Spa 24 Hours

[Sooty]

Hi all, can anyone tell me what the camping situation is at this event?

Cost and location that kind of thing!

Many thanks

Sooty

[termietermite]

Mrs & Mr Termie will be there.  A chance to see a Saleen WIN - eh Fran?

[Fran]

I am still dithering about this one... got the race ticket, but still trying to sort everything else...

Termie - do you have to buy separate camping ticket or is it included in the race ticket?  Also what day does the camping open?

F

[Piglet]

Sooty, we stayed at the municipal campsite called Eau Rouge last year, it's just off the old circuit and near to the Karting entrance to the circuit.  I can't remember the cost but it wasn't expensive.  We've just booked to go there again.  http://www.eaurouge.nl/index_en.htm

We don't need electric hook up and were on what I guess is an overflow field next to the childrens playground and along the side of the river.  It was beautiful, we camped from early in the week when it was pretty quiet, just us, a Belgium family, a dutch father and son and some Danes (and a very young couple who amused us for some time trying to put their backpacking tent up until Mr Belgique took pity on them and helped!)   We had a fab time - they have fresh bread and croissant delivered in the morning and there was a bar.  It was really friendly.  

We left on the Friday night to go to a hotel and it was starting to fill up with Brits and the character of it changed.  We're camping for the race weekend this time.

We had a media parking pass so drove to the circuit but the Danes had bikes and it wasn't too far to cycle and this avoiding the parking charge and any traffic.  

I think you can camp on the circuit,  but I think the camping areas are pretty rough and ready with no or little facilities.  

[termietermite]

I am still dithering about this one... got the race ticket, but still trying to sort everything else...

Termie - do you have to buy separate camping ticket or is it included in the race ticket?  Also what day does the camping open?

F

The camping's a bit "hit & miss, get where you can" but is cheap (about 20 euros, I think) and cheerful.  Also, some of the sites (like the one on the bluff above the entrance) are quite spectacular.  While we sat outside our tent last year in the dark, could spot the cars in about 5 different places on the circuit. Fab! 

[Sooty]

Thanks for your help Piglet. I think we may go for it.

When you say "starting to fill up with Brits and the character of it changed" I hope you don't mean the knuckle dragging muppets that showed up at LM! I was hoping to spend a weekend amongst race fans!

I'm looking forward to it, even if... sorry when it rains!

[Piglet]

I dunno about knuckle draggers we didn't stay around long enough to find out!!

We'd got into a bit of a euro camping groove, we'd been on a site in Epernay for a few days and then the campsite at Spa and had got used to nice quiet campsites and then the Brits turned up in a group with their fairy lights and four wheel drives. 

In reality it's probably no different to the way we're perceived when we turn up at Le Mans but we'd got used to the campsite being nice and quiet and going to sleep with the noise of the river not the noise of someone's music! 

Oh BTW - my car got eaten by a rat or a rodent of some sort - they are quite partial to the recycled rubber that Saab make their hoses out of! 

[Gordonwr]

Yup the parade is worth going out there early for.....in 2004 we stopped along the road and took pics, last year we had a nice lunch in the restaurant above the circuit and took pics from there....

http://www.gtphotosport.com/spa24_05/kpk_9052.html

The bar in the background is good too!!!

The bar is Le Relais de Pommard in Francorchamps. Have spent many happy hours in there over the years! One year too many as we managed to get the owner ( Jack ) a bit too merry much to the disgust of his wife who was giving us looks to kill the next day. It was GP week, the busiest week of his year so didn't go down too well!
The camp site Piglet mentioned is well worth it, come out of Stavelot on the old circuit towards the medical centre and it's on the right. We used it last year and camped next to the river, an idillic location

[knetter]

I dunno about knuckle draggers we didn't stay around long enough to find out!!

We'd got into a bit of a euro camping groove, we'd been on a site in Epernay for a few days and then the campsite at Spa and had got used to nice quiet campsites and then the Brits turned up in a group with their fairy lights and four wheel drives. 

In reality it's probably no different to the way we're perceived when we turn up at Le Mans but we'd got used to the campsite being nice and quiet and going to sleep with the noise of the river not the noise of someone's music! 

Oh BTW - my car got eaten by a rat or a rodent of some sort - they are quite partial to the recycled rubber that Saab make their hoses out of! 

Must have been something else then a rat, bigger with a fury tail, when they run it looks like a litte wave passing by, we call them marters, and they eat car rubber and electrical wires

[M3desmo]

We stayed at the same campsite as mentioned above last year (http://www.eaurouge.nl/) - arriving in the pouring rain on the Friday.  Camping was very cheap and the facilities weren't bad. The atmosphere was friendly with a great little bar/terrace out front to enjoy the Belgian beer.  We left our tents for the entire race (staying at the circuit the whole night) and returned on the Sunday afternoon and all our equipment had remained undisturbed - nothing nicked.  A big advantage of staying at this site is that you have showers and toilets - most of the others are just camping in a field with the odd portaloo dotted about.

You can walk to the circuit from the site (or cycle).  We bought a parking pass for the lot near Eau Rouge (can be purchased at the welcome centre on the left as you approach the village of Francorchamps). One of the best things about Spa is that you can walk round the entire circuit, giving plenty of 'catch-fence-free' photo opportunities - just make sure that you take waterproofs and an umbrella as it is virtually guaranteed to rain!!

Can't make it myself this year as the missus is due to pop sprog no2 around this time (bad planning on my part me thinks) but to any of you who have not been and are thinking of going - just do it - you will definitely enjoy a great race weekend at what is one of the best tracks in the world.

