Monza Virgin! Any advice??

[sidewaysdave]

Hi Folks, a new face on the forum but I am an old hand to the classified section of this site, much to the detriment of my bank balance!

I am heading to Monza for the GP this year and I have a hotel booked in the city and was going to hire a car to get from the circuit and back.

This is my first GP and my first time in Milan so any advice would be great! I was wondering if there are more efficient ways of getting about during race weekend!

I want to get the best out the trip so any tips would be great!

Regards

Dave

[jamieboy]

sidewaysdave said:

I have a hotel booked in the city and was going to hire a car to get from the circuit and back.

I'd avoid that if you can - from what little I saw of the roads when I went (2005) it looked a nightmare.

There is (or was) a free train service from Milan right out to the circuit, that's what we used.

[BoRED S2upid]

Can't help im afraid, all we saw of Milan was when we got lost trying to find the circuit and camping. I do recall its not far outside Milan though so should be a short train / bus ride.

Great GP to pick, I just hope the Ferraris aren't way down the grid. A Ferrari winning at Monza is a party to behold.

[Lord Croker]

Don't even think about driving, the place is a madhouse! You can get a free train from the main station, but leave lots of time as they fill up very quickly and travel at about 10mph due to them being overcrowded. I'd suggest you plan on getting to the station before 0900.

While you're in Milan I'd recommend the Brera area for a night out, there are some good bars and restuarants with fewer tourists. Also it's worth checking out the old banked track at Monza, you might find a spot where you can climb up to it without the Carabinieri noticing

[Fiscracer]

Raced at Monza a couple of years ago. A few pointers:

Monza is a long way out of Milan - a bit like going to Brooklands from central London.

Traffic is a nightmare everywhere and we were there for a sportscar meeting not F1. FWIW we stayed at Hotel Borgo Lecco, Via Matteotti 2, Arcore. 20043 - about 4 miles away - it still took us 20-30mins to get to the paddock

The circuit is in the middle of a country park with limited access. Monza itself is small and access to the park is through narrow streets.

If going by car I'd recommend taking a bike as you can cycle around inside the circuit. Access to most corners from the infield is difficult so I'd strongly recommend getting tickets in a stand.

It is a very quick circuit so unless you just want to see a blur I'd recommend one of the two slow corners - first chicane or Ascari

Hope this helps

R

[discodaz]

Hello

Im currently living in Milan and would echo the 'dont bother with the car'

The public transport is really cheap and frequent, but do get there early as it is GP weekend.

I was going to go to Monza on a weekend off but its shut for August so I cant tell you how long the train will take from the centre.

Have fun!

[Lord Croker]

That reminds me - the train on race day takes about an hour as it goes so slowly, so like I said leave leave early.

[Porky]

Don't bother with a car. I hired one from the airport, drove to the hotel, parked it and drove it back to the airport at the end of the trip.

I stayed in the Michelangelo Hotel about 400 yards from the main station (Mussolini's ego statement building - worth a blast of photos on its own). Train is free on race day and there is a bus shuttle from Monza station to the park where the circuit is laid out. It's about a twenty minute walk to the circuit from the bus drop-off point.

On the way back, we found a tunnel under the Lesmo curves to a station from the which the trains take you straight back to Milan, again it's free and less crowded than the Monza station. No twenty minute walk back to the shuttle bus either. We were back in the hotel by 4:45pm - a right result!