Post
by robin » Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:19 am
I'm wondering about whether we shouldn't try to get closer to the ring on Thursday - for people that want to spectate/take pictures/etc./ it takes an hour or two to get away from the car park, park, walk up to the circuit, take a few snaps, etc.
OTOH Thursday at 17:00 leaving North Weald, we'll have our hands full with M11/M25 traffic, so actually it could be 20:00 before we reach anywhere in Kent, so perhaps we should give ourselves some chance to recharge the batteries and then people can get up as early as they like on Friday to get to the ring early, or to have a lie in and get their later.
There is a Lenny Inn at J9 of the M20 on the A20 (it's not on the motorway as such, so hopefully won't be really noisy). £47 for a twin room on 11/11/10.
There are then three options:
(a) no breakfast, straight to the terminal - in this case I would aim for the 05:48 crossing; grab some breakfast from a petrol station eventually. £22 out, £22 back.
(b) breakfast at the hotel; a tad expensive but probably available from 07:00 or even 06:30; in this case you can have any crossing you like. £29 out, £22 back.
(c) breakfast at the local sainsbury; cheaper but probably not available until 08:00; in this case you can have any crossing you like as (b).
There's no reason for everyone to do the same thing - I would be an option (a) person left to my own devices, but everyone is free to choose whatever they want to do.
For (b) and (c) timing is not critical as you have your choice of crossings, and you have a 2 hour window to hit, and in any case it will cost no more whether you get the train you booked or a later or earlier one.
For (a) it's 25 minutes from the hotel to the terminal; allow 25 minutes to check in and pass through security. So you would need to be leaving the car park at 05:00 and don't hang about to make sure you get the 05:48 crossing. That would have you arriving in Calais at around 07:30 (they're +1 from us). Then 4:30 to the ring plus fuel stop and somewhere to grab some breakfast, so say 5 hours, get to the ring about 12:30 - 13:00.
Cheers,
Robin
I is in your loomz nibblin ur wirez
#bemoretut