Trip Planner
Getting to the Belgian Grand Prix
Sunday December 6 2026
What to expect in this guide
• Which airport do you fly into?
• Can you get there by train?
• What about driving?
• Do you need a visa?
• Best booking resources for F1 trips
• Frequently asked questions
• Money-saving tip
Estimated Reading Time: 4-5 minutes
Spa-Francorchamps is in a remote part of Belgium. Most fans reach it by flying into one of several nearby cities, then continuing by car, train, or bus.
The closest major airports are Brussels in Belgium, Cologne and Düsseldorf in Germany, and Amsterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Getting there by air
Direct flights to Brussels are common from most European hubs and from a number of regional airports. There are also direct services from a number of cities in North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Cologne, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, and Eindhoven are also options, with a wide range of direct flights from across Europe and beyond. Depending on where you’re travelling from, one of these can be a more convenient or cheaper route in than Brussels.
A route I’ve used myself is to fly into Amsterdam with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, then take their connecting coach service from outside the arrivals hall at Amsterdam Airport to Maastricht. The coach stops in Eindhoven on the way. The journey takes around three hours. This works well if you’re starting from a regional airport, since KLM serves a wide network of smaller airports across Europe.
From any of these airports, you can rent a car or continue your journey by train or bus.
Getting there by train
International rail services run from a number of European cities into Brussels, Liège, Maastricht, and Aachen. Smaller towns near Spa are also reachable by train from across Europe.
From the UK, you can take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then change onto a direct train to Aachen or Liège.
There’s no train station at the circuit itself. The most common public transport route is to take a train to Verviers Central, then a local bus or shuttle from Verviers to the circuit. Trains from Liège and Aachen to Verviers take around 30 minutes.
Getting there by road
Driving gives you the most flexibility and is a popular choice for fans travelling from elsewhere in Europe.
If you’re starting from the UK, the most common route is the Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais, where your car travels with you on the train. From Calais, the drive to Aachen is around four hours, and Aachen is a common base for fans driving in.
Once you’re at your base, you can either drive yourself to the circuit each day (with a parking permit purchased in advance) or take one of the shuttle buses that run from cities including Aachen, Liège, and Maastricht.
Fans from the Netherlands, Germany, and France also drive across.
Visa and entry requirements
Many visitors don’t need a visa to enter Belgium, but requirements depend on your nationality and personal circumstances.
For visa-exempt nationals, ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement when visiting Belgium and other European destinations.
Check the official guidance before booking.
Best booking resources for F1 trips
Planning the trip is the fun part for some and a chore for others.
If you would rather not handle all the details yourself, we can do that for you.
Take a look at our Grand Prix ticket & travel packages »
Prefer to do it all yourself? You’re welcome to take everything you’ve learned here and book your own trip. These are good places to start. They’re reliable, easy to use, and usually the best value.
Tickets
Grand Prix Tickets is the agency I’ve trusted for years. They’ve always been reliable, easy to deal with, and quick to help if something comes up.
Hotels
ZenHotels is one of my go-to sites for hotel bookings. It pulls prices from many smaller sites you might not know about, which makes it good for finding deals. I also check Expedia and Booking.com when I want more options.
Excursions
Viator is full of walking tours, attraction tickets, and local experiences. It’s especially handy if you’re heading to a new Grand Prix city. It’s a good place to find extras to add to your trip.
Money-saving tip
Take the train or KLM’s coach combination
If you’re on a budget, the train and KLM coach options are worth considering. Both deliver you into the centre of town. The Eurostar from London St Pancras connects in Brussels onto direct services to Aachen or Liège. KLM’s coach from Amsterdam Airport runs to Maastricht. From any of these three cities, you can reach the circuit by shuttle bus or by train and bus via Verviers. Flying into Brussels, Düsseldorf, or Cologne adds an airport transfer; the train and coach options skip that.
FAQ's
Most fans fly into Brussels Airport (BRU), the closest major airport to Spa-Francorchamps. Cologne, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam and Eindhoven are also popular alternatives with a wide range of international flights.
Spa-Francorchamps is around 130 km from Brussels, with a typical drive time of around 90 minutes depending on traffic.
Yes. Most fans take a train to Verviers-Central, then continue by local bus, shuttle bus or taxi to the circuit. There is no train station at Spa-Francorchamps itself.
Yes. Many fans drive via the Channel Tunnel or ferry routes. From Calais, the drive to Spa-Francorchamps takes a little over four hours in normal traffic.
Yes. Eurostar services run from London St Pancras to Brussels. From there, onward rail connections make Brussels, Liège and Aachen practical bases for race weekend.
Yes. Some airlines and transport providers offer combined air-and-coach services into the region, making Spa-Francorchamps accessible without hiring a car.
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