Portimao 2022 - Lets Get Organised
Posted: Mar 8th, '22, 11:17
Ok this thread is specifically for the people who are going to Portimao. and PLEASE READ
The purpose of this thread is to get some decisions made ASAP to allow people to get booking and arranging things as early as possible.
Also if we work as a group rather then individuals then going to be so much easier then doing it all ourselves.
Also putting my hand in the air here to help with some of the organization. So your input is needed.
Might be a good idea to have a pub meet to discuss all of the below if we are all up for it.
Ok so some topics we need to agree on:-
1) Which hotel are you booking with No Limits
I know myself and Simon are already booked into the Jupiter Algarve Hotel to make things earlier might i suggest this be the hotel people aim for when booking
2) Getting to the airport and car parking
Alongside me i can get 3 others in my car and I would suggest we sort out car sharing to get to the airport (as long as we are in agreement on the flights out and back) if we are ok to share the cost of the car parking then this also make it a cheap, easy and stress free way to get to the airport. I am happy to drive one car based on numbers already today we will need at least another car or you can of course make your own way if you prefer.
3) When, where and with who do you want to fly out with?
Looking at flights there are some (currently) super cheap flights with Easyjet out of Bristol. The times are not great as we would need to fly really early on the Thursday 29th but would mean we are there and in the country early AM the day before the event giving time to settle in. Alternatively there are some more social flight times with BA out of Gatwick but got to get there and currently more then double the price of easy jet. What are your thoughts?
4) Car Hire in Portugal
When we get to Portugal we are going to need hire cars / vans to move us around. As far as I am aware No Limits only provide transport for your bikes and gear not you so we need to sort how we get from the airport to the hotel, then Hotel to the track and back. This starts getting very easy if we start aligning groups with traveling to the same airport in the same car, same flight then same hire car. Personally i used to drive in Europe all the time so I am happy to drive one of the hire cars. A hot tip is most care hire companies in Europe have a 1000 Euro excess and want you to pay a fortune to cover this fully but if you get a policy from here then its a lot cheaper https://www.insurance4carhire.com/
5) Repatriation Insurance which includes cover for motor sports
This is a requirement of the track day your not going on track without it.
No Limits suggest the use of Adventures(PJ Hayman), AssuretonSport, RBG, Fourcounties
Does anybody have any experiance with anybody else from other Euro Track days
6) Money when your abroad
I welcome others input as I have only been to Portugal once but my experience is that local high street shops do not like the usual card and are either cash or a local in country card only. I got caught out trying to buy using MasterCard and American Express even the usual Visa Debit and they did not want to know. Think your be alright in the hotel but if your planing on going shopping might want to do some research.
Personally i highly recommend "Revolut". Its an online bank that you control from an app, you get given a Master card for all usual spending / contactless etc but you upload money to your Revolut account in English then can swap to Euro with no fees just the exchange rate very easy to control and also super secure as you only upload the money you need.
7) Staying an extra night - Getting back home
I am assuming (but we need to decide) that after 3 full days on track packing up and zooming to the airport for a flight home might not be the best idea. so might want to consider an extra night in the hotel and getting a flight back the following day. I am assuming some of us might be considering saying for a few days and making it into an extended holiday which is of course fine. So from a point of view of Car hire, flights home, journeys home in the UK its key to think about who your teaming up with and who will get you back home again if the person you grouped with on the way out is now staying on.
Ok think that's it for now. Sorry I know its a lot but best get organising now to make it easy for people as we get closer to the event.
The purpose of this thread is to get some decisions made ASAP to allow people to get booking and arranging things as early as possible.
Also if we work as a group rather then individuals then going to be so much easier then doing it all ourselves.
Also putting my hand in the air here to help with some of the organization. So your input is needed.
Might be a good idea to have a pub meet to discuss all of the below if we are all up for it.
Ok so some topics we need to agree on:-
1) Which hotel are you booking with No Limits
I know myself and Simon are already booked into the Jupiter Algarve Hotel to make things earlier might i suggest this be the hotel people aim for when booking
2) Getting to the airport and car parking
Alongside me i can get 3 others in my car and I would suggest we sort out car sharing to get to the airport (as long as we are in agreement on the flights out and back) if we are ok to share the cost of the car parking then this also make it a cheap, easy and stress free way to get to the airport. I am happy to drive one car based on numbers already today we will need at least another car or you can of course make your own way if you prefer.
3) When, where and with who do you want to fly out with?
Looking at flights there are some (currently) super cheap flights with Easyjet out of Bristol. The times are not great as we would need to fly really early on the Thursday 29th but would mean we are there and in the country early AM the day before the event giving time to settle in. Alternatively there are some more social flight times with BA out of Gatwick but got to get there and currently more then double the price of easy jet. What are your thoughts?
4) Car Hire in Portugal
When we get to Portugal we are going to need hire cars / vans to move us around. As far as I am aware No Limits only provide transport for your bikes and gear not you so we need to sort how we get from the airport to the hotel, then Hotel to the track and back. This starts getting very easy if we start aligning groups with traveling to the same airport in the same car, same flight then same hire car. Personally i used to drive in Europe all the time so I am happy to drive one of the hire cars. A hot tip is most care hire companies in Europe have a 1000 Euro excess and want you to pay a fortune to cover this fully but if you get a policy from here then its a lot cheaper https://www.insurance4carhire.com/
5) Repatriation Insurance which includes cover for motor sports
This is a requirement of the track day your not going on track without it.
No Limits suggest the use of Adventures(PJ Hayman), AssuretonSport, RBG, Fourcounties
Does anybody have any experiance with anybody else from other Euro Track days
6) Money when your abroad
I welcome others input as I have only been to Portugal once but my experience is that local high street shops do not like the usual card and are either cash or a local in country card only. I got caught out trying to buy using MasterCard and American Express even the usual Visa Debit and they did not want to know. Think your be alright in the hotel but if your planing on going shopping might want to do some research.
Personally i highly recommend "Revolut". Its an online bank that you control from an app, you get given a Master card for all usual spending / contactless etc but you upload money to your Revolut account in English then can swap to Euro with no fees just the exchange rate very easy to control and also super secure as you only upload the money you need.
7) Staying an extra night - Getting back home
I am assuming (but we need to decide) that after 3 full days on track packing up and zooming to the airport for a flight home might not be the best idea. so might want to consider an extra night in the hotel and getting a flight back the following day. I am assuming some of us might be considering saying for a few days and making it into an extended holiday which is of course fine. So from a point of view of Car hire, flights home, journeys home in the UK its key to think about who your teaming up with and who will get you back home again if the person you grouped with on the way out is now staying on.
Ok think that's it for now. Sorry I know its a lot but best get organising now to make it easy for people as we get closer to the event.
