. silverstone circuit northants UK

Where we headed this time?

silverstone circuit northants uk

Venue Physical Address: Silverstone Near Towcester, Northhampton. Note: Towcester is pronounced "toaster". Beats me!

Got Directions?Silverstone Circuit is located on the A43 between Towcester and Brackley and is signposted from M1 junction 15A & M40 junction 10.

Hotels Accommodations close by Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit?

For Hotels / Motels and resort Accommodations near Silverstone including Milton Keynes and Northampton see:

FIND > Hotels near silverstone circuit uk

> Distance from:
> Town of Silverstone, Northants, UK (2 miles from the Track) - really only a village without hotels.
Find Hotels in and near Silverstone all available properties are listed in a 60 miles / 100 kilometers KM radius of Silverstone Circuit, UK.
> Milton Keynes Hotels(about 20 miles)
> Northampton UK Hotels (about 20 miles)
> Hotels in London (about 71 miles)
See also my guide to Hotels near Silverstone Circuit

Search > Hotels by city name

> What's the nearest major airport to Silverstone Circuit?

(LHR) London Heathrow Airport:
(72 miles)
Find Hotels near London Heathrow (LHR)
Find LHR London Heathrow Airport Website

Or you might try London Gatwick (LGW), Luton (LTN) (not Lutton, as it is often mispelled, International flights don't usually fly into it), London Stansted (STN) - Find Hotels near the Airport for a complete listing of airports of the world.

Shop for the cheapest airfare to London Airports for your trip to Silverstone Circuit with my online travel store or get your flight tickets from the Airline online and save. See my listing of Airlines of the World Links.

> Is there camping at Silverstone?

Yep. Loads in the vacinity. Campsites all over the countryside. See some of the pics to the right. Or check to see if there's still any room with my buddies at The Rectory Farm B&B, a few miles from the track. Tell Tom I sent you.

> Where's the Map?

> Check out this Silverstone satellite and road map (with hotels in the vacinity)

Got a trackmap for Silverstone?

see below

> Got Silverstone Northampton UK area local weather and radar?

Northampton / Silverstone Weather Forecast (although it could be snowing in Silverstone when the humidity is back breaking in Northampton! Find international official weather meteo service Links

> What's the local Northampton newspaper say?

Local Northants News Online

>Driving Tips

British Highways Authority often publishes information about road closures all over England and special driving information ahead the F1GP.
Parking:
Greatly improved, however can be quite expensive at almost $70USD for the weekend (given it doesn't include camping as at Indianapolis or Phillip Island See the official site for some of the complicated rules about parking tickets. The problem though is that its almost impossible to get there any other way, save a helicopter, train and then expensive cab, or coach from London (see above). It's a nightmare to get to, by public transportation, and hence, a nightmare re traffic because everyone takes their car

> Local Public Transit Transport to Silverstone Circuit

Trains: The main railway stations near Silverstone are Northampton (around 20MIs/33KMs) & Milton Keynes (just a little closer), after that you're on your own or you can catch a cab. See britrail.net U.S. travelers call Britrail on 1 877 677 1066.
Bus/Coach See gobycoach / national express. For British Formula One™ GP raceday a coach transfer system runs from 5h from Junctions of the M40 & M1.
By helicopter Shuttle: Helicopter companies run shuttle services from London airports and Northampton. It's like "Apocalypse Now" at Silverstone on big british racing weekends.
Local Taxis: ???

> What else is there to do?

Entertainment:

< Bars & discos in nearby Northampton & Milton Keynes (not Keyes). Carnival at the entrance of the main camping area usually.
Movies: Sol Central complex in Northampton has a multiscreen & the Forum Cinema in Northampton shows foreign & alternative films, as well as kids films on Saturdays. Location: Weston Favell Shopping Centre.
Casinos? Nearby Northampton
Restaurant Tip:
Bring your own, or try the Boat Inn, overlooking the river in Towcester, opposite the Canal Museum, but if you fancy a day trip, check out Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Restaurant (Quarto) in Stratford Upon Avon.
Swimming/gym: Mounts Baths Leisure Centre, Northampton
Also: Whitewater rafting
Take time to see:
> Althorpe House & Park - final resting place of Princess Lady Diana Spencer.
> Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection (1h drive SW)
> Wicksteed Amusement Park

> Speed related stuff we got to check out nearby:

