On my way to Hungary for 1st F1 race!

Strongly recommend you take a half day tour to hit the highlights of the city and get the general layout. Take your lady (if that is the other half of the 'our') on the Danube River boat excursion in the evening, it is well worth it.

 

*Laughs uncontrollably*

 

you need to pm Tifosi12, he can tell you all about Hungary - unless you are on this thread today Andreas

Carol

 

Thanks Carol for the introduction. All about Hungary would be a bit much since I've visited it only twice, but anyway:

First off, congrats to Numisrx for picking this GP. Everybody on here will tell you that it is a stupid and boring race and often it is. For the TV audience. But for the fans on site, you picked one of the best in the calendar for several reasons: You got a fantastic city in the background to enjoy, fairly painless transportation to the track, a great view wherever you sit, great paddock area for the fans and most likely a good preshow program.

The only iffy part about visiting the race is that weather is hard to predict: It can be scolching hot or it can rain. Or both. So be prepared. I picked a covered grandstand, but they don't give the best view. Best viewing place is probably on the hill of the last corner, but you roll the dice if it starts to rain. So bring an umbrella, plastic poncho etc.

We were lucky as they had the classic GP cars in the preshow. I enjoyed that every bit as much as the modern F1 cars, if not more: We have the classic GP cars in the US as well, but once you have seen them, you have seen them all as it is only a handful. Not so in Europe.

Fan area outside the stands was fantastic with lots of stands by the teams and display cars (akin to the first time we had the USGP). Beautiful models posing next to the car (Toyota always has the prettiest girls). Also less expensive souvenir stands right outside the compound.

Take one of the many buses organized to leave from the Budapest hotels to the track. Or take a taxi. Don't worry about your taxi back: There are hundreds of taxis waiting for the fans. Also look out to the right side after your bus/taxi leaves the highway towards the track: There is the roadsign to the track: Bernie Avenue

Budapest is magnificent and yes take the sightseeing tour. My fav part was going to the other side and looking back over the city and its amazing parliament building. The chain bridge is grandiose and Red Bull hosted a special event there on Saturday morning: The drivers were driving back and forth with F1 cars.

You can basically walk the entire city. Tons of great places to eat and shop. Great museums (e.g. the one about the secret service). My fav area was the pedestrian zone with outdoor restaurants. In the evening you might find some gipsies trying to sell knock-off stuff. I got a great fake Ferrari team jacket. Had to change out the fake patches for real ones. Bargain!

Outside of Budapest is the famouse Puszta region towards Austria. Lovely flat countryside, famous for its storks nesting on chimneys.

Safe travel and bring us back some pictures and stories!

PS: In case you arrive really early or leave late: There is a F1 driving "school" at the track where you can "rent" Eddie Irvine's F1 Jaguar for a few laps around the track.

 

Safe travel!

Maybe you'll log in from overseas, so here a few shots from my trip. F1 fans can probably figure out what year that was...
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Don't drink the tap water.