Texas - Who's going to Austin for the US Grand Prix?

Thought I would start a roll call and give a place for us to discuss issues/discoveries/etc. I have spent quite a bit of time in Austin and can't freaking wait!

I'm booked at the Sheraton Austin for $279 two nights and $899 the third. :(

I'm all over it. I can't wait. I plan to be there and when V8 Supercars arrives for sure.

Me me me!

Went to one in Indy one year when it was still held up there. Now with it in Austin, well I'm just down the road in San Antonio so will definitely be there if I'm still living down here. November is a fantastic time to hold this race in Texas, I was terrified when I heard the announcement of the track, it was going to be July or August when the heat can get unbearable.

Advice from a local Texan:
You may want to consider staying a bit further out than downtown Austin. The track is on the Southeast side of town I believe, so that gives you a lot of options, and downtown doesn't necessarily have to be one of them if the prices are sky-high.

I'd look at some of the nice resorts in Hill Country (Barton Creek Spa, etc near Austin or the JW Resort, Hyatt Hill Country, or La Cantera Westin in San Antonio) if you want to make a relaxing vacation out of it. San Antonio is only ~70 miles from Austin, so its an easy hop, plus with the riverwalk and other attractions, it makes a really nice place to stop off for a day or two.

Gruene and New Braunfels are also fantastic areas to enjoy, and have some cute B&Bs. Old Gruene Hall in Gruene is the longest, continuously operating dancehall and music venue in Texas and usually has amazing acts that play there.

As for Austin, staying out from downtown should cut your prices decently.

If you want to be downtown to enjoy the "6th Street" vibe: The new W in downtown Austin is fabulous -- and you might be able to snag a room on SPG Points (Nightly rates whenever I look seem to be between $250-$550 depending on what's happening in town). The Hilton downtown is fine as well, although the staff when I've been there seems a bit upity.

Any questions, I'm happy to help.

When i was in college in the '70s I became close friends with a guy who had just returned to California from racing in the UK's Formula 5000 circuit - he got me interested in F1 racing, and we went down to Long Beach for the F1 race that was held in the downtown streets (my friend owned a Lotus Europa, so of course we rooted for the Lotus team "John Player Special" car). Ah, memories..... ;)

Looking at the Austin dates, I think I will probably have work commitments, but I'm going to circle the date and try to work around it. Thanks for making me aware of the upcoming race . ^

I'll be flying in from London :D I have family in Austin so fortunately don't need to worry about hotels. A friend who works for one of the teams is also planning to be there so I shuld be able to get some pretty good access passes!

I will absolutely be there. And New Jersey the next year as well. Shocked that hotels are selling out already. Might have to stay in San Antonio.

I dunno if I'll go to the race, but given what hotels are charging, I'm strongly considering renting a room. ;)

It may be dead - locals do NOT want it. NASCAR with martinis. No way. Go hear some bands in Austin. Race track is 15 miles from tow in middle of NOWHERE. Come back on a nice weekend.

Reserved 3 nights on point redemption at the standard rate at Embassy Suites.... just in case. Hope the issues are resolved and the race takes place.

It may be dead - locals do NOT want it. NASCAR with martinis. No way. Go hear some bands in Austin. Race track is 15 miles from tow in middle of NOWHERE. Come back on a nice weekend.

Really? I was there in September and everyone I spoke to (mostly Austin born and bred) was really positive about it and looking forward to the event :confused:

I don't get the "in the middle of nowhere" comment, most race tracks are out of town as they are so loud and need plenty of space. And as for "NASCAR with Martinis", as most people who have been to a Grand Prix before will tell, you, for the majority of racegoers it is a world away from that.

I will be there :D

I plan to come down from Dallas. The wife is a huge F1 fan!

I just found out last night we are going. I've never been to one before, so I'm pretty excited! The only thing is I'll be 8 months pregnant. To those who have been to events before, do you think this is a good idea??

I just found out last night we are going. I've never been to one before, so I'm pretty excited! The only thing is I'll be 8 months pregnant. To those who have been to events before, do you think this is a good idea??

It will be very loud and the UV index will be seasonal. I would strongly suggest you bring ear plugs and seek reserved seats with shade. The latter will probably be very expensive. You might also be able to set up some shade in a GA area.

I can't wait, it's going to be a great weekend!

Thanks for the update! Very excited here too!