See Silverstone Official Website for scheduled Formula 1 testing dates. While the several F1™ factories are located close to the track including Jordan GP (now MIdlands GP) : literally outside the Silverstone gates, B.A.R: Brackley, Jaguar: Milton Keynes, WilliamsF1 & Bennetton & Arrows (r.i.p): Oxfordshire they are closed to the public.
The Williams Team also has a Conference Center & Grand Prix Collection in Oxford, which hosts an impressive array of racing vehicles, including cars driven by Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill & Jaques Villeneuve. They also boast a Ferrari racer that was purportedly part of a deal sir frank did with ferrari in exchange for Jean Alesi’s contract. Don’t get too excited though, the facility is only open to conference groups of 35+
Also: Santa Pod Raceway, and their drag racing program, Rockingham Raceway and the other circuit in England as famous as Silverstone, Brands Hatch.
Further, there's Donnington Park Circuit/Raceway, home of the British Motorcycle Grand Prix, & the Donnington Grand Prix Collection, or the Goodwood Festival of Speed usually held a weekend or two prior to the F1GP weekend: tel: +44 (0) 1243 755055. Sir Goodwood also hosts, in September, a 9-hour classic race around his property. Click here for Hotels near Goodwood Circuit - Chicherster
Finally, but not exhaustively, a must see is the Beaulieu Motor Museum in Brockenhurst, .
For a full listing of all motor museums / events in britain send the british tourism authority an email asking nicely, or check this out
> Find more European circuits

> Tourism Websites

British tourism at travelbritain.org find more Official Tourism Websites

> Places of Worship / Who's going to church on sunday?

Being this entire region of England is called the county of 'spires and squires', you don’t have to look far for a church. Call for service times:
> St. Michael's Church Stocks Hill, High St, Silverstone, tel: +44 (0)1327 857996
> St. Mary C Of E Church, Whittlebury, Towcester tel: +44 (0) 1327 811670
>St. John The Baptist Church, Abthorpe. tel: +44 (0) 1327 857996
> Towcester Methodist Church Brackley Rd, Towcester tel: +44 (0) 1327 352025
> Towcester Baptist Church 38 Watling St East, Towcester tel: +44 (0) 1327 353521
> St. James The Great C Of E Church, Paulerspury, Towcester tel: +44 (0) 1327 811670
> St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, Towcester

Other stuff of interest for non-local travelers

> Liquor Laws: The legal drinking age in the UK is 18. Thanks W&P!

>Local Currency: GB Pound Sterling (GBP) If you need to, you can buy British Currency online. Find the link at my online store or try your bank at home to save on high tourist conversion fees. Draw local money from ATMs. > ATM Locator: Try VISA.com - they used to have a nice one See also my sometimes updated page of USD Dollar / GBP British Pound Foreign Exchange Rate page and my page of Currencies of the world

> Time Zone: GMT (Grenwich Mean Time) GMT + 0

Internet Cafes:
Net Cafe 7 Alexandra Terrace, Northampton. tel: +44 (0)11 44 1604 711555
Cafe.Com Ltd The IT Centre 4, St Peters Walk, Northampton tel: +44 (0) 11 44 1604 239988

> Telephone Info:
... Better to have a British Telecom Phone Card.
...Direct operator inquiries: #192 ... Emergency Number: 999
... U.S. International dialing code is +33 ????
ac/dc? 230V, 50 Hz. 3 flat-prongs plugs.

Did you know?

> Don’t wonder why only English is spoken until you’ve spent some time there.
> Punctuality and courtesy are considered highly in England.
> Do have fun, don’t be a 'piker'
> A simple handshake is the appropriate greeting for both men & women; Demonstrative greetings are not often seen.
> Don’t wear a plaid sports coat, cravat, and slanted golfing cap to the track, no matter how much you want to.
> British Lawyers are called Solicitors. U.S. solicitors are often arrested. British Trial Attorneys are called Barristers. They swan about in wigs and gowns.
> BEWARE forged event tickets online. Buy from official sources only.
> BE SENSIBLE, stay amongst people, hold tight to your walet/purse, & HAVE FUN!

A FEW NOTES ABOUT SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

Sure it rains, it gets cold at the drop of a hat, traffic sucks, the lawn is made of solid gold, and NOW only rich folk can get into the infield during an f1 weekend, but it's still silverstone. One of those famous tracks you just gotta visit once! Here's my guide of what you'll need to visit and get the most out of this abandoned wartime airfield that became a historical marker / monument to british motorsport.

Godspeed on all your racing travels, Cvetko Ostroznik

Who races there / events? (check links for dates)

> MotoGP Motorcycle Racing World Championship FIM
> Formula 1 World Championship FIA British Grand Prix & Testing
> W-SBK; Super Bike World Championship
> BTCC - British Touring Car Championship
> BSBK British Superbike Championship
Le Mans Endurance 1000KM
> and lots more car clubs and local events!
. Check above series links for latest upcoming events & season schedules.

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT Track map

track map showing silverstone circuit uk

SILVERSTONE MOTORSPORT TRAVEL NEWS

find motorsport travel news

Racing Fan Travel Report - British Formula One Grand Prix Travel Experiences - By Stephanie & Paul Gerken, U.K.