[Piglet]

I dunno about knuckle draggers we didn't stay around long enough to find out!!

We'd got into a bit of a euro camping groove, we'd been on a site in Epernay for a few days and then the campsite at Spa and had got used to nice quiet campsites and then the Brits turned up in a group with their fairy lights and four wheel drives. 

In reality it's probably no different to the way we're perceived when we turn up at Le Mans but we'd got used to the campsite being nice and quiet and going to sleep with the noise of the river not the noise of someone's music! 

Oh BTW - my car got eaten by a rat or a rodent of some sort - they are quite partial to the recycled rubber that Saab make their hoses out of! 

Must have been something else then a rat, bigger with a fury tail, when they run it looks like a litte wave passing by, we call them marters, and they eat car rubber and electrical wires

Nice, remind me to look out for them next time!!  The Saab dealer in Liege who fixed it found it quite amusing and said that they fit their new cars with electrical senders that emit a high frequency which puts them off!   I haven't managed to find one in the UK to go on the car so fingers crossed for this time!!    I'm always careful about putting away old food and bins so not to attract the wildlife - this time I might just put it all out for them in the hope they leave the car alone!! 

M3desmo - what was the campsite like over the weekend last year - were you on the main site or on the camping field with the play area in it? 

[M3desmo]

I dunno about knuckle draggers we didn't stay around long enough to find out!!

We'd got into a bit of a euro camping groove, we'd been on a site in Epernay for a few days and then the campsite at Spa and had got used to nice quiet campsites and then the Brits turned up in a group with their fairy lights and four wheel drives. 

In reality it's probably no different to the way we're perceived when we turn up at Le Mans but we'd got used to the campsite being nice and quiet and going to sleep with the noise of the river not the noise of someone's music! 

Oh BTW - my car got eaten by a rat or a rodent of some sort - they are quite partial to the recycled rubber that Saab make their hoses out of! 

Must have been something else then a rat, bigger with a fury tail, when they run it looks like a litte wave passing by, we call them marters, and they eat car rubber and electrical wires

Nice, remind me to look out for them next time!!  The Saab dealer in Liege who fixed it found it quite amusing and said that they fit their new cars with electrical senders that emit a high frequency which puts them off!   I haven't managed to find one in the UK to go on the car so fingers crossed for this time!!    I'm always careful about putting away old food and bins so not to attract the wildlife - this time I might just put it all out for them in the hope they leave the car alone!! 

M3desmo - what was the campsite like over the weekend last year - were you on the main site or on the camping field with the play area in it? 

Piglet

The atmosphere in the campsite was great over the weekend. Didn't come into contact with many other Brits but the Danes, Dutch, Belgians and Germans etc were all good for a laugh at the bar/terrace on the Friday night (despite the pouring rain). We were at the circuit all Saturday night but would imagine it was much the same as Friday. We were camped in the section near the kids playground and had no problems.  I think this area is used only as an overflow to cope with the higher demand but if you end up there, I would recommend trying to get a pitch on the left side of the site as there is nice plush grass there, whereas the pitches under the trees on the right are gravel and closer to the access lane which can get a bit muddy when it rains which it will at some point in the weekend!!

Just wish I was able to go this year again, but the imminent arrival of sprog no2 has put paid to this. The missus was not impressed by my suggestion that she could call a cab to get to the hospital if he/she decided to arrive when I was at the race!

Will definitely be back for another installment next year though.

[Piglet]

Cheers Desmo, we were in the overflow bit the week ahead of the race and it was lovely, we were next to the Belgium family with the river to the back of us - it was great - they were really nice, he had an english grandmother and spoke pretty good english as did the Danes who were next to the access gate.  Probably the same people you met! 

Just DTM, the Classic and a couple of other meetings to go and we'll be there again!    It's certainly bad planning on your part......

[M3desmo]

Yeah really bad planning on my part.  If the sprog arrives early I may be able to sneak out for a last minute racing fix as all the female members of the family will be round ours clucking like mother hens! (So plenty of help on hand for the missus)

[knetter]

I dunno about knuckle draggers we didn't stay around long enough to find out!!

We'd got into a bit of a euro camping groove, we'd been on a site in Epernay for a few days and then the campsite at Spa and had got used to nice quiet campsites and then the Brits turned up in a group with their fairy lights and four wheel drives. 

In reality it's probably no different to the way we're perceived when we turn up at Le Mans but we'd got used to the campsite being nice and quiet and going to sleep with the noise of the river not the noise of someone's music! 

Oh BTW - my car got eaten by a rat or a rodent of some sort - they are quite partial to the recycled rubber that Saab make their hoses out of! 

Must have been something else then a rat, bigger with a fury tail, when they run it looks like a litte wave passing by, we call them marters, and they eat car rubber and electrical wires

Nice, remind me to look out for them next time!!  The Saab dealer in Liege who fixed it found it quite amusing and said that they fit their new cars with electrical senders that emit a high frequency which puts them off!   I haven't managed to find one in the UK to go on the car so fingers crossed for this time!!    I'm always careful about putting away old food and bins so not to attract the wildlife - this time I might just put it all out for them in the hope they leave the car alone!! 

M3desmo - what was the campsite like over the weekend last year - were you on the main site or on the camping field with the play area in it? 

The problem with the critters is that they don't really go for the food, but for the warmth of the car engine! So make sure you keep an eye out when the car is cooling down, after it has cooled down the critters are less likely to show up and make a mess of your wiring!

You can buy these ultrasone devices everywere around here, if you want, I could pick on up for you and you can have it installed in the UK