Monaco 2013 - advice please
Discussion
I've got a big birthday next year and would like to treat myself to a trip to Monaco.
This would be my first F1 experience unless i get to Monza in September.
I am of the opinion that staying in Monte Carlo would make it far more special - and expensive. I don't have a huge budget for this, and it seems nigh on impossible trying to bring each piece of the puzzle together on my own. Zero hotel availability is the biggest issue - i'm guessing they never really have rooms available and sell them through packages / brokers etc most of the time, or they are booked out far in advance by large corporations and teams etc.
So, who or how should i book? Is Monte Carlo worth the extra expense? I'm not expecting it to be cheap once i get there, i am fine with that, but i want to try and get myself there and a grandstand seat if possible without blowing mega bucks.... or are there better suggestions? I was told grandstand K is what i am after.
I'd like to see the qually and the Sunday.. not too fussed on the practises.
Your advice would be great - who, how, where, how much etc? I want it booked asap really. Thursday til Monday probably.
Is £1.5-2k per person realistic?
This would be my first F1 experience unless i get to Monza in September.
I am of the opinion that staying in Monte Carlo would make it far more special - and expensive. I don't have a huge budget for this, and it seems nigh on impossible trying to bring each piece of the puzzle together on my own. Zero hotel availability is the biggest issue - i'm guessing they never really have rooms available and sell them through packages / brokers etc most of the time, or they are booked out far in advance by large corporations and teams etc.
So, who or how should i book? Is Monte Carlo worth the extra expense? I'm not expecting it to be cheap once i get there, i am fine with that, but i want to try and get myself there and a grandstand seat if possible without blowing mega bucks.... or are there better suggestions? I was told grandstand K is what i am after.
I'd like to see the qually and the Sunday.. not too fussed on the practises.
Your advice would be great - who, how, where, how much etc? I want it booked asap really. Thursday til Monday probably.
Is £1.5-2k per person realistic?
Chucklehead said:
I've got a bog birthday next year and would like to treat myself to a trip to Monaco.
This would be my first F1 experience unless i get to Monza in September.
I am of the opinion that staying in Monte Carlo would make it far more special - and expensive. I don't have a huge budget for this, and it seems nigh on impossible trying to bring each piece of the puzzle together on my own. Zero hotel availability is the biggest issue - i'm guessing they never really have rooms available and sell them through packages / brokers etc most of the time, or they are booked out far in advance by large corporations and teams etc.
So, who or how should i book? Is Monte Carlo worth the extra expense? I'm not expecting it to be cheap once i get there, i am fine with that, but i want to try and get myself there and a grandstand seat if possible without blowing mega bucks.... or are there better suggestions? I was told grandstand K is what i am after.
I'd like to see the qually and the Sunday.. not too fussed on the practises.
Your advice would be great - who, how, where, how much etc? I want it booked asap really. Thursday til Monday probably.
Is £1.5-2k per person realistic?
that budget should be fine, if you want to really feel like a pauper. It's a shame but it's true..This would be my first F1 experience unless i get to Monza in September.
I am of the opinion that staying in Monte Carlo would make it far more special - and expensive. I don't have a huge budget for this, and it seems nigh on impossible trying to bring each piece of the puzzle together on my own. Zero hotel availability is the biggest issue - i'm guessing they never really have rooms available and sell them through packages / brokers etc most of the time, or they are booked out far in advance by large corporations and teams etc.
So, who or how should i book? Is Monte Carlo worth the extra expense? I'm not expecting it to be cheap once i get there, i am fine with that, but i want to try and get myself there and a grandstand seat if possible without blowing mega bucks.... or are there better suggestions? I was told grandstand K is what i am after.
I'd like to see the qually and the Sunday.. not too fussed on the practises.
Your advice would be great - who, how, where, how much etc? I want it booked asap really. Thursday til Monday probably.
Is £1.5-2k per person realistic?
Look at staying just outside, maybe Nice, and scooter in.
Just make sure you check the prices of things like beer if you're on a budget. Some places can be hideously pricey even when not GP weekend.
It's an expensive place, GP time they just make it more expensive.
Personally I'd say go all out full on hospitality at Monza and skip Monaco.
For that budget you'd have a SUPERB time.
