Hey guys,

So between saving up for my wedding and traveling for business my poor s2000 has only seen 1 track day and 1 auto x this year. (Granted that was Sears Point).
On a positive work is sending me for 11 days to Germany to stay in Koeln and work over in Leverkusen. I am considering traveling to the Nurburgring to check out the track / see if I can snag a ride along. Have any of you been there/ have any experience with this? I know the ring is pretty large / and its about 4 hours away via train. I wont have a car while there so I'll need to get there by public transportation.

Let me know your thoughts

 

I've been to Germany twice so far and I have to say I regret not going to the Nurburgrïng. I was down south in Fredrichshfen but managed to go to Munic and Frankfurt a few times. The public transportation is very easy to navigate and I highly recommend it. It's easy to get back and forth via the train system. All it takes is just understanding the routes and the map. Everything is color coded. I was fortunate enough to have a rental car (V6 turbo diesel mercedes...lol) and got on the autobahn (did 250 kilometers...for a very long time...lol). But if it's coming out your pocket and not the your jobs, I would highly advise against it. Simply cause it's cheap to rent a car but the insurance is RAPE!!! I paid about $600 to rent the mercedes for 21 days but paid $2400 in insurance!! A buddy of mine rented a ford focus (yes i know and yes they really had fords out there) and he paid almost $1900 in insurance for 2 weeks. US Insurance companies won't insure overseas...at least my two didn't. Also the gas is extremely expensive!!!! Some stations can easily charge 7-10 dollars a gallon. Two last tips, 1. MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR PASSPORT and 2. Most standard cars DON'T have a clutch start interlock. Meaning, you can start the car in gear with the clutch NOT pressed down. Don't ask me ow I know....lmao

Good Luck
v/r
James

 

From what I heard you can rent some sport cars outside the Nurburgring, depending on your budget you can go from a Renault Clio Sport to a Porsche GT3


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No way I'd going to the Ring w/o renting a car to do a few laps in. Plenty of places offer sport car/race race rentals specifically for use at the Ring.

 

You are absolutely right. I remember a way back reading a thread about an S2KI member going to the ring and his experience. It was one of the S2KI home page opening stories.

v/r
James

 

If I could, of course I'd do it.

While travelling in Germany in 2011 I was stopped on several occasions by police dress in civies whom asked for my passport. They flashed very low grade 'badges' at me that looked like they might have been the standard in the 40's. Failure to provide proper documents is grounds for arrest.

4 hours on a train both ways is a lot however. It would make that trip a several day event. Yes, everything is a rip off. I recall seeing motor oil we pay $7/qt for, for 14euros.

Diesel was 1.20/euro when I was there or about $70/fill up. So it's not that bad. Gasoline was around 1.55/euro, which adds up quickly.

 

I was in Berlin last Summer and renting a cheaper car wasn't so bad. Rented the equivalent to an Audi A3, which turned out to be a Peugot. Brought a hacked Garmin that told me when to slow down on the Autobahn. It was no different than driving in the States except people know how to drive and follow the rules of the road. I maxed the car out too on the unlimited sections. Maybe you can rent a car for part of the train trip?

I did end up getting a ticket according to the rental company. They never did tell me what it was for and I never got the bill. I was also given a fine by the rental car company for something they couldn't explain either. Which they later got rid of after I asked what it was I did. This was all through Avis. But that wouldn't stop me from renting a car next time we are in Germany.

You are supposed to carry some sort of passport with you at all times. We were carrying our originals as we were going from hotel to hotel. But always have a copy of your passport. Your US license is a good too.

And forget about the gas price, the stations we went to only took cash, and the ATM's generally didn't work outside of the stations. And then trying to figure out how to pump the gas hahahaa. Someone should have recorded me trying to get the gas going. We were a bit deeper in the country and no one spoke English.

 

Also, Most places don't sell ice and they serve wine at Mc' Donalds. If you ask for ice, you will get a dirty look that makes you feel they are saying in their head "Stupid spoiled fat american". Most places don't take credit cards and cash is really king. Sitting down to eat is different too. Here in the states is you go in and they are ready to get you out to serve the next person. Over there, its rude to ask for the check and leave too early. They take dinning seriously out there. They want you to sit, enjoy, take your time and converse. It's not uncommon for people to eat for 2-3 hours.

v/r
James