The nearest gas station is half a mile from the entrance. It has all the Nurburgring merchandise you could want. Think gas is expensive in the US? Try around $9 a gallon in Europe. And a tank lasted nine laps!
Fuel For ThoughtTime to fill up and appreciate that US gas is the cheapest in the world: petrol in Europe is around $9 a gallon. Get used to it if you're planning more than a few laps
There's plenty of accommodation in the nearby town of Adenau, but some places in Nrburg are within a quarter-mile of the track entrance. Or, there's a hotel on the pit straight of the modern circuit if you really want to immerse yourself in the experience. www.nuerburgring.de has accommodation guides.
Heading south past the famous Nrburg castle ruins, an innocent "roundabout" leads into the main public entry for the Nordeshleife. It's slightly odd to drive off local roads, through a gate and onto the world's best track. However, it falls under German road rules, so helmets aren't required, carrying passengers is normal, and either the car or driver's skill is the only limit to speed.
There are some house rules though, including no in-car photography or filming without a permit, and overtaking is always done on the left. And no lap timing (officially, anyway).
These rules are visible in the main car park, where there's also a restaurant, the BMW Ring Taxi HQ and a large area where some of the world's best cars gather. This is also where a few Ring regulars like the Zakspeed Viper (www.viperjet.de) offer a ride in a Viper for $350 a lap. It's good, but a better ride is the BMW Ring Taxi. At $250 a lap, up to three passengers can split the fare. It's sold out months in advance with a limited schedule, so book early on www.bmw-motorsport.com/ringtaxi
TicketsAnother tip: before driving the track for real, practice on PS2 GT4. There are 174 corners on the track and the game makes it easier to learn them in a safe environment and for less money than endless laps.
The Nordeschleife is a toll road, taken one lap at a time. Sadly it's not possible to blast down the front straight on a public day, as this is the track entry and exit point. So after each lap, you're herded back into the pits.
21 euros will get you a lap on the best track in the world
At the main office, a ticket machine will sell one runde (lap) for 19 euros ($25). Buy 25 runden for 345 euros ($465) and it drops to under $19 per lap. There's also a bus ride for $5. There's even a season pass for 895 euros ($1200)! Credit cards are fine and most staff are bilingual if you have questions.
There are three ways to measure lap times at the Ring; the full north and full south circuits, as used on private track days, or the more common public day "bridge-to-gantry" method. After entering the track, there's a bridge that marks the start, and after the final turn, there's a gantry that marks the finish. The "missing straight" adds about 10-15sec to the full lap time, so consider that when you hear "Ring records."
Track TimeAbsorb the track on your first lap and you'll be amazed at its gradient and length. In GT4, a lap takes forever, but in real life it feels half as long. The curbs are higher, the trees are closer and some sections really show that you're deep in a German forest.
After just seven laps our fuel light was already on. The nearest gas station is the Tankstelle Dottinger Hohe, about a mile away. It's home to a model shop and all the Nrburgring merchandise you'll need, including the important track map stickers. You'll get to know the burly German behind the counter too: over our three-day weekend we filled up seven times, at an average of $95 a tank!
Crashes happen quickly at the Ring
Back on track, motorbikes are everywhere. Buses are relatively rare, but carry good pace. However, it's the sights and stories that make the trip memorable. You don't need a supercar, but there are plenty to see around the Ring.
There are also constant reminders this track is dangerous. It's rare to do more than two or three laps without seeing a crashed car or bike. We saw a Porsche GT3 slide backwards into a barrier and roll, all caught on a friendly Englishman's trackside video camera. A chopper flew in a day later to rush an injured motorcyclist to hospital. Eerily, officials simply sweep up the mess, prepare an invoice for any damaged Armco, recover the vehicle and reopen the track for the next group of lunatics.