Why Is It So Hard To Get To British Circuits?

[DansHorizon]

I have been researching and attempting to get to circuits for many months, with much struggle. Circuits such as Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Silverstone, etc are very poorly serviced by transport links on race day.

Unfortunately I am not well off enough to have a car and living in London the transport links of trains are actually very good. However you look at Snetterton, it has a train station less than half a mile away. Is it open on racedays? No. Are there bus links from nearer towns, no.

Brands Hatch, miles away from a station and does it have a bus link? No.
It is highly frustrating being a motorsport fan and not being able to get to events.
Does anyone have a suggestion that does not involve tons of money or getting a car?

[crmalcolm]

In answer to the question of why is it so hard - some of it is down the fact that people don't like living near the noise of a race circuit. As a result, the circuits are located away from normal centres of population, and so other than race day there would be little demand for public transport to the locations of tracks.

What can be done about it? - A difficult question because you will be asking for venues to invest in transport infrastructure that they are the only customer - much cheaper to rent fields and host parking there.

In your situation, one thing that might be worth doing is when you have an event you want to attend - see if someone else on here is travelling from/past your location?

In fact - I wonder whether the site organisers here might consider hosting 'car-pool' threads for UK based events? A place where people can arrange to share transport and in turn reduce the overall burden on venues for parking?

[coppice]

I sympathise but you will find a way if your are keen enough.I 've hitchiked 100miles to Oulton, 3 hours bus to RAC Rally, walked 6 miles to Rufforth and bus , coach , bus and walked the last bit of the 200miles to Brands in my youth - which was in what now feels like 1902 admittedly

[Rob29]

Agreed-a problem I have had since I first discovered the sport in the 50s.Was still at school then and living in London.Bus to Crystal Palace was no problem.I never learned to drive due to eyesight defect.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by DansHorizon

Brands Hatch, miles away from a station and does it have a bus link? No.
It is highly frustrating being a motorsport fan and not being able to get to events.
Does anyone have a suggestion that does not involve tons of money or getting a car?

Brands has a bus service from near Swanley station, 11 minute walk from station to the high st then 25 minutes on the 429 bus which stops outside the circuit. Google maps is very helpful

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Brands has a bus service from near Swanley station, 11 minute walk from station to the high st then 25 minutes on the 429 bus which stops outside the circuit. Google maps is very helpful

Does this run on Sundays? If so must be progress-last time I went to Brands was for the first A1GP event in 2005-taxi from Swanley was only practical means of travel

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Does this run on Sundays?

Google says yes.

[geordiecriag101]

I'm in the same boat, due to not having a car I have to use public transport and while that works OK on Saturdays, for main race days on Sundays its a nightmare.

I'm in Market Harborough which is pritty much between Donington an Silverstone, on Saturdays getting to Silverstone is straightforward, 2 busses then a 20min walk to the circuit so i get there at 9:45 an leave at 4:45 to get last bus back, but on Sundays there no busses at all so only way is taxi, an at £55 each way makes it an expensive day out!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Agreed-a problem I have had since I first discovered the sport in the 50s.Was still at school then and living in London.Bus to Crystal Palace was no problem.I never learned to drive due to eyesight defect.

Ah, Crystal Palace.

I lived just down the road for a while although I was not really aware of the circuit then. The park was a nice resource though. Based on some old 8mm film footage I must have gone once or twice with my father.

Other than that the best option would be to move next to a circuit. Not the same as travelling around I grant you but you could get to know it very well indeed!

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by grantp

Ah, Crystal Palace.

I lived just down the road for a while although I was not really aware of the circuit then. The park was a nice resource though. Based on some old 8mm film footage I must have gone once or twice with my father.

Other than that the best option would be to move next to a circuit. Not the same as travelling around I grant you but you could get to know it very well indeed!

Another advantage that is you live close enough you also usually qualify for a residents free entry pass (which I found really useful years ago when my sister lived in Kirkby Mallory!)

[grantp]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Another advantage that is you live close enough you also usually qualify for a residents free entry pass (which I found really useful years ago when my sister lived in Kirkby Mallory!)

Donington, with the exception of the biggest events afaik, offers locals a discount (£5) off the on the day ticket price.

If you are over 60 you get the same. Sadly not both though.

