Brands Hatch accommodation with secure parking?

[looksfast]

Hi All, I've got a track day booked for next year at Brands Hatch and was planning on staying at the Mercure at the entrance, with the bike left in the car park overnight. My sense is that people do this a lot, but wonder if there are any better options with secure parking, or a little more discrete. I was thinking of say a B&B with a hyper alert landlady and a garage ideally, but appreciate I may have no choice.

Has anyone got a better idea than the Mercure or experience that I could use to help ensure the bike is there in the morning for me to go on track please?

Thanks!

[Shooter McGavin]

Air BnB locally, with off road parking?

[looksfast]

I hadn't even thought of AirBnB thanks! Will have a root through...

[GriffoDP]

Yeah I stayed there naively with my S1000RR parked outside. Didn't stay outside very long as some nice people threw it in their van at about 0500 and took it to an industrial estate for safe keeping. They helpfully left the tracker in so we could get it back. Sadly they did £6k of damage when delicately placing it in their van.

I suggest a B&B or equivalent that's far enough away not to be on anybody's 'rounds'. Or emigrate.

[looksfast]

GriffoDP said:

Yeah I stayed there naively with my S1000RR parked outside. Didn't stay outside very long as some nice people threw it in their van at about 0500 and took it to an industrial estate for safe keeping. They helpfully left the tracker in so we could get it back. Sadly they did £6k of damage when delicately placing it in their van.

I suggest a B&B or equivalent that's far enough away not to be on anybody's 'rounds'. Or emigrate.

Ouch - that is exactly what I am afraid of. Given the hotel is at the entrance to the circuit, I suspect it's a frequently monitored location. Monitored by the wrong sort though.

I think being away from the circuit is probably a good suggestion.

Sorry to hear about your bike. That's rubbish.

[roboxm3]

Given your location, just ride down on the morning, it doesn't seem like there's too much to be gained by travelling the night before?

[Nothingtoseehere]

roboxm3 said:

Given your location, just ride down on the morning, it doesn't seem like there's too much to be gained by travelling the night before?

Yup. My limit is around 90 minutes travel before I look to stay somewhere the evening before. Saves a lot of hassle and time away from home.

Not helpful for the OP perhaps, but the worry of leaving the bike anywhere will outweigh any benefit of an extra hour or so in bed, and the previous day's travel.

[looksfast]

I was simply hoping to not have a 5am wake up and have the jeopardy of the M25 first thing. I think you might be right though.

[dibblecorse]

What time you aiming to get there the night before? and which TDO.

I have stayed at the Mercure many times and have had no problems leaving a vehicle in the circuit, they lock up at c10pm.

[s p a c e m a n]

Yeah we've left cars in the circuit overnight before and come back to them in the morning, never done it with a bike though

[looksfast]

I was planning on signing on around 7:30/8am. It's the MSV trackway on the 9th March. I didn't realise the Mercure locked the gates, which makes a difference.

Whilst I am only about an hour and a half away, even on a bike, the M25 can throw a wobbly and I just don't want to be tired, rushed and generally wound up on arrival. I will be completely wired with adrenaline as it is, so have no need for any more stimulus!

[trickywoo]

looksfast said:

It's the MSV trackway on the 9th March!

I don’t want to p on your chips and you may well be a track day vet but that’s going to be a crash fest.

I went to an early season one at Brands and everyone was so excited to be out after the winter that I didn’t do more than 3 laps of the Indy between red flags.

I’d probably go as far as recommending sitting out the first session and taking your time over the sign on. As long as you don’t miss an admission stipulation I’d sign in as late as possible.

[looksfast]

trickywoo said:

looksfast said:

It's the MSV trackway on the 9th March!

I don t want to p on your chips and you may well be a track day vet but that s going to be a crash fest.

I went to an early season one at Brands and everyone was so excited to be out after the winter that I didn t do more than 3 laps of the Indy between red flags.

I d probably go as far as recommending sitting out the first session and taking your time over the sign on. As long as you don t miss an admission stipulation I d sign in as late as possible.

Thanks, I think! I tend to find that inters is such a range of riders anyway that it's best to maintain standard riding protocol of assuming you are invisible and that everyone else wants to kill you.

[dibblecorse]

trickywoo said:

looksfast said:

It's the MSV trackway on the 9th March!

I don t want to p on your chips and you may well be a track day vet but that s going to be a crash fest.

I went to an early season one at Brands and everyone was so excited to be out after the winter that I didn t do more than 3 laps of the Indy between red flags.

I d probably go as far as recommending sitting out the first session and taking your time over the sign on. As long as you don t miss an admission stipulation I d sign in as late as possible.

Yet I've done Brands in March on many occasions and its been no worse than any other trsckday, I used to live 15 minutes away and was there all year round, by far the worst slots are mid summer evening only sessions, never ever again will I.

[dibblecorse]

trickywoo said:

looksfast said:

It's the MSV trackway on the 9th March!

I don t want to p on your chips and you may well be a track day vet but that s going to be a crash fest.

I went to an early season one at Brands and everyone was so excited to be out after the winter that I didn t do more than 3 laps of the Indy between red flags.

I d probably go as far as recommending sitting out the first session and taking your time over the sign on. As long as you don t miss an admission stipulation I d sign in as late as possible.

Yet I've done Brands in March on many occasions and its been no worse than any other trsckday, I used to live 15 minutes away and was there all year round, by far the worst slots are mid summer evening only sessions, never ever again will I.