How cheap could I do the 'Ring?
Discussion
I'm sitting here in Dublin Port waiting for the Ferry to Holyhead. I have to take care of a few things in England and I have a Ferry booked back home for Thursday.
I was thinking about changing it to a ferry on Wednesday and coming home then (My ticket allows change with very little cost). It'll work the other way too, I could easily change it to a later one; Friday, Saturday.. Again with little or no cost.
So I was thinking; if I was to go on a ring trip later in the year, the Ferry will be one of the biggest expenses of the trip, it's normally about £140 each way.
So if I took a notion to change the return ferry to a later one, book the channel tunnel to Calais and drive to the 'Ring, just how cheap could I do it?
I imagine I'd be talking about 4 or 5 tanks of fuel to get there and back (250-300 a tank I think), and I don't think the channel crossing is that expensive?
Also do they hire out helmets at the ring? And what exactly would I need to take the channel tunnel; I have my licence, passport.. Would I need my insurance etc?
Could it be done on £300, £400, £500 living on a shoestring? Channel Crossing, Hotel/B&B/Hostel near the Ring for one night, and a few laps?
I texted a friend who lives in Newcastle and he might be up for coming along, so might take away some of the costs..
I was thinking about changing it to a ferry on Wednesday and coming home then (My ticket allows change with very little cost). It'll work the other way too, I could easily change it to a later one; Friday, Saturday.. Again with little or no cost.
So I was thinking; if I was to go on a ring trip later in the year, the Ferry will be one of the biggest expenses of the trip, it's normally about £140 each way.
So if I took a notion to change the return ferry to a later one, book the channel tunnel to Calais and drive to the 'Ring, just how cheap could I do it?
I imagine I'd be talking about 4 or 5 tanks of fuel to get there and back (250-300 a tank I think), and I don't think the channel crossing is that expensive?
Also do they hire out helmets at the ring? And what exactly would I need to take the channel tunnel; I have my licence, passport.. Would I need my insurance etc?
Could it be done on £300, £400, £500 living on a shoestring? Channel Crossing, Hotel/B&B/Hostel near the Ring for one night, and a few laps?
I texted a friend who lives in Newcastle and he might be up for coming along, so might take away some of the costs..
Calais - Nurburg is 280ish miles.
You should theoretically carry your licence, V5, insurance, MOT (if applicable), spare bulbs, warning triangle, Hi-Vis vests, breathalysers (for the French part).
In 'Ring accidents I've witnessed Polizei ask for passport and credit card on the scene too.
Tickets are €26 per lap or €95 for 4.
No helmets for hire, unless one of the friendly track car hire companies such as Rent4Ring or RSR could be persuaded.
You should theoretically carry your licence, V5, insurance, MOT (if applicable), spare bulbs, warning triangle, Hi-Vis vests, breathalysers (for the French part).
In 'Ring accidents I've witnessed Polizei ask for passport and credit card on the scene too.
Tickets are €26 per lap or €95 for 4.
No helmets for hire, unless one of the friendly track car hire companies such as Rent4Ring or RSR could be persuaded.
Its 300 miles from Calais to the Ring. Take it easy as traffic can be heavy and theres no need to do 100mph (will keep costs down too).
Helmets are not available but not legally required.
Your insurance will almost certainly be nullified on the Ring meaning that if you have a crash you are 100% responsible for all costs involved, including recovery of your own car, repair of the track, any marshall or closure time etc. One of our party once hit the armco at 10mph head on. He reversed and was able to drive off the track himself (cracked bumped but the radiator was fine). A marshall car was dispatched to survey the scene and the track remained opened. The cost was €2600 (just over £2,000 in todays money). Larger accidents such as side swipping the barriers (damage is not hammered out, sections are replaced) and bouncing off both sides spraying soil/mud on the track brings the bill upto many thousands.
Hotels are available in the area but do check before you leave and book ahead. You could always get one 15 miles or so from the Ring to save some money.
Fuel is about the same price as it is here. Its now just under £25 a lap but you can buy a 4 lap ticket to save money about 5%.
The most important thing is to check its open as most of the time it is not. I get the impression that some people think it is open all the time.
http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/angebote/driving-exp...
Do not crash. It will ruin your whole day/year/life.
Helmets are not available but not legally required.
