I'll be coming! From Canada! Am I the only one? Haha.

I am afraid that I'll be really lonely there since all you guys have your MINIs. Does anyone need some company/co-pilot/etc? I would love to tag along with someone.

Also, so there are hotels there obviously and I would assume a hostel as well. What is this mention about camping? As well, I'm VERY unfamiliar with Amsterdam as I've never been -> another reason why I'd love to meet up with someone earlier on their convoy there!!!! PLEASE!!!

Let me know!! I can't wait!! I'll be at the MINI2 Charity Ball in Northhampton, England on May 12 and then travelling around Europe until MINI United. I'll be lonely without my MINI with me so I'd love to meet up with some of you guys!!!!

 

I'm still jealousof you folks that get to go!

Has anyone seen or heard about any MINI United stuff yet?

 

My wife and I will be there We are registered now we just need to figure out how we will get there and if a detour to Oxford is also on the schedule.

 

I asked at the dealer last week. Nope. I'm betting it will be on-site only.

We need to send a shopper, with a big list and a wad of cash.

 

I am in. I will be traveling Europe for the summer and when I heard about this I made a change of plans to make sure I hit Amsterdam. Anyone want to give me a ride from the Eurail station in Amsterdam to Zandvoort? I am in no hurry and won't have much of a plan, just to see everything Mini. Can't wait!!!

I am gonna post over on Mini2 as well and see if there are any people with empty seats who wanna give a bum a ride.

Thanks!

 

Do make the trip to Oxford. In 2005 for the first MINI UNITED in Misano we planned a MINI vacation.

Flew to London hired a MINI and motored to Oxford stayed in an elegant hotel on High Street in the center of the city, went to the tour -last one before their major rennovation - and made friends with one of the guys who test the MINIs after the final production... had a quick special tour (paid in beer tab). Stayed in Oxford 5 days and motor with Rosy (the MC loaner ) around the area bought a few MINIs (die cast) for our collection.
Flew to Bologna and arrived in MISANO two days before the opening day.of MINI UNITED. Got to go to a very special night (not open to the public) when the MINIs for the Challenge were unloading on the track...
Stayed in small but fun hotel in Misano made bunch of friends from UK, NL, Italy and Russia many of whom we will see again in Zandvoort. and most important: I met for the first time my future GP (well her prototype )

If MINI UNITED 2 is going to be as good as MINI UNITED 1 get ready for a lot of fun and little sleep...

In which hotel are you guys staying ?

MD MINI GP
MD STREGA2

 

ALL RIGHT... I am very excited about this. I just booked my trip, arriving to London on June 16 and doing the Oxford plant tour. After that we are planning to get to Amsterdam ont he 21st.. (Not sure how yet) We found a pension in Zandvoort for a really good price and are going to stay there. They said is 10 minutes from there to the track walking. I hope I can meet all of you guys there.. We will love to get a ride with someone from London to Amsterdam or a ride from Amsterdam airport to Zandvoort... just want to make this trip the more MINI we can..

 

It's Official!

I made reservations today! Signed up for the starter kit and got a hotel room on the beach. I will be packing the family into the Mini and driving up from Heidelberg, GE. I am really looking forward to this!

 

Has anyone received the registration kit, yet?

MD MINI GP
MD STREGA2

 

Registration kits will be mailed out at the end of May so everyone should start seeing them in the beginning of June.

 

can't wait to get my kits!!
lastrega... where are you staying? We are staying on this cozy pension by the beach http://www.pensionzeeenduinzicht.nl/pension_en.htm and they told me is a 10 minute walk to the track! Anyone here doing the MINIUSA VIP program?

 

Please tell me about the MINIUSA VIP program, I've never heard of it.

We'll be staying 10 minutes drive away in downtown Haarlem at the Golden Tulip Lion d'Or. I figure if things slow down at Zandvoort we could slip away and do the Haarlem Shuffle!

 

THE MINIUSA VIP PROGRAM..is made for people taking the trip from the US and it includes the hotel in Amsterdam, a MINI to use on the track, shuttle service from hotel-track-hotel everyday and a welcome dinner and last night dinner, also some goodie bags I believe.. All you need to do is sign up for the hotel with them and you get all the extras...You can see more info in motoringfile and on the miniusa website..

hope to meet you there..

 

Unfortunately for us Americans living in Germany with our US spec MINIs, we cannot get onto the site where you sign up for the US VIP deal. Hopefully we can sign up when we get there and still attend the dinners/events.

