Monaco F1 roadtrip

[Quickmoose]

I'm reading through these ( http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... ) for hints and tips but have also already done a bit of planning and would like some constructive feedback... a reality check if you will...

Tues 24th May -late night tunnel to Calais, bunk up in the F1 hotel
Wednesday - long drive to Sospel (campsite north of Monaco) - via Reims, and Grenoble... not Paris.
Thursday - mucking about in the French hills, D21, N85, Col Turni, maybe go to the beach.
Friday - check out the support races in Monte Carlo.
Saturday - St Tropez and back via some good beaches and the coast road.
Sunday - watch the race and afterwards head to Dalmine in Italy via Milan.
Monday - Dalmine - Stelvio, Chur, Andermatt, Furka, Klausen pass ending up in Lucerne
Tuesday - Lucerne to Calais via Black Forest.
Wednesday 1.22am tunnel back and in bed by 3am.

doable?

[BigBen]

A few things to note:

-Escaping from Monaco on race day is non trivial exercise so I wouldn't plan to get so far away that day.
-The Monday sounds like a lot of miles, don't underestimate the drag on average speeds that the passes will cause, worth it but could be a long day.

[Quickmoose]

I'm parking in Menton and getting the train to the track and back...that should help right?

[BigBen]

Quickmoose said:

I'm parking in Menton and getting the train to the track and back...that should help right?

I have only been once and went for a meal after the race, the train was absolutely rammed full even at 22:00 or so. I wondered at the time if driving would in fact be better as it seemed every other bugger was on the train.

[Quickmoose]

Hmmmm well I'm going on my own so I'll just have ram myself in eh...

[DangerDoom]

We've pulled a team together to do something similar this year. Similar plan but starting a day later.

Wednesday - late tunnel - drive south for about an hour and bunk up for the night.
Thursday - take the scenic route, including the D996, down to Grenoble.
Friday - drive through the Rhone Alps, the Route Napoleon, the roads around Castellane, etc... staying in Nice.
Saturday/Sunday - Quali and the race.
Monday - slog back home (did this last year and it wasn't too bad but we're in the SE).

Can report similar experience leaving Monaco and heading back towards Nice on Saturday night and Sunday night. We're thinking about the possibility of an Uber from the French/Monaco border. Not sure if it's any better heading towards Italy and I suppose if you leave it late enough you might have a better time driving.

Have you visited Monaco for the F1 before? I ask as the post-race party on Sunday is pretty spectacular.

Also. Are you confident about the conditions in the Swiss Alps for your return journey? A quick look here http://www.alpen-journal.de/alpenservice/alpenpaes... suggests that some of the passes will still be closed at the end of May. I think that it's often open to change as of course conditions may come your way. Depends how confident you are... Our return journey would definitely include the Andermatt loop otherwise.

Having looked at this before I've considered Monza to be an option as it's typically early September, you're less likely to have any issues with pass closures in the Alps, and I would hope, perhaps optimistically, that there'll be less traffic in the Alps too. Was there for an August weekend last year in an F-Type; lots of bikers, tourers, tourists, busses, etc...

[The Moose]

A slightly different option would be to drive West and take a ferry back to the UK from either Santander or Bilbao?

[Quickmoose]

My tunnel crossings are booked so the start and end points and times are set in stone.
I'm going to have to miss the after party sadly...
It was always more about the drive and hopefully the sun and sand, as opposed to the GP experience..

That Alpine pass website is very helpful!

[951TSE]

If you'e using the autoroutes in France and you're on your own you may want to consider a toll tag rather than all the hassle of being on the wrong side of the car for all the toll booths, assuming a RHD car of course.

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/

[don logan]

951TSE said:

If you'e using the autoroutes in France and you're on your own you may want to consider a toll tag rather than all the hassle of being on the wrong side of the car for all the toll booths, assuming a RHD car of course.

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/

This is without doubt the best piece if advice that you are going to get!

It will only work in France but even with a passenger it's a revelation!

At most Peages you just keep as far left as possible and choose the lane that has what look like height restrictions, these ones don't even make you come to a complete stop, the ones that don't have what look lime height restriction but accept the tag payment just require you to stop momentarily, just make sure you follow the (really simple) fitting instructions (it only sticks behind your rear view mirror)

You won't believe how long it can take a car without a tag to get through a toll on a busy day by comparison

The only other solution when you are alone in a RHD car without getting out and looking like a twit is to take a litter picker with you for pulling the ticket out with and a small fishing net for handing the money over with, this worked ok for me for years but the paper money can blow out on a windy day and you are still watching the cars with the tag disappear away from you!

The other thing is that the "after party" is partly what makes the ticket price justifiable, I think you MIGHT be underestimating it, it's not exactly a party but if you lurk at Stars n Bars pretty much all the drivers will walk past (all be it the other side of a wire fence) several times, there are more outside bars than there used to be that have terrible music blaring and people making fools of themselves which can be entertaining and there is the spectacle of Casino Square where you can watch La Ferrari owners casually hand their keys over to a valet parker without caring less!

That all might sound a bit vulgar and remote from racing but it is part of the MC GP and you are going to be there so you may as well experience ALL of it rather than be on your way to Dalmine!

I've done the GP maybe 14 times and done 14hr days in some fairly harsh cars, you might want to cut down some of your driving and enjoy a bit more time!

Bear in mind that the coast road from Monaco to St Tropez is amazing in places it also passes through towns which can take time, in particular the horseshoe from St Maxime to St Tropez can be a complete nightmare (I'm talking hours each way for a relatively short distance)

I don't know how much driving you have done in Europe but try not to go crazy on French motorways because they can actually impound your car if you've exceeded by too far and when you are travelling alone that brings a load of aggro!

Sun tan cream if you are roof down in the mountains, the air will be cool but the sun will be like a laser!

[anonymous-user]

I've always stayed in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and caught the train from there. While it is completely rammed I've never had a problem although I have had to wait for a few trains to go before I could get on

Driving the circuit on Saturday for the first time is rather special

[Allyc85]

Doable, but they are some very long days at the wheel. I would give myself an extra day or 2 to make it more enjoyable.

[Quickmoose]

951TSE said:

If you'e using the autoroutes in France and you're on your own you may want to consider a toll tag rather than all the hassle of being on the wrong side of the car for all the toll booths, assuming a RHD car of course.

https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/

yep, I got that a few weeks back.

Driven over here many times, first time alone though....

thanks for input peeps...