Silverstone and Northamptonshire event weekends: what to do between sessions

Silverstone sits between Towcester and Brackley in rolling English countryside, with Oxford, the Cotswolds, Bletchley Park and Warwick Castle within an hour.

Events we cover in Silverstone and Northamptonshire

Arriving

Birmingham (BHX) and London Luton (LTN) are about 1 hour by car; Heathrow is 1.5 hours. Trains to Milton Keynes Central take 35 minutes from London Euston.

Where to stay

Three hotels we would book

• Budget: Premier Inn Milton Keynes Central
• Mid-range: Whittlebury Park
• Splurge: Old Bank Hotel Oxford

Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Tours

Where to eat

• Country pubs in Towcester and Brackley Sunday roasts
• The Turnpike Pub food near Silverstone
• Oxford Covered Market Pies and cakes
• Milton Keynes centre Chains open late after the race

With kids

• Silverstone Museum.
• Gulliver's Land in Milton Keynes.
• Wicksteed Park in Kettering.

Rainy-day backups

• Bletchley Park.
• National Museum of Computing.
• Xscape Milton Keynes indoor snow slope.

Free things to do

• Stowe gardens walk (National Trust, entry fee for gardens).
• Grand Union Canal towpath.

Getting around

• Official shuttles run from Milton Keynes Central and Northampton stations on race days.
• Expect long queues leaving car parks after the Grand Prix; walking to a later shuttle often beats driving.
• Tap in with a contactless card on buses, trams and most urban trains.
• Book long-distance trains early on the operator app or Trainline: walk-up fares are expensive.
• Uber works in most UK cities; local black cabs are metered.