DIY Nürburgring Travel Planning for Canadians

The Nürburgring Nordschleife

Update Jan 27, 2012:  The 2012 Nürburgring Calendar of TF days has been published and it’s not looking good for the public.  Notice the absence of almost all weekday evening public sessions.  For tourists, the weekends are the only option and will be even busier.  Check out this Autoblog article, “Nürburgring lapping days fast becoming and thing of the past“.

To car enthusiasts the world over the name evokes intense longing, fear, excitement, and perhaps even arousal.  To us Canadians the dream of tasting these motoring delights may seem so unattainable, like the mythical fountain of youth hidden in a land far, far away.

Or is it?  Could it be possible that mere mortal gear-heads from the “North” of America can visit and conquer the “Grüne Hölle” with minimal cost and effort?  Fear not fellow Canucks, the answer is a resounding YES.  This DIY article (incidentally the first after a long hiatus from this blog) will guide you through the planning and execution of fulfilling the Nürburgring dream.

Warnings

In my opinion a good DIY article always has safety warnings to protect the less-than-capable reader from common problems and more often themselves.  Obviously for this travel-based DIY we can forgo the normal “death by wrenching” treatment, however, we should be aware that Nürburgring travel is not without its dangers.

1. Track Safety:  Let’s make one thing abundantly clear, we’re talking about flying across the ocean, renting a car, and driving at high-speed around the most fearsome race track ever devised by humans.  People crash, are hurt, or die on a daily basis.  This is serious.
2. Cost:  Like most endeavors in life, money solves problems.  This is no different.  I assume that you don’t wipe your rear with $1000 bills, so be warned this will get expensive quickly.  That said, we will be wise, not wasteful, with our money.
3. Respect:  You are traveling to Germany where people are not obligated to speak English and where you are the foreigner.  Respect the country.  Treat the people, their culture, and their laws with the highest degree of courtesy and respect.
4. Personal Safety:  I’ll refrain from a rant about traveler’s safety, but keep your wits about you and be safe.

If you choose to use any of the suggestions in this article, you do so at your own peril.  You’ve been warned.

Travel Preparation

Dottinger Hohe Straight

With a little bit of effort in planning and preparation, your trip to the Nürburgring Nordschleife can be accomplished with minimal pain and maximum gain.  Whenever I plan a trip I tend to pre-book as much as possible, which in most cases is easily accomplished with a few clicks and a credit card.

In terms of travel preparation we’ll be looking at the following items:

1. When?
2. Flight
3. Accommodations
4. Street Car Rental / Car Hire
5. Track Car Rental / Car Hire

Step 1: When?

When indeed.  Before you select a date let’s clear up a misconception about the ‘Ring.  It is not open every day to tourists.  Therefore, you have two options for driving on the track.

1. Touristfahrten or “Tourist Driving”, when the track opens to the public.
2. Private Track Days, when an organization books the entire track for all or part of a day.

Also consider that the track is often closed for events and races.

Touristfahrten

Check the online Nürburgring tourist calendars for the list of open Touristfahrten days, such as Ben Lovejoy’s Nürburgring Nordschleife website.  This site has an English calendar in the “Trip Planning” section, click “Opening Times / Calendar”.  Many other calendars exist, just Google it.  For my trip we did two evening touristfahrten sessions.

The benefits of the touristfahtren sessions are that you simply purchase a lap ticket and you can get on the track.  The track is open for the times posted and there’s minimal fuss.

On the other hand, the detriments are that anyone can be there with any cars and any driver skill level with a tendency towards the unskilled.  You may encounter any number family cars, buses and motorcycles.  Also, you will enter and exit the track per lap, meaning no flying-laps.

One last consideration for touristfahrten is the choice of full-day weekends or ~2 hour evening sessions.  Full-day weekends may be tempting but be warned that it gets busy.  Not only busy but with more people comes more unskilled and stupid drivers.  I recommend trying for weekday evening sessions for smaller crowds and less traffic.

Tip:  If an private event is scheduled on a weekend, the weekday evenings leading up to the event may have less attendance.

