How to go to TT races ?

[transporter]

Hi there,been watching the IOM TT races over the last few years and wishing i had gone,could anyone give me a few pointers as to how to go about getting over there,for example how long do i have to book ferries,camp sites,guest house in advance. I have a few options as far as accomodation is concerned,i could go on my bike and take the tent or go in the motorhome and throw the bike in the back....well roll it in anyway guest houses might prove too costly i suppose. Any reccomendations for campsites etc,does anyone go practice week instead ? any help much appreciated. Last time i was over there was 1982 but not for TT week,all the best,Rich

[dodgydog]

You need to be booking the ferry dates as soon as possible, ours are going to be booked for 2011 in the next few weeks.

motorhome can be parked on the front in douglas, nobody will bother you there.

there is also St Georges campsite, near the grandstand on the finish straight, we have stayed on there a couple of times, decent showers, bar etc.

B&Bs need to be booked soon as you can also, plenty available in Douglas, we paid £75 for 4 days bed and breakfast, pretty basic though.

Important thing is the ferry, we have kipped in the van, on the beach, on the prom, anywhere.

Dog
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[Nufkamp]

If you want decent ferry dates and times for 2011 then sorry, you've missed the boat (to coin a phrase). We made provisional bookings during the TT week this year and the good dates/times are gone already. If you want to catch all the races you'll be looking at arriving on the Wednesday or Thursday of practice week and going home probably Monday or Tuesday, and these will be possibly 02:30AM sailings.
Having said that having a couple of days after the circus is over is nice, we didn't go home until the Tuesday evening, gave us a couple of days of doing non-TT related touring about.
There are umpteen good campsites all over the island, we are going to book for Glenlough next year so we can be a bit closer to Douglas. We were at Ballaugh this year and we faced the choice of either not having a few pints in Douglas or forking out £40 for a taxi.
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[transporter]

Thanks for the info,so it seems its the ferry thats the one to get stuck in to first,i will check prices for a bike or the motorhome,its only a small VW Transporter so hopefully that wouldn't attract too much of a premium over a car. I dont mind realy basic camps/no frills kind of campsites as i used to be in to the backpacking,dont realy mind what time i sail either so hopefully should be able to sort something out. I will go and have a look at Steampacket after this. I take it that once youre there, you have time to drive or ride to various veiwing points before the races start, anyone know what time you have to be there for and the best places to make for, are parking spaces a problem at say the Creg etc ?

[wristjob]

1st time tt this year and here's what i learned.
if you on the small ferry get on first and get the front seats.
they have the leg room and you can dump your gear on the floor too.
i booked a week before sailing and did a 5 am sail.
best thing i did was to give all the heavy or bulky crap(tents,sleeping bags,air beds,cooker,etc. to a friend with a campervan.i got to travel on my bike with just a backpack with a a few bits of clothing and washup gear.
we camped on a small site in laxey.close enough to take part in the merryment at night but far enough away that sleep is possible if you need it.
was there for thursday friday practice saturday races,"mad" sunday(which was a bit tame if truth be told)and races monday and tuesday.
the big ferry is much better to travel on.
its harder to get a sailing the bigger the vehichle you got.
the mountain is so smooth and so fast its a joy to ride.
lots of people think they can go faster than they actually can.
they then fall off.
lots of sportbikes on good tyres with 3" chicken strips .
lotst of bikes parked up in ramsey held together wih tape and cable ties.
i had a great time and will do it again.

[transporter]

Thanks for the great info there,hopefully i can get something sorted for next year,didnt realise there where 2 Ferry's. Just having a look at the Steam Packet site now,Rich

[kestrel]

Just book whatever ferry sailings you can and pay the deposit, the balance is paid next spring sometime, you will be able to change the sailing times later on as many of the people who book this year for next TT will find that they can't make it. Although the majority of small guest houses have gone there is plenty of accommodation on the island. Hotels can be expensive, camping is not for everyone but can be very cheap depending on the site, and there are plenty of campsites around the island. One other option is homestay accommodation in private houses. All homestays are registered with the Manx Government and will be meet the required standards, prices vary but on average are around £20-£25 per night and usually include all meals.
As wristjob says Mad Sunday is a little tame now, until 2007 Mad Sunday was the only day of the year that the mountain section was 'one way' and was therefore the only time you could blast over the mountain using all of the road, in the old days Mad Sunday certainly lived up to it's name. Since 2007 the mountain section has been 'one way' for the whole of TT fortnight, by the time Mad Sunday comes around the novelty has worn off for those visitors who have already spent the whole of practice week on the mountain. The thinking behind having one way traffic for the whole fortnight is that it reduces the number of serious headon collisions, up untill now the results show that the idea has been a success.
The TT course, and in particular the mountain section is the best maintained road in the island, for obvious reasons. There is no speed limit for the whole of the mountain run from Ramsey Hairpin to Creg-ny-Baa, however although the road is one way, it is still a public road and the road traffic act still applies, so be careful. The Manx Police are much more forgiving than their UK counterparts but if you are unfortunate enough to fall foul of the law then the penalties here are generally much more severe than the UK.
While you are here make a point of going to some of the other events arouind the island on non race days, Ramsey Sprint, Laxey Bike Show, Streetfighter Challenge etc. there is much, much more to the TT experience than just the mountain road and it's all free! The night entertainment is back on the promenade in Douglas, and that's all free too!
If you do make it over there's no doubt that you'll enjoy the TT but be warned that it is highly addictive!

It's well worth registering on iomtt.com there is an accommodation section and you will find info on most TT related subjects.