Grudging respect isn’t something I dish out lightly, especially when it comes to decisions at the Nürburgring. But here I am, genuinely surprised and a little impressed. With inflation hitting everything from 98RON to schnitzel, and the queues for Touristenfahrten (TF) stretching longer than ever, management had every reason to grab the low-hanging fruit: a simple price increase. They could’ve blamed it on rising costs, called it “necessary for operations,” and walked away with more cash in the coffers (and shorter queues too).
Stickers, Ts, Hoodies...
But no, they didn’t. Prices for laps and season tickets in 2025 remain unchanged. In a time where everything else feels a little more expensive every day, this decision is almost radical. Of course, as someone who can barely justify a JK myself, I’m not complaining. But it does make you wonder, could a modest bump in prices have eased the infamous TF queues, made life easier for staff, and still raked in more revenue?
Just to clarify, the ticket prices stay at €30 a lap Monday to Thursday, €35 on weekends (or for the GP track sessions). The JK (Jahreskarte) season pass is €2500,- if you buy it before January 10th, and €3000,- if you wait.
We’ll come back to that topic later though. For now, let’s focus on the real headline: the 2025 Touristenfahrten calendar is out, and it’s time to start planning those laps!
2025 Nürburgring Nordschleife Public dates
The first weekend of public driving is sooner than you might expect—Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th. That’s just 78 days away! Of course, predicting the weather in early March is harder than predicting a rental car’s ability to hit an apex. Will it be sunny and dry? Or will we get the classic Eifel special: fog, rain, and maybe even a dusting of snow? Either way, it’s time to start counting down the days and getting your plans in place.
The official Nürburgring calendar is the only one you should trust. As far as I know, there’s no officially supported API for pulling TF dates directly from the source. And with dates changing quicker than the weather on a Green Hell Driving Days 4-day weekend, trying to keep on top of it manually just isn’t worth it.
Plenty of well-meaning folks—and more than a few ne’er-do-wells—post their own copy-paste calendars on random websites, hoping to snag some Nürburgring traffic and secure bookings. But if I had a penny for every person who showed up on a closed day because they read back in January that some random September date was “definitely open,” I’d probably have just enough for a very small Kölsch at the PK. Actually, no—I’d have enough for a sniff of someone else’s Kölsch. You get the point, right?
Stick to the official calendar and save yourself the hassle. You can find it here: Nürburgring Official Calendar.
Now time to GTFO!
The new exit! Will it work? Won’t it? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind.
Last year, we had to park by the Devil’s Diner after a lap of the Nordschleife, leaving non-driving types to lurk in a muddy field like they’d wandered into a low-budget festival. But this year? The DD car park should be quieter than ever, and we’ve got this cheeky little 180-degree hairpin—sorry, exit road—to thank.
The idea is simple: create a new exit for cars to leave directly after their lap, bypassing the usual bottlenecks. Will it relieve stress on the easily gridlocked 4-way roundabout by the Devil’s Diner? Or will it bring its own brand of chaos to the mix?
Here’s the thing, though: the queue to get out of the slip road will naturally form on the right, as will the queue for the car park. So it’s still shaping up to be a bit of a bun fight during peak times. And I still don’t know if the powers that be are going to invest in some simple signage explaining how the queue should work. Because let’s face it, even the regulars are easily confused by the infamous ‘Notspur.’
Only time will tell, but my gut feeling is that it’ll probably help overall. After all, anything that gets traffic moving faster around the busiest parts of the Nürburgring is a win in my book.
And now, a little Christmas thought: Many of you have suggested I crowdfund a JK pass (that’s the season ticket for the Nürburgring, currently priced at €2,500). And while I’m not fundamentally against crowdfunding—you might remember that BTG’s first-ever Nürburgring 24 Hours entry with the Underdog was made possible by an incredible crowdfunding effort—it doesn’t feel quite right for this. Instead, if you’ve enjoyed the articles, videos, or just the endless Nürburgring banter, there are a couple of great ways to support BTG and fuel the content you love.
You could join my Patreon at patreon.com/btgdale, where just €1 a month gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and banter. Or, if you’re feeling stylish, check out the BTG shop at btgdale.creator-spring.com, where some INCREDIBLE new designs are coming soon! (I would say that, ‘cos I made them!).
While I won’t be driving any of the taxis this year, there’s a better chance than ever that you’ll spot me at the Devil’s Diner car park with one of my own Ringtools—or maybe even shooting a video with one of yours. Either way, I’ll see you there. Thank you for being part of this amazing journey!