Your insurance will almost certainly be nullified on the Ring meaning that if you have a crash you are 100% responsible for all costs involved, including recovery of your own car, repair of the track, any marshall or closure time etc. One of our party once hit the armco at 10mph head on. He reversed and was able to drive off the track himself (cracked bumped but the radiator was fine). A marshall car was dispatched to survey the scene and the track remained opened. The cost was €2600 (just over £2,000 in todays money). Larger accidents such as side swipping the barriers (damage is not hammered out, sections are replaced) and bouncing off both sides spraying soil/mud on the track brings the bill upto many thousands.
Hotels are available in the area but do check before you leave and book ahead. You could always get one 15 miles or so from the Ring to save some money.
Fuel is about the same price as it is here. Its now just under £25 a lap but you can buy a 4 lap ticket to save money about 5%.
The most important thing is to check its open as most of the time it is not. I get the impression that some people think it is open all the time.
http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/angebote/driving-exp...
Do not crash. It will ruin your whole day/year/life.
Fly over rent car for one lap then fly back it has got to be cheaper than driving, I don't know how big the tank in your car is but it is over £60 to fill mine and petrol is no cheaper on the continent. And you won't be insured but still responsible for paying up in the event of an accident.
What happens if you take a Hetz car onto the ring these days, someone in PPC did it a few years ago.
What happens if you take a Hetz car onto the ring these days, someone in PPC did it a few years ago.
EDLT said:
I don't know how big the tank in your car is but it is over £60 to fill mine and petrol is no cheaper on the continent.
Mk1 MX5, it was almost empty earlier and it only took 33 litres to fill it. Roughly 55 Euro.EDLT said:
What happens if you take a Hetz car onto the ring these days, someone in PPC did it a few years ago.
I've heard stories on being banned from Hertz etc. Dont know what the truth is though.Also, I think I priced hiring a car out there and I'm almost sure it was cheaper to drive out vs flying. I'll have another look though.
As far as the Hertz rentacar goes, don't do it on the ring. The rental companies do have spotters around the track, there was a story going round that one man got his credit card charged for a princely sum before he was even halfway round the lap.
I'd quite fancy one of the little Swifts tbh, seems like a good arrangement.
I'd quite fancy one of the little Swifts tbh, seems like a good arrangement.
If I was going to drive the ring I think I'd go for one of the Swifts from Rent for ring.
As much as I'm sure I'd love driving my own car around the ring unless it was closed I'd be far too wary of other cars and the lack of run off areas to really push it hard, and having had one expensive continental READ YOUR POLICY lesson in my life I'd give up driving if I had another.
As much as I'm sure I'd love driving my own car around the ring unless it was closed I'd be far too wary of other cars and the lack of run off areas to really push it hard, and having had one expensive continental READ YOUR POLICY lesson in my life I'd give up driving if I had another.
hardcorehobbit said:
As far as the Hertz rentacar goes, don't do it on the ring. The rental companies do have spotters around the track, there was a story going round that one man got his credit card charged for a princely sum before he was even halfway round the lap.
I'd quite fancy one of the little Swifts tbh, seems like a good arrangement.
Conversely, I did a couple of laps in a Hertz Kia and never heard a peep. From my internet research before hand Hertz were the big hire company least likely to 'fine' a customer for using a car on the ring - they tend to go for a ban on you renting instead.I'd quite fancy one of the little Swifts tbh, seems like a good arrangement.
Don't do this though. If it's a trip purely for the purpose of lapping you're better off hiring from one of the specialist companies.
Chrisw666 said:
If I was going to drive the ring I think I'd go for one of the Swifts from Rent for ring.
As much as I'm sure I'd love driving my own car around the ring unless it was closed I'd be far too wary of other cars and the lack of run off areas to really push it hard, and having had one expensive continental READ YOUR POLICY lesson in my life I'd give up driving if I had another.
3K excess though IIRC.As much as I'm sure I'd love driving my own car around the ring unless it was closed I'd be far too wary of other cars and the lack of run off areas to really push it hard, and having had one expensive continental READ YOUR POLICY lesson in my life I'd give up driving if I had another.
no *cheap* way of doing the ring.
Chrisw666 said:
£3k excess v ruining own car and armco. One is a fixed risk and one is unlimited, but you're right there no cheap way to do the ring.
Indeed. I wasn't meaning that it was alot, more that renting is as cheap as you'd like either.Take it easy on a TF day and enjoy it. Not maximum attack
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