help on planning a trip to the "ring"

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:40 am

Plane tickets have been purchased. Heading to Germany on June 13th and leaving the 26th. For the entire month of June, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is only open on the 17th and the 30th. I hope like hell I can get in on the 17th.

So I need some help in setting up this trip and wanted to ask people who've already been what I need to do. I've found one website, http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/startseite.html, but it's a little thin on details on what to do and rent cars.

I'll be staying in Berlin, so it will be a 7 hour drive to Nurburg on Sat, spend the day at the ring and then head home on Mon or just been done w/ my driving at noon and head back. Not sure what all there is to do at the track while I'm not driving.

Any advice on how to get this started?
> What companies should I contact for car rental and what should I rent?
> helmets required? If so, that limits what I can rent
> Places to stay near the track?
> who to contact for the ring taxi?

looks like a I can buy a 4 lap ticket for ~100marks, so I may buy 2 for 8 laps. I figure I'll have my fill by then. I'd appreciate any pearls of wisdom you can pass my way.

KouroshNeshat · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:29 pm

start playing a lot of racing games.. GT 5. get a feel for the course. :lol:

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:43 pm

KouroshNeshat wrote:

start playing a lot of racing games.. GT 5. get a feel for the course. :lol:

Already have! Been driving my M5 on the ring via Forza on the xbox. Can't wait to do this in person!!

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:16 pm

Join the last 20 or so years. Germany uses Euros :lol:

Be careful who you rent cars from, many of the majors ban driving on the ring in their rental cars. Do some memory exercises to build up your short term memory. It is difficult to drive the 14 miles and remember which turn is next.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:16 pm

PM Patrice.

jeremy gast · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:34 pm

ya what he said!!!!

MarcusMcRae wrote:

PM Patrice.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:47 pm

As mentioned, talk to Patrice. The other thing to mention is that no matter how much you practice on a video game (and it will help), don't expect the track to be just like the game. You can have fun without pushing hard. My brother did this last year, he had zero track experience, some experience with the track on video games, rented a Suzuki Swift and had a great time.

See this thread...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11544

Richard

BretLuter · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:34 pm

It's been a while since we were there, but here's what I can tell you.

- don't worry too much about what car you drive on the 'ring, almost any car will be a freaking blast!

- when we went, we did the 'ring first in our rental car (Nissan Primera) and then we went to the museum, only to find the museum entry ticket stub was good for a ~50% discount on a lap around the 'ring! We were unable to use the discount since the track was closed after we left the museum- but something to consider.

- definitely find out about the rental car company policy about driving their car on the track, as Rob mentioned, some of them prohibit this.

- depending on which direction you come in from, there are some KILLER twisty roads on the way to Nurburg.

- helmets were not required when we were there, but again, this has been a few years.

- we simply found the entrance to the track, drove up, paid "der ticketmeister" and he waved us out onto the track- I was AMAZED at how little safety/control they had over this, but I understand the Germans are not nearly as litigious as we are when it comes to things like personal responsibility.

- expect any and all sorts of cars/bikes to be on the track. When we were there, some German car magazine was testing one of the new VW"s and they were FLYING around the track. They also were doing some groundskeeping on the grassy areas next to the track, so we had to watch out for slow-moving mowers and trucks on the track. While we were there, we saw 2 cars come back to start/finish area with body damage from off-track-excursions- and we were probably there for about 2 hours.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:13 pm

Will be easier if we talk together than trying to put everything in writing.
You can look at my pass posts on the Ring to give you an idea. GT5 is much more realistic than Forza.
The reference point I used on the race track are exactly the same in GT5. The shape and material( concrete, cobble stone) of the rumble strip is the same in GT5. Forza is far from being that good, only good to have an idea.
I can recommend a good place to stay also when you go there.
If I remember you are close to me just, Wake Tech. Coll. 401, Ransdell...
Come home and I will show you the Ring on GT5.

The company i rented the car from.

http://www.rent-racecar.de/

Another one renting car.

