| It is
fair to say, the ticketing situation in 2002 was diabolical. So much so
that the organisers of this year's Wales Rally GB have changed ticketing
contractors, and have promised this year that the situation will be dramatically
improved. Buying your tickets in advance of the rally offer you great value for money. There are lots of people who think that paying £75.00 for an Event Pass is a lot of money, but bear in mind how much the British public pay to watch a Premiership football match (for only 90 minutes) or an F1 Grand Prix (for a few hours). All in all, the Wales Rally GB is excellent value for money, and as you are accessing this website I guess you are a rally fan wanting to know more about one of the premier sporting events in the U.K. Ticket prices have stayed the same as in 2002, which is excellent news. The day passes, priced at £25.00 or £30.00 mean an equivalent cost per stage of £10.00 to £12.50 compared to £15.00 per individual stage in advance or £20.00 on the day. The World Rally Pass is, in my opinion, very expensive for what you get. Bearing in mind you can only really do 3 stages comfortably per day, bearing in mind the traffic and travelling time on and off stages, I think this pass is only for those who really wish to choose where and when they want to watch exactly. This year the Event Passes have more options, and these are better value for money. Okay, you are restricted to what stage to go to, and to what car park as well, but at the end of the day, every rally spectator wants to see as much high quality action as they can over the event. Some people have favourite stages, and to that extent, favourite car parks as well, but if you are a novice spectator, the Event Passes are a great start. £75.00 over 3 days, in my opinion, is excellent value for money - even though it has gone up dramatically over the past 4 years. The major benefit of the Event Passes in 2003 is that you are told up-front which car park you are buying the pass for. To be able to choose your viewing options, this information is very important, especially with the stages like Margam, where different car parks have very different viewing options. The Day Passes are a bit more restrictive, but if you are only going to the event for one day, they are reasonable value. Some of them are obviously aimed at the family spectator, such as the Saturday Pass 2, but others can be used for serious enough viewing - such as the Saturday Pass 1 - Option 3. Watching 2 runs through Halfway and then Resolfen is a great spectating day. However, as an alternative to the Event Pass, why not buy a Friday Pass, a Saturday Pass and then perhaps Rhondda 1 and 2 for the Sunday? That's what I have done, and it has cost me the same amount as an Event Pass. I'm a bit undecided on the individual Forest Stage Passes. In my opinion they are not very good value for money bearing in mind you can get day passes and event passes. It all boils down to whether you as a spectator are going to the Wales Rally GB to see one or two stages in the whole event, or follow it round every day. Many spectators obviously want to go to stages on the Thursday (Shakedown), Friday, Saturday and Sunday - but if you can't because of other commitments, then the individual Forest Stage Passes may be for you. Take a look at all of the options available to you. If money is no object, and you want to plan the event the way YOU want to, and don't like being dictated to, buy the World Rally Pass or individual Forest Stage Passes. If you do want best value for money, and don't mind having your itinerary decided to a certain degree, then buy one of the three Event Passes. Finally, if you can only do one or two days, decide which stages you really want to go to. If they coincide with one of the day passes, buy that one. If not, buy the individual Forest Stage Passes. |