Hi all,
As i've been to the Ring a few times and seeing as many first timers will be going there at some point this year, i thought that i'd put a 'Sticky' guide in here so as to provide some insight into the 'Green Hell' and some gratuitous photo whoring, as well as answer a few noob questions that some people may find helpful...
I won't go into mega detail as there are other sites that can provide loads of info:
WHEN TO GO
The Ring is open pretty much all year round except for the usual public holidays and during race weekends that use it. Hours of operation are reduced during winter months and there can unplanned closures due to snow/ice during winter. The best months for track condition are obviously the drier summer months but these can be very busy times. 'Off peak' visits can often be the most rewarding for track time and reduced numbers of vehicles.
Full timings for 'Touristenfahrten' (tourist drives) can be found here:
Ring times are usually published by the end of January each year but can take a while to appear on the website. You can also find timings for all other events here - which can help you to de-conflict with race weekends.
HOW TO GET THERE
There are several ways to cross over to the Continent and many routes to take. Prices vary and can be dirt cheap if you travel at off peak times. I always cross at Dover and have used ferry and Eurotunnel. I found P&O and SeaFrance ferries to be old, overpriced and with very cramped car decks. If i travel by ferry it is always by Norfolkline, whose ferries by contrast are newer, cheaper, and more spacious.
Norfolkline
The Eurotunnel is obviously rather quicker to get over and it has many more crossings per day. The prices, although more than the ferry, can be had at a good deal if you book a '5 Day trip' return ticket.
Norfolkline ferry price: circa £60 return during day.
Eurotunnel price: circa £75-£100 return on a return within 5 days deal.
The roads to the Ring are in the main rather boring and unpleasant - particularly through Belgium! I tend to go via Brussels and Liege before heading South East, passing the Spa F1 track (Malmedy), and then entering Germany for the final hour of fun 'A' road drive. One note of caution, be careful with your speed whilst in Belgium as they have radar traps set up! :banghead:
Average drive time from Calais/Dunkirk to the Ring: 4.5 hours.
WHERE TO STAY
There are loads of places to stay, from 'Gastehaus' (B&B) and hotels to even camping if you prefer. Prices vary of course from around €50 to €120 per night. I have stayed at the following places and would recommend them all:
Ringhaus
THE TRACK
The main reason for going there is the 20.8 km of track with its 73 corners! I wont talk in detail about the track, rather more about the domestics of driving there. A really useful BMW driver guide can be found here though:
BMW Nurburgring Guide
Here is a 'Beginners lap guide' video with commentary for those who are Ring virgins:
You pay to drive on track by the lap or by multiples: 1/4/8/15/25/Unlimited. Here are the prices for 2011:
1 lap: € 24,00
4 laps: € 89,00, incl. € 10,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
15 laps: € 310,00, incl. € 20,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
25 laps: € 470,00, incl. € 30,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
Season ticket: € 1.350,00, incl. € 100,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 2 ring°werk ticket
The track is still classed as a public toll road and as such all cars must be road legal and conform to all the usual laws. They do noise testing on occasion and i have seen the Police doing random spot checks on vehicles in the parking areas.
The track itself can be daunting if its your first time, with cars, bikes and even busses on track - all at varying speeds! In general you should watch your mirrors like a hawk and indicate and move to the right to let faster cars pass you on your left side. Experienced 'Ringers' will fly past you at first and it is tempting to try and stay with that Suzuki Ignis that just mullered you!
Just keep your wits about you and learn the track as quick as you can, building confidence and therefore speed gradually. If you can, get someone to show you the lines or grab a 'Pax' lap in another car - this can help a lot! I tend to do 2 or 3 laps before coming in for a break - you need to know when to come in off track - especially at the end of the day. Don't fall into the 'just one last lap' trap!
There are several viewing areas around the track where you and the rest of the public can watch the cars passing. The main ones are:
Brunnchen
Pflantzgarten
Professional photographers also frequent these and others and will be snapping your car as you drive round. Most sell photos online afterwards. Here are a few of the best ones i have bought photos from:
This site lists pretty much every photographer that frequents the Ring and updates regularly:
There are a few parts of the track that many will have heard of before, namely:
Fuchsrohre (Fox Hole)
Adenauer Forst
Karussell
Schwalbenschwanz (mini Karussell)
INSURANCE
You must ensure that you have European cover as part of your car insurance policy and you should carry your certificate of insurance with you. Few 'standard' insurance companies will now cover the Ring - in fact most specifically exclude the Ring as being covered... A few specialist motorsport insurers offer specific Ring cover, I have used this company in the past:
If the unfortunate should happen to you on track it can prove expensive! You will be charged for recovery and be held liable for any armco or track damage incurred. If the accident necessitates closure; they will charge for that also - lots of €€€! :banghead:
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?
