Hello there,
I'm planning a trip to Monaco this year. I'm staying in Nice and taking the train down each day.
I've not got a ticket yet and was wondering if anyone could offer me a few tips and any other travel advice.
Monaco Grand Prix
Started by
potmotr
, Mar 15 2009 14:49
19 replies to this topic
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#2
F1Annie
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Posted 15 March 2009 - 19:18
Have only been once & sat at tabac. Great view of them coming out the tunnel & through the chicane & then along on front of us.
Hope you have a great time.
Hope you have a great time.
#3
Rob29
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Posted 16 March 2009 - 08:53
Not sure whether you are referring to race ticket or train ticket? I have been 5 times,last time for the historic meeting in 2006.You will certainly need to book a grandstand seat in advance.View from the 'Rock' a bit distant,not to mention uncomfortable-tried this in 1980 when I went at short notice.You should be able to book on line and pick tickets up from AC Monaco office.I recomend Casino Square.Train service is good-don't do what I did in 2005 and come out the wrong exit at Monaco/Monte Carlo station it s a long walk down 
#4
dinky
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Posted 19 March 2009 - 18:38
I've done the GP I think 4 times now, last in 2007. They sell special GP train tickets for use on the GP weekend. I think you can get them for Thursday-Sunday. Used to be about 5-6 euro return each day. I found the tickets go on sale late on the Wednesday. The most frustrating thing on earth is trying to feed one euro coins into a ticket machine in nice train station, while it spits them back at you and your train is about to leave. Buy them in advance.
Until the Saturday travel is as normal. Once the crowds appear the station used to get like a battleground to get on a train. Thankfully in recent years they've put up barricades and designated GP only platforms, so the crowd control is much more sensible. I would still give myself 90 minutes to make the journey (which should only take 20 minutes) on race day.
Try to get there for the wednesday afternoon if you want to see the drivers etc up close. You can wander all the way round the paddock and get good access. Back in the good old days (2003) you could get into the old pitlane and I remember kids playing on a Jaguar before being shooed away by mechanics.
If you have a Saturday or Sunday ticket, then on the Friday afternoon they will let you into the pitlane for a walkabout. You are held back from the garages, and the drivers are nowhere to be seen but it is fun nonetheless.
I would highly recommend Casino Square for Thursday's practice. You don't get to see the cars for as long as some of the other grandstands, but it doesn't cost the earth, and seeing an F1 car through that section is something I won't forget in a hurry. If you are into photographing the cars, the exit of Casino square is a great place, because they are three quarters on and going relatively slowly. Plus, there is a supermarket about 5 minutes from the grand stand with cheap stuff for lunch. On the down side you have to get there at least 2 hours early to stand a chance of a decent seat, because it is a free for all or placement libre on Thursdays.
You should also see at least one session from Z1 (I think it is?) which is a standing area which runs alongside the track into tabac. Pressed up against the fence you are about two meters from the cars, which when they downshift for the corner, is quite an experience. Also cheap. They do put up scaffolding, so if you get there early you will gt a decent vantage point. If you crane your neck you can see the main diamond screen as well.
You usually find lots of cheap tickets for rocher (on the hillside) for sale on race day morning for 5 euro off the face price, but by that time the hill is heaving and you are likely to find yourself pressed between the branch of a tree and a fat [generic european nationality]'s armpit.
Oh, and after the race, don't plan to leave for at least two hours because of the insanity in the train station. I have seen people sprint out with a lap to go to get ahead of the crowd. Don't do that, find a pub and chill out instead. I recommend the ship and castle at the end of the harbour in Fontvieille.
For tickets, you can't really beat the source: acm.mc
You used to be able to pick your actual grandstand seat precisely, but I don't see that service on their site anymore.
Have fun!
Until the Saturday travel is as normal. Once the crowds appear the station used to get like a battleground to get on a train. Thankfully in recent years they've put up barricades and designated GP only platforms, so the crowd control is much more sensible. I would still give myself 90 minutes to make the journey (which should only take 20 minutes) on race day.
Try to get there for the wednesday afternoon if you want to see the drivers etc up close. You can wander all the way round the paddock and get good access. Back in the good old days (2003) you could get into the old pitlane and I remember kids playing on a Jaguar before being shooed away by mechanics.
If you have a Saturday or Sunday ticket, then on the Friday afternoon they will let you into the pitlane for a walkabout. You are held back from the garages, and the drivers are nowhere to be seen but it is fun nonetheless.
I would highly recommend Casino Square for Thursday's practice. You don't get to see the cars for as long as some of the other grandstands, but it doesn't cost the earth, and seeing an F1 car through that section is something I won't forget in a hurry. If you are into photographing the cars, the exit of Casino square is a great place, because they are three quarters on and going relatively slowly. Plus, there is a supermarket about 5 minutes from the grand stand with cheap stuff for lunch. On the down side you have to get there at least 2 hours early to stand a chance of a decent seat, because it is a free for all or placement libre on Thursdays.