2004 was our 11th visit to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. We were there from Thursday to Monday and were camping at Whittlebury Park.

The site is approximately 10 minutes walk from the circuit entrance at Copse but apparently very close to the entrance at Becketts. It is suitable for tents and caravans and promotes itself as a family site.

The park charges a standard fee for tent camping irrespective of the number of nights you stay. There is 2 different types of plot - farm or golf course. We chose the farm plots, a cheaper option at £85.00. (This is based on one tent and one vehicle, additional charges apply for larger groups).We felt this represented reasonable value for money taking into account the location, facilities available and compared to the other campsites.

The site obviously has drinking water points and toilets (which were kept as clean as can be expected and well stocked with toilet paper). There is a choice of places to eat and drink, including a beer marquee on Friday and Saturday nights. This also offered snacks such as burgers and hot pork sandwiches along with a disco on Friday and a live band on Saturday. Entrance is free, unlike the beer tents on some of the other campsites.

Another plus point to this site is that it is within the grounds of Whittlebury Hall where some of the F1 drivers and team personnel stay during the Grand Prix weekend. It is possible for fans to wait across the road from the Hall. Security is tight but some drivers do stop and sign autographs. On Saturday evening we got an autograph from Jarno Trulli and also saw Juan Pablo Montoya signing autographs (see 2004 British F1GP pics abpve). Fellow fans had also seen Michael Schumacher, Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta.

We had a general admission ticket for all 3 days which cost £90.00, a dramatic reduction on last years price of £195.00.

On Friday we took the opportunity to walk around the circuit and would definitely recommend viewing from Becketts, Stowe and Club. Obviously these areas get very busy on race day.

On Sunday we got up at 3AM to enable us to take in our chairs and get a good spot. When the gates opened at 5AM we managed to get an excellent place on the spectator terracing at Luffield. This gave us a view of the cars through the "stadium section" and accelerating away through Woodcote and onto the pit straight. You can also see the cars entering the pit lane from here. This area was already full at 5.30AM and believe that the same was true for all the popular general admission areas of the circuit.

Silversone offers a wide range of catering outlets, a better choice than any other Grand Prix we have been to. There is everything from the standard burgers and hot dogs to Thai and Mexican food. Prices are the usual Grand Prix/event levels. As we were camping, we tried to keep the costs down a little by preparing some of our own meals back at the tent.

My only criticism of the circuit is the decision not to sell centre transfers in 2004. These gave the opportunity of further infield viewing and the chance of maybe spotting some of the F1 drivers and getting their autographs. Many fans felt rather let down by this change in policy.

However, following the racing on Sunday afternoon, the circuit held a concert which gave everyone access to the infield. We managed to wait outside the paddock and saw many F1 drivers and personnel including Jarno Trulli, Felipe Massa, Antonio Pizzonia, Zsolt Baumgartner and Ross Brawn. We waited there so late we actually missed the whole concert!!

About Traffic and Shuttles: Organizers limit the amount of people that can park at the circuit now (you have to book early to receive a pass). They have 2 park and ride sites in operation for everyone else. A shuttle bus ran on race day only and there were two locations, one for if you were travelling from the north (this was at Sixfields stadium, Northampton Football Club) and one from the south. It was a free service and buses ran regularly to and from the circuit to help keep the traffic down. I don't know if it will run again in 2005. Details of the shuttle service were provided with our tickets.

Overall we really enjoyed our visit to Silverstone and feel that with this years reduced ticket prices, it now offers value for money. We would also recommend the campsite at Whittlebury. If you plan to stay for 3 nights or more it is worth the fixed fee. It is also much quieter than the Litchlake site opposite the main entrance, which is important if you plan to get up early on race day. I am sure we will be returning to the British Grand Prix again next year!

related links:

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uk motorsport

BRANDS HATCH
> Brands Hatch Guide
> Brands Hatch Hotels

DONINGTON PARK
> Donington Park Guide
> Donington Park Hotels

GOODWOOD
> Hotels near Goodwood

SILVERSTONE
> Silverstone Guide
> Silverstone Hotels

> Hotels near all major Europe & UK racing circuits

british motorsport racing schedules

> B-SBK - British Superbike Championship
> BTCC - British Touring Car Championship

f1 grand prix racing features

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> f1 driver interviews
> buy f1 stuff + f1 tickets

silverstone circuit

Where we headed? We're going to silverstone northants uk! Don't get lost or ripped off.

pics from brands hatch circuit

Pics and travel guide Brands Hatch Circuit.

motorcycle racing features

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> Check out The Motorcycle Gear Store (blog, where I review cool bike stuff and bikes I like.)

donington park circuit

Here I am at the donington park circuit - outside one of the most fabulous motorsport museums/ collections in the world!

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