Has anyone attended the Monaco Grand Prix? Any advice welcome.

WE stayed 3 nights in Monte Carlo with a hotel room right above the yacht basin which provided marvelous views of the race. It was not inexpensive but worth it for us. There is enough to see and do in addition to the race to keep you occupied. We enjoyed watching the elites enter the casino and park their Maserati, Ferrari, and Bugattis in front of the casino. You can always travel to Nice but keep your home base in Monte Carlo. Good luck finding a hotel but maybe you can start now and get a nice view.

Thanks George. I already booked hotel in Nice. Many Monaco hotels already sold out.

Attended in 2007, as part of a cruise. We were supposed to be at anchor off Monaco for Friday through Monday, but the weather turned and the ship went back to dock in Nice harbor on Saturday. We decided to take the train back to Nice after the race on Sunday. The train station and trains were absurdly packed, just masses of people. We finally got on a train and made it back, but it took a while. I would imagine the buses would be equally crowded, so be prepared for that. But, seeing the race and the other festivities was great!

Thanks Eric. I thought that would be the case. We will be prepared.

It's easy to use the ticket-vending machines at the Nice Ville trains station to get the rail tickets to Monaco and back, but I sometimes had to wait in line for the machines in the morning. Therefore, I highly recommend buying your tickets the day before so you can just show up at the station 5 or 10 minutes before departure. The trains won't sell out (they're regionals without assigned seats), but it's true they might be crowded.

Even when the Grand Prix isn't going on, there are pickpockets working the regional trains. Guard your possessions carefully. This would be a good time to use a money belt, neck wallet or something like that.

I've done almost exactly the trip you're doing. Taking the train in and out on race day is very easy. I concur with the person who suggested getting your train tickets the day before. Not crucial, but it will make life easier and less stressful. After the race, there's often a long line for the trains but it moves quickly.

A super fun day!

Thank you for all the great advice. We will buy tickets a day before.

We stayed in Nice during the Gran Prix and the Cannes Film festival, totally ignorant of those two events going on. Nice was packed and it was difficult to get into restaurants. Be prepared for crowds wherever you go in Nice and make reservations well in advance.