I did it.
Four laps, not one scratch on the car and only one "rumble strip incident". A major life moment has been accomplished, and my only wish is to come back and be able to do it again.
A little background...
The Nurburgring Nordschleife is located in town of Nurburg, Germany. Well... "in" is not the right word. The track actually surrounds most of the town and spreads into neighboring towns as well. Its located deep in German countryside, and just getting to it is a feat in and of itself (as you will soon see). This "track" isn't so much of a track as it is a long series of mountain roads that 1) are quite smooth and well maintained 2) is one way only and 3) has some conveniently placed armco and rumble strips. In total there is 21km of drivable road, not counting the race only southern portion (Sudschleife) and the F1 course nearby. To drive it, you simply show up in a car (or bike), pay 22 euro a lap, get in line, and go for it.
Now... what about this place has brought me across a continent and an ocean in order to drive it? Simply put, if you are at ALL a car enthusiast, this is your Mecca. This is the holy land of driving, and at some point in your life you will make the pilgrimage here, drive the track, and leave a more enlightened person. The journey is neither easy nor cheap, but its well worth every dollar (euro, pound... etc) spent.
So how did I get here?
With much difficulty I must admit. I'm at the tail end of my journey across Europe, and being a good European traveler I have relied only upon public transportation. Now... for 99% of Europe this is perfectly acceptable, and is probably more convenient than trying to drive to it yourself in a rental. For the 'Ring however... its a bit of an issue. The most basic issue is knowing when the 'Ring is open. Simply put... you don't. They have a schedule, but that changes regularly. Your best bet is to plan at least a couple days nearby just in case something dire happens on the 'Ring and it shuts down. I unfortunately didn't even have this option, as during the cold season the ring is only open once or twice a week.
Alright, so I committed to a date, made my reservations to put a roof over my head, checked to make sure Ring rentals were available (another important topic for later). The trip was now set. Great... so how do I actually GET to Nurburg? Or in my case, how do I get to Wiesemscheid (where my hotel was)? Well... the plan was quite simple in theory. I start in Mainz, take a train to Remagen, take another train to Aubruck, take a bus to Adenau, and finally take another bus to Wiesemcheid. Ok... so not so simple, but at least pretty straight forward, as I later found out I'd be taking everything to the end of the line (always a good sign...) So on the day of, I go to the train station, purchase my tickets (the German train system btw is awesome) and head off.
Issue #1: I was very short on cash at that point, so I thought I might stop by the bank when I reached Aubruck before I had to pay for my fare to Adenau. Well, as it turned out my bus was waiting right when I got off the train. CRAP. I had about 3.60 euro on me at that point, and the fare was 4 euro. DAMN. After a bit of gesturing, some broken English about being short on money and needing a bank, the bus driver obvious knew I had no idea what I was doing and just let me on the bus without paying. Whew...
So the bus arrives at Adenau market, and I know that I have about an hour to kill before the bus to Wiesemcheid is supposed to leave. Well, no... I didn't "know" that as I totally forgot to write down the exact time. I just knew I had time between when I arrived at Adenau and when I would leave. Good. Now... time to find a bank...
Issue #2: Finding a bank near Adenau market was an exercise in missing things right under my nose. I looked like a total idiot wheeling my suitcase in circles asking people where the bank was. First guy said it was out the door and on the right. I go there... no bank. Next guy says no... no bank this way, turn around and head back. Alright... so I head back and try to see if the tourist office is open. Of course, they close at 1pm (its near 4pm at this point). Yeah... So I head back and happen to spot a post office and a sign that says "Post Bank". Well there's a start, so I go into the post office and ask the lady at the counter, and she says yes this is a bank, but no she can't give me any money. I have to go to the ATM. Now... one thing you have to know about European ATMs is that while numerous, they tend to be shoved into the most inconspicuous locations, often with no signs at all alerting you to the fact that there is indeed an ATM 50 feet from where you're standing. So the lady tells me the ATM is around the building, and I head out and lo and behold.... AN ATM! RIGHT NEXT TO THE DAMN BUS STOP! Sigh...
Issue #3: Getting to Wiesemcheid. So to bus finally comes (after I thought I had missed it going to find the tourist office), and I take the ride to the stop known only as "Potzdammer Platz". It’s not on Google Maps, and the only place it showed up (quite literally THE only place) was on a single site for the local buses, which was only found after much stumbling. Now, Potzdammer Platz is not actually a “Platz” (a traffic circle for everyone else) but rather a highway intersection that happens to have a traffic circle below it. Getting dropped off there meant I still had about another mile and half to Wiesemcheid by foot. Now, it was by foot next to not a B road but a two-lane highway. Things are getting even better…
Picture this will you. A lone Asian man is in the middle of Germany with a large backpack and a small wheelie suitcase and another small backpack. He is looking around very confused, and finally decides that wander onto a major two-lane highway between Mainz and Cologne would be a good idea. It’s also 5pm, which mean in another hour or so it will be getting dark. You see why I was questioning my planning skills at that point…
Back to first-person view now. I got up to the top of the highway intersection, and upon realizing that while the overpass had a shoulder protected by a guardrail, the highway really didn’t. I was not about to wander down the highway with people buzzing me having just gone around the Nurburgring. Up ahead however was a small path leading into the woods. Now, I knew that there was a small road just north of the highway, and this path was going north. Hmm….
So I get started on what has to be a tractor road (2 strips of gravel and dirt with grass everywhere else) and after a while, it begins to turn left. Great… well, it’s not gonna take me to the other road, but by turning left it meant I was heading in the right direction anyway. Onward! Being a dirt road also meant the wheels on the suitcase were useless so it was rather slow progress with me having to stop, rest, and switch hands every so often. Finally, I heard the highway again (a very good sign) and I paralleled it for a while before meeting up with it again. This time however, there was what looked to be a marked off bike or pedestrian path on the right hand shoulder. I say looked to be because there were no signs at that point signifying it as such, but there were also no cars using it as a lane. Yes! A paved road! So now, again with the confused Asian man picture in your mind, think about what it would have looked to all the drivers who passed me as I wheeled my suitcase along this highway. Another 15 minutes or so later I finally saw buildings, and then a turn off, and I knew that yes… I had finally made it.
And just think that this was all before even setting foot NEAR the track…
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