This weekend we had an invitation to Silverstone. They are starting their Christmas fun and our invitation was to visit the Silverstone Lap of Lights event. Ethan loves Christmas lights. When he was non-verbal we would point them out to him to let him know Christmas was coming. They are his visual to let him know Christmas will soon be here. This year entrance to the Silverstone Lap of Lights also includes entrance into The Lodge. We were excited to visit as our visit to Silverstone officially starts our Christmas celebrations this year.
Silverstone Lap of Lights – The Lap
Visiting The Lap gives you the chance to drive your own car on the Silverstone circuit. How amazing is that! Of course, there are rules to follow. You won’t be testing the speed of your car by driving the Lap of Lights circuit. You must ensure you follow the car in front of you. There will be no stopping or overtaking other cars. All cars will be driving at a continuous speed of approximately 5mph.
The Lap of Lights circuit lets you follow Santa’s journey around the world. You will drive through Europe, the Atlantic, the USA, the Arctic, the Pacific, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Ending with the home straight to see the main man himself.
Our Lap of Lights Experience
Our time to enter the lap circuit was 6.30 pm. We left The Lodge at 5.45 pm and made our way there. Arriving at the lap just before 6 pm. This wasn’t an issue as they advise you to arrive thirty minutes before your time. We were let straight in joining the queue of cars. This was continually moving at a slow pace. This was perfect for Ethan as he can get upset if our car comes to a stop in normal driving situations.
We tuned into the Silverstone radio station which was fun to listen to. Playing Christmas music and doing shout-outs to different families visiting that day. The day of our visit was the day that Storm Arwen hit the UK. By listening to the radio we were informed that due to the high winds some of the displays were slightly modified. It didn’t impact our experience in any way.
Going round the circuit was an amazing experience. The children loved looking at all of the light displays. They were also very excited when they spotted Santa. We adults thought Santa needed a medal for braving the cold, strong winds.
We captured our Lap of Lights circuit in the video below.
The Lodge
Entrance to The Lodge is included in the price of your ticket and it is the perfect place to enhance your Silverstone experience. Not only can you feast on festive food and drink there are other festive activities to experience.
These include ice-skating at the Ice Trak, curling and axe throwing. There is are an extra cost for these extra activities. The Ice Trak can be booked before your visit from £8 for adults, £6 per child. The curling and axe throwing can be booked on arrival at The Lodge. Make sure you book as soon as you arrive as these activities book up quickly.
There is also live entertainment to enjoy as well as a children’s cinema, a chance to write letters to Santa and racing simulators to play.
Let’s Talk Food
From Chicken wings to ribs or hot dogs everyone will find food they love at The Lodge. There are also vegetarian options so everyone in your party will be catered for. The hot dogs on offer were fully loaded, and there was even a festive dog on offer. Our children love plain food and it was no problem ordering a plain hot dog for them both. We ordered adult portions of Ultimate Mac’n’Cheese. It came topped with Pulled Pork and Chorizo and garlic ciabatta bread. It was the best Mac’n’Cheese I have had in the UK.
There are also sweet treats on offer. Both me and Ethan had the Silverstone Churros with chocolate dipping sauce.
Darren and Little E went for the Silverstone Sundae. We also had hot chocolate and it was Italian hot chocolate. The type of hot chocolate that tastes just like a melted chocolate bar. I’m sure if you tried to stand a spoon up in it you would be able to. We should have really had the version that came with the whipped cream. So make sure you do!
Not Forgetting Pizza!
If any of the food in The Lodge doesn’t take your fancy you can also grab a pizza at the Ice Trak. There is a place to get pizza and coffee at the side of the track. Apparently, some of the flavoured teas are meant to be amazing.
The Ice Trak
I was very excited that the children would be able to experience ice-skating again this year. We were able to take them locally in Colchester last December. But the rink was synthetic ice. The Ice Trak at Silverstone is made of real ice. It is also a circuit more than a rink. Using the available space in the Formula 1 pit lane and garages. The children had lots of wobbly ice skating fun.
I captured the fun we got up to at The Lodge in our video below.
Planning To Visit?
Tickets for the Lap of Lights start at £30 per car which includes all occupants. Entry to the Lodge is free with a Lap of Lights ticket. Make sure you arrive early at the lodge to take full advantage of all it has to offer. The Silverstone Lap of Light runs through until the 3rd of January (It is closed on the 25th of December). Full details and booking can be found at www.silverstone.co.uk.
DISCLOSURE – We received tickets to the Silverstone Lap of Lights and Ice Trak as a gift. This was for the purposes of this post and to create our YouTube videos. We always share our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.
