HI everyone.
This year I will be fulfilling a long held wish to Visit the IOM TT,

I will be shipping my bike across from Australia to Felixstowe then riding up to Liverpool for the ferry.

Have booked and paid for the ferry (arriving 1st and departing 10th means I miss the lasy day, but I want to get back to Silverstone for the moto gp)and have managed to secure some homestay accomadation in Douglas but thats its.


Please give me your tips.

Is it possible to get into the paddock, does it cost
where to eat
where to spectate
Other things to see on the way and on the island. (the Joey Dunlop memorial is already locked in)
What not to miss etc etc etc.
mustdo's etc


Nice riding route from felixstowe. ( I have about 4 days)

Any thing and everything is welcome.

cant wait :-)

Hi

There's no problem walking round the paddock and there's no charge for it. You can park the bike just after the exit of pit lane by the grandstand and walk down.

Where to eat! Wherever you go I'm afraid you'll be confronted by inflated prices and the dreaded 'TT Menu' (basically 1/3 the choice, 1/2 the quality & twice the price) - the TT is not a fine dining experience! Out on the course you can get decent pub grub at the Mitre in Kirkmichael and the Sulby Glen. There are numerous chippies, chinese take-aways etc in Douglas and the inevitable MacDonalds out near Quarterbridge.

As far as spectating goes it's probably worth taking a leisurely lap of the course to see what appeals. You'll find prohibited/restricted areas where you can't go, but a few ideas are:

Union Mills from the Churchyard

Ballaugh (do this in practice week - less busy) - you can view from either side of the road.

Churchtown (aka The K Tree) - getting very popular on race days now. Very quick section with a wheelie in the middle. You can park in front of the church and watch from the field adjacent.

Bungalow (where the Joey memorial is) but pick a nice day and bring something warm - you're a long way up! As a diversion you could leave the bike one day and take the vintage electric tram from the north end of Douglas prom to the Bungalow. Give yourself some time if you do - they're not quick!

Hillberry or the bottom of Bray Hill if you want to see some really fast cornering.

Things to do: Laxey Wheel otherwise just go and explore - you're never very far from anywhere on the Island. Get an ordnance survey map too - you'll find that a great help.

Here's a route from Felixstowe to Liverpool docks, missing out as much motorway as possible:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl

It won't take you 4 days! It may be worth trying to get to the Island earlier if you can. It's been said of the Island that it represents every characteristic of the British Isles in one small package.

Whatever you do and where ever you go it will be the experience of a lifetime. Coming from Australia, having seen nothing like this race and festival you will never be the same again........ It feels a bit strange though if you were like us and only went to circuit (road) racing in Oz. Everybody is so friendly so have fun and keep safe on the roads.

Thankyou Jan and Sticky for your replies. Sticky for some reason I cant see your suggested route in Google maps, But I would vey much like to.

Thanks Again, I cant wait.

Can't seem to get it to link but basically if you put Felixstowe ferry into Google maps as your departure point and Liverpool Pier Head as your destination that will give you a basic idea. What I would do rather than go the whole route by motorway is once you reach Birmingham then head for the nearby A41 and just stay on it - it will take you all the way to the Mersey Tunnel entrance. Go through the tunnel and on the other side you'll come to a roundabout. Take the first exit into Dale St, which goes slightly uphill. Do not turn off that road - it will start to go downhill again & you'll have to go through a few sets of traffic lights. At the bottom of the hill there are more traffic lights - be in the right hand lane. Across the road to you right you'll see the entrance to the ferry terminal but you can only go left at these lights - get in the right hand lane (outside lane) and after about 200 yards you'll see a gap in the centre line where you can head back the way you just came. Be in the left (inside) lane and the ferry is (from memory) 2nd left. Check-in will be on your left.

Sorry for the long winded directions but I couldn't seem to get a screen grab - too old & dumb