd and Jos Verstappen 3rd.

Was a real good weekend

Enjoy.......you only got about 2 months to wait now

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

195 months

Monday 24th June 2019
quotequote all
As an update, I’ve booked Stavelot-a nice little apartment for the weekend. Someone at the booking desk has offered to drive us up to the circuit, or presumably as close as is possible dependant in the traffic.

For anyone that knows it, it’s just behind that row of restaurants that are next to the school that come in handy when you fancy a spot of nice lunch during a track day there.

Can’t wait.

LeoSayer

7,299 posts

243 months

Monday 24th June 2019
quotequote all
LaurasOtherHalf said:
As an update, I’ve booked Stavelot-a nice little apartment for the weekend. Someone at the booking desk has offered to drive us up to the circuit, or presumably as close as is possible dependant in the traffic.

For anyone that knows it, it’s just behind that row of restaurants that are next to the school that come in handy when you fancy a spot of nice lunch during a track day there.

Can’t wait.
That sounds perfect.

One thing I learned is don't try to try drive back home to the UK on the Sunday night. It took me about 7 hour to get to Calais.

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

195 months

Monday 24th June 2019
quotequote all
LeoSayer said:
That sounds perfect.

One thing I learned is don't try to try drive back home to the UK on the Sunday night. It took me about 7 hour to get to Calais.
No I've booked the ferry for Monday night so we can enjoy the last evening and call in somewhere else on the trip back.

LaurasOtherHalf

Original Poster:

21,429 posts

195 months

Monday 19th August 2019
quotequote all
Not long to wait now, any other PH'rs making the trip?

davidd

6,443 posts

283 months

Tuesday 20th August 2019
quotequote all
I'm taking my son. Tunnel Thursday morning, staying in a B&B in spa. Tunnel booked for Sunday night, the traffic back is st but we made it in about 6 hours last time we did it. Oddly we legged it as soon as the race finished, but were passed by Martin Brundle as we came into Calais, as he's left at least an hour after us it is clear there is a faster way out of the place!

If you are in Spa for dinner I can recommend Domino's a great steakhouse, you might well find the odd driver in there as well.

Cheers

D

Wonderman

2,223 posts

194 months

Saturday 30th November 2019
quotequote all
LaurasOtherHalf said:
As a gift to my Dad , I'm taking him to Spa for the F1 as it's one of the circuits he wants to tick off. Ferry and tickets booked I'm now at the stage of sorting some accommodation and I'm at a loss as to which town to stay in.

I know the area well, however if it's anything like The Nürburgring F1 experience traffic will be a nightmare so I'm thinking we have 3 options as far as I can see it;

Spa
Melmedy
Stavelot

If we stay in Spa, as fantastic as the town is there is really no other option than to drive in, quite what that experience will be like I can only imagine!

Does anyone have any experience of where to stay? I've done a search but most threads advise on camping-something we won't be doing! We don't mind hiking in from another town for an hour or so, or if possible driving for ten mins and then dumping the car somewhere to hike the rest.

Any tips?
How did your trip go, thinking of doing something similar for 2020