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How To Get To The F1 USA Grand Prix

October 11, 2019 F1, USA Comments Off on How To Get To The F1 USA Grand Prix
How To Get To The F1 USA Grand Prix

USA prepares for the annual return of Formula 1 to the Circuit of The Americas which is found in Austin. Texas. The track was first raced on in 2012 and attracted nearly 120,000 visitors to the circuit. Since then the event has remained just as popular with more and more visitors returning every year. With this event been placed late in the season, 19th out of 21 to be exact, the race promises to be action packed as drivers fiercely compete to grab final points before the season ends. Make sure you don’t miss out on all the excitement this November.

Closest Airports to the track

Bergstrom (AUS) – The track is just over 10 minutes away from the airport. Despite been an international airport, the flights are very limited so if you are flying from Europe one of the other airports may be more suitable.

Houston (IAH) – The approximate journey time from the airport to the track is 2 hour 40 minutes, however Houston Airport has a wider range of flight than Bergstrom Airport.

Dallas (DFW) – From the airport to the track will take you about 3 hours 10 minutes. Although this airport is the furthest away from the track, depending where you are flying from this might be best for you.

Travelling To And From The Track

Car Hire

If you are flying to Dallas or Houston Airport the easiest way to get to Austin is by hiring a car. This gives you the chance to stop off for breaks on the way and travel at your own pace. Once you are in Austin, you can take I-35 south to highway 71 east, which will lead you on to the SH130 toll road, where the track is located. At the circuit there are four parking areas and a park and ride service runs here.

Shuttle

If you are staying in Austin it might be easier to use the shuttle to get to the track. The shuttle departs from Palm Neighborhood Park and a return ticket costs $30 USD. You will be dropped off at the Grand Plaza, which is right next to the track entrance. On Friday and Sunday, shuttles are in operation from 8am and on Sunday they start at 7am. Please be aware that the shuttle can take up to 2 hours at peak times, so leave yourself time to travel.

If you are looking for car hire to get you from the airport to the track or car hire for any other reason, we are ready to get you booked in. To help us find the best deal for you, please contact us directly prior to making your booking. You can contact via call, email or by using the live chat function.

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How To Get To The F1 Mexican Grand Prix

August 22, 2019 F1, Mexico, News Comments Off on How To Get To The F1 Mexican Grand Prix
HOW TO GET TO THE F1 MEXICAN GRAND PRIX

At the end of October Mexico invites Formula 1 back for its annual fix of Grand Prix action, hosted at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Mexican GP is the 18th track on the F1 calendar out of 21 in total. With it been so late in the season drivers are pushing harder than ever to try grab some extra points before the season ends. The track is located 2,240 meters above sea level making it the highest track on the calendar, nearly 3 times higher than any other track! No driver has ever won more than twice at this track, but with Max Verstappen on form this season could he be the first to pick up his 3rd victory here?

Closest Airport To Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

Mexico City international Airport (MEX) – Located less than 5km away from the track and hosts flights to and from most European countries including England, France & Spain. Mexico City Airport is the only feasible choice, with it being so close to the track and the only airport nearby that flies to and from European countries.

Travelling To & From The Track

Metro

You can get on the Metro at the airport that takes you to Downtown for just £0.20 for a one-way ticket. Once you arrive you can then get on the Metro again which will take you to the track. There are 3 stations that are located nearby to different areas of the track, the stations are as follows:

Velódromo – for Grada 15 Foro Sol Norte (Brown Zone) & Grada 14 Foro Sol Sur (Grey Zone)
Cuidad Deportiva – for the Main Grandstand (Green Zone)
Puebla – for Grada 3,4,5,6 (Blue Zone) and Grada 9-11 (Yellow Zone)

When leaving the circuit make sure you have already purchased your return ticket to avoid queues at the ticket machine. Also, it is recommended to take the Metro for one stop in the opposite direction then double back on yourself to miss the crowds.