2009 saw the opening of the new 'Ringwerk' exhibition centre and motor museum. Additionally, there are a few shops and restaurants and a nightclub as well as a roller coaster...!
Of course there is also the Southern loop F1 Grands Prix track which opens for 20 minute tourist drives slots every now and then. The GP track is definitely well worth a blast! :thumbs:
You can also walk around the track to get the full trackside experience:
A few other local sights:
Adenau
Cochem
OTHER DOMESTICS
Fuel can be found close to the track at the 'Tankstelle' at Dottinger Hohe and in the town of Adenau. Prices tend to be on a par or slightly higher than here in the UK. You can also get 100 RON fuel at any Aral branded station. You might have to queue though...
You should have a warning triangle, first aid kit and luminous vest in the car. If going during the winter you need to consider what tyres are fitted to the car too - the Police can charge you for having the incorrect winter tyres fitted! You should have 'GB' displayed on the rear of the car, whether that be on a sticker or on your number plates. European breakdown cover is also worth considering! :whistle:
Other things to consider taking are some consumables for the car like oil, brake fluid & brake pads, as well as a basic tool kit. I also take a jack as i generally take a set of spare wheels. Crash helmets are optional on track although i tend to wear one more often than not. Gloves are also something to consider as you tend to find that you get rather sweaty paws after 10 minutes of driving!
If you do have a mechanical issue, strangely there isn't a BMW garage that is local unfortunately. There are a few specialist garages however, like Nurburg RSR locally in Nurburg, as well as Raeder Motorsport, Tom Schirmer and Black Falcon a few miles further afield.
Finally...
I hope this guide helps, please feel free to add any further help or observations for the benefit of others.
Rob
As i've been to the Ring a few times and seeing as many first timers will be going there at some point this year, i thought that i'd put a 'Sticky' guide in here so as to provide some insight into the 'Green Hell' and some gratuitous photo whoring, as well as answer a few noob questions that some people may find helpful...
I won't go into mega detail as there are other sites that can provide loads of info:
WHEN TO GO
The Ring is open pretty much all year round except for the usual public holidays and during race weekends that use it. Hours of operation are reduced during winter months and there can unplanned closures due to snow/ice during winter. The best months for track condition are obviously the drier summer months but these can be very busy times. 'Off peak' visits can often be the most rewarding for track time and reduced numbers of vehicles.
Full timings for 'Touristenfahrten' (tourist drives) can be found here:
Ring times are usually published by the end of January each year but can take a while to appear on the website. You can also find timings for all other events here - which can help you to de-conflict with race weekends.
HOW TO GET THERE
There are several ways to cross over to the Continent and many routes to take. Prices vary and can be dirt cheap if you travel at off peak times. I always cross at Dover and have used ferry and Eurotunnel. I found P&O and SeaFrance ferries to be old, overpriced and with very cramped car decks. If i travel by ferry it is always by Norfolkline, whose ferries by contrast are newer, cheaper, and more spacious.
Norfolkline
The Eurotunnel is obviously rather quicker to get over and it has many more crossings per day. The prices, although more than the ferry, can be had at a good deal if you book a '5 Day trip' return ticket.
Norfolkline ferry price: circa £60 return during day.
Eurotunnel price: circa £75-£100 return on a return within 5 days deal.
The roads to the Ring are in the main rather boring and unpleasant - particularly through Belgium! I tend to go via Brussels and Liege before heading South East, passing the Spa F1 track (Malmedy), and then entering Germany for the final hour of fun 'A' road drive. One note of caution, be careful with your speed whilst in Belgium as they have radar traps set up! :banghead:
Average drive time from Calais/Dunkirk to the Ring: 4.5 hours.