Monaco on a udget is, just that. And let's face it, they don't do 'budget' in Monaco do they?
Needa308GT4 said:
Look at staying just outside, maybe Nice, and scooter in.
Definitely the way to go! You could spend the week there for that budget - especially as you could get earlier and later flights to avoid the rush. Watch it all unfold and spend the spare cash in the casino so you can feel like a proper high roller 
If I go to monza I'll be going all out, it doesn't impact the budget for Monaco though.
I should say that I'm not looking for flights or transfers in that budget, if that helps? Or will I still be in the basement of an ibis somewhere and drinking ditch water at at budget.
I can go higher, but it'll impact what I plan to do before Monaco.
Can anyone help with examples? How can I sort a hotel? And if not Monte Carlo, where?
I should say that I'm not looking for flights or transfers in that budget, if that helps? Or will I still be in the basement of an ibis somewhere and drinking ditch water at at budget.
I can go higher, but it'll impact what I plan to do before Monaco.
Can anyone help with examples? How can I sort a hotel? And if not Monte Carlo, where?
Renting a flat or a villa for a week will probably end up being cheaper than a hotel. Stay anywhere along the coast as far west as Cannes and take the train into and out of Monaco - it's a few euros each way. The most expensive grandstand tickets will be about €450 I think (pretty sure that's what I saw when I was there for the historics a few weeks ago). Grandstand T is the one I'd go for, as high up as possible (so you get some shade) and as far to the right as possible. Otherwise, look into how much one of the trackside restaurants or bars would be - they offer packages and some can be pretty good value.
There's not really a huge amount to explore in Monaco once the race is done, but there is a huge amount of stuff to do on the riviera, so you shouldn't be bored.
There's not really a huge amount to explore in Monaco once the race is done, but there is a huge amount of stuff to do on the riviera, so you shouldn't be bored.
Yep - take the train.
Wouldn't recommend scootering in - it's a hugely dangerous road and there's also a lot of bike theft going on.
Monaco is still the most amazing experience - though every year less and less of it is accessible to the general public. Saturday night in Monaco - Stars and Bars, Rascase, Tip Top bar - great atmosphere and if you can afford the 500euro tickets, then check out Amber Lounge and rub shoulders with some of the drivers (on sunday night)
Of course having a chunk of money does allow one to enjoy more of the delights but I've done it on a budget before and had the best times.
Wouldn't recommend scootering in - it's a hugely dangerous road and there's also a lot of bike theft going on.
Monaco is still the most amazing experience - though every year less and less of it is accessible to the general public. Saturday night in Monaco - Stars and Bars, Rascase, Tip Top bar - great atmosphere and if you can afford the 500euro tickets, then check out Amber Lounge and rub shoulders with some of the drivers (on sunday night)
Of course having a chunk of money does allow one to enjoy more of the delights but I've done it on a budget before and had the best times.
We stayed in a hotel in Nice and we probably managed the whole trip for less than your budget. I'd recommend hiring a car and getting out & about. Just finding somewhere to park without paying a lot (up to 20 euros) for overnight parking can be tough. Remember, they don't clamp, they will tow your car so watch for the signs. The Cannes film festival tends to finish the day before the GP, so worth having a wander around there too. For the Sunday, get the train, parking is impossible to find in Monaco. Scooter makes parking easier, but they are pretty unsafe. We got the train from Nice and apart from a queue to get on, it was a breeze, and cheap compared to UK prices. I think about 5 euros each.
Get decent seats and hang around after the race, have something to eat and then walk the track. I think the race finished about 4.30 this year and the track was due to open by 7. Not sure if it did though.
We brought the car back on the Monday and drove the track, you can't do that many other places.
Get decent seats and hang around after the race, have something to eat and then walk the track. I think the race finished about 4.30 this year and the track was due to open by 7. Not sure if it did though.
We brought the car back on the Monday and drove the track, you can't do that many other places.
Mrs T & I went in 2010. Set off first thing Friday, easyJet Liverpool to Nice; returned on the Tuesday (should have been Monday but Iceland volcano caused delays). Return flights total about £375 (though we ended up having to pay over £100 extra to change the flights after B. Ecclestone buggered things up by changing the dates of the Grand Prix weekend- an unprecedented move - after we'd booked everything).