What To Do Near Mexico City

If you are travelling from Europe the chances are that you are not going to fly over 12 hours and only stay for the weekend. With it been so far it makes sense to spend a week there and make a holiday of it. The city itself is very busy, however there are loads of great places to visit that are just a short drive away. Here are just a few ideas of places to visit while you are there.

Cholula, Puebla

One of the longer journeys, taking just under 2 hours to drive to, however, Cholula is worth the journey. This peaceful town has colourful architecture scattered across it, with over 40 churches. The city is Surrounded by breathtaking views of mountains and even has its own pyramid, Pyramid Tepanapa.

Teotihuacán, State of Mexico

Arguably one of the best day trips to take from Mexico City and it is less than 1 hour away. This Mesoamerican settlement contains pyramids and ruins that will blow you away. Two of the pyramids, Pyramid of the Sun & of the Moon can both be climbed and when you reach the top you are rewarded with a full overview of the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site.

Toluca, State of Mexico

Again, less than a 1-hour drive is Toluca de Lerdo, rich with history and art the city has lots to see. One of the most impressive attractions is Cosmovitral Botanical Garden which is surrounded by stained glass murals. The Museo de Bellas Artes and Centro Cultural Mexiquense are 2 of the most popular museums in the area, so if you love history and culture make sure to give them a visit. Toluca is also known as the hub of Mexico for producing chorizo, so make sure you try some while you’re there.

If you do need car hire while you are in Mexico City, we offer car hire with in terminal collection at the airport. If you are interested in booking car hire at Mexico City Airport or any other part of Mexico, please contact us via call, email or by using the live chat function.

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Travelling To Monza For The Italian Grand Prix?

August 6, 2019 F1, Italy Comments Off on Travelling To Monza For The Italian Grand Prix?
F1 Car Monza Italian GP

Formula 1 is returning to Italy at the start of September and you won’t want to miss it. If you are lucky enough to be going to Monza to watch it live you may find this guide helpful. If you are like me, you won’t want to be spending all your money on travel. Hopefully this guide helps you save a bit of money so you can spend it on doing things you love.

Closest Airport to Monza

Linate (LIN) – 25km from circuit: Limited locations to fly from, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, if you can fly to this airport it is recommended.
Malpensa Airport (MXP) – 60km from circuit: Wide range of flights across most European countries including 13 UK locations.
Bergamo Orio Al Serio (BGY) – 50km from circuit: Flights from a range of countries in Europe, including 5 UK locations.

Travelling to and from the track

Train

If you can fly to Linate Airport you can get a taxi for 7km which would cost around €20 and then a train to Monza for between £6-£18 for 3 people to travel one way. Once at Monza you can either get the free shuttle bus, which will be very busy, so you will have to stand on a warm bus. In addition, there is no guarantee you will be on the first bus that arrives. Alternatively, you can walk or use one of the regular bus services which will add a little bit of extra money on.

If you are from UK, you can only fly to Linate from London so the chances are you will end up flying to Malpensa Airport. The train from the airport to Monza would be £30-£45 one way making it between £60-£90 for the round trip.

Car Hire

Although not the cheapest on the list car hire should still be considered. The price is based on what I could find today so the prices may change. If you arrive at Malpensa Airport you can hire a car that will carry up to 4 people with luggage for 4 days and will cost just over £50. On race day you will then need to use the park and ride situated around the track which will cost about €10. So, all in price if you include petrol would be around £80, but keep in mind you have the car for 4 days so you can do some sightseeing while you are in Italy.

Other transport options

You could also look into how much a coach would be from where you are to the track, but some people don’t like to sit on a long coach journey especially if it’s going to be warm. If you are ok with travelling by coach, you should definitely look into it.

If you are travelling to Monza for the Grand Prix or Italy for any other reason, then we are here waiting to find you the hire car that best suits your needs. Contact us directly prior to making your booking and we will make sure you find the best package possible. Call us on 0113 88 00 748, chat with us online or email sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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Travelling To Spa For The Belgian Grand Prix?

