Seen It Live – The German Grand Prix

Zara Thompson, Reservations Supervisor, has worked at Leger for 6 years. Enjoying the races on TV, she wanted to experience the real thing.

My husband and I had our first Grand Prix experience at Hockenheim, Germany in 2012 and had such an amazing time, so decided to go again this year.

Which tour did you go on?
The German Grand Prix 2013 at the Nürburgring.
How did you get there and how long did it take?
We drove to the Holiday Inn at Ashford North the day before and were collected at 1pm by a feeder coach. This was a leisurely start and not too tiring on the first day. The Channel crossing was by ferry from Dover to Calais, during which we had time to relax on board and start to take in the atmosphere of the avid Grand Prix fans all travelling to Germany. We arrived at our hotel around 11pm, which was reasonable for the distance we had travelled to be close to the circuit.
Where did you stay?
We stayed at the 4-star Ramada Hürth-Köln which was in a great location, with places nearby to get our evening meal and only a 1-hour drive from the circuit. After a lovely breakfast, we left the hotel in good time to beat the traffic to get to the Nürburgring.
How does actually seeing it live compare to watching on TV?
It’s such an incredible difference, being at the circuit to watching the race on TV. From the sounds of the roaring engines to the smell of the fuel, you get to feel the intensity of the F1 cars and see just how quick they fly around the track. It’s such a good atmosphere, with all the different supporters of teams, drivers and nationalities. There’s a real sense of camaraderie and mutual respect between each supporter, all together, just there to have a good time and enjoy the race. Before we went, we knew we wouldn’t get to see as much of the race as you do on TV, but the atmosphere more than made up for that. At qualifying, we walked around the circuit to work out the best places to stand to see the race. On the race day we found where we wanted to be and managed to get in front of a screen and saw more or less everything they showed on the TV as well!
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Did you go to watch a certain driver or team?
I will always be patriotic and support McLaren, but this season, I have had to follow my not-so-secret crush: Lewis Hamilton! Kitted out in Mercedes gear with a huge Hamilton flag was a bit daunting in the middle of a crowd of Vettel fans… in Germany! When Lewis got pole position on the Saturday we wanted to discreetly slope away back to the coach… to our surprise, all the German fans were cheering with us and had a few beers with us at the bar!
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What was the weather like? Did it affect your visit?
As we had this as our main holiday this year, we were really hoping to get some sunshine. The whole weekend was glorious from when we arrived in the morning until after the race ended in the late afternoon. It made the experience more enjoyable and worthwhile, rather being in rainy Silverstone back in the UK!
Please sum up your tour in five words?
Atmospheric, surprising, experience, thrilling, loud!
Would you do a Grand Prix tour again?
Definitely! Nürburgring was top of the list, but I’d love to go to the Belgium Grand Prix and The Monaco Grand Prix.

Discover the latest Grand Prix and F1 holidays here.

Are you the UK’s biggest Christmas Scrooge?

Free holiday on offer for the UK’s biggest Scrooge

Are you the UK’s biggest Christmas Scrooge or does the thought of festive feelings bring you out in a rash? If so, you could be in for a treat with a twist this yuletide season!
We’re offering the nation’s biggest scrooge, and a friend of their choice, a free seat on one of our most popular Christmas Market tours in the hope of overcoming any Grinch-like ways they may have.
To enter yourself, or nominate a loved one, all you need to do is send us a 300 word explanation of what makes you (or the entrant) the UK’s biggest Scrooge along with a photo of the person nominated. Entries should be sent to losethescrooge@lucre.co.uk by the 25th of November 2013 at which point your entry will be put forward to the panel.
The lucky winner, who will be notified by the Leger team by the 27th November, must be available to travel on the 12th December 2013. Collected from one of a selection of pick up points, the winner and a companion of their choice will travel on a luxurious Silver Service coach to visit Brussels Christmas Markets and Valkenburg for a spectacular four day tour. Their Christmas spirit levels will of course be measured both before and after their return.
Huw Williams, Marketing Director for Leger Holidays said:
“The European markets offer unbeatable festive atmospheres which are sure to melt even in the frostiest of characters. Over the years, we’ve had so many customers come back from the tours claiming to have found a new sense of Christmas spirit that we just had to put this to the test and see how powerful the sights, sounds and smells of these markets can be!
“Of course, everyone is entitled to embrace their inner scrooge should they want to. However, through this competition, we wanted to provide an opportunity for those who are more curious about exploring their hidden Christmassy side. We look forward to reading through the entries and we wish everyone the best of luck!”
Looking to enter or nominate someone you know? Make sure you’ve read our terms and conditions…
Terms and Conditions:

  1. The promoter is Leger Holidays Ltd. Sunway House, Canklow Meadows, Rotherham S60 2XR.
  2. The ‘Lose The Scrooge’ competition is open to all UK residents over 21 years old (including Northern Ireland, Eire and the Channel Islands) except for employees of the promoter, their immediate family and anyone else connected to the creation or administration of the promotion.
  3. The prize offered is non-transferable and is for one adult (over 21) and a travelling companion of their choice.
  4. The entry materials must belong to, or have had approval from, the entrant.
  5. The entry period is from 12th November 2013 until midnight on 25th November 2013.
  6. The overall winner will be announced by the 27th November 2013.
  7. The overall winner will receive two free seats on Leger Holidays’ Silver Service, four day tour ‘Brussels Christmas Markets and Valkenburg’. The tour includes three nights’ accommodation with continental breakfast (with the two travelers sharing a room one of whom must be over 21).
  8. No cash alternative is available and the tour must be taken on the 12th December 2013 as started, unless Leger Holidays announce otherwise.
  9. Please check at time of booking exact dates and times of travel, as missed departure will void the prize.
  10. Travel insurance is excluded. Winner should take out their own insurance.
    1. Entrants will be given a choice of collection points for the tour from a limited selection of areas presented by Leger Holidays. Travel costs to these points will not be covered by Leger Holidays.
    2. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
    3. The judging panel’s decision is final and binding. No correspondence will be entered into.
    4. By entering this competition, entrants and any persons featured in the entry photograph agree that their nominations may be used by Leger Holidays as they wish, without prior notice to the entrant. Entrants will also have permission of all individuals in the photograph, as well as the permission of the copyright owner of the photograph, before entering the contest.
    5. Winners’ names and counties are available 28 days after the closing date. Send a SAE to Leger Holidays c/o Lucre, 30 Park Square West, Leeds, LS1 2PF.
    6. By entering the competition, entrants agree that their nominations and photographs/text/content will be posted on Leger’s social and media channels including the Leger Holidays website and blog.
    7. By entering the competition, the winner agrees to participate in any publicity involving print and broadcast media that is required.
    8. All text copy provided in this competition remains the copyright of Leger Holidays Ltd.
    9. By entering the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material.
    10. Any inappropriate or offensive material will be reported to the police and removed from the competition.
    11. Leger Holidays may in its absolute discretion change these terms and conditions without notice or cancel the promotion without prior notice in the event of circumstances arising beyond its control that makes it necessary to do so. By entering this competition entrants are deemed to accept these rules.

Why do people like to travel?

Everyone has their own reason for getting away – I have a full list of them – but whatever our reason for travelling in the first place, once we’re away our brain seems to take on those sponge-like qualities we had as a child.

We become more alert to things happening around us, to sights, sounds and smells we experience, which is why it’s common to come back from our travels with so many more memories than we’d have from the same period of time back home.

To experience world cultures…

Some people travel specifically to discover new cultures – they want to see the difference between their own culture and that of the people in the country they’re visiting. It’s intriguing to see the way other people behave in other parts of the world – just watching them go about their daily business can be a real eye-opener. It’s so easy to take things for granted in our everyday lives, and immersing ourselves in the culture of foreign parts can be quite fascinating.

Experience different cultures.
Experience different cultures.

To do something different…

Placing ourselves ‘in the thick of it’ really helps us develop a different perspective on life, opening our eyes, ears, mind – and our taste buds – to all the amazing things that are out there. Speak a different language – or at least try; eat a dish you’ve never tried before; take a ride in a horse and carriage; go to the ballet; take in a classical music concert; climb aboard a boat… there’s a whole world out there just waiting to be experienced.

Eat something different: Cevapcici – the local dish I tried in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Eat something different: Cevapcici – the local dish I tried in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Out of curiosity…

We’ve all read about places, seen them on TV, or heard others talk about them, but what’s it really like to be there? What are the people like? Are the buildings really as big as they look on TV? Does scenery really take your breath away? So why not experience these places for yourself – find out more about them, explore them further. Nothing will satisfy your curiosity quite as much as being there, finding all the answers for yourself.

It's true what they say: standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon really DID take my breath away.
It’s true what they say: standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon really DID take my breath away.

For fun, excitement and adventure…

People can sometimes be a bit wary of the unknown – things that are different to back home; afraid of change. But so much excitement and adventure can be achieved, just by doing something a bit different to what you’d normally do.

To escape every day life…

It’s not unusual to become a bit bored of every day life. The daily routine: bills to pay; shopping to do; a big project at work; meals to cook; clothes to wash; gardens to tend to… there’s no wonder so many people look forward to some ‘time out’ each year. It’s a time to switch off from everything back home; to be free from responsibility; to leave our worries behind. We all know that all those things will still be there when we get back, but for that short period of time, they don’t exist. It does us good to get away from everything for a while, and we tend to come back feeling much fresher and more positive (for a while, at least!).

Escape the daily routine!
Escape the daily routine!

To see the sights…

Those famous landmarks you’ve heard about… Rome’s Colosseum; the Great Wall of China; the Eiffel Tower; natural wonders such as the Midnight Sun in the Arctic Circle; centuries-old glaciers and thundering waterfalls; or amazing architectural feats like Florence’s Duomo; Pisa’s leaning tower and the vast Alhambra Palace… they’re on many people’s ‘tick list’ of places to visit in the world.

Florence: somewhere I'd always wanted to go.
Florence: somewhere I’d always wanted to go.

To meet new people…

On the trips I’ve been on I’ve met some wonderful and interesting people: travelling companions and people from the areas I’ve visited. People from different places sometimes act differently, have different beliefs and have many different stories to share. I love listening to people about their travels and places they want to go to: people who have many years of holidays behind them and others who are just starting to discover the world. And just as we are all individual, we all have different things we want to get from our precious time away.

What’s your reason for getting away? What type of holidays do you like? Share your holiday stories with us.