Stayed in a small, budget hotel - the Hotel Rex - in centre of Nice: basic but comfortable, and perfect for the job. 243 Euros in total for 3 nights. Trams and buses in Nice are good value. For evening meals we ate in various restaurants in Nice: you get a wide choice, and prices we paid, including tips and wine, were between 55 and 65 Euros in total per evening.
For the racing itself, first we went on Saturday for the qually: sat up on Le Rocher, which has a fantastic atmosphere and worth the experience, though of course you are physically further away from the action than in a grandstand. Then for the race on Sunday we sat in grandstand K, on Tabac corner, which was excellent. Total cost of tickets over both days, 2 of us: £1048
. Race programme cost 10 Euros.
On both days, we took the train from Nice to Monaco: it is crowded, naturally, but they've got it superbly organized and there was no hassle at all, and it is good value (came to £23.46 for both days, both of us, return, bought online in advance) - and of course you get some great chats on the train with all the other like-minded and knowledgeable F1 enthusiasts.
For lunches at the circuit, we bought sandwiches from one of the many fast-fooderies around the circuit: very reasonable price, considering where we were (11 Euros for 2 sandwiches and cans of soft drinks).
Total cost for the whole trip, including the couple of days of sightseeing, and taking absolutely every item of expenditure into account, was just over £2100, but this included things like boarding fees for the cattery (40-odd quid), airport car-parking at Liverpool (about £25), travel insurance (about £50), divers liquid refreshment regularly, about £30 lost to a pickpocket in Nice, and of course that flights-change fiasco. Obviously you'd need to add a couple of years' worth of inflation to these 2010 costs.
My advice would be to just do it: it's a fabulous, memorable experience which will probably leave you wanting to do it again. But get things like hotel, race-tickets and flights booked early - but not until the dates for the event have been officially announced. And buy your lanyards for holding your tickets from eBay for a couple of quid instead of the 14 Euros we paid at the circuit. Other than feeling jealous of the people who had managed to wangle themselves some hospitality on a boat etc, we certainly didn't feel like paupers, and I do recommend the Le Rocher/Grandstand 2-day combo.
Cheers, Tony.
Stayed in a small, budget hotel - the Hotel Rex - in centre of Nice: basic but comfortable, and perfect for the job. 243 Euros in total for 3 nights. Trams and buses in Nice are good value. For evening meals we ate in various restaurants in Nice: you get a wide choice, and prices we paid, including tips and wine, were between 55 and 65 Euros in total per evening.
For the racing itself, first we went on Saturday for the qually: sat up on Le Rocher, which has a fantastic atmosphere and worth the experience, though of course you are physically further away from the action than in a grandstand. Then for the race on Sunday we sat in grandstand K, on Tabac corner, which was excellent. Total cost of tickets over both days, 2 of us: £1048
. Race programme cost 10 Euros.On both days, we took the train from Nice to Monaco: it is crowded, naturally, but they've got it superbly organized and there was no hassle at all, and it is good value (came to £23.46 for both days, both of us, return, bought online in advance) - and of course you get some great chats on the train with all the other like-minded and knowledgeable F1 enthusiasts.
For lunches at the circuit, we bought sandwiches from one of the many fast-fooderies around the circuit: very reasonable price, considering where we were (11 Euros for 2 sandwiches and cans of soft drinks).
Total cost for the whole trip, including the couple of days of sightseeing, and taking absolutely every item of expenditure into account, was just over £2100, but this included things like boarding fees for the cattery (40-odd quid), airport car-parking at Liverpool (about £25), travel insurance (about £50), divers liquid refreshment regularly, about £30 lost to a pickpocket in Nice, and of course that flights-change fiasco. Obviously you'd need to add a couple of years' worth of inflation to these 2010 costs.
My advice would be to just do it: it's a fabulous, memorable experience which will probably leave you wanting to do it again. But get things like hotel, race-tickets and flights booked early - but not until the dates for the event have been officially announced. And buy your lanyards for holding your tickets from eBay for a couple of quid instead of the 14 Euros we paid at the circuit. Other than feeling jealous of the people who had managed to wangle themselves some hospitality on a boat etc, we certainly didn't feel like paupers, and I do recommend the Le Rocher/Grandstand 2-day combo.
