British Grand Prix ⋅ Getting to Silverstone
Plan
Your
British
Grand Prix
DESTINATIONS
Silverstone may be far away from any large city but the Northamptonshire circuit is well located roughly in the centre of the country. At about 130km from London and 105km from the UK’s second city, Birmingham the track is easy to get to for both UK residents and international visitors. Driving to Silverstone is a popular choice, especially with weekend campers, but dedicated coaches, trains and park and ride buses also serve fans going to the British Grand Prix.
Getting to Silverstone with Public Transport
If you’re within easy access of a town centre in the UK, taking a bus or train to Silverstone is often the most convenient way to get there. The cheapest or most comfortable way to get to the British Grand Prix by public transport will depend where you are coming from but will most likely be either a coach direct to the circuit or a combination of train and shuttle bus.
Bus / Coach
Megabus provide coach transfers from various pick-up points throughout England and Wales. There are 41 confirmed locations for the day of the Grand Prix in 2023 so there’s probably one near you.
These are all express services taking you directly to Silverstone. They drop off passengers at car park 22, a short walk from the circuit entrance. These depart between 5.30 and 9am to arrive at Silverstone for 10am.
There are also buses on Friday and Saturday however there are fewer routes on these days. The towns and cities listed below are for the Sunday of the race. To view departure points for other days and book in advance visit the Megabus website.
Banbury
Basingstoke
Bedford
Birmingham
Bristol
Bury St. Edmunds
Cambridge
Cannock
Chester
Coventry
Cwmbran
Derby
East Dereham
Heathrow Airport
Ipswich
Kings Lynn
Leamington Spa
Leeds
Leicester
Liverpool
London
Luton
Manchester
Newbury
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newmarket
Newport
Norwich
Nottingham
Nottingham Trent Uni
Oxford
Peterborough
Portsmouth
Reading
Sheffield
Southampton
Stratford-upon-Avon
Swindon
Warwick
Wellingborough
Winchester
Train
Getting to the British Grand Prix from further afield, the more comfortable way may be to take the train and later transfer to a bus to get to the circuit.
Wolverton station is the closest train station to Silverstone (by a small margin) but there are not usually shuttle buses available from here.
Instead, catch a train to Banbury, Milton Keynes Central or Northampton – all within 30km of the circuit.
From there, continue your journey by taxis that will be waiting at the station (see below) or hop on a bus directly to the circuit.
From London your quickest route is Euston Station to Milton Keynes Central and from Birmingham your best options are Birmingham New Street to Milton Keynes or Banbury. It will depend however on which service you end up booking as to how long it will take so in some instances an alternative route may be quicker.
Bus Services from Banbury, Northampton and Milton Keynes
From Banbury train station there is a Megabus shuttle service to Silverstone on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See above for more information and to book tickets.
From Northampton and Milton Keynes train stations there is also a Megabus service. Tickets for these can be purchased on the day.
Buying train tickets
Buy your tickets as early as possible to get the cheapest deal but bear in mind advance tickets won’t be available until 12 weeks before the Grand Prix weekend.
You can search for all available services on all train companies simultaneously with Omio and make your booking online without any markups or extra charges. You’ll receive an e-ticket for your journey that you can print or keep on your mobile or tablet.
Taxi
If you’ll be taking the train to Milton Keynes, Northampton or Banbury you can get a taxi to cover the rest of the trip. This should set you back no more than £40.
Taxis won’t be able to get near the circuit on race weekend so make sure to purchase a Park and Ride ticket for each person (infants under 2 go free) in your group. This will allow you to get dropped off by taxi at a site just off the M1 or the M40 and ride the shuttle bus to the track.
Return tickets are £5 on Friday and Saturday and £10 on Sunday. Returning from the circuit, buses pick up passengers at the same location and it’s advisable to arrange a a return taxi in advance.
Driving Directions to Silverstone
Driving to Silverstone is especially well suited to the many fans who opt to camp within the vicinity of the circuit. Parking at the campsite means you can fill the car up with sleeping bags, beer and other essentials to survive a long weekend in the Northamptonshire countryside.
Even if you’re not over-nighting at Silverstone, it can be quicker and more convenient to drive than transferring to a bus or train in a town centre. There are car parks just minutes from the circuit entrance as well as park and ride services.
With fans arriving at staggered times on each day and over the weekend, ingress to the circuit is reasonably smooth, though as with any Grand Prix you should plan to leave early and be prepared for some delays. After the race on Sunday you should expect more major congestion, especially when exiting car parks.
From the M1 (London)…
Exit at junction 15A and follow the A43 to Oxford. After passing the A5 junction you’ll see brown signs leading you to the circuit car parks.
From the the M40 (Birmingham)…
Exit junction 10 and follow the A43 towards Northampton. Soon after passing Brackley look out for the brown signs directing you to the circuit car parks.
Parking at Silverstone
There are official car parks at the circuit, no more than a 20-minute walk to the gates. Individual tickets are available to buy for Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as a 3 day pass. You’ll need to book this in advance as it won’t be possible to buy parking tickets on the day and parking without a valid ticket will result in a hefty fine. You have to choose either M1 or M40 when making your booking but on the day you can arrive from whichever direction you wish.
If attending on Thursday, parking is free and does not need to be booked in advance. On all days parking for motorcycles is free.
Silverstone Park and Ride
Instead of parking at Silverstone it’s less expensive and in some ways more convenient to use the circuit’s park-and-ride service. Simply pre-book an off-site parking ticket, park just off the M1 or M40 and ride the free shuttle bus to the circuit. Not only will you save a few quid but you’ll also avoid the agonizing stop-start traffic that you can expect near the circuit.
If you’re going with friends or family all in one vehicle you’ll just need to reserve one park-and-ride ticket and all F1 ticket holders are included.
Park and ride locations for Silverstone are just off the M1 (Junction 15a) and M40 (Junction 10 and 11). Take note of the colour of your pass as that will determine which bus to take and hang on to the pass for the journey back to the car park.
Tickets for park-and-ride can be bought at the time of booking your race tickets or separately. Order your passes for Friday, Saturday, Sunday or the full weekend from the Silverstone website.
Drop-off / Pick-up
For private vehicles, movement near the circuit will be restricted to those with parking passes so if you need to be dropped off and picked up the best best place to do so is the High Street in Silverstone village. This is about a 15 – 20 minute walk to the circuit gates.
About Me
I’m Danny, an incurable Formula 1 fan for over 30 years and founder of The F1 Spectator. My aim is to inform and inspire, arming you with helpful tips and advice for your next F1 trip.