WHERE TO STAY
There are loads of places to stay, from 'Gastehaus' (B&B) and hotels to even camping if you prefer. Prices vary of course from around €50 to €120 per night. I have stayed at the following places and would recommend them all:
Ringhaus
THE TRACK
The main reason for going there is the 20.8 km of track with its 73 corners! I wont talk in detail about the track, rather more about the domestics of driving there. A really useful BMW driver guide can be found here though:
BMW Nurburgring Guide
Here is a 'Beginners lap guide' video with commentary for those who are Ring virgins:
You pay to drive on track by the lap or by multiples: 1/4/8/15/25/Unlimited. Here are the prices for 2011:
1 lap: € 24,00
4 laps: € 89,00, incl. € 10,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
15 laps: € 310,00, incl. € 20,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
25 laps: € 470,00, incl. € 30,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 1 ring°werk ticket
Season ticket: € 1.350,00, incl. € 100,00 food/drinks voucher for the Eifeldorf Grüne Hölle*, 2 ring°werk ticket
The track is still classed as a public toll road and as such all cars must be road legal and conform to all the usual laws. They do noise testing on occasion and i have seen the Police doing random spot checks on vehicles in the parking areas.
The track itself can be daunting if its your first time, with cars, bikes and even busses on track - all at varying speeds! In general you should watch your mirrors like a hawk and indicate and move to the right to let faster cars pass you on your left side. Experienced 'Ringers' will fly past you at first and it is tempting to try and stay with that Suzuki Ignis that just mullered you!
Just keep your wits about you and learn the track as quick as you can, building confidence and therefore speed gradually. If you can, get someone to show you the lines or grab a 'Pax' lap in another car - this can help a lot! I tend to do 2 or 3 laps before coming in for a break - you need to know when to come in off track - especially at the end of the day. Don't fall into the 'just one last lap' trap!
There are several viewing areas around the track where you and the rest of the public can watch the cars passing. The main ones are:
Brunnchen
Pflantzgarten
Professional photographers also frequent these and others and will be snapping your car as you drive round. Most sell photos online afterwards. Here are a few of the best ones i have bought photos from:
This site lists pretty much every photographer that frequents the Ring and updates regularly:
There are a few parts of the track that many will have heard of before, namely:
Fuchsrohre (Fox Hole)
Adenauer Forst
Karussell
Schwalbenschwanz (mini Karussell)
INSURANCE
You must ensure that you have European cover as part of your car insurance policy and you should carry your certificate of insurance with you. Few 'standard' insurance companies will now cover the Ring - in fact most specifically exclude the Ring as being covered... A few specialist motorsport insurers offer specific Ring cover, I have used this company in the past:
If the unfortunate should happen to you on track it can prove expensive! You will be charged for recovery and be held liable for any armco or track damage incurred. If the accident necessitates closure; they will charge for that also - lots of €€€! :banghead:
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?
2009 saw the opening of the new 'Ringwerk' exhibition centre and motor museum. Additionally, there are a few shops and restaurants and a nightclub as well as a roller coaster...!
Of course there is also the Southern loop F1 Grands Prix track which opens for 20 minute tourist drives slots every now and then. The GP track is definitely well worth a blast! :thumbs:
You can also walk around the track to get the full trackside experience:
A few other local sights:
Adenau
Cochem
OTHER DOMESTICS
Fuel can be found close to the track at the 'Tankstelle' at Dottinger Hohe and in the town of Adenau. Prices tend to be on a par or slightly higher than here in the UK. You can also get 100 RON fuel at any Aral branded station. You might have to queue though...
You should have a warning triangle, first aid kit and luminous vest in the car. If going during the winter you need to consider what tyres are fitted to the car too - the Police can charge you for having the incorrect winter tyres fitted! You should have 'GB' displayed on the rear of the car, whether that be on a sticker or on your number plates. European breakdown cover is also worth considering! :whistle:
Other things to consider taking are some consumables for the car like oil, brake fluid & brake pads, as well as a basic tool kit. I also take a jack as i generally take a set of spare wheels. Crash helmets are optional on track although i tend to wear one more often than not. Gloves are also something to consider as you tend to find that you get rather sweaty paws after 10 minutes of driving!
If you do have a mechanical issue, strangely there isn't a BMW garage that is local unfortunately. There are a few specialist garages however, like Nurburg RSR locally in Nurburg, as well as Raeder Motorsport, Tom Schirmer and Black Falcon a few miles further afield.
Finally...
I hope this guide helps, please feel free to add any further help or observations for the benefit of others.
Rob
)
. Most of us remain uninsured, which makes you drive a little more accordingly 
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