Cheers, Tony.
Just got back from this year's race. Stayed in Sophia Antipolis which is just West of Nice and got a taxi / train for Qually and the Race. 4* hotel with pool etc was about £80 per night iirc, booked last November.
Race day tickets were £400ish for a decent grandstand and qually £200ish to watch from a private balcony. Beers were pricey around the circuit but not too bad, your budget of £1500 should easily be enough to have a good time.
Ben
Race day tickets were £400ish for a decent grandstand and qually £200ish to watch from a private balcony. Beers were pricey around the circuit but not too bad, your budget of £1500 should easily be enough to have a good time.
Ben
Went in 2009, paid approx £600 (2people) for 5 nights staying at http://www.hotel-villa-vauban.hotels-villefranche-... travelled into Monaco by bus or train, distance of 5 miles & cheap as chips, gp tickets from http://www.acm.mc/home.php?lg=en opted for general admission on Thursday & Saturday & hospitality at a trackside restaurant for the Sunday, travelled back to the hotel for a quick change on the Saturday & Sunday nights then back on the train to party at La Rascasse, a fantastic experience and achieved well within your suggested budget 
Interesting thread as I was planning a trip to Monaco next year. I'll be going with my son who will be 10 by then so I'd like to know we've got some seats rather than just chancing we'll see anything or spend all afternoon with him on my shoulders!
Can anyone recommend a couple of choices of where to sit please?
Can anyone recommend a couple of choices of where to sit please?
try this place :
http://www.fianceedupirate.com/uk/index.php
its in Villefranche, a short drive back to Monaco, was clean, rates were reasonable,breakfast was good though they don't publish rates for the GP, you have to contact them.
We used this as a base for the South France leg of a European trip, proved to be a v good trip.
Good luck whatever you decide, I got a trip to the Montreal GP as a 40th birthday present, it was fantastic, but I may try and squeeze in Monaco soon though, its just up there as one of the ones I have to get to.
http://www.fianceedupirate.com/uk/index.php
its in Villefranche, a short drive back to Monaco, was clean, rates were reasonable,breakfast was good though they don't publish rates for the GP, you have to contact them.
We used this as a base for the South France leg of a European trip, proved to be a v good trip.
Good luck whatever you decide, I got a trip to the Montreal GP as a 40th birthday present, it was fantastic, but I may try and squeeze in Monaco soon though, its just up there as one of the ones I have to get to.
I'm going next year too. This is my first ever F1 GP.
I booked a Villa for 2 weeks in Nice, with the GP weekend smack bang in the middle of the 2 weeks.
BookF1 have been great to me, organising me some aisle seats in the top part of grandstand K (£1,200 for 3 of us) which leads me onto my next question.
I have cerebral palsy and struggle to walk any distances really, especially if its hot. I know the trains will be crowded and the roads gridlocked.
I've emailed Rail Europe about guaranteed seats on the train, but they say its first come, first served, and it seems in France your only classed as disabled if your in a wheelchair
If I do get the train, How far is it to walk from the station, to grandstand K? I have also purchased a three wheeler fold up bike off ebay, so was debating whether to take that, and cycle from the station to the grandstand, and then lock it up at the grandstands.
Any help from anyone who has been and can shed any light on walking distances and best ways to get there would be very much appreciated, as i'm a little worried that the walking distances might ruin the day for me
I booked a Villa for 2 weeks in Nice, with the GP weekend smack bang in the middle of the 2 weeks.
BookF1 have been great to me, organising me some aisle seats in the top part of grandstand K (£1,200 for 3 of us) which leads me onto my next question.
I have cerebral palsy and struggle to walk any distances really, especially if its hot. I know the trains will be crowded and the roads gridlocked.
I've emailed Rail Europe about guaranteed seats on the train, but they say its first come, first served, and it seems in France your only classed as disabled if your in a wheelchair
If I do get the train, How far is it to walk from the station, to grandstand K? I have also purchased a three wheeler fold up bike off ebay, so was debating whether to take that, and cycle from the station to the grandstand, and then lock it up at the grandstands.
Any help from anyone who has been and can shed any light on walking distances and best ways to get there would be very much appreciated, as i'm a little worried that the walking distances might ruin the day for me
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