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[u26js4]

Hi, I'm a student from Scotland and have been a life long F1 fan. In September I am finally getting to go to my first GP in Belgium. I have my tickets and cheap flights to Brussels S. Charleroi booked but need a bit of advice on where to stay.
Alot of the Accomodation around Liege and Spa is already fully booked so I have a few optoins left. Is it possible to travel by public transport from Brussels or Charleroi for 3 days. Is it cheap to travel? How long does it take? I am in Belgium for 5 days and would like to see brussels and other sites on the non- F1 days. There is also the possibility of staying in the nearby village of Iveldingen in Amel. Is this too remote? Would I be able to travel by bus to the track? Where would I get the Bus to?

Any information and sugestions are greatly appreciated as I want to book ASAP.

Thanks in advance!

Johnny

[onelapdown]

Hi there,

I went to the Belgian GP on my own in 2001 so hopefully I can help.

Firstly one piece of advice would be to check whether Belgium are playing any international football matches around that time - when I went Scotland were due to play on the Wednesday and I found all the youth hostels in Brussels were full of men in kilts...

Public transport in Belgium is awesome compared to the UK. When I found Brussels was full up I took a train journey to Amsterdam, which cost me something like 16 quid return!!! Note that Charleroi is quite a way outside Brussels, so your fastest route to Spa is not necessarily via Brussels. There's a Station in Spa but it's about 5 miles up and down the Eiffel mountains from the circuit - so don't try and walk like I did! If you don't mind sleeping rough surrounded by Germans I recommend you take a tent and camp out - it was about €15.

Finally, my best piece of advice would be that whatever you do, apart from the GP don't structure your holiday too much because unplanned holidays are always the best - but do take a good guide to Belgium with you.

[texasmr2]

When I found Brussels was full up I took a train journey to Amsterdam, which cost me something like 16 quid return!!!

I have also taken that train ride it was awesome, beautiful scenery and LOT'S of hot french girl's sharing their chip's with me !

Sorry back to the main topic.

[u26js4]

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated. Quite keen on the camping idea for the race weekend and travelling around the sites of belgim for the rest of my trip. Is there like one "official" campsite right on the circuit. How do I go about buying a camping pass?

[Ron Dennis]

When I found Brussels was full up I took a train journey to Amsterdam, which cost me something like 16 quid return!!!

I have also taken that train ride it was awesome, beautiful scenery and LOT'S of hot french girl's sharing their chip's with me !

Sorry back to the main topic.

dirty old man.....

[onelapdown]

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated. Quite keen on the camping idea for the race weekend and travelling around the sites of belgim for the rest of my trip. Is there like one "official" campsite right on the circuit. How do I go about buying a camping pass?

Well I just turned up and paid my €15...

[Ron Dennis]

camping.....yiykes.....not a good thing to do at Spa......one word - RAIN

[onelapdown]

camping.....yiykes.....not a good thing to do at Spa......one word - RAIN

Another word... GERMANS!

Actually I was in my tent the night we beat Germany 5-1, but all I had to tell me the score was the radios of the germans camped nearby, the problem was I couldn't count up beyond two in german, so I didn't know the result until I was on the grass bank by the side of the curcuit looking at a whole load of germans looking depressedly at papers with "5-1 - GRAUSAM" and a photo of Beckham and Owen on the front...

Germans (at least the ones I've known personally) are pretty cool people, for the record.

[darwin dali]

What year was that?

[Ron Dennis]

lol yeah dont forget the disclaimers!