I dunno if I'll go to the race, but given what hotels are charging, I'm strongly considering renting a room. ;)

I'll be at the race! 3 day passes in hand (Turn 2)

San Martian, so if yall need some local advice, ask away or PM me

I went by the track on Sunday. Things are looking good. There is a bunch of land, houses and commercial opportunities for sale for you entrepreneurial folks.

Things to do/see the week before the race.

Will have 3 days off...

thx

Things to do/see the week before the race.

Will have 3 days off...

thx

Go to Franklin BBQ. They open at 11, so be there to line up at 9. Seriously. Whatever you plan to order, double it. Again, seriously. Finish it off with some Mexican Vanilla ice cream from Amy's. Thank me later. If you don't want to wait, Torchy's or Phatso's are good food trucks.

Go tubing on the Comal or Guadalupe. It's 30-45 minutes south, but worth it.

Zilker Park is fun. Botanical gardens are great and so is Barton Spings pool.

Mount Bonnell has great views of the Dell elite's homes.

Congress Street bats usually put in a show that time of year.

6th street is a must for live music. Buffalo Bills is a good dive. Get some Ropollo's pizza to soak it up.

Alamo Drafthouse is a great place to see a flick.

Of course, the UT campus is cool. Check out The Drag on Guadalupe Street.

Go to Franklin BBQ. They open at 11, so be there to line up at 9. Seriously. Whatever you plan to order, double it. Again, seriously. Finish it off with some Mexican Vanilla ice cream from Amy's. Thank me later. If you don't want to wait, Torchy's or Phatso's are good food trucks.





You can still get good Q without much wait. Hit JMueller's trailer south of downtown. Great stuff.. Aaron used to work for him. Or just keep trucking down 183 and go hit the Lockhart places. There may be a wait, but you'll get bbq,


And a +1 to Amy's. Get some of that after getting the BBQ.

I am going with my dad - we always have been huge fans. Never went to Indy, but we did Montreal during Schumi glory days.

I have a question for locals. Would you rather stay at Holiday Inn Austin Midtown or Howard Johnson Inn Austin/I-35? Both properties seem to be in the middle of nowhere, but those were the only one available on points (saving $700/night at Howard Johnson)

Honestly, Austin is a compacted city so you can’t go wrong with either. It’s not a sprawling metropolis like Dallas or Houston. Traffic on 35 or MOPAC, the main north/shout highways, is going to be bumper to bumper regardless.

But, I will say that you will not enjoy either part of town where those are located. You know how towns have that one area where drugs, prostitution and violence are prevalent? Let’s just say that you shouldn’t leave anything valuable in your rental car. But, on the plus, it's less than a 10 minute drive to downtown.

I am going with my dad - we always have been huge fans. Never went to Indy, but we did Montreal during Schumi glory days.

I have a question for locals. Would you rather stay at Holiday Inn Austin Midtown or Howard Johnson Inn Austin/I-35? Both properties seem to be in the middle of nowhere, but those were the only one available on points (saving $700/night at Howard Johnson)

It's a toss-up. Basically although the Holiday Inn looks like it's near a mall, that mall is completely abandoned. However you are close to N Lamar Blvd. which has a lot of good places to eat.

The Hojo will be closer to downtown, the airport and the track, but they still haven't released the shuttle info. So unless you have the tickets with parking I'm not sure being closer to the track is going to matter. The Hojo is also not far by car to S Congress Ave., which has restaurants, food carts and is generally a pretty festive area.

Like the previous poster mentioned Austin is compact you won't be far from the action at either location. I would pick, whichever program you feel better about parting points with. All things equal I would pick the Hojo location. A cab ride from the Hojo to downtown/S Congress would be a little cheaper as well.

The shuttle locations are:


The corner of 15th Street and Trinity Street in downtown Austin
The Travis County Exposition Center at 7311 Decker Lane


I am so, so glad I have a parking pass. Looks like there will be tons of restrictions, no walking in, just shuttle or you're not getting in.

The shuttle locations are:


The corner of 15th Street and Trinity Street in downtown Austin
The Travis County Exposition Center at 7311 Decker Lane


I am so, so glad I have a parking pass. Looks like there will be tons of restrictions, no walking in, just shuttle or you're not getting in.

They are now selling parking passes.

Yep, just saw it n the email today.