OT: Directions To Nurburgring?

Hi: I get to indulge a fantasy next month when I travel to Brussels on business. I have a free day on the front end and plan to use it to travel to the 'Ring. I've checked the website and the track is open to the public that day from 1715 to 1930 (yippee!). Questions for those who know the area well (since I've never been there before!): what is the easiest route to the 'Ring from Brussels Airport and how long does it take to get there? Also, I've heard that Spa is in the general area; can I incorporate a side trip there without going too far out of my way and off the beaten path? Thanks, Ian

"Ian" wrote...

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> Hi: > > I get to indulge a fantasy next month when I travel > to Brussels on business. I have a free day on the front > end and plan to use it to travel to the 'Ring. I've > checked the website and the track is open to the public > that day from 1715 to 1930 (yippee!). Questions for those > who know the area well (since I've never been there before!): > what is the easiest route to the 'Ring from Brussels Airport > and how long does it take to get there? Also, I've heard > that Spa is in the general area; can I incorporate a side > trip there without going too far out of my way and off the > beaten path? > > Thanks, > > Ian >

Brussels E40 to Liege. Then onto Aachen (Aix) and then direction Cologne (Koln), which I think is the A1. At intersection Kerpen (Michael Schumacher kart center to your left) take A4 direction Koblenz. I don't know which is the more direct route, but I took exit 29 (Ahrweiler??) and the B257 to the track (nice road). As you arrive, the Grand Prix track is to your left. Continue passed it and you will find a sign "zufart Nordschleife" on your right. Follow the little lane to a roundabout. Parking, ticket sale and actual entry to the track is on the left. Count on about 4 hours driving time. Good Luck. Report back on your experience. Side trip to Spa: at Liege, take E42 direction Verviers. For the old track _DON'T_ exit at Spa, continue to Malmedy. The motorway exit dumps you at the beginning of the Masta straight. Beware though... it'll take you a good two hours. Jan. =---

On Sun, 11 Aug 2002 13:01:06 -0400, Ian <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> long does it take to get there? Also, I've heard that Spa is in the > general area; can I incorporate a side trip there without going too > far out of my way and off the beaten path? > > Thanks, > > Ian >

Hi Ian, checking one of the available map & guide route planners whould be your best bet; try http://www.mapquest.com/ and it should give you a general idea how long the trip is. Cheers & enjoy the ring (yep, ex-Muehle entering Bergwerk is a fucking wall of tarmac when you approach it ;-), uwe -- mail replies to Uwe at schuerkamp dot de ( yahoo address is spambox) Uwe Schuerkamp //////////////////////////// http://www.schuerkamp.de/ Herford, Germany \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ (52.0N/8.5E) GPG Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61

On Sun, 11 Aug 2002 13:01:06 -0400, Ian <[email hidden]> wrote: > Also, I've heard that Spa is in the >general area; can I incorporate a side trip there without going too >far out of my way and off the beaten path? I was at Spa-Francorchamps a month ago or so, in connection with GP at N�rburgring. After the qualifying we set out to visit Spa, It's only 80 km or so between the Ring and Spa(in a straight line), but the drive is an hour and half. Tip 1: Get a good roadmap, the roadsigns in Belgium are atrocious. In Germany, on the other hand they are really good. You weren't going too far in Germany but I can really recommend the German ADAC roadbook, best I've ever seen. Tip 2: The Spa-Francorchamp GP track is a b*tch to find. You can stand right next to it and not even notice it. Even there are some roadsigns pointing towards it, we drove right past it three times before we finally found it. The forest surrounding it is really thick and because of the terrain you only see a tiny part of it. Go into the Francorchamps town and find the a Hotel that's called 'Racetrack Hotel' or something like that and drive down the downhill road and you get to the La Source hairpin. Driving what was left of the old track was sort of interesting, but also pointed out just how off GPL's version of it is. If you weren't paying attention you wouldn't know you were driving on it...

