A friend and I are coming from California to see the WRC GB Rally and have some questions as we have never been to a WRC rally before so it's all new to us.

I've read an older thread on this forum that mentioned people sleeping in their cars in the car parks. Is it okay to do this, is this common?

Another question, we are unable to have the tickets mailed to us because they will not reach us before we leave California, we were going to order the tickets and pick them up at the Cardiff box office or just purchase the tickets at the stages. Any recomendations on which method to take? Would it be difficult to purchase the tickets at the stage?

A friend and I are coming from California to see the WRC GB Rally and have some questions as we have never been to a WRC rally before so it's all new to us.

I've read an older thread on this forum that mentioned people sleeping in their cars in the car parks. Is it okay to do this, is this common?

Another question, we are unable to have the tickets mailed to us because they will not reach us before we leave California, we were going to order the tickets and pick them up at the Cardiff box office or just purchase the tickets at the stages. Any recomendations on which method to take? Would it be difficult to purchase the tickets at the stage?

Welcome Scott....

Sleeping on the stages... the best way to do it, but it's going to be bloody cold in December! loads of atmosphere the night before the stages if you're willing to rough it in the car, but well worth it!

I know you used to be able to buy tickets on the stages, but they're sometimes even more expensive than they aif you pick them up. I'd be tempted to pick them up from Cardiff... nothing to worry about when you get to the stages! Loads easier!!

Anyways, enjoy tjhe event! We do!!!!!:luxhello::luxhello:

Jon.

I live quite local to the stages and i have brought tickets at the stage
but its first come first serve, so be there early. I would personaly order the tickets and pick them up at the boxs office. £90 will get you a rally pass to see everything. Single stage tickets cost about £20 each could work out quite expensive if you go to shakedown and service park as well.
As for sleeping in your car, many people do it good atmospher at night with beer and fireworks, i have down it twice on the Rheole stage, and Rhesolven stage, but can be very cold and wet in the welsh forests.

Hi Scott and welcome.

Since you are unfamiliar with how Rally GB works some explanation might help. The stages are run on forestry tracks that are normally closed to traffic and are often, in British terms, in the middle of nowhere. Car parks are usually just forest tracks in the vicinity of the stage. If you arrive early you will have less far to walk to get to the stage; if you arrive late, you will either not get in or you will have quite a long walk (an hour, say). There will be a gate at the entrance of the car park where you can buy tickets on the day (or the night before) for that particular stage, but you cannot buy tickets for the whole event. For the latter you will have to go to Cardiff.

Sleeping in car parks is traditional but it is not recommended if you want a good, comfortable night's sleep -- better to book a Bed and Breakfast in a town or village in the general area in which the rally is being held. Beware though that you will be leaving your accommodation early (possibly before 6 a.m.) in order to get to the stage in time to get a decent parking space (maybe an hour and a half before the stage starts), so it would be worth asking how early your hosts will serve breakfast.

To navigate the roads in the rally area and find stages, it is helpful to have a road atlas and the relevant Ordnance Survey 1:50, 000 maps. These can be bought in bookshops (in Cardiff when you pick up your tickets) and in some garages. The rally programme will give you some detail of where the stages are and, more importantly, where the car parks are for the stages for which you have bought tickets. (Some of this info is available on the RallyGB website.) The key to enjoying the rally (indeed part of the pleasure of doing the event) is planning, so it's well worth giving some attention to this before you arrive. Sadly though, this last element is less important now that the rally is held in such a small area and it's not that easy to fit in more than a couple of stages in a day.

Also, bring strong walking boots, warm clothing, waterproofs and a torch.

Hope you have a great time.

Andrew

Thank you all for your responces. You've cleared things up a bit for us, I think we'll be toughing it out in the car. It seems like it will be a lot of fun.

How many stages can you realisticly watch in one day, we've got the impression that it is difficult to get from one stage to another.

Thank you all for your responces. You've cleared things up a bit for us, I think we'll be toughing it out in the car. It seems like it will be a lot of fun.

How many stages can you realisticly watch in one day, we've got the impression that it is difficult to get from one stage to another.
It is very difficult to travel from stage to stage, not only the distance and the close stage times, but there will be ques out the car parks. Each stage is run twice in the day, so i find it better just to hang around between runs.
If you want to see the cars a few times then i recomend the shakedown stage on Thurseday morning.
The car is the best place to sleep, not that you will get much sleep.
Give us a shout if you want to know more.

And its only the GB rally that charges silly money to get in the stages :(

I'll be watching this one in the comfort of my own home and saving the money towards going to Portugal to watch it next March :)

And its only the GB rally that charges silly money to get in the stages :(

I'll be watching this one in the comfort of my own home and saving the money towards going to Portugal to watch it next March :)


Best of both worlds here, marshalling the GB and going to Portugal - £180 all in for the week - cheaper than Wales!!!

What made you chose rally GB in Wales. Dont get me wrong you are coming to the greatest country in the world. But the most expensive rally. Why not goto anouther event closer maybe like Mexico.

We wanted to visit Great Brittan so we just grouped the rally along with that trip. We were going to go anyway so the rally just dictated the time of year we went. We'd eventually like to go to all the rallies.

And its only the GB rally that charges silly money to get in the stages :(

I'll be watching this one in the comfort of my own home and saving the money towards going to Portugal to watch it next March :)

Me too

We wanted to visit Great Brittan so we just grouped the rally along with that trip. We were going to go anyway so the rally just dictated the time of year we went. We'd eventually like to go to all the rallies.
Well have a good time, make sure you bring the warm waterproof coats, i will keep a look out for a couple of americans. If you need to know more give us a shout.

im sure you will have a great time, cant beat sleeping in your car for wrgb. i dont know what it is, but its something else. Yes it is pricy but whats 20quid for a stage, couple of jars down the pub. I dont go and watch football matches so its cool by me once a year.

Thank you all for your responces. You've cleared things up a bit for us, I think we'll be toughing it out in the car. It seems like it will be a lot of fun.

How many stages can you realisticly watch in one day, we've got the impression that it is difficult to get from one stage to another.

Sleeping over night in the carparks is the best way to go.
we have been doing it now for the last 10 years and can not complain. every bodys friendly having a good time (burgers on the stove,few crates of wife beater,optional fire works) wake up it the morning short walk to the stage.

As for stages it is possible to see 2 stages a day but this means seeing a limited number of cars on the first stage we have found in the past if on the first stage of the day you watch the main WRC field go through 16-20 cars and on a later stage watch the whole field go through this also gives you time to visit the service park or the more favoured pub lunch.

ps.
If they stopped over night parking with the ticket prices as they are we would stop going as we have done 4 other rounds this year and they work out cheaper.

hope this helps and all the best
craig.