A single lap ticket increased by 8% over the 2011 price and is now 18% more than in 2009. Multi-lap tickets increased marginally in 2012 but no longer include food/drink credits. The useful 8 and 15 lap tickets have been discontinued, so a 15 lap ticket now effectively costs €356, 22% up from 2011, and a massive 50% up on 2009. The Jahreskarte is up 16% on 2011. Go Nurburgring GmbH! If you want to read why prices have gone stratospheric over the past few years, click here

The restaurant at the Nordschleife uses credits that have to be loaded onto your card.

• 1 lap   €26
• 4 laps   €89
• 25 laps   €490
• Jahreskarte (see below)   €1,445

Note that all tickets are valid for a calendar year only. Lap credits expire at 31st December and there are no refunds.

Costs for a weekend at the Ring

If you want to get an idea of all-in costs for a weekend trip, for a 'standard' weekend (out Fri, full day Saturday, half-day Sunday, return Sun afternoon/eve) from London by car, the costs look something like this:

• Channel crossing: Varies, but say typically £120
• Petrol en-route: Typically 2 x £60 = £120
• Petrol for the Ring: Say £90
• Bed-and-breakfast per person: £25 per night x 2 = £50
• Food: 2 x dinner, 2 x lunch, food en-route, beer = £100

Total = approx £500, plus laps as above.

In terms of Euros, you can use credit and debit cards for petrol, Ring tickets and food (in most places) but you'll want cash for accommodation costs and miscellaneous bits & pieces. It's usually cheapest to get cash at a local cash-machine.

Optional extras available at additional cost include armco repairs, safety car attendance, vehicle recovery, track closure, hospital stays and helicopter rides. I recommend avoiding these. If you can't, then the following price-list may help:

• Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150
• Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)
• Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)
• Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each
• Replacing armco post: €39 each
• Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)
• Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour
• Recovery truck: €190 (inc VAT)
• Hospital stay & air ambulance: Let's just say, do NOT go there without travel insurance! (Though a European Health Card - which replaced the E111 - may cover the hospital bit.)

Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% VAT.

The record armco bill I'm aware of is €15,000. That was a car that managed to flatten a very impressive length of armco between the Quiddlebacher Hohe bridge and the crest on the approach to Flugplatz. But even a minor bump can turn into a surprisingly expensive day out.

Jahreskarte

Jahreskarts are also valid only when the Jahreskart holder is driving/riding. They are not valid when you are a passenger, even if you are a passenger in your own car. The transponder is for the driver/rider, not the vehicle. They do sometimes check the photo, and confiscate cards and transponders which are being misused, so it's not adviseable to take chances.

The procedure for buying a Jahreskarte is to turn up with cash or credit card, a passport-sized photo and your passport. At quieter times, they will issue your card immediately; at busier times, they will keep your passport and lend you a temporary 5-lap ticket. Go back 5 laps later and swap your temporary ticket for your passport and Jahreskarte. To renew an existing one, just take your existing card and the dosh. Note that although they have a digital camera there, it isn't always working, so it's best to take your own photo with you just in case.

The Jahreskarte itself is only an identity document. To open the barrier, you get a watch-style transponder.   The transponder is coded with your ID card number, and random checks are made to prevent misuse.

The transponders have a theoretical range of 8cm, but in reality you often have to almost touch the transponder pad, which can be difficult when on your wrist in a car with harnesses. Most of us put it around the gearstick or hang it round our neck to lean out the window with it.

Ring Card

If you’re new to the Nurburgring and see signs for the Ring Card all over the place and think you’re being sold a credit card with Nurburgring branding, don’t panic, you’re not! The Ring Card is a one card for all pre-payment system for use at the Ring. It’s free and quick to start up and can be used for almost everything you can spend money on during your visit. This includes laps around the Nordschleife, karting, food, race tickets and passes to the RingWerk and, of course, merchandise.

There isn’t much of a catch either, seeing as you can claim any money left on the card back at the end of your visit. The only thing in question is what the point of it all is... The main positive that I can think of is that queuing times are cut slightly since no-one can “cash in the penny arcade” in front of you! Also, it prevents staff working with food handling money because your card only gets placed on an electronic touch-tray when you pay.

To top up your card you can visit a Ring Card machine or give money to one of the Ring Card staff who are located around busy areas wearing green Ring Card shirts. You can top up your card with either cash (notes and change included) or credit/debit card but have to put on a minimum of five Euros each time. Another thing to be noted is that any unclaimed money left on your card when you leave is only valid for 12 months after being added, so if you come back two years later, your card will be empty.