You should also see at least one session from Z1 (I think it is?) which is a standing area which runs alongside the track into tabac. Pressed up against the fence you are about two meters from the cars, which when they downshift for the corner, is quite an experience. Also cheap. They do put up scaffolding, so if you get there early you will gt a decent vantage point. If you crane your neck you can see the main diamond screen as well.
You usually find lots of cheap tickets for rocher (on the hillside) for sale on race day morning for 5 euro off the face price, but by that time the hill is heaving and you are likely to find yourself pressed between the branch of a tree and a fat [generic european nationality]'s armpit.
Oh, and after the race, don't plan to leave for at least two hours because of the insanity in the train station. I have seen people sprint out with a lap to go to get ahead of the crowd. Don't do that, find a pub and chill out instead. I recommend the ship and castle at the end of the harbour in Fontvieille.
For tickets, you can't really beat the source: acm.mc
You used to be able to pick your actual grandstand seat precisely, but I don't see that service on their site anymore.
Have fun!
#5
F1Annie
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Posted 19 March 2009 - 18:53
A great write up Dinky. Hope you don't mind but I've copied & pasted that into my 'F1 travelling' folder!
#6
potmotr
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Posted 23 March 2009 - 20:52
Thank you Dinky, the tips are much appreciated.
Currently doing my sums to see if I can afford a trip.
I badly want to do it.
Currently doing my sums to see if I can afford a trip.
I badly want to do it.
#7
BenchRacer67
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Posted 26 March 2009 - 01:59
Regarding dinky's observation that the auto club site does not allow selecting a specific seat. I encountered that same challenge and after 2 unproductive phone calls, I decided to give up trying on my Mac (using Safari), went to a local internet cafe with Windows machines, downloaded the needed Adobe plug-in and Java update (both free) and was finally able to get the exact seat I was wanting. Warning --- be sure to set up an auto club account (free) and sign in BEFORE selecting your seat, just in case your computer crashes. By doing so, your selection will remain in your shopping cart for a short time while you log back in. If you fail to do this, the seat will be blocked. Sounds far more complicated that it actually was. Enjoy.
#8
Sith
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Posted 10 April 2009 - 13:48
I went last year.. Stayed in Nice, and trained it every day. As for race tickets, well that depends on your budget??? There's a ticket booth behind the front straight at the start/finish line. Section K grandstand offers the best view of the track and that amazing harbour... There is always a few scalpers from England who hang around that booth selling tickets for much much less. The tickets for K section were gonna be 600 Euro for the 3 days at the ticket booth I bought them for 350 from the scalpers, can't remember the guys name, but he gets tickets to all the races for much cheaper... You could go on the hill like Dinky suggested, there's a famous English guy there with a megaphone who gives plenty of greif to the drivers as they leave the paddock to go pitlane. The hill is usually full by mid morning with all the people who have come down on the train just for race day. Sure section K is expensive, but this is Monaco! I came all the way from Australia, it's every fans dream to go there to see the race! For me, i wasn't gonna go all that way and do it by halfs! I wanted to sit near tabac, with the harbour in view.. That's what we've grown up with on the telly. Hey, a can of coke costs 5 Euro in Monaco! With section K, you have tabac to your left, and the swimming pool to your right. The surreal thing is that right opposite you there are yachts with beautiful women in bikini's sitting in a spa, with drink in hand. Talk about 2 sides of a fence!
After the race, a band plays at the Rascasse.. I walked up to the palace to kill the time. (like Dinky says, the rush hour back to Nice is crazy, better off soak up your experience before you leave.) From up at the palace you could hear that band echoeing all over the harbour..
Monaco really is a place like no other!
After the race, a band plays at the Rascasse.. I walked up to the palace to kill the time. (like Dinky says, the rush hour back to Nice is crazy, better off soak up your experience before you leave.) From up at the palace you could hear that band echoeing all over the harbour..
Monaco really is a place like no other!
#9
kos
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Posted 10 April 2009 - 19:25
I went there last year, stayed in Nice and used train to go to Monaco and Cannes.
I rented a flat in Nice, it's cheaper than a hotel and you'll probably only need a place to sleep anyway, so better to spend extra money in Monaco than on Nice hotel ;)
For Thursday we had tickets for T1 (in front of pits), for Saturday and Sunday - Sector Rocher.
I'd say that I was very pleased with those tickets, if you have a good place at Rocher, you'll see almost half a circuit and there'll be a TV screen in front of you.
