My youngest daughter wants to go to the British GP next year, hosted in (hopefully) sunny Silverstone. We are going to travel down from Scotland to watch the racing...
I've got access to a camper van / tents / hotel points - what's the best way - camp nearby / hotels and Ubers / something else ?
Should we go for guaranteed seats on grandstands etc or just wing it and bounce around the circuit for the weekend ?
I expect it to cost a bit, that is a given....
Never been before... WWSTD
Make sure you have comfy footwear as there can be a fair bit of walking if you want to experience the full circuit, rather than sitting high up in a stand the best view is anywhere at eye level to see how fast they corner. Definitely don't park at one of the £35 farmers car park, we didn't get out the field until early Monday morning, plenty of traffic marshalling at 6am Sunday but just pandemonium free for all Sunday evening
I'd recommend Spa before I'd head back to Silverstone, fly to Dusseldorf then stay in Maastricht with an easy drive to the park and ride
I took my dad for his 60th back in 2008. Can't comment on where to stay or anything but we drove down from Sheffield on the day and booked parking at the circuit and I don't recall any particularly horrendous traffic either arriving or leaving. They've had 18 years to cock that up though so take it with a pinch of salt.
We had start-finish grandstand seats and it was fine but I reckon there are better places. Have a look at the circuit map to figure out where you'll get to watch most action. Becketts grandstand looks like a good view + covered in case of bad weather, or probably Farm if you're going for general admission.
I'd suggest taking earplugs as well. In 2008 it was so loud that you could feel your skeleton vibrate inside your body when the cars went past. I know things seem quieter on the TV these days but I was at the MotoGP in Aragon last year and the bikes were almost as loud, so who knows?
Are you going for the day or the whole weekend?
When I went, we went for the weekend and walked around the track on days before the race. Race day we then had grandstand seats.
Appreciate it's a treat for your daughter but my lad's mate did his uni sandwich year with Red Bull (working on this years car). Traditionally all staff were treated to the British GP weekend, but the financial fair play rules meant that the team had to cut that cost.
Dan and his colleagues planned to go themselves, then found they could go and watch one of the European rounds cheaper than travelling an hour down the road to the British GP.
found they could go and watch one of the European rounds cheaper than travelling an hour down the road to the British GP.
Iirc last year one STWer went to the Japanese GP for about the same cost as a weekend at Silverstone.
Should we go for guaranteed seats on grandstands etc or just wing it and bounce around the circuit for the weekend ?
It's rammed, get tickets for a seat - especially Sunday. You can get to other circuits for about the same money, but it does involve all the airplane/getting to from circuit/transfers etc etc shenanigans as well, if that bothers you. I'm going this year with daughter, we're gong down Sat, staying in High Wycombe - the hotels nearby - Northampton, Milton Keynes, Banbury etc charge silly money for a room, yes High Wycome is 40 mins down the M40, but it's no bother, we can use the park & ride at the services and bus in.
It better be Sunny...
I'd say take an FM radio and headphones, rather than ear plugs - Radio Silverstone is excellent for keeping you up to date with everything. 🙂
We're currently most likely going to bring a motorhome down from North of the Wall and camp for the weekend. What was going to be just daddy/daughter time is starting to snowball - could be 4 of us - which makes it sound like 3K for a weekend away with seated tickets... it's not going to happen twice.. A trip to Spa etc is going to be as much once we start adding flights etc. Maybe I need to look at somewhere with a higher probability of sunshine...but at least taking the motorhome means we could keep some of the food costs down a little... jeez...
Stay on site at Woodlands. Way better experience than using the off site camping or mucking about with parking and shuttle buses each day.
Woodlands has a proper little festival vibe, food, music etc, its very family friendly, you can sit in the pub garden and usually watch the Wimbledon final, the big top tent has some comedy, some great bands, some child appropriate stuff all weekend etc.
Then - Get grandstand seats 100%. With general entry only you'll be queuing up at 7am to get in find your 'spot' which you then need to guard with your life all day till the race actually starts at 3pm. Awful. Also, with children or just Daddy/Daughter, could actually be logistically impossible really.
With a Grandstand you can wander round all morning, watch the Carrera Cup or the F2 from somewhere else on track, and wander up to your own personal seats as the installation laps are happening.
Treat it was a Holiday, Thursday till Sunday night/Monday morning. Worth every penny.
(For God sake, if you do one thing, Take an FM Radio!)