"Magnus Svensson" wrote... > Driving what was left of the old track was sort of interesting, > but also pointed out just how off GPL's version of it is. If > you weren't paying attention you wouldn't know you were driving > on it... I think it's fairly recognisable, I think the Burnenville and Stavelot section match pretty good. The Masta straigth is also fairly well represented with the railway line and the telephone poles. Masta itself is, obviously more built up than it used to be. Have to admit the trackside in the La Carriere / Blanchimont section is way off and the Malmedy and La Source track section are dodgy to say the least. Good point about the track being hard to find... that's why I said don't exit at Spa, but at Malmedy instead. The GP track section will be cordoned off now, so there's fairly little point trying to find the La Source section / Eau Rouge. Jan. =---

Ian wrote:

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> > Hi: > > I get to indulge a fantasy next month when I travel to Brussels on > business. I have a free day on the front end and plan to use it to > travel to the 'Ring. I've checked the website and the track is open > to the public that day from 1715 to 1930 (yippee!). Questions for > those who know the area well (since I've never been there before!): > what is the easiest route to the 'Ring from Brussels Airport and how > long does it take to get there? Also, I've heard that Spa is in the > general area; can I incorporate a side trip there without going too > far out of my way and off the beaten path?

In addition to Jan's rather excellent directions, I just want to point you here http://www.europe.opel.com/vicinity/waydrive/uk/en/waydrive_input.jhtml A printout of the direction and the map can be very helpful, I've used it on a couple of occasions, it even worked well in Wales back in June :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

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> Hi: > I get to indulge a fantasy next month when I travel to Brussels on > business. I have a free day on the front end and plan to use it to > travel to the 'Ring. I've checked the website and the track is open > to the public that day from 1715 to 1930 (yippee!). Questions for > those who know the area well (since I've never been there before!): > what is the easiest route to the 'Ring from Brussels Airport and how > long does it take to get there? Also, I've heard that Spa is in the > general area; can I incorporate a side trip there without going too > far out of my way and off the beaten path?

In addition to Jan's rather excellent directions, I just want to point you here http://www.europe.opel.com/vicinity/waydrive/uk/en/waydrive_input.jhtml A printout of the direction and the map can be very helpful, I've used it on a couple of occasions, it even worked well in Wales back in June :-) Beers and cheers (uncle) Goy http://www.theuspits.com "A man is only as old as the woman he feels........" --Groucho Marx--

I sugesst if you're going to the ring you read all the excellent information on Ben Lovejoy's site http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/ In particular the beginners and saftey stuff. Have fun (I know you will) watch out for the fast stuff coming up behind & let them by on the left (when overtaking others do so on the left also) and dont get charged for any armco! You might also look out for some of the turn in points/apexes marked by dots on the track. As a general rule apex late though. -- Cheers, Robin ................... `o^=o- http://www.oppositelock.freeserve.co.uk - N�rburgring/GPL PS Spa is about 50 km (or is it miles?) away but I think its now a closed track - still worth a look though

On Sun, 11 Aug 2002 19:47:37 GMT, "Jan Verschueren" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>"Magnus Svensson" wrote... >> Driving what was left of the old track was sort of interesting, >> but also pointed out just how off GPL's version of it is. If >> you weren't paying attention you wouldn't know you were driving >> on it... > >I think it's fairly recognisable, I think the Burnenville and Stavelot >section match pretty good. The Masta straigth is also fairly well >represented with the railway line and the telephone poles. Masta itself is, >obviously more built up than it used to be.

I dunno, we were driving stavelot-masta-malmedy backwards and I went umm... WTH? Am I ON it already? In GPL it feels like blasting down an Arizona desert highway, whereas IRL it's much narrower and stuff all around me. All IMHO, of course. And the height differences doesn't show either, but that's something all tracks lack(the _perception_ of altitude that is). I remember standing on top of Les Combes and seeing the Masta straight waaayyy down in the valley. It certainly doesn't feel like that in GPL. > Have to admit the trackside in >the La Carriere / Blanchimont section is way off and the Malmedy and La >Source track section are dodgy to say the least. La Source in GPL feels like you're on a mountain peak, ...not so much IRL. :-) >Good point about the track being hard to find... that's why I said don't >exit at Spa, but at Malmedy instead. The GP track section will be cordoned >off now, so there's fairly little point trying to find the La Source section >/ Eau Rouge. It was closed off by some gates when I was there aswell. Some burly guards wouldn't let me in for a quick lap either. ;-) But they were repaving the track anyway, so... But you can get into the grandstand area and wander around a bit and get a close look at eau rouge and stuff...