The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, frequently referred to as Spa, is a 7.004 km (4.352 mi) motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium.
Accommodation:
If you're Dutch, there are plenty of places that offer a full package of tickets, a hotel, and transport to the track. There are hotels in Spa and Francorchamps themselves, but those are pretty expensive and sold out quick.
There are a number of campsites near to the circuit, the official backed ones nearest to the track have a great party atmosphere, although facilities are lacking. If you want something a bit quieter local fields become campsites, The Elephant campsite is good value, but suggest you book a spot in advance, it's then an easy walk to the circuit.
If you don't fancy camping, the city itself is very small and have few hotels. It's easier to find accommodation in Liege Aachen, Germany. Its a small drive but nothing big.
Getting to the track:
Firstly, the nearest town to the circuit is Francorchamps (by turn 1). If you go to Spa, you are going to have a bad time. Other nearby towns of any size are Stavelot and Malmedy, though both further from the circuit than Francorchamps.
By Car
Getting to the track can take a while. If you drive yourself, prepare to drive through some windy roads at a very slow pace. If you bought a full package mentioned above, you don't have to worry about driving there, as a bus will take you to the circuit. Due to the driver having to rest for a long time though, the bus only goes back at the end of the day. This is something to keep in mind.
From Aachen there are many roads to Spa, but its easier to just take the highway and there isn't any major time difference that can justify taking the small roads through the Belgian villages. Depending on where you want to park, there are different access points
Also, if you're driving yourself and have bronze tickets, leave wherever you're staying at an early time. If you arrive at the track at 6/6:30am, a lot of the GA places are already packed and you'll struggle to find a decent seating position.
By public transport
Info correct as at 2012 - anyone who has been more recently can confirm/adjust as necessary
Regardless of where you are staying (assuming it isn't in the direct vicinity of the track of surrounding villages), you need to get to Verviers Central train station (Verviers Gare Centrale), which is easily done from places such as Liege and Aachen if you keep an eye on the schedules. From there you are taking bus 294 or 395 from outside the station to the town of Francorchamps. This is a regular route bus, which will take you on a tour of several villages, though on Saturday/Sunday, there may be a dedicated bus. If so, it should leave from exactly the same spot as the 294/395. On Thursday (pit walk) or Friday, pay attention to the scheduled time of the last bus.
Seating:
As mentioned above, if you have bronze tickets, get there early as a lot of places fill up quickly and early. Don't expect a good view of Eau Rouge/Raidillon with bronze tickets. Your best bet is the beginning of Kemmel Straight, where you can just about see them coming out of Raidillon.
There are some spots at the final chicane up in the trees to view with a general admission ticket, be warned the ground can be quite unsteady, with the chance of rubble falling from further up the hill. Don't bother trying to actually watch anything along the Blanchimont - the trees massively restrict your field of view. Decent spot to get a sense of speed on Friday/Saturday though.
If you have bronze tickets, sitting in a tree at Les Combes gives you a good view of the chicane and the kemmel strait without having to look through a fence.
Other than that, Pouhon/Double Gauge is a great place to be, as you can see the cars coming up to the corner, through the two left handers, and drive off.
The official website has decent photos of the view you get from each grandstand.
Food:
Expensive and not exciting. Bring enough water as it can get hot. You can bring in anything you like (including alcohol), as long as it is not in glass. If coming by bus/train, there are bakeries that sell rolls close to the station in Verviers.
What to avoid:
Try to avoid the tunnel just before Raidillon-Eau Rouge. A lot of people want to use it to get to the Fanzone and it will get insanely crowded on Saturday and Sunday. You'll lose a lot of time waiting to go through. The alternative is to go around La Source to get to the Fanzone.
Misc:
If you follow the inner walkways in the direction of the pits at the end of the race, there's a chance you can take some tires with you, as sometimes they're stacked at the paddock entrance.
If you have time, especially on Friday, have a look around the area behind grandstand silver 2 - plenty of merchandise and displays from sponsors.
The cars may not do a full cool down lap at the end of the race, so if you are beyond Eau Rouge, you may not get a look at them after the checkered flag.
Don't expect to get home early after the race. When you park your car at Les Combes, it can take 2 to 3 hours just to reach the highway due to all traffic being cramped through one lane country roads.
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