Monaco Grand Prix 2016

Hang around the Casino to see cars you will never see anywhere else.

 

^^^what he said, plus....

Presumably you're an fan of F1 and this race in particular. If so, WALK THE ENTIRE TRACK. Remember the track is city streets so they have to open them after each day's practice/qualy/racing. I'll never forget standing on the hairpin or walking through the tunnel.

Cafe de Paris (right across from the Casino) for outdoor lunch. Check out all the beautiful people while there.

Take a water taxi to the race on Sunday. Much faster and more convenient than a car and you get to get up close to some amazing yachts.

Go up to where the Prince's castle is. You can tour the castle (it's ok) but there are some cool cafes up there and the view over the principality is awesome.

Check out the Ferrari store

Treat it like it's a once in a lifetime event

 

If you have an off day or two wander around the town (garden/palace/etc) and also check out Eze

 

If you search this topic in the F1 section you'll find a lot of info, some authored by me over the years. This May will be my 25th GP de Monaco, so I know the drill pretty well by now.
Holler if you have questions after reading through the early posts in the F1 section and I'll do my best. Bon voyage!

 

To me as an F-1 addict... the thought of Monaco is better than the real thing. Having been as a poor person and then been with the "jet set" ... jet set is better but its still not that great. Its great for socializing if you have a group to socalize with... otherwise its kind of a let down. Monaco ville is realy just a small sea port... overcrowded by the rest of europe. the snobbery is huge during the GP.... but again its fun if you have a group to go be snobby with.

Its basicaly packed to the brim, forget parking and walking into any restaurant with out reservations .. prices are not that bad but its just jammed to the gills. Cap Ferrat is great BTW... I like Cannes for dinner - lots of great little places - and its not as crazed as in Monaco. but if you must - Ducasse's place in the Hotel de Paris is a must....Louis XV... Yoshi, and Horizon deck are great places to eat - see and be seen... sounds like you have tickets - Rascase is cool..food sucks as does the service... but where else can you be surrounded by F-1 cars during lunch...

In Cannes - I like le Pot du vin, and le Park 45... are both great - 45 is a one Michelin star place so its $$$$...

Eze for food you can try Chever d'or and/ or Chateaux Eze... great view ... food is good ... Chevre is outstanding but $$$$$$$

 

I went to the 1998 Monaco race, still the only grand prix race I've ever been to. I travelled there from Moscow with a Welsh colleague and his wife, both McLaren fans (and teetotalers!). We went on the cheap, which meant staying in Nice and taking a tourist coach to Monaco. Hakkinen won the race of course, with Irvine coming third for Ferrari.

My most vivid memories are of the street cars in Monaco and around Cannes and St. Tropez. Most were nearly new at the time. There were two 355s with German plates (both red), a 550 (also red), a blue 456 (St. Tropez), two 348s (red berlinetta in St. Tropez, blue spyder somewhere near Nice) and, appropriately, a red F-50 crawling slowly along the beach road in Cannes. (Of course the race was not long after the film festival).

I had a great time, apart from drinking alone and seeing McLaren win the race. Our seats on race day were in the harbor and one very rich memory is the sound of the Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute" playing very loud on the PA system before the race. I've lost touch with the Welsh colleague and he has the photos, unfortunately.

It was a great time and I have vowed to go back, even to the point of making it an annual pilgrimage. Alas, something else has always intervened. I am planning to go back in 2017 with my wife and daughter or perhaps 2018 to make it a 20th anniversary drive around the south of France.

 

I proposed to my wife at the grand prix
We had dinner at Jimmy Z's
Ray charles was there that night, the roof opened up and fireworks went off
Senna and mansell raced that year
I spent hours at the loews tunnel just listening to the echo

So cool
Is jimmy z' s still there?

 

I would love to go sometime but I think that it would turn into a week of work as I can't pass up the chance to make an article about it.

 

Yes, it is.

 

I arrive on Wednesday, May 25 and leave for Paris on Monday, May 30.