Road Trip To The Nurburgring Nordschleife

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KillerHERTZ

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I have managed to talk my GF into coming with me on a Nurburgring/Amsterdam road trip later this month and was wondering if anyone had any advice?

I have never driven in Europe and are planning to take the Chunnel, drive through France, Belgium, Germany to the 'Ring - and possibly Affalterbach (maybe).

I need the following:
Breathalyser, High Vis, bulbs, 1st aid kit etc for the French leg?
Car insurance/Breakdown cover for Europe
Insurance for a lap of the 'Ring

Anything else im missing?

Also, anyone have any suggestions of hotels (cheap, travelodge style) etc?

My trip around the ring, I only plan on doing 1 or maybe 2 laps, slowly - 60Mph I guess, im no driving god and I dont want to wreck my car etc This video here is an excellent guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDCqOZ1upoo


Any further do's, donts - guides etc would be great :)
 
Can't offer any advice Karl but good on ya. Sounds like a great adventure. Hope you have a super time.

Enjoy. Ant. :thumb:
 
Evening Karl

You don't need a breathalyser for starters
You will need headlamp deflectors (unless yours can be set)

Which towns / country's are you planing to stop for the night in as that will help make hotel recs relevent

Even if you don't max it on the ring, you have to wind it up on the (derestricted) bits of the autobahn.:cool: (at least once.....)
 
Personal choice, but when i went I found that insurance for the ring was prohibitively expensive and doesn't cover you as much as you think (eg policies with a 10k excess, etc).
So, I didn't bother.
If you're staying at the ring, the pistenklaus (sp?) is a good place to stay and they do a great steak in the restaurant. Highly recommended.
Also, if you're going with friends and taking more than one car, I'd really recommend not driving the ring together, it's far too easy to get drawn into a race and that way disaster lies.
 
If your only thinking of doing around 60mph on the Ring, forget it!
You will be a danger to all on the track & insulting the capability of your car.
It's not a pleasure drive in the country!
 
Flango will be along shortly
 
Thanks for your comments, we plan on driving from Calais through to the ring, then maybe to Stuttgart, then up to Holland/Amsterdam.

From what I've read, there is a 50Kph min speed for Public days and that all kinds of traffic use it (public road rules) so I was planning on sticking to 60Mph (faster on the straights) which seemed to be acceptable? as long as I keep to the far right. I don't want to risk ending up in the Armco.

Watching videos, plenty of people do that without trouble?

I do however plan on 155Mph+ on the Autobahn :D
 
Pistenklause restaurant used to be owned by Sabine Schmitz family and she still frequents it very regular. Best hotel for the ring is Bergstube tell Martin I said hi we'll be there in September.

If you want some speed laps on the ring talk to my mate Theo Keen (just YouTube him) of rentracecar.com he will take you round for peanuts or rent one if his cars. He taught me everything I know about the ring and I've now done well over 200 laps since his tuition

Enjoy and stay safe but driving around the ring slowly is very dangerous best to keep a moderate pace. It really hammers brakes and tyres even one lap so make sure they are up to scratch before you go.

Great place and I love it but also one of the most dangerous places on earth full of pretenders who think they are racing drivers, be careful

Theo's 8 minute lap just a Sunday afternoon drive for him

https://youtu.be/fVRlOTSlQvY
 
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Have you thought about extending your trip as your going with the GF by adding the Swiss Alps you would only be a few hours away you will need a Vignetta Car Tax but well worth it?
 
Regarding breakdown cover imo the best on offer are ADAC. e84 a year for breakdown and home recovery and that's Europe-wide which, until we find out differently, includes the UK.

Drop Ann-Katrin a line and ask for the joining docs to be sent. She is the English speaking contact.

Ann-Katrin Zintl
Geschäftsstelle & Reisebüro
ADAC Südbayern e. V., Paracelsusstraße 1, 93053 Regensburg
Tel: (0941) 5 23 44 Fax: (0941) 56 16 65
[email protected]
www.adac.de


Excerpt from the T&C's below.


ADAC Plus membership.
Assistance in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
You enjoy travelling and value comprehensive protection? With our ADAC Plus membership you get additional valuable bene ts and safety around the globe.

ADAC Plus membership ..................... only €84.00 per year
Your personal cover:
K all bene ts of the ADAC membership
K breakdown and accident assistance all over Europe
K worldwide medical repatriation
K vehicle repatriation from anywhere in Europe
K travel expenses, spare parts dispatch, premature return home K en-route cover and accident emergency bene ts, travel liability
insurance and travel contract legal expenses insurance K ADAC accident legal assistance OUTSIDE GERMANY
K and much more
ADAC Plus PARTNER membership ....... only €109.00 per year
For you and your spouse or partner: K all bene ts and services as above
ADAC Plus FAMILY membership ......... max. €134.00 per year
For you and your spouse or partner, your underage and grown-up children up to 23 years of age:
K all bene ts and services as above




.
 
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Pistenklause restaurant used to be owned by Sabine Schmitz family and she still frequents it very regular. Best hotel for the ring is Bergstube tell Martin I said hi we'll be there in September.

If you want some speed laps on the ring talk to my mate Theo Keen (just YouTube him) of rentracecar.com he will take you round for peanuts or rent one if his cars. He taught me everything I know about the ring and I've now done well over 200 laps since his tuition

Enjoy and stay safe but driving around the ring slowly is very dangerous best to keep a moderate pace. It really hammers brakes and tyres even one lap so make sure they are up to scratch before you go.

