Nurburgring visitor guide | guide
The Nürburgring, simply known as "The Ring" by many, is a motorsport race track nestled among the Eifel mountains in western Germany,
The 13-mile circuit is considered perhaps the most dangerous and demanding track anywhere in the world, and is something of a Mecca for racing enthusiasts worldwide.
The annual highlight is the 24 Hours Nürburgring weekend, normally held in mid-June, featuring 220 cars, over 700 drivers (amateurs and professionals) and watched by nearly 300,000 spectators.
Since being established in 1927, the track has been open for use by the public on non-event days – known as the “Touristenfahrten”. As is the case on German autobahns, there is no general speed limit during these sessions, though dangerous driving is taken seriously and can lead to prosecutions.
The circuit is also home to the RingWerk action museum, an interactive theme park that allows visitors to experience the past and future of the Nürburgring.
The race track’s location in the mountains and around 50 miles from the nearest major city, Cologne, means that a combination of air and road are your best option.
Many will travel in their own vehicles in order to race the course, and may require a boat crossing to do so. If travelling from the UK, there are various ferry options, though all will involve putting some serious miles on the clock. If travelling from the south of the UK, you can take the ferry from Dover to Calais, which is around 250 miles and 3 hours from Cologne (375 mile from the circuit). If located in the north of the UK, you could take the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, which is a 160 mile journey from Cologne (215 miles from the circuit.
For those wishing to pick up a car from the other side, you have the option of flying to Cologne or Frankfurt (75 miles from the circuit), both of which are major airport hubs well-connected to the rest of Europe.
From here you can hire a car and drive to the circuit, and then hire another car of your choice from one of the numerous Track Day companies located close to the circuit.
Please note: reports indicate that most standard car hire companies exclude use on the Nürburgring and issue heavy penalties to those caught doing so. However, there are various Track Day firms around the circuit, including the RSR Nürburg, that do provide cars to be used on the circuit.
