Nurburg Ring Trip advice please..

[BMW330d]

OK two of my mates have persuaded me to go to the ring on the 11th and 12th of August. I just need a little advice from you guys who have done this before.

Insurance - Do I need it? If so where do you buy it from I have tried a few people today and as soon as I told them it was for the ring they lost all interest!

How long does it take to drive down there from Calais?

Any other advice will be welcomed with open arms, I was quite excited earlier but since we have confirmed it this afternoon I now feel really intimidated by it.

[Doc Matt]

Read all of This (http://nurburgring.org.uk/) then ask questions later :D

Enjoy :)

[Chaos]

Insurance: Bit of a no-go really, just get your Euro green card from your normal insurers and you'll be ok.

Driving from Calais is around 3 or 4 hours, depending on whether you're cruising or getting excited. ;)

Best advice: Watch your mirror as much as your windscreen, and other than that treat it like a wide B-road with proper tarmac (Karussel excepted :p) and enjoy the drive round. :) Most people seem to find trackdays more intimidating actually, once you're on the Ring it's actually quite easy to find a comfort zone and get into your groove - just don't time yourself, that's asking for trouble. ;) The link Matt posted is very comprehensive and very good reading - hours of it. :D

[Black Sabbath]

Insurance I think we told them we were going to a friends wedding :D dont even mention the "Ring" :eek: .Driving time is as Dan has said.Last year when we went it rained the whole time and I took the 318 saloon,but it wasn't about flying laps,just go and enjoy yourself ;) .

[BMW330d]

Read all of This (http://nurburgring.org.uk/) then ask questions later :D

Enjoy :)

Thanks Matt

I now feel really intimidated! I think I will end up with one lap just so I can get the sticker!:D

[BMW330d]

I thought it would take around 3.5 hrs so not far out really. We are thinking of getting the early eurotunnel @6am and getting down there for lunch. Staying over on the Saturday and coming back early afternoon on the Sunday Calais @6pm ish . Is this feasable or are we cramming to much in?

[Chaos]

It'll be a busy weekend for sure, but it's doable if you do nothing else. You could take a Friday or Monday tho and enjoy the cracking back roads round there and castles etc. :)

[peppernick]

I now feel really intimidated! I think I will end up with one lap just so I can get the sticker!:D
Do it once and that feeling will simply disappear. You'll be left with such an overpowering urge to do it again, and again, and again ........

What has been mentioned already is really all you need to know. Insurance cover is almost non existent on the Nordschleife.

[Kin Mak]

Just drive within your limits, you are not racing anyone. Watching your mirrors is very important on your first time out. There are some very fast drivers out there on bikes and cars. If you don't get out of the way, some will force their way through.

[acshnitz_328i]

i was thinkn of attending this year as i didnt get a chance last year. thou after see'n the vid that afif showd me after last years ring run i wanted to go. but all i saw in that vid was either 330ci's and m3's i felt intimindated by all those cars lol

i knw its not about speed but i feel a lil "small" packaged so to speak lol

but rele wud love to go this year..... mayb i can slam on a S/C before then lol and get sum co-drivers in the car....

[mystic sport]

As others have said, just remember it is 20kms of blind crests, off camber corners, slow sections, fast sections, possibly wet seconds blah blah. A good lap is one that you have enjoyed and more importantly parked un undamaged car up in the car park.

Don't get worried if a 1.3 opel corsa makes you look a monkey as some of the local lads are so fast. Just concentrate on a smooth, incident free lap ;) .

If a car is up yer chuff and obviously quicker move to the right and put your right indicator on so he/she knows that you are letting them through. Don't overtake on a corner unless you are confident that a) the person you are overtaking knows you are there (only ever overtake on the left) and what you are doing and b) the conditions are right. I have seen several cars get wiped out as the innocent party because the overtaker got it wrong and clobbered the overtakee.

Oh, and have fun!!!

[peppernick]

On the subject of number plates on another thread, make sure you have European 'GB' plates when you drive across the continent. Alternatively, you need to display a GB sticker. I got pulled over in France on my first trip because I had standard UK plates without a sticker. When it comes to giving British car owners grief, nobody beats the French.

[andbecks]

Yeh, I totally forgot about the stickers, luckily got away with it.
realised when I got back... oops.

[BMW330d]

On the subject of number plates on another thread, make sure you have European 'GB' plates when you drive across the continent. Alternatively, you need to display a GB sticker. I got pulled over in France on my first trip because I had standard UK plates without a sticker. When it comes to giving British car owners grief, nobody beats the French.


Top tip Nick, never even thought about that one!

[Doc Matt]

Me and Imola had some Belgian officer with the blues and twos coming for us. We just left him for dust lol

Oh, your'e not supposed to do that, ignore me. :o

[Silver]

Just dont kill ur engine....lol......