Just thinking about it Donington can be access using the Skylink bus service which has stops near the main entrance and a connecting hub at the airport. Nearest train options would be Long Eaton or East Midlands Parkway, both of which are then serviced by Skylink.

That said from, say, Market Harborough it might still be worth taking a taxi! (On a cost basis - though I suppose bus all the way changing in Leicester would be an option. Almost certainly a good thing on a time basis.)

[geordiecriag101]

Hey Grant, for me its just as easy to get train from Market Harborough to East mids Parkway train station then taxi from there to paddock entrance at Donington. £20 for return on train then £15 each way in taxi so its not to bad.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Does this run on Sundays? If so must be progress-last time I went to Brands was for the first A1GP event in 2005-taxi from Swanley was only practical means of travel

it seems so but don't miss one as there's only three and they seem to be two hours apart
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/429.htm#Sun_T

[wolfhound]

I would have thought Donnington would be straight forward use public transport to East Midlands Airport and then get a taxi.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

it seems so but don't miss one as there's only three and they seem to be two hours apart
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/429.htm#Sun_T

Thanks for that link Tim-amazing detail-only practical bus from Swanley must be the first one-might be possible to return via Eynsford?
Next need to find out if my Lincolnshire bus pass is valid on Go CoachLast time I was in the area 400 series route were London Country.Last bus that stopped outside Brands was Maidstone & District 919-was diverted via M20 when that opened

[andrewc]

It seems its the last two or three miles from public transport, so how about bicycle if its just one person, if taxis/uber aren't convenient or too expensive.

[fergus_r]

Brands Hatch is walking distance from Eynsford station- okay, it takes 40 minutes to an hour- but I've done it plenty of times without too much trouble.

Or just call a taxi. Don't rely on buses.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

I would have thought Donnington would be straight forward use public transport to East Midlands Airport and then get a taxi.

If you travel on Leicester/Loughborough/East Midlands Airport/Derby Skylink service and ask the driver nicely if they'll stop away from their normal stops, it passes the circuit's east gate (the museum end).

There's at least one marshal who used to do precisely that on the 0530/0545 departure from Leicester!

[bella]

i can't help beyond the advice already given, but i've done a fair few of the european circuits by public transport (ahhh, freelance work) amd can tell you there isn't a huge amount of difference. a lot of the circuits can be done via bus but you need to have a lot of spare time (nurburgring, for example). others are well located for public transport but suffer from noise issues like the uk (zandvoort, assen to a degree). the hungaroring has a bus service and a station that you can walk to (believe someone of this parish did it), the red bull ring is a €17 taxi each way from the station plus a fairly expensive train from vienna, valencia is a solid taxi ride from the airport, monza could be done on foot from the station with a good set of walking shoes...

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Thanks for that link Tim-amazing detail-only practical bus from Swanley must be the first one-might be possible to return via Eynsford?
Next need to find out if my Lincolnshire bus pass is valid on Go CoachLast time I was in the area 400 series route were London Country.Last bus that stopped outside Brands was Maidstone & District 919-was diverted via M20 when that opened

When are you intending going?

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

...What can be done about it?..
I wonder whether the site organisers here might consider hosting 'car-pool' threads for UK based events? A place where people can arrange to share transport and in turn reduce the overall burden on venues for parking?

In the USA and Canada, there is at least one firm arranging bus trips from the nearest cities to racing events, for a relatively inexpensive price (it includes only transportation, not the event ticket) as long as 25 or more people book online a week before it happens. It's mostly Nascar races, but I also see some IndyCar races, and they allow you to add an event if you do not already see it listed by them.
http://rallybus.net/racing
Unfortunately there appears to be few or no people booking for the races I checked. Perhaps there could be a thread here to list events where something like this is available, to notify and encourage others who may be interested, along with those requesting or offering car-pool opportunities.

[GORDON STREETER]

When I was racing at Spa and my wife was only coming for the weekend she would catch the Eurostar to Brussels and then to Verviers and finally the single track line to Spa, however as most of you know Spa town is not "very" near the circuit

[grantp]

All of these "last mile or so" problems will be resolved when fully autonomous "hire on need" electric transport is available.


The only downside there is that it is unlikely there will be many (or, indeed, any) meetings worth visiting. Assuming visiting is still allowed by H&S.