Great place and I love it but also one of the most dangerous places on earth full of pretenders who think they are racing drivers, be careful

Theo's 8 minute lap just a Sunday afternoon drive for him

https://youtu.be/fVRlOTSlQvY
Brilliant video
 
For a short trip we just get temporary European breakdown cover from the RAC. You mentioned insurance - some policies include use in Europe and others don't.

Technically you can be stopped and fined if you aren't displaying a German emissions disc if you pass through any zones (most cities, for a start). We are over there fairly regularly so have them on our vehicles but a lot of people don't seem to bother and get away with it OK.

The route we take to Leonberg sounds very similar to the one you mentioned (France, Belgium, tiny corner of Holland, Germany). There aren't that many stretches of unrestricted autobahn left and you have to be quite on the ball to spot where they start/finish (the speed limits go up and down all the time so you have to watch out for signs). Some of the road surfaces are not great compared to UK motorways.
 
How many days are you planning for, Karl? That will be the decider as to what you'll be able to fit in and what you won't. You also need to decide whether the journey is the most important bit or the destination(s) as that will shape the trip in terms of motorways vs. nice roads.

From an insurance point of view, as well as European cover for the car you will need Breakdown Cover & Travel Insurance (must include repatriation of driver / passenger if driver incapacitated). Make sure you each have an E111 card too.

The one mistake that many first-time road tripper's make is to underestimate how long they'll spend stopped en route to enjoy the environment / scenery. Personally, unless you're pushed for time, I'd advise planning no more than 5-6hrs driving in a day as that will give you a chance to stop and smell the roses, and also to arrive at your destination early enough to clean up and explore.

Happy to offer route suggestions if you wish.

Oh, and there's a great Frites Bar just as you come into Eupen from the motorway ;)
 
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My AA (Gold) membership includes Euro breakdown so thats covered, I do need to get my insurance sorted aswell as Health Insurance.

Do people not advise Ring insurance then?

We are planning on 4-5 days really, cant take any longer.

Thanks for the replies!
 
Do people not advise Ring insurance then?

Personal chick I reckon. I took the view that with a massive excess I didn't think it was worth the cost. You just have to imagine where you would be if a disaster happened and your car was completely written off. If that's financial ruin then insurance is worthwhile, if it means you'd have to buy another car, maybe it's less important.
Or there's plenty of places to hire ring cars from instead of using your own, but bear in mind again the insurance can be a problem, for example if you damage a crash barrier you will be liable for the cost of the repair, as I understand it. It's a bit of a minefield to be honest so I'd spend a little time researching it and find a solution you're comfortable with.
 
Personal chick I reckon. I took the view that with a massive excess I didn't think it was worth the cost. You just have to imagine where you would be if a disaster happened and your car was completely written off. If that's financial ruin then insurance is worthwhile, if it means you'd have to buy another car, maybe it's less important.
Or there's plenty of places to hire ring cars from instead of using your own, but bear in mind again the insurance can be a problem, for example if you damage a crash barrier you will be liable for the cost of the repair, as I understand it. It's a bit of a minefield to be honest so I'd spend a little time researching it and find a solution you're comfortable with.

If you are not going to push the car then there's no point in ring insurance which is prohibitively expensive. Most UK policies specifically exclude the ring so effectively you are uninsured. Hit the barriers and its the most expensive piece of Armco you will ever purchase. Have a look HERE even a small nudge will cost you the wrong side of €1000

Beware of oil on the track its usually well signposted but can catch you unaware, its fairly common to see a biker drop it on oil and come flailing across the track at you. Also remember bikes go slower through the corners than cars so you catch up with them a lot faster than you would expect, same for the coaches and motorhomes that may be on there, all of a sudden you may find your entry point or exit point (some of which you cant see) being blocked by a very slow mover.

We normally use our own cars for the first day then rent a car and insurance from Theo for the next two days, if there is 2 or 3 of you sharing its not that expensive. Ring Taxi is good if you want a flying lap but expensive and you dont want to sit in the back. I was in the back of a Golf when Theo took us round the ring, I have never been so ill and sick in my life, then just to really prove how stupid I am, last year I jumped in the back of an E63 at MB World with Nico Rosberg driving, again same result, the stains are probably still there :D
 
Rosso1 said:
Have you thought about extending your trip as your going with the GF by adding the Swiss Alps you would only be a few hours away you will need a Vignetta Car Tax but well worth it?
You only need the Swiss vignette if you're driving on their motorways (about £25). Non motorway roads are generally quiet and far more interesting.

Well worth carrying your insurance certificate and a copy of your V5 even if you don't go to Switzerland. The police on the continent always love to look at paperwork and if you have the right stuff it can save a whole lot of hassle.

If you're going to drive to Stuttgart, a detour onto the B500 from Baden-Baden through the Black Forest and on to Freudenstadt is a must. Nagold, on the way from there to Stuttgart, is a lovely town to spend the night.
 
KillerHERTZ said:
I do however plan on 155Mph+ on the Autobahn :D
Watch out for Audis doing around 100mph. They seem not to be fitted with mirrors or indicators; great for testing your brakes though!
 
If you go to Stuttgart then I would suggest
V8 HOTEL Home | V8 Hotel

Parking is expensive in Amsterdam, so factor that in to the cost of your hotel. Perhaps stay further out where you may get parking included, somewhere like Noordwijk aan Zee is a short drive from Amsterdam, and the seaside feel will give your holiday another dimension.
 

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