Private Track Days

Private Track Days are available from a number of organizations and you can find them by Googling.  As my trip was during touristfahrten, I cannot recommend or comment on the quality of any organizer.  That said, for my next trip I will be sure to build the schedule around a private event to avoid some of the pitfalls of going to the tourist sessions.

Step 2:  Flight

You’ve decided on the dates you wish to drive the Nürburgring.  It’s time to book a flight, but to where?

First take a look at a Google Map of the location of the Nürburgring.  The Nordschleife entrance is very close to the tiny little village of Nurburg, Germany.  Clearly, you cannot book an international flight directly to Nürburg so I recommend that you fly into Frankfurt, Germany.

Option 1: Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a good choice as it is located about 2 hours from the ‘Ring.  The Frankfurt international airport (FRA) is a large hub, so you may be able to find lower-cost flight options.  Direct flights from Toronto (YYZ) are available, are quite economical, and the airport itself is huge.  Rental cars (more on this later) are available within the terminal.

This is where I flew into and therefore it’s my recommendation.  At the time of writing AirTransat has reasonably priced flights to Frankfurt, but do your research to get the best price.

Option 2: Paris

Another option is flying into Paris France (CDG), which is also a large international hub and economical flights are available.  However, it’s located over 5 hours from the ‘Ring and you’ll have to cross a country border to get there.  On the upside Paris is a wonderful place to visit in its own right and may be worth visiting as part of your ‘Ring adventure.  Especially if you are traveling with your significant other.

Option 3: Cologne

The final option we’ll discuss is nearby Cologne Germany (CGN), which is only about 1 hour away from the ‘Ring.  I haven’t researched this extensively but a quick search indicates that there are connecting flights that will take you there.  Be prepared to pay more.  I don’t see any particularly compelling reason for Cologne vs. Frankfurt unless time is a critically important factor for your trip.

Step 3:  Accommodations

So at this point you’ve selected your ‘Ring visit dates and booked your flight.  In this section we’ll only talk about accommodations as it pertains to the days that you plan to visit the ‘Ring.  Obviously, if you fly into Paris and wish to stay there, you’re on your own.

Option 1:  Stay Near the ‘Ring

Nurburg Village

The Nürburgring is located near a couple of  small towns: Nürburg and Adenau.  If you have a choice I recommend staying in Nürburg.  You’ll be close-by so you can enjoy your stay without having to drive a distance before and after your laps.  As well, you can leisurely tour the area and take in the beauty of the Eifel mountains.

At this point I will direct you to the Where to Stay page on Ben Lovejoy’s Nürburgring Nordschleife website as he has a good rundown of local hotels.

Additionally, check out the Where do I Stay page on the Nürburgring for Dummies website for a second opinion.

For full and fair disclosure I did not stay at a local hotel for personal reasons, but if I did I would consider Hotel Burgstube, which is located at the foot of Nürburg Castle.  I’m sure any of the local hotels would be more than adequate, just don’t expect the Ritz Carlton.  At the time of writing, expect to pay about 50€ for a single occupancy room.

Option 2:  Stay in Frankfurt

Due to personal reasons I had to stay in Frankfurt and drive the 2 hours to the ‘Ring.  Frankfurt is a large city and offers many hotels for all budgets.  If you don’t mind driving (factor in the price of gas/petrol) this can be a low-cost option if you can find decent and cheap accommodations.  Use your discretion.

Step 4:  Street Car Rental

Now you have your ‘Ring dates decided, the flight is booked and accommodations are reserved.  We’re almost finished our preparation.  You’re going to need to rent a car for the street.  Why car?  Because just like North America you’re not going anywhere outside of a large city without one.  Even if you could get to the ‘Ring without a car you’d still be stuck in the town of Nurburg and unable to visit the other attractions in and around the ‘Ring.

Let’s be 100% clear, regular car rental companies do not let you drive their rental cars on the Nürburgring.  It is clearly stated in the rental contract but may not explicitly say “Nürburgring”.  If you do drive on the ‘Ring you void the insurance and if anything happens to the car you will be fully responsible for all damages, fees and penalties.  This car is strictly to get you to and from the ‘Ring and for touring around the area.  We’ll talk about track car rental next.

