Tips for visiting CHIO Aachen in May?

[faraway46]

Hi everyone!

With my eternally supportive husband, we’ve decided to see CHIO Aachen next year, which will be in May due to the European championships being held in July.

I hope anyone can recommend places to stay, best seats/locations in the stadium to view, what other shows are interesting besides the Gran Prix and the Nation’s Cup, places to visit in the city, places to shop or eat (in and out of the venue), anything and everything you know about the show and the town.

I am trying to buy tickets online and the only ones available for now are the Grand Prix and the opening Symphony and Horse show (is it nice, by the way?). I suppose the other tickets will be on sale once the schedule is up? Can anyone recommend which is the best seating to view the show jumping venues?

Any knowledgable tips, stories, suggestions would be great since I do live in Argentina and it isn’t a trip we will be doing very often!

TIA!

[nycequestrian]

Keeping track of this thread as I am curious to the answers.

[Secret_Dove]

[QUOTE=faraway46;7762570]
Hi everyone!

With my eternally supportive husband, we’ve decided to see CHIO Aachen next year, which will be in May due to the European championships being held in July.

I hope anyone can recommend places to stay, best seats/locations in the stadium to view, what other shows are interesting besides the Gran Prix and the Nation’s Cup, places to visit in the city, places to shop or eat (in and out of the venue), anything and everything you know about the show and the town.

I am trying to buy tickets online and the only ones available for now are the Grand Prix and the opening Symphony and Horse show (is it nice, by the way?). I suppose the other tickets will be on sale once the schedule is up? Can anyone recommend which is the best seating to view the show jumping venues?

Any knowledgable tips, stories, suggestions would be great since I do live in Argentina and it isn’t a trip we will be doing very often!

TIA![/QUOTE]
I believe the GP is the only class to be held next year. If you want to see the Nations Cup and other classes I would hold off until 2016.

[faraway46]

[QUOTE=Secret Dove;7763470]
I believe the GP is the only class to be held next year. If you want to see the Nations Cup and other classes I would hold off until 2016.[/QUOTE]
Really? Why so? Because of the European Championships? I thought that along with the Grand Prix, the Nations Cup was held a day or two before, like WEG…

If so, thanks for the heads up!

[Secret_Dove]

[QUOTE=faraway46;7763533]
Really? Why so? Because of the European Championships? I thought that along with the Grand Prix, the Nations Cup was held a day or two before, like WEG…

If so, thanks for the heads up![/QUOTE]
Here’s the press release:http://www.worldofshowjumping.com/events/rolex-grand-slam/6492-the-2015-rolex-grand-prix-to-take-place-in-may

[faraway46]

[QUOTE=Secret Dove;7765079]
Here’s the press release:http://www.worldofshowjumping.com/events/rolex-grand-slam/6492-the-2015-rolex-grand-prix-to-take-place-in-may[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. I guess it’s going to be a great show anyways, right? I just hope it won’t be a watered down version…Even if it is, it’s still the Aachen GP, leg of the Rolex Grand Slam: I guess you can’t go wrong!

By the way, bumping in case anyone can recommend best seating locations for viewing. I’m curious about the $150 ticket versions (long side of ring) against the $90 (short side of ring): the more expensive ones seem to have some type of walk through or standing space between the seats and the ring (for that price I would expect nothing in between!), whereas the $90 version has no standing viewers. Also, the ringside seats in this sector seem to be cheaper (74$) compared to a few rows up…I wonder why? I was hoping someone knew something about this before I dive into the online shopping ordeal…

Anyway, if someone has stories or recommendations about this show, I would be very grateful!

TIA.

[Coreene]

I will look and see how many rows up we were - we were on the long side, which I would do again. If you stay in Holland you have a lot less traffic driving in, and the drive from, say, Valkenburg is only about 25 minutes and you’re not in that nightmare incoming traffic from the German side.

The shopping is incomparable!

It was always on my bucket list, and it really was a dream come true :yes:

[faraway46]

Thanks Coreene!!!

[QUOTE=Coreene;7768777]
I will look and see how many rows up we were - we were on the long side, which I would do again. If you stay in Holland you have a lot less traffic driving in, and the drive from, say, Valkenburg is only about 25 minutes and you’re not in that nightmare incoming traffic from the German side.

The shopping is incomparable!

It was always on my bucket list, and it really was a dream come true :yes:[/QUOTE]

I was hoping you would chime in! According to my Aachen search on this BB, you are the guru!
I would really appreciate any info. I tried to buy seats on the long side in front of the $150 priced tickets (worth $55) but when I go on their website, that sector is all greyed out, like if it were completely sold…I find it odd that there is not a single seat left in all the sectors of that long side. I would guess they are not open for sale yet? If so, I would wait before I buy anything on line if that location is worth it, but I am concerned that if I wait too long I might be left seat less. I simply considered the more expensive, the better view, although I was turned off by the standing esplanade in front of the most expensive seats, as I mentioned in an earlier post. That’s why my second choice was the short curved side for $90, although I still don’t know why the ringside seats are less expensive…curious!

Have you heard if the show is going to be as good as it is every year, since apparently there is no Nations Cup… I hope there are just as many vendors, too!

We are going to rent a car because we will be driving through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France. Our best bet was the Novotel, which still has rooms and is pretty close to the stadium, according to booking.com. Do you know if there is anything else horsey to do in Holland or Belgium? Maybe visit Athina’s and Doda’s barn? heheheh :winkgrin:

Thanks for your help!