Just be sure to arrive early and check the train schedule changes. If you want a good seat at Rocher, you'll need to arrive before 8am on Sunday and before 10am on Saturday.
Don't forget to visit Cannes on Friday. You won't have a chance to see any film from Festival's programme if you don't book your tickets long before the event, but the atmosphere is just great and unbelivable.
Don't forget to walk the track - it opens approx. two hours after the last session and with some luck you can find pieces of cars' debris (I even have a piece of Kovalainen's wheel rim
). Just look behind the bariers.
After the race it is possible to get into team's pit boxes. The mechanics are great and you can talk to them eventhough they are very busy packing the cars after the race.
I suggest that you'll stay for at least couple of days after the race, because on the race weekend most museums in Monaco are closed. Prince Renier's collection of automobiles is jaw-dropping and oceanarium is great.
Will post some pics later.
Hope this helps
I rented a flat in Nice, it's cheaper than a hotel and you'll probably only need a place to sleep anyway, so better to spend extra money in Monaco than on Nice hotel ;)
For Thursday we had tickets for T1 (in front of pits), for Saturday and Sunday - Sector Rocher.
I'd say that I was very pleased with those tickets, if you have a good place at Rocher, you'll see almost half a circuit and there'll be a TV screen in front of you.
Just be sure to arrive early and check the train schedule changes. If you want a good seat at Rocher, you'll need to arrive before 8am on Sunday and before 10am on Saturday.
Don't forget to visit Cannes on Friday. You won't have a chance to see any film from Festival's programme if you don't book your tickets long before the event, but the atmosphere is just great and unbelivable.
Don't forget to walk the track - it opens approx. two hours after the last session and with some luck you can find pieces of cars' debris (I even have a piece of Kovalainen's wheel rim
). Just look behind the bariers. After the race it is possible to get into team's pit boxes. The mechanics are great and you can talk to them eventhough they are very busy packing the cars after the race.
I suggest that you'll stay for at least couple of days after the race, because on the race weekend most museums in Monaco are closed. Prince Renier's collection of automobiles is jaw-dropping and oceanarium is great.
Will post some pics later.
Hope this helps
#10
tlrlz82
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Posted 21 April 2009 - 00:45
i agree i loved monaco . what we did on saturday night we went out and at 1am went to the track and slept there overnight awesome spot . boring race but everything else is so cool . if ur there thursday night in monaco u even get fireworks over the harbour
#11
ProfPorter
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Posted 22 April 2009 - 12:15
I agree that Monaco is really special. We've watched from stand K, which takes in the circuit from the tunnel exit round to Piscine. You need to get a high seat tho', and as others have mentioned, you can buy tickets from the ACM website: http://www.formula1m...x.aspx?param=12
As another poster has said tho', it's not the most user friendly site in the world and isn't designed for use by all browsers. You could try phoning them as everyone in Monaco speaks English. There's also usually ticket booths as you exit the railway station if you're buying at the last minute.
The stands can be a bit damp if it's raining like last year, but there are lots of ways to watch the race in Monaco. You could go for more of a Monaco experience by booking in one of the SBM places like the Cafe de Paris, or the Hotel de Paris - they'll throw in food as well usually, but check where the viewing position is - for instance at the Cafe de Paris, you may be either on the roof terrace, where you'll see plenty of action around Casino Square and towards Mirabeau, or on the pavement terrace, which is more restricted as you're lower. All the hotels and restaurants around the circuit have deals that include food, drink and the race.
A final suggestion is to try one of the agencies that usually do hospitality deals in private apartments. We also tried this one year for the historic GP. It was a good view and we had as much food and drink as we wanted. The people we used were: http://www.monaco-terrace.com but there are lots more.
Also, if you're really trying to cut costs, there's a motorhome parking that they set up in the next town along, and a couple of campsites in the area. Send me a message if you're interested. If you're using the train, set off earlier than you think you need to and as others have suggested, hang around after the race to avoid the crush. There are plenty of places to have a beer - there's even a micro-brewery in Monaco now - and the atmosphere after the race is fantastic. There really isn't any other F1 race that gives you a whole weekend experience like you get in Monaco.
As another poster has said tho', it's not the most user friendly site in the world and isn't designed for use by all browsers. You could try phoning them as everyone in Monaco speaks English. There's also usually ticket booths as you exit the railway station if you're buying at the last minute.
The stands can be a bit damp if it's raining like last year, but there are lots of ways to watch the race in Monaco. You could go for more of a Monaco experience by booking in one of the SBM places like the Cafe de Paris, or the Hotel de Paris - they'll throw in food as well usually, but check where the viewing position is - for instance at the Cafe de Paris, you may be either on the roof terrace, where you'll see plenty of action around Casino Square and towards Mirabeau, or on the pavement terrace, which is more restricted as you're lower. All the hotels and restaurants around the circuit have deals that include food, drink and the race.