There are many car rental companies right in the Frankfurt airport, and the adjoining train station, so I recommend checking your favourite car rental online resource for the best rates.  I rented from SIXT using Priceline.

Step 5: Track Car Rental

The Mighty Rent4Ring Steeds, Suzuki Swift Stage 2

You have the ‘Ring dates, flight, accommodations, and street car rental.  Phew!  The final step in our preparation is to book a track car.  This is going to be a bit expensive and you may be tempted to drive your street car rental on the ‘Ring.  This is an important point so I’ll go over it again.

Do not drive the street car rental on the ‘Ring

Not only do you breach your contract and void your insurance, look at it this way.  You are driving on the most treacherous race track in the world.  It asks … no, it demands your full attention and respect.  You’ll experience insane gut-wrenching elevation changes, terrifying blind turns, super-cars blasting by you, guard-rails seemingly millimetres from the road, and you will be lost like a 5 year-old in a house of horrors.  If you make a mistake here the ‘Ring will bite you and bite you hard.  Then steal your wallet.

Why Track Car?

The track car rental is a no-brainer.  Although it may seem expensive, considering everything a track car is quite economical.  Most, if not all, rental companies will provide you a car that is fully track-prepped for maximum enjoyment and maximum safety.  The car will have the right safety equipment, tires, brakes, roll-cage, and most importantly, they will be fully maintained to provide lap after lap of care-free track abuse.  This leaves you to focus on being safe, having fun, and on the business of driving.

Rent4Ring is my Suggestion

For those of you on a budget I recommend renting from Rent4Ring.  Their packages and prices are listed on the Cars/Prices page.  I’m not affiliated with them and receive nothing from them if you become a customer.  In my experience Dale and Ralph are true car-enthusiasts that love driving and motorsports.

The Suzuki Swift Stage 2 rental that I rented was an excellent car and extremely capable on the track.  What it lacked in power it more than made up for in nimble handling, immense grip, and a surprisingly soul-stirring sound.  Contact Dale for the details and current pricing, but I assure you that you’ll be satisfied.

At the time of writing, expect to pay about 300€ for an all-inclusive package including Suzuki Swift Stage 2 car rental, 4 lap tickets, and gas.  It truly is arrive and drive.

If you do rent from them, mention you heard about them from imclumzy’s Weblog and tell Dale and Ralph I said hi!

Other Options

There are many other car rental shops that will accommodate budgets of all sizes (mostly large sizes).  Feel like a baller?  Rent a Porsche 997 GT3 RS from RSR Nurburg.  Or Google for others.

Tip:  Pay attention to the damage deductible.  If you smash up the car, what is the maximum you will pay?  At the time of writing Rent4Ring’s maximum deductible is ~2,500€.

Travel Preparation Concludes

At this point you’re feeling pretty good and you’re anxiously awaiting your departure date.  You’ve got your airplane tickets in hand, your sweet Nurburg accommodations booked, and the street rental and track rental cars reserved.  The VISA bill has come in and after a small heart-attack you’ve taken care of it.

If the preparation stopped here you’d still be well prepared and have an extremely good time.  Want to make more out of this epic ‘Ring adventure?  Let’s move on to the next section where we’ll run through more tips and information that will help you get the most out of it.

Amp My ‘Ring

Pflanzgarten I

Pre-Arrival Nordschleife Familiarization

The Nordschleife is over 22km long and consists of  over 70 turns.  It’s an evil thing of beauty carved into the Eifel mountains that winds, twists, drops and churns you into an adrenaline-pumped euphoria.  If there was ever a track to familiarize yourself with before you get there, this is it.  To say it another way for you Ontario track-veterans … this is not Shannonville, Mosport GP or Calabogie.  This is the ‘RING!

Simulation Practice

There is some debate over the usefulness of virtually driving the ‘Ring in simulation video games.  Naysayers point to the fact that the video games can’t replicate the G-forces, elevation changes, bumpy track surface, and chiefly, the fear of driving at high-speed on the Nordschleife.  That may be true but let’s put virtual practice into context.

