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Looking to visit a Formula 1 race and are debating rather to visit the Dutch Grand Prix or the Hungarian Grand Prix? I have visited both, so here is my overview of the two. This might give you a better idea which Grand Prix to visit yourself!
Visiting a Formula 1 race is an incredible experience! If you have the chance to go, it is definitely one of those experiences you will never forget in your life. Doesn’t matter which race you end up visiting in the end.
Costs of the Dutch Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix
Of course, there are different ticket categories, but in general the tickets for the Dutch Grand Prix are a lot more expensive.
For similar seats, basically opposite the pit lane entry, I had paid around €550 for a full weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix versus around €300 for tickets for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And while accommodation around that weekend will be a lot more expensive in both Budapest and Zandvoort/Haarlem/Amsterdam, or wherever you decide to stay, it will probably a lot more expensive in the Netherlands than in Hungary.
Getting to the racetrack at the Dutch Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix
One thing to know is that Zaandvort will not be reachable by car during the race weekend, so pretty much everybody arrives by train. Trains between Amsterdam Centraal and Zandvoort go every 6 minutes during the race weekend. The train ride will take exactly 30 minutes. From Zandvoort the track is within walking distance, just follow the crowd.
If you are staying in Haarlem or nearby, biking might also be an option. The ride from Haarlem to Zandvoort is actually pretty beautiful.
Getting to the Hungarian Grand Prix is best done by train as well. Unless you have a car, as there is an option to park at the racetrack. For the train, just take a metro from wherever you are in Budapest to Örs vezér tere station, and then from there it’s a 30-minute train ride. From the train station that you get off, there are shuttle buses bringing you to the racetrack. This shuttle bus ride will take a couple of minutes. But be prepared, getting back from the Hungaroring can be a bit of a mess. People were queuing for hours for the shuttle buses, so it’s better to walk 30 minutes to a different train station and to take a train from there.
Overall, both circuits can be reached easily by public transportation, but the travel to the Dutch Grand Prix was organised a little better.
Heading to a Formula 1 race? Make sure to get some F1 Merch beforehand!
Atmosphere at the Dutch Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix
Not going to lie, the atmosphere at the Dutch Grand Prix is a lot more fun. It just feels like a big party, and I guess most people cheering for the same driver kind of helps with that. You will hear a lot of Dutch songs, and there are some performances in between. It’s a pretty fun atmosphere.
The Hungarian Grand Prix had a bit of a different vibe. It was still super fun, but definitely wasn’t a party vibe. There is less singing and no performances, but still a very nice atmosphere.
You might also like: My experience at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort!
Fans at the Dutch Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix
As you can imagine, at the Dutch Grand Prix you will find predominantly Verstappen fans. Most people will be dressed in orange. Of course, you can also find fans for other teams and drivers, but if you are not a Verstappen or Red Bull Fan, you will be in the minority. There are some tribunes where you can expect exclusively Verstappen fans, as tickets to those are sold via the Verstappen fan page. I wouldn’t recommend sitting there if you are not a Verstappen fan, but if you are cheering for any other driver sitting in the Grand Stands, Ben Pon or Tarzanbucht etc. you will be fine.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, you can find a good mixture of fans, quite a bit of Lewis fans and Ferrari fans, some Redbull fans, overall most stands were quite mixed when it came to who they cheered for. I was sitting in the Red Bull stand and there were definitely not just Red Bull fans.
Other differences between the Dutch Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix
At the Hungaroring, you are allowed to go on track after the race, whereas this is not allowed at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Another difference I noticed, that after the Hungarian Grand Prix, they tell you to proceed to the exit and leave the track, versus at the Dutch Grand Prix there were still some performances after the racing (Friday and Saturday) and people were still hanging out at the track a bit longer.
Summary
Let’s just start with that I will be a bit biased as I live in the Netherlands, so attending the Dutch Grand Prix of course makes a lot more sense for me. And I am also one of those people dressed in orange and with Red Bull merch at either the Dutch or the Hungarian Grand Prix.
And while I fairly enjoyed both experienced, I do have to say that the Dutch Grand Prix is a bit more fun. The atmosphere just makes a big difference! However, it is more expensive, so that is something to also keep in mind.
Which Grand Prix would you rather visit?
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