Make your F1 Italian Grand Prix trip perfect - tips from a seasoned traveller
We put our newest F1 travel consultant Alex in the shoes of an Altitude Luxury Travel guest to experience her first Italian Grand Prix. Here’s her story.
I took a rainy but unforgettable trip to the Formula One Italian Grand Prix in September, and I’m here to share my tips on how to make your F1 weekend at Monza just as good.
The Italian Grand Prix is a big one. For Ferrari fans it’s a home race, especially since you can easily include a visit to the Museo Ferrari in nearby Maranello - more on that later. It’s also a great trip to make with partners and friends, as you’ll make the wonderful city of Milan your base.
It’s usually a sunny F1 weekend, and even though it threw it down in Milan on my trip, the circuit ay Monza stayed fairly dry.
But even if you don’t get the weather, you can always count on beautiful sights, people and racing. Here are my highlights, which you can use to help plan your own Italian Grand Prix itinerary.
I took a rainy but unforgettable trip to the Formula One Italian Grand Prix in September, and I’m here to share my tips on how to make your F1 weekend at Monza just as good.
The Italian Grand Prix is a big one. For Ferrari fans it’s a home race, especially since you can easily include a visit to the Museo Ferrari in nearby Maranello - more on that later. It’s also a great trip to make with partners and friends, as you’ll make the wonderful city of Milan your base.
It’s usually a sunny F1 weekend, and even though it threw it down in Milan on my trip, the circuit ay Monza stayed fairly dry.
But even if you don’t get the weather, you can always count on beautiful sights, people and racing. Here are my highlights, which you can use to help plan your own Italian Grand Prix itinerary.
Getting there
I arrived on the Thursday, and found it very easy to get from the airport to the city by train.
With an Altitude Luxury Travel package, you’ll also be able to call on our drivers to transfer you from the station to your hotel, out to dinner in the evenings, and of course to the circuit and back.
Our drivers’ local road knowledge came in very handy when getting to and from the circuit. With sneaky routes through the town of Monza and by the heliport, we avoided traffic jams and did these journeys much faster.
I arrived on the Thursday, and found it very easy to get from the airport to the city by train.
With an Altitude Luxury Travel package, you’ll also be able to call on our drivers to transfer you from the station to your hotel, out to dinner in the evenings, and of course to the circuit and back.
Our drivers’ local road knowledge came in very handy when getting to and from the circuit. With sneaky routes through the town of Monza and by the heliport, we avoided traffic jams and did these journeys much faster.
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Where to stay
I visited four hotels during my visit, all of which I can highly recommend.
I spent my first night at the Hilton Milan. It’s in a great spot, close to both the train station and the metro train service (which is good for getting around town). It also has a beautiful hotel lobby, which is a great place to meet and drink with your fellow F1 fans. The lobby stays busy until around 2am, and has the perfect atmosphere for getting into the racing spirit.
For the rest of my stay I was in the NYX hotel, just around the corner from the Hilton. My room was like a suite, it was huge. It’s a modern hotel with a New York pop art style to it, and another great bar which spills out onto a garden in the centre of the hotel - perfect if you have a sunny evening.
I also visited the Armani Hotel and the Palazzi Parigi, two jaw-dropping 5-star hotels for those who want the highest luxury. I was particularly impressed by the Palazzo Parigi’s beautifully lit waterfall and floral displays. It really is a stunning hotel.
I visited four hotels during my visit, all of which I can highly recommend.
I spent my first night at the Hilton Milan. It’s in a great spot, close to both the train station and the metro train service (which is good for getting around town). It also has a beautiful hotel lobby, which is a great place to meet and drink with your fellow F1 fans. The lobby stays busy until around 2am, and has the perfect atmosphere for getting into the racing spirit.
For the rest of my stay I was in the NYX hotel, just around the corner from the Hilton. My room was like a suite, it was huge. It’s a modern hotel with a New York pop art style to it, and another great bar which spills out onto a garden in the centre of the hotel - perfect if you have a sunny evening.
I also visited the Armani Hotel and the Palazzi Parigi, two jaw-dropping 5-star hotels for those who want the highest luxury. I was particularly impressed by the Palazzo Parigi’s beautifully lit waterfall and floral displays. It really is a stunning hotel.
Where to sit
On Fridays at the Italian Grand Prix, a full weekend ticket gives you license to sit in any available grandstand seat. I used this privilege to research the best places to sit - here’s what I found.
Grandstand 21 at the Parabolica - This row of five stands (A to E) runs along the straight that enters the famous Parabolica corner. Stand A is closest to the corner itself, and that’s where you want to be. You’ll hear the cars screaming up to the hairpin, and see a lot of overtaking attempts. There are TV screens for following the action, and food and drink stands nearby.
Pit grandstands - My next grandstand was in front of the pit lane, which is great for watching the race build-up and spotting celebs. Here you’ll see the grid parade, and I spotted the Sky Sports and Channel 4 crews in action. They were filming a Heineken promo too. The F1 Village is also just behind these stands, so there’s lots going on all day.
Grandstands 6 and 8 - These seats by Monza’s first chicane are the best place to see overtaking and the most thrilling action. It’s where Marcus Ericsson hit a wall and flipped his car multiple times (reaching 28G) in 2018, after his DRS flap failed to come down - thankfully he walked away unharmed. Even Lewis was struggling to control his car here.
Ascari 12 - This is where my actual seat was. It’s close to the tricky Ascari complex of corners, which is at the end of a downhill slope and provides a real challenge to drivers. Plenty of TV screens around these stands help you follow all the action.