The purpose of simulated laps is to familiarize yourself with the track layout, recognize major landmarks, and identify potentially hazardous areas.  Notice that the purpose is not to prepare you to pull an 8 minute lap on your first visit to the ‘Ring.  Remember that driving the ‘Ring is serious business so take this practice seriously.

Tips:

• Select a video game that has the Nordscheife.  Games include Gran Turismo 5 (PS3), Forza Motorsports 4 (Xbox), Gran Turismo (PSP), Need for Speed – Shift 2: Unleashed (PC) to name a few.
• Choose a low-powered FWD (front wheel drive) or AWD (all wheel drive) car and stick with it.
• Make a mental note of major landmarks so you know your relative position on the track.  Landmarks include the Nurburg castle, the pit-lane concrete wall (T-13), and the Hotel An Der Nordschleife (Wehrseifen to Ex-Muhle).
• Memorize all the turn directions, especially the blind ones.  You should be able to say out loud the direction, right or left, of the next turn before you reach it.
• Don’t worry about the racing line.  In time turn off the racing line assists if your game has that feature.
• Ignore the lap time.
• Pay attention to keeping the car on the road.
• Try for clean laps.  Don’t touch grass, hit walls or crash.
• When you do crash, take note of where and what you were doing.
• Do 50 to 100 laps (or more!).  Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get it immediately.
• Turn off all assists and try to do clean laps.

From my personal experience I must have done 400-500 virtual laps before I arrived at the ‘Ring.  Of course the real thing looks and feels very different than a video game but by practicing it was far safer and more enjoyable to drive.

On-Board Videos

YouTube has a wealth of on-board videos that people have made in all sorts of cars.  You may be tempted to watch videos from racing drivers in high-powered super-cars but I suggest you watch good drivers in slow cars.  For example, there are videos of Rent4Ring’s Suzuki Swift that are well worth watching.

Pay attention to the driver’s racing line and recognize the landmarks that you’ve identified virtually.  Watch for braking points, apexes, and exit points.  Take this seriously because it will bridge the gap between the virtual world and the real thing.

Driving Tips

You’re nearing your arrival at the ‘Ring and you just realized that you’re unfamiliar with the rules.  Be aware that the Nürburgring doesn’t hold driver briefings (although your track car rental vendor may), have marshals reminding you of rules, or even a posted list of the rules.  You are expected to know exactly what you’re doing.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of important rules and tips that you would do well to commit to memory:

• Don’t crash.  Seriously, do not crash.
• The ‘Ring is a one-way public toll road and German laws apply:
  • Drive on the right, pass on the left.
  • Unofficially, when there are no other cars around you are permitted to use the whole road.
  • When you are approached from behind by a faster car, use your turn signal to indicate to the right and move to the right.
  • When you approach a slower car, signal left and wait for the slower car to move to the right.
  • Do not pass on the right.
  • The speed limit for the ‘Ring is either 130km (default speed limit for unposted roads) or unlimited for most sections.
  • Obey the posted speed limits at 2 points on the track: approaching the Hotel An Der Nordschleife (Wehrseifen to Ex-Muhle) and approaching the pit-in / finish area.
• Be respectful of the track and other drivers.
• Beware of stupid drivers.  Just because there are rules doesn’t mean everyone follows them.
• Beware of road works on the track.  Keep your wits about you and be prepared to slow down for service vehicles or others stopped on the road.
• There are sometimes yellow flashing lights at certain points on the track.  If you see them, take extra caution.
• Beware, there can be extreme danger around any turn.  At any time there can be crashes, debris, fluids and even animals on the track.
• At Hotel An Der Nordschleife there is an entrance to the ring before Ex-Muhle.  Watch out for vehicles merging onto the track.
• Be prepared for rain, anywhere on the track.  The weather turns very quickly in the mountains.

How to Get to the ‘Ring

Pflanzgarten I

I’m sure you can use Google Maps and get directions from your city of choice so I won’t rehash that here.  However, when you’re on the ground driving it can be a bit confusing.  My recommendation is to get a GPS.