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/index.html

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:19 pm

So a little research has shown that renting a "normal" car and driving on the ring is a HUGE no-no. Most of the rental car companies install GPS's in their cars now. Once they detect you've been on the Nurburgring, you're banned from renting a car....period. At least the info from the website Nurburgring for dummies.

So I'm going to spend about a grand for my trip to the ring. ~400 euros will rent you a track prepped Suzuki Swift and that's all inclusive of car, gas, basic ins and what's considered a 1/2 day or 6 laps. 2 places rent pretty much right on site and have just about the same cars and pricing. Couple that w/ either a car rental or train ride down, hotel room, food and requisite shirt and other crap that says I've been to the ring and I can check off pretty much the top "to do" item on my bucket list.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:24 pm

Here some previous post i did.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10692&p=104170&hilit=nurburgring#p104170

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8449&p=80525&hilit=nurburgring#p80525

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7676&hilit=nurburgring

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:26 pm

Patrice Bousquet wrote:

Will be easier if we talk together than trying to put everything in writing.
You can look at my pass posts on the Ring to give you an idea. GT5 is much more realistic than Forza.
The reference point I used on the race track are exactly the same in GT5. The shape and material( concrete, cobble stone) of the rumble strip is the same in GT5. Forza is far from being that good, only good to have an idea.
I can recommend a good place to stay also when you go there.
If I remember you are close to me just, Wake Tech. Coll. 401, Ransdell...
Come home and I will show you the Ring on GT5.

The company i rented the car from.

http://www.rent-racecar.de/

Another one renting car.

http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/index.html

Hey Patrice.... Good point on looking at your past posts, I'll do that. I found both of those car rental companies. Rent4ring is currently closed and won't open until the end of Jan. I'll start hitting them up come Feb to lock in a booking.

I'd like to talk to you about your experience over there and what to look for in regard to hotel, food and ring taxi. I figure a ring taxi in the AM and drive in the afternoon.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:27 pm

Rodney, now I mean this in the utmost sincerity. You suck!

Def on my bucket list!

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:32 pm

JohnByers wrote:

Rodney, now I mean this in the utmost sincerity. You suck!

Def on my bucket list!

Thank you! :mrgreen:

I don't ever foresee ever going back, so might as well make the most of it. Credit cards be damned!

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:45 pm

BretLuter wrote:

It's been a while since we were there, but here's what I can tell you.

- don't worry too much about what car you drive on the 'ring, almost any car will be a freaking blast!

- when we went, we did the 'ring first in our rental car (Nissan Primera) and then we went to the museum, only to find the museum entry ticket stub was good for a ~50% discount on a lap around the 'ring! We were unable to use the discount since the track was closed after we left the museum- but something to consider.

- definitely find out about the rental car company policy about driving their car on the track, as Rob mentioned, some of them prohibit this.

- depending on which direction you come in from, there are some KILLER twisty roads on the way to Nurburg.

- helmets were not required when we were there, but again, this has been a few years.

- we simply found the entrance to the track, drove up, paid "der ticketmeister" and he waved us out onto the track- I was AMAZED at how little safety/control they had over this, but I understand the Germans are not nearly as litigious as we are when it comes to things like personal responsibility.

- expect any and all sorts of cars/bikes to be on the track. When we were there, some German car magazine was testing one of the new VW"s and they were FLYING around the track. They also were doing some groundskeeping on the grassy areas next to the track, so we had to watch out for slow-moving mowers and trucks on the track. While we were there, we saw 2 cars come back to start/finish area with body damage from off-track-excursions- and we were probably there for about 2 hours.

And the rules of the German road apply so if you are punted by a car going faster than you are and if you are in the left lane it is your fault. The road I think is classified as a toll road.

I wish that rule applied here. :twisted:

Here is a good info site: http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/

OH yeah, one more thing. You might want to check out the Ring Taxi, nothing like getting a ride around the fast way with Sabine :lol:

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