On Fridays at the Italian Grand Prix, a full weekend ticket gives you license to sit in any available grandstand seat. I used this privilege to research the best places to sit - here’s what I found.
Grandstand 21 at the Parabolica - This row of five stands (A to E) runs along the straight that enters the famous Parabolica corner. Stand A is closest to the corner itself, and that’s where you want to be. You’ll hear the cars screaming up to the hairpin, and see a lot of overtaking attempts. There are TV screens for following the action, and food and drink stands nearby.
Pit grandstands - My next grandstand was in front of the pit lane, which is great for watching the race build-up and spotting celebs. Here you’ll see the grid parade, and I spotted the Sky Sports and Channel 4 crews in action. They were filming a Heineken promo too. The F1 Village is also just behind these stands, so there’s lots going on all day.
Grandstands 6 and 8 - These seats by Monza’s first chicane are the best place to see overtaking and the most thrilling action. It’s where Marcus Ericsson hit a wall and flipped his car multiple times (reaching 28G) in 2018, after his DRS flap failed to come down - thankfully he walked away unharmed. Even Lewis was struggling to control his car here.
Ascari 12 - This is where my actual seat was. It’s close to the tricky Ascari complex of corners, which is at the end of a downhill slope and provides a real challenge to drivers. Plenty of TV screens around these stands help you follow all the action.
A free glimpse inside the F1 paddock
Making your way around the circuit on foot isn’t all that easy. There are lots of trees, which seem to line the pathways, but following them can often lead you astray. It’s a good idea to keep a map of the circuit with you.
One great thing about the layout at Monza, though, is the location of the F1 paddock. It’s right in the middle of the track, and you’ll often need to walk around the edge of it to get from one side to the other. You can see right into the support paddock - which is rare without a Paddock Club ticket - and spot a lot of drivers.
The paddock is actually where F1 drivers past and present park their own vehicles, and I spotted Kevin Magnussen, Mika Hakkinen, Nico Rosberg and others. They were driving mopeds (in true Italian style), mini electric Hummers, and Valtteri Bottas was in a Mercedes G-Class. Security wasn’t too aggressive, and many of the drivers were happy to stop for photos. I also got a wave from Kimi!
Making your way around the circuit on foot isn’t all that easy. There are lots of trees, which seem to line the pathways, but following them can often lead you astray. It’s a good idea to keep a map of the circuit with you.
One great thing about the layout at Monza, though, is the location of the F1 paddock. It’s right in the middle of the track, and you’ll often need to walk around the edge of it to get from one side to the other. You can see right into the support paddock - which is rare without a Paddock Club ticket - and spot a lot of drivers.
The paddock is actually where F1 drivers past and present park their own vehicles, and I spotted Kevin Magnussen, Mika Hakkinen, Nico Rosberg and others. They were driving mopeds (in true Italian style), mini electric Hummers, and Valtteri Bottas was in a Mercedes G-Class. Security wasn’t too aggressive, and many of the drivers were happy to stop for photos. I also got a wave from Kimi!
Food and drink
If you love Italian food, Milan has plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from. The Altitude Luxury Travel team recommends Convivium for fine dining and a lovely atmosphere. I really enjoyed L'Antro della Sibilla, which has superb pizza at reasonable prices.
Don’t expect great food and drink at the circuit itself, though, unless you book a hospitality package. Burgers and hotdogs were the order of the day, and prices weren’t great.
Visit the Ferrari Museum at Marinello and see… Spitfires?
I couldn’t go to the Italian Grand Prix without visiting the incredible Ferrari Museum on the way home. Is this place worth a 2-hour drive from Monza? Yes, it certainly is - and since you can fly home from nearby Bologna, there’s no need to drive back to Milan.
This is one fantastic Ferrari experience. It’s much more than a tour around historic vehicles. There are 8 running cars from different Ferrari eras, including Schumacher’s. Enzo’s own personal cars are on display - all of which are bigger, 4-door vehicles, because he apparently loved to drive with celebrities.. There are Spitfire rides, since the Spitfire is what inspired Ferrari’s prancing horse symbol. You can even drive a Ferrari around Marinello.
It was the perfect end to an incredible trip. If you’d like more independent advice on how to make the most of Monza, feel free to contact me.
If you love Italian food, Milan has plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from. The Altitude Luxury Travel team recommends Convivium for fine dining and a lovely atmosphere. I really enjoyed L'Antro della Sibilla, which has superb pizza at reasonable prices.
Don’t expect great food and drink at the circuit itself, though, unless you book a hospitality package. Burgers and hotdogs were the order of the day, and prices weren’t great.
Visit the Ferrari Museum at Marinello and see… Spitfires?
I couldn’t go to the Italian Grand Prix without visiting the incredible Ferrari Museum on the way home. Is this place worth a 2-hour drive from Monza? Yes, it certainly is - and since you can fly home from nearby Bologna, there’s no need to drive back to Milan.
This is one fantastic Ferrari experience. It’s much more than a tour around historic vehicles. There are 8 running cars from different Ferrari eras, including Schumacher’s. Enzo’s own personal cars are on display - all of which are bigger, 4-door vehicles, because he apparently loved to drive with celebrities.. There are Spitfire rides, since the Spitfire is what inspired Ferrari’s prancing horse symbol. You can even drive a Ferrari around Marinello.
It was the perfect end to an incredible trip. If you’d like more independent advice on how to make the most of Monza, feel free to contact me.