GPS Tips

• Pay a little extra and get GPS in your street rental car.  Make sure you get an attendant to change it to English and show you how to use it.
• On your smartphone, download a GPS application (ie. Navigon or TomTom)
• Don’t have a GPS?  Then you’re screwed.

What Address Should I Enter into the GPS?

Here are 3 choices that are a stone’s throw away from each other in the small village of Nurburg, 2 minutes south of the track entrance.

1. Rent4Ring – Burgstrasse 1, 53520 Nürburg, Germany
2. Hotel Am Tiergarten – Kirchweg 4, 53520 Nürburg, Germany
3. BMW Motorsport – Hauptstr. 26, 53520 Nürburg, Germany

Or use the ‘Ring Entrance GPS coordinates below.

Where is the ‘Ring Entrance

The Nürburgring Nordschleife track entrance is located here.  According to Google Maps the GPS coordinates are:

50.346583, 6.965865

Here is a map of the area courtesy of Wikimapia and Bing Maps.

Better yet, use these coordinates to program into your GPS instead of the addresses above.

Where to Eat

I can only make two recommendations for where to eat in Nurburg.

Restaurant Pistenklause

Pistenklause Fillet Steak on a Hot Stone

The Pistenklause Restaurant is located minutes from the Nürburgring entrance and a few steps from Rent4Ring.  It’s actually part of the Hotel Am Tiergarten and is owned by the Schmitz family (yes, Sabine Schmitz‘s family).  The signature dish is steak on a hot stone which is a piece of raw fillet or rump steak (pork is also available) on a square hot stone, served with roasted potatoes and a salad, that you cut and cook yourself.  It’s delicious!

TripAdvisor – Pistenklause.

Most of the staff speak flawless English and it is open from 4PM.  The place was quite busy when we arrived so I highly recommend making a reservation if at all possible.  At the time of writing, expect to pay about 20€ for the hot stone meal combo.

Tipping Tip:  Although tipping is not required in Germany, it is appreciated.  We treated Germany like anywhere in Canada where 10-15% tip is the norm.

Zur Burg (?)

Now this pub was an unplanned choice that turned out to be fantastic.  The barkeep didn’t speak English and the only thing I was confident about ordering was the hamburger and fries … and they were awesome!  The fries had a slight spicing to them, while the burger was large and beefy.  Plus it’s literally at the foot of Nürburg castle.

The restaurant/pub is located at:

Burgplatz 2

53520 Nürburg, Germany

GPS Coordinates: 50.345618,6.952778

Gas / Petrol Station

The closest Gas / Petrol Station is located on the B258 (Google Map).

GPS Coordinates:  50.351389, 6.981211

You can also buy some licensed Nürburgring souvenirs there like stickers and hats.

What Else is There to Do?

The Eifel mountains area is incredibly beautiful and has lots to offer tourists.  There are plenty of things to do in an around the ‘Ring and, if you’re willing to drive a bit further away, there’s even more.  Here’s a few suggestions that can serve as a starting point for your research and planning.

Nurburgring Viewing Points

Jaguar Spyshot!

There are many locations around the ‘Ring that you can view the road and watch the action.  Stand around awhile and pretend you’re a car magazine spy photographer, taking snapshots of camouflaged prototype cars.  Some view points are accessible by car, while others require you to hike.

Here is an excellent Google Map (courtesy of Ben Lovejoy) overlain with the various viewing points.  Take your pick!

Two easy spots are along the B412 where the Brunchen and Pflanzgarten viewing areas are directly off the road.  Mind the parking lots, they are poorly graveled and whoa-fully potholed.

Nürburg Castle

Nurburg Castle

Nürburg Castle is fully visible while driving the ‘Ring and is one of the most prominent landmarks in the area.  It’s free to walk up and take pictures from the outside, but admission to the inside costs around 5€.  I believe it closes at 5PM on weekdays so if you did want to tour the inside, get there early.

For a more detailed description I again defer to Ben Lovejoy’s fine website.

