8 replies to this topic

[FirstnameLastname]

Never been to Silverstone before, but my wife is suddenly big on F1 and actively wants to go next year (literally won’t shut up about
It!)

Posting here as the ‘travelling’ forum seems a lonely place.

Need to be relatively budget conscious - thinking about general admission and camping. Anyone got any tips etc? Would be driving down from Scotland and arriving on the Friday - sensible to go to the track and then set up camp later that evening?

[FirstnameLastname]

Oh cock

Obviously meant 2024

Unless anyone has a Time Machine.

[PayasYouRace]

We have a Grand Prix Travelling forum for a reason. Thread moved but link left in the Racing Comments menu.

[TomNokoe]

My travel experience to Silverstone doesn't really suit your circumstances - I'm fairly close by in Nottingham, don't drive (passed last week lol) and don't camp, but I'll give you my thoughts nonetheless.

If you want to do it on a budget then to be honest it's almost a non-starter considering the prices. You're better off going to a race in Europe, seriously. Much cheaper.

General admission at Silverstone used to be really good value, but recently they've upgraded all of the good spots (Vale, Luffield, Copse, Stowe) to "General Admission Plus", which costs more money, but it's still the same old "bring your camping chair" general admission as normal. Also, it gets busier and busier every year.

There are still some reasonable spots but the majority have little elevation, so you're low down, flat to the track with restricted views. You also have to make the track really early to find a spot. The grandstands are so, so much better, but come at a crazy price these days.

Budget wise, the only recommendation I can give you is to look at the Megabus transfers. Can you stay with family/friends closer by? Camping I have no idea, I've heard Whittlebury Hall is good, but you'll have to research yourself.

Honestly, I would look at going to a European race instead. The best "starter" race is Barcelona, it is unbelievably easy to get to, and a great mini-break at that. The grandstands are much cheaper (I recommend Grandstand L), but there are some good GA spots as well, and it's less busy. You can use YouTube to scope them out. The Spanish word for general admission is "Pelouse" so "pelouse f1 catalunya" or similar will give you a good idea.

There are plenty of "good enough" 2* hotels on Las Ramblas, and to get to the circuit is a 20min train + 30min walk. You can buy a 20 euro travel pass that will cover every trip you need to make for the whole weekend, from the airport to your hotel, hotel to the track x3, track to hotel x3 and hotel to airport. It's a bargain. If you want more info, let me know. I really can't recommend it highly enough. You can easily do it for £500pp, which will barely get you a grandstand at Silverstone.

Austria is probably my next recommendation in Europe, there are some grandstand seats where you can see 80-90% of the track, seriously. But it is really difficult to get to if you aren't camping. We stayed with a company called "GP Tents", but it was expensive for what it was. Seriously, try Barcelona, F1 in the afternoon, tapas in the evening, great city, nice weather. Can't beat it.

Edited by TomNokoe, 24 September 2023 - 15:54.

[Carsey]

As above.

 

We did Austria this year and whilst its a little hard to get to, the view is probably one of the best in F1.  We sat in RedBull grandstand L and I loved it.    Id done Silverstone in 2021 and the view there was limited at best.  That was GA before they changed everything.  Not to mention the pricing now is astronomical. 

We booked ours with GP Grand Tours, and whilst it was dear (we stayed in 5* hotel in Vienna about 2.5 hours away - but transfers included) it blew Silverstone clean out the water.  I think Austria cost us £1200 with them for the friday to monday.  Others may do it cheaper.

 

For reference....a Grandstand ticket in Austria...for the WHOLE WEEKEND.  €225 all in.

https://www.facebook...qHkiqoyBe2q2Qtl

Few pics and videos there of my weekend.  Just ignore me haha 

[FirstnameLastname]

See that’s what I thought. Some years back (around 10) I drove to spa. Tickets were £99 for the entire weekend. Obviously can’t get them that cheap nowadays - but the cost of the drive (from Edinburgh), ferry, tickets, and a cheap motel style hotel was cheaper than we could get the Silverstone tickets.

This was 10 years ago - and things (including f1 popularity) have changed massively.


Might go back to the drawing board and scrap the Silverstone idea. A city break PLUS f1 seems more atttactive. Although the festival feel of camping at Silverstone would be good to try one day (and I believe their entertainment in the evenings is first class too)

[IrvTheSwerve]

As Tom has said, Silverstone is no longer something you can do on a budget unfortunately. GA is absolutely awful since they moved the pits to Club (which was the only area where you could get elevation as Silverstone is so flat).

[flatlandsman]

Entertainment might be good in evenings but they pay a pittance, a friend drummed for a band there this year and received about 50 quid, he would get two thirds more for a gig in a pub in a nearby town with a tenth of the crowd.

 

Says all you need to know about the place at the moment sadly, I do not blame them, f1 fans are desperate to be there for a GP, but they are being well and truly daylight robbed. But as I say I do not blame the place, they were starved of income for a long time due to the way f1 is run, they can now make a killing, it is up to fans to decide if this is worth it and right now they seem oblivious to the cost. 

Edited by flatlandsman, 05 November 2023 - 14:34.

[London2Turin]

Never been to Silverstone before, but my wife is suddenly big on F1 and actively wants to go next year (literally won’t shut up about
It!)

Posting here as the ‘travelling’ forum seems a lonely place.

Need to be relatively budget conscious - thinking about general admission and camping. Anyone got any tips etc? Would be driving down from Scotland and arriving on the Friday - sensible to go to the track and then set up camp later that evening?

Have you booked anything for camping yet?  I'm heading to the UK this summer (then onto Europe) and I bought a seat in the Woodcote stands as well as a camping site at Windmill Farms near the track for my RV.  I think I can arrive the Wednesday before the race and leave the Monday afterwards.  This will be my first GP weekend since the US GP East at Watkins Glen way back in 1980.