A final suggestion is to try one of the agencies that usually do hospitality deals in private apartments. We also tried this one year for the historic GP. It was a good view and we had as much food and drink as we wanted. The people we used were: http://www.monaco-terrace.com but there are lots more.
Also, if you're really trying to cut costs, there's a motorhome parking that they set up in the next town along, and a couple of campsites in the area. Send me a message if you're interested. If you're using the train, set off earlier than you think you need to and as others have suggested, hang around after the race to avoid the crush. There are plenty of places to have a beer - there's even a micro-brewery in Monaco now - and the atmosphere after the race is fantastic. There really isn't any other F1 race that gives you a whole weekend experience like you get in Monaco.
#12
potmotr
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Posted 06 May 2009 - 08:30
Thanks to all who have replied. All set to go, staying in Nice. Have swung cheap tickets too which is great. I'll post some photos upon my return!
#13
dinky
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Posted 15 May 2009 - 15:08
Excellent you've taken the plunge - enjoy!Thanks to all who have replied. All set to go, staying in Nice. Have swung cheap tickets too which is great. I'll post some photos upon my return!
Wish I was going again this year. If only they made ear plugs for a fetus.
#14
F1Annie
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Posted 17 May 2009 - 10:35
Wish I was going again this year. If only they made ear plugs for a fetus.
Many congratulations dinky & partner!
#15
Galka
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Posted 19 May 2009 - 18:35
Hi everyone!
I have two questions about Monaco GP (I'm going there this week
)
1) Is it possible for a regular visitor to get to "that corner" with palms that is usually occupied by photographers, or do I need a special ticket for that?
2) Rather stupid fangirl question
- in which hotel are Ferrari drivers staying? I might try to catch them for an autograph.
I have two questions about Monaco GP (I'm going there this week
)1) Is it possible for a regular visitor to get to "that corner" with palms that is usually occupied by photographers, or do I need a special ticket for that?
2) Rather stupid fangirl question
- in which hotel are Ferrari drivers staying? I might try to catch them for an autograph.
#16
NineOneSeven
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Posted 23 October 2009 - 13:05
This is a great thread.. I am thinking riding to Monaco 2010 on my Motorbike or classic sports car as it seems like it will add to the adventure.
Has anyone done this? Are there good places to stash the bike or Car? Hopefully a Monaco hotel or just outside.
Or should I just take the train to make it simpler?
Has anyone done this? Are there good places to stash the bike or Car? Hopefully a Monaco hotel or just outside.
Or should I just take the train to make it simpler?
#17
potmotr
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Posted 30 December 2009 - 11:36
This is a great thread.. I am thinking riding to Monaco 2010 on my Motorbike or classic sports car as it seems like it will add to the adventure.
Has anyone done this? Are there good places to stash the bike or Car? Hopefully a Monaco hotel or just outside.
Or should I just take the train to make it simpler?
You could stay in Monaco, but you'd probably have to sell your bike first to afford it!
Stay in Nice instead. It is only 20 minutes down the line from Monaco with a really cheap and quick train service.
I guess you could ride up and park your bike, but I'm not sure where.
I do know traffic in Monaco is a nightmare and the cops are numerous and very efficient so you'd have to make sure you don't get ticketed or towed.
#18
wlbfrm
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Posted 05 January 2012 - 19:52
This is a great thread.. I am thinking riding to Monaco 2010 on my Motorbike or classic sports car as it seems like it will add to the adventure.
Has anyone done this? Are there good places to stash the bike or Car? Hopefully a Monaco hotel or just outside.
Or should I just take the train to make it simpler?
Hi
Did you take your bike and how was getting to the track, anywhere to leave it? I am thinking of taking my bike this year!
#19
clipper
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Posted 20 January 2012 - 07:29
Hi
Did you take your bike and how was getting to the track, anywhere to leave it? I am thinking of taking my bike this year!
just to add to the advice, back in 2010 I went with my mate, and we caught the bus to monaco from Nice, and caught the train back into Nice on the 3 days. Bus ride was 1 Euro and around 40 minutes drive. You get to see the coastline.
Tickets wise there is are scalpers everywhere, and even people trying to sell package deals of watching from an apartment with food and drink. I initially thought to buy tickets online in advance (I don't like to leave anything to chance), but all worked out great getting good seats for both saturday (section P) and sunday (Section M). Sunday ticket was purchased through the same guy the saturday ticket 2 hours before the race.
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#20
Louis Mr. F1
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Posted 07 March 2012 - 18:46
Hello
does anyone know if I can actually drive on the circuit on the Friday of the GP weekend when they have an off day?
does anyone know if I can actually drive on the circuit on the Friday of the GP weekend when they have an off day?
