Suzuka, Japan – Spectators’ experiences

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Tell us about your experiences of visiting the Suzuka Circuit.

You may wish to include:

  • When you visited the track
  • Where you watched from
  • How easy it was to get to
  • How much of the track you could see
  • What support races there were
  • What you liked and didn’t like
  • How much it cost and whether it was good value

Please use the reply box below to leave your comments.

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8 comments on “Suzuka, Japan – Spectators’ experiences”

  1. I plan to go this year so am eager to here tips. Particularly on where best the stay on Saturday night and easiest way to get to the track on Sunday morning.

  2. I went to Suzuka last year (the first time it’s been there since Schumacher retired, and I was there too), and I must say it’s far better (race atmosphere & audience-wise) than Fuji (which I’ve also been to since they started F1 racing there).

    Coming from aborad, it may be best to take a package tour. The Suzuka circuit is literally a small platform & footbridge down from the rail line, and the track is a little over a kilometer walk from there.

    Of course, it’s also like 45-minutes by train from Nagoya (the closest metropolis with a “Shinkansen” or Bullet Train stop). The fare is JPY1100 from Nagoya (~US15) so a package tour which includes shuttle service & hotal may save you money. The hotel will necessarily be in Nagoya or close nearby. but that also means there are many choices apart from the official ones.

    Eiher way, they do add trains during race weekend, and there are marshalls to ensure you queue for the right train and maintain order in waiting & boarding. They also have bi-lingual volunteers to help us foreign barbarians about, and there is a special queue for those who must get back to nagoya in time to catch the bullet train back to Tokyo (at race end). Yes, all very efficient in a very Japanese way.

    It’s a bit too early in the year to give specific suggestions, but I will be going to Suzuka again this yeasr, and will post such when the travel agencies here publish their offerings.

    HTH.

  3. Hi Jeffrey..

    I’m also heading to Japan this year for the race. I’ll be coming from Australia with a friend coming from the UK. I’d be really interested in any tips you have on where to stay, the best way to get around, etc.. We’d ideally like to stay fairly close to the circuit but by the looks of things there is very little around. Many thanks for your help. Laura

  4. Christopher Meirick
    1st October 2010, 12:43

    Hello.. am booked to go to this.. can’t wait. Does anyone know if there’s any F1 related things happening in Tokyo during the week before the race?

  5. My wife and I are planning attend the GP (from the US – yes, the US – we are one of a dozen or so F1 fans in the US,,,) as part of a 3 or 4 week visit. Can’t wait.

    Have only just begun our plans and appreciate the advice regarding Nagoya as a good staging area. We’ll post anything we learn along the way.

    Go Mark!

  6. Hi Gallo.. yes, Nagoya is a logical base. We stayed there last year and travelled to the circuit each day.

    Fairly straightforward to travel to Suzuka by train, albeit the trains are very hit and miss, with some being express trains, and some not. The non-express trains are painful.. Allow plenty of time, as we all had to get off the first train and wait 30-45 mins for the connecting one.

    The JR pass only covers the JR part of the journey.. don’t panic about this.. there’s friendly ticket staff at Suzuka waiting to collect payment for the non-JR part of the journey.. can’t remember the exact cost, it wasn’t much.

    Can’t recommend much in Nagoya, except the tempura restaurant on the top floor of the Takeshimaya building.. was stunning and is highly recommended.

  7. This will be my 3rd year in a row going to Suzuka…. typically flying into Osaka, spend a day, travel to Nagoya ( hotel there ) commute daily to track…

    Looking forward to it !

  8. This discussion page is closed. If you want to discuss going to the Japanese Grand Prix please go to the new discussion forum here: Going to the Japanese Grand Prix

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