 

I am torn between finding a cheap hotel within walking distance and going full out on the hotel and VIP stuff. I will be traveling Europe for the summer so this is just one stop. For this leg of the trip, I will be by myself.

Why I should go all out:
It's a Mini event, why not?
Free shuttle whenever, couple meals, nice hotel
Mini to drive on the track (is it like one lap or a couple runs?)

Why I shouldn't:
$500 to stay in a nice room by myself for 2 nights is alot (especially when I am trying to milk my trip for all summer)
Am I going to want to leave the festival for a free meal at the hotel?

Maybe I just need some encouragement...or maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was splitting the cost of a room with someone...hmmm...any opinions are welcome.

 

Yes i would also like 2 do the VIP Deal

 

Matthew, I am going trough the same dilemma, the vip event has its advantages but not sure I want to be so far from the track, I am sure all the people there is going to hang out after hours and don't want to miss that because of shuttle conflicts or things like that.. Unless the Mini drive on the track its more than one run, and not just a parade lap... a couple real sessions will be nice.

 

We have reservation at the Hotel across the street from the track and ocean front. _ Made this reservation BEFORE MINI UNITED was announced.

I, too, received the special USA package but decided to stay put for the following reasons:

the hotel is FAR from the track and outside Amsterdam city .. read the reviews - it's an OK hotel but nothing special about it. Location , price and amenities are not THAT special to justify the high price

in Misano 2005 there were shuttles to/from track to most of the major hotels in the area, I will be surprised if they don't have the same service again, plus you can get a ride with MINI drivers

events at MINI UNITED 2005 were going on from 10:00 am -opening- 'til 5:00 am (following day) - Racing - roller skating, music etc. Considering that we are going to be in the middle of summer in Holland !!! where being happy with help is LEGAL !!!

food at the track was pretty good (OK we were in Italy were is almost impossible to find bad food!!) and not particulary expensive, plus the tokens (w/ registration) were enough for one meal, coffee, and a beer.


We already did an event with MINI USA at the delivery of the GP (NJ- delivery) it was nice and enjoyed myself but I will not compare to the excitement of being on a track at night...don't forget that the WORLD MINI CHALLENGE is going to be best part of MINI UNITED..

finally.. the UK and Russia groups we met @ the first MINI UNITED are going to be at the same hotel and the Russian Vodka (the one not exported!!) is really really good !!!

I hope MINI USA has a special meeting point for us at the track

MD MINI GP
MD STREGA2

 

Would you mind sharing the details of this hotel? Sounds appealing, I think I'd like to be as close to the track as possible if the cost is reasonable. Thanks!

 

Mathew,
I found this link which has a lot of info on the local little hotels, i contacted about 6 of them until I found a room at a really good price for me and my GF..

http://www.info-zandvoort.nl/index.php?id=41&L=3

lastrega,
I was at MTTS also in NJ perhaps we met, I was selling t-shirts out of my car.. I am planning to bring some I have left to trade for whatever with others..

See you guys there!

 

NH (it's a chain hotel in NL) Zandvoort . Friends from Italy ( my Italian MINI CLUB) are staying in different hotels near the track. I will try to get info and pass it along.

MINIATIC, sorry I don't recall you in NJ ..a ctually I don't recall much besides meeting my GyPsy!!! but I looking forward to see you guys there.. in Misano I met only two people from the US...

MD MINI GP
MD STREGA 2

 

Oh, man. Now I really want to go. I also heard some of the interviews with BMW / Mini folks from the recent White Roof Radio podcasts, when I was out running this morning, and that just made the feeling doubly so.

Need to re-attack this with the boss. I know that the anwer won't change, but worth doing anyway....

(And go VIP. Come on -- when else will you do something like this?)

 

Thanks, $100 ish a night is still pretty expensive for just one person. I will try and find other cheap hotels near the track. Thanks for the help!

 

And to think I had hotel reservations, MINI United Start kit, and the whole lot ready to go.

With my TDY getting extended, by the time I return to Germany, there is still a small, and I emphasize small, chance that I may get to attend. I wil have to re-assess the situation and see. Only if I can get the stars, moon, sun, and all the planets to allign that this might happen.

Too bad I already cancelled the hotel. If I must, I can always camp out or bum a room from someone. Hmmm...

 

I'll be there too - all the way from the Southern tip of Africa. Staying in Amsterdam and commuting through each day. Anyone else doing the same ?Would really like to meet all of you and make mini friends.