June 26, 2019 Belgium, F1 Comments Off on Travelling To Spa For The Belgian Grand Prix?
Travelling To Spa For The Belgian Grand Prix

If you are travelling to Belgium this year for the Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps you may find our following guide helpful. Spa is one of the most rural locations on the F1 calendar and as such, can be more difficult to get to than other racetracks on the ‘circuit’ (no pun intended). Yes, once you are there, travelling between your hotel or campsite and the track itself can be very easy, but how do you intend to get there from the airport in the first place?

Closest Airports To Spa

Depending on where you are travelling, routes into Belgium can be sparse. Below are the closest airports you will find to the circuit, most of which aren’t even in the same country.

  • Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST), 80km from the circuit: limited seasonal connections to Alicante, Barcelona and Bari.
  • Luxembourg Airport (LUX), 110km south of Spa: Luxair, the flag carrier of Luxembourg, flies to 20+ destinations in Europe. In addition, there are flights with British Airways (to London Heathrow), Easyjet (4 routes), KLM (to Amsterdam), TAP (to Lisbon) and more.
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN), 140km east of Spa: large number of connections, mainly with discount carriers. Airlines serving the airport include Germanwings (40+ routes), Air Berlin (17 routes), Ryanair (19 routes, including to the UK & Ireland) and Wizz Air (6 Eastern Europe routes).
  • Brussels Airport (BRU), 140km west of Spa: a major international airport serving most European routes, plus destinations as far afield as the Middle East, Asia and the USA.
  • Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), 140km west of Spa: an important hub for Ryanair, which flies 50+ routes from all over Europe to CRL. Wizz Air also serves the airport with around 10 routes to Eastern Europe.
  • Dusseldorf Airport (DUS): 155km east the circuit: a major international airport serving most European routes, plus destinations as far afield as the Middle East.

Travelling To & From The Track

Lets work on the basis that you arrive into Maastricht Aachen Airport, the closest one to Spa, you have a few options on how you are going to get there.

Train

You can get a train from Maastricht City Station to Spa for around £25 per person according to today’s rates on Trainline.com, We don’t tend to travel alone to these things, so lets say there is 3 of us. That’s £75 on Train fares. A taxi from the Airport to Maastricht Station at a guess would be around €20 for 14km journey and at the other end, a taxi from Gare De Spa (train station) to the circuit would be around another €40 for 25km trip.

The other thing to bear in mind with the train journey is that there is no direct train to Gare De Spa, from Maastricht there are 2 changes, in Liège-Guillemins and in Pepinster. Keen travellers won’t be put off by this but it is something to consider when deciding how to get from A to B.

Car Hire

Our obvious favourite choice would be to hire a car but there is no bias attached to this article, all prices, distances and timings are what I can find online today. Sticking with arriving at Maastricht Aachen Airport, you can hire a car from various suppliers. All who offer different terms to suit different folks. Im just going to go with the cheapest I can find but with a household name and a car that will fit 3 adults and luggage for 4 days.

Hiring a car from Thursday 29th August at 10am and Returning on Sunday 1st September at 7pm. A compact car like a Vauxhall Astra, Citroen Cactus or VW Golf would cost £136.97 with Budget car Rental. Factor in the fuel cost, which 80km each way isn’t going to be much and you have a pretty good deal.

If you flight doesn’t arrive into Maastricht, the same car From Luxembourg Airport would be slightly less at £132.27 but would add another 60km onto your round trip. On the same note, if you do not mind driving a few extra KM’s, you can hire the same car from Cologne-Bonn Airport for less than £77. That’s around £60 less if you are prepared to drive a little further.

Other Transport Options

Aside from the train or car hire options, you may want to look into local buses or coach journeys. These can become expensive when travelling across border but the main reason for us not including them in our comparison is because it is 2019 and it should not take 5 hours to travel 80km’s.

If you are travelling to Spa for the Grand Prix or indeed Belgium for any other reason then our reservations team are here waiting to find you the right rental car to suit your needs. Contact us direct before making a booking and we will ensure that you will not find a better package elsewhere. Call us on 0113 88 00 748, chat with us online or email sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.

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