On race weekend, getting to the track is an “it depends” discussion. At first, it depends what day you are heading to the track. And, it also depends if you are picking up your tickets at the track or if you already have tickets in your possession. My wife and I arrived into Milan on Friday morning and due to jet lag, we decided not to venture out to Monza until Saturday for qualifying. We also had to pick up our tickets.
The principle gates with respect to train transportation are Vedano and Lesmo. Vedano is located at the SE corner of the track and Lesmo is located on the NW corner of the track.
On Saturday, since I was picking up tickets, my immediate goal was to get to the ticket stands located at the Vedano gate. The Vedano gate is