RingWerk

The RingWerk is a large leisure-park facility built just outside the village of Nürburg that contains a museum, an indoor go-kart track, gift shops, a fast-food booth, and little else.  Parking costs a couple of € and the only real reason to visit is to buy some Nurburgring licensed souvenirs.  Nurburgring toaster anyone?

Nürburgring 258, 53520 Nürburg, Germany

Largely this corporate monstrosity is a thumb in the eye of ‘Ring enthusiasts and is the embodiment of all that is wrong with the management of the ‘Ring.  More on this later.

Cochem and Cochem Castle

Cochem Castle

About a 30 minute drive from the ‘Ring is the stunning Cochem Castle, perched above the picturesque Moselle river and the village of Cochem.  Originally built in 1056 it was destroyed in 1688 by the French King Louis XIV.  In 1868 the ruins were purchased by a Berlin business man named Louis Ravené and the castle was rebuilt in the neo-gothic architectural style.  For about 10€ you can see the inside by taking a 40 minute guided tour.  The tour is in German but an English sheet is provided with information about each stop on the tour.  Our tour guide also spoke English and did provide some commentary for the English-speakers in the crowd.

The village of Cochem is incredibly charming and is well worth a stroll.  The narrow cobblestone pedestrian streets lead to a small main square that offers quaint gift shops, gelatorias, and little restaurants.   The walk up to the castle entrance winds up through some of the back streets, just follow the signs.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt Dom/Romer area square

As already mentioned Frankfurt is a very large, diverse and modern city that’s about 2 hours drive away from the ‘Ring.  It offers everything from Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodles to the soaring gothic Dom Cathedral.  I’ll leave you to your own devices to select your tourist-traps of choice.

Tip:  Parking in Frankfurt is a confusing mess of indecipherable German signs.  Paid street parking is available if you can figure out where you can and can’t park during the appropriate times.  Otherwise, find underground parking for a flat fee.  You pay more but you don’t run the risk of your rental car being ticketed or towed. 

Save The Ring

I have to admit that before visiting I was unaware of the animosity by the locals (and their supporters) towards the current management of the Nürburgring.  The objections are wide-ranging from a disregard to driver safety to the misuse of public funds in turning the ‘Ring into “NüroDisney”.  The ‘Ring is the lifeblood of this and the surrounding communities and it’s success or failure directly impacts the local economy.  This isn’t the right place to discuss the topic but for more information, or to show your support, visit to the Save the Ring webpage.

The Long and Winding Road

Dusk over Brunnchen

In this article we’ve demystified some of the logistics and details of this grand adventure to the greatest race track in the world.  We talked about the mundane matters of preparing for your flights, lodgings, and transport.  We’ve touched on the serious task of preparing yourself for the ‘Ring, what to do, how to get around, and where to eat.  And finally we’ve just scratched the surface of the other nearby tourist activities and destinations in this beautiful part of Germany.

My last suggestion is to savour the moment.  You will be standing where many dream but few have come.  Revere the history, the heritage, the passion of victory and the honour of defeat of lives that have come and gone from this place.  You my friend are on hallowed ground.  Savour it.

My hope is that this article has been helpful and informative for your travels and I invite you to leave a comment or send me your suggestions.

Your adventure doesn’t end after the first visit to this legendary place.  This experience stirs your emotions and stokes a fire in your soul.  The ‘Ring beckons for you, haunts your dreams and teases you with its dangerous curves.  Do you dare return to dance with the devil in Green Hell?

References

General

Ben Lovejoy’s Nurburgring Nordschliefe Website – the definitive English source the ‘Ring

Nurburgring for Dummies – another excellent English ‘Ring resource

Hotels and Restaurants

Hotel Burgstube – a Nurburg hotel located at the foot of the Nurburg castle

Hotel An Der Nordscheilfe – a hotel visible from the Nurburgring

Pistenklause – the Schmitz family restaurant

Car Rental / Car Hire

SIXT – international street car rental / car hire company

Rent4Ring.de – economical track car rentals

RSR Nurburg – some economical and some not so economical track car rentals

Miscellaneous

RingWerk – official Nurburgring leisure park facility

Cochem Castle – stunning castle and village 30 minutes from the ‘Ring

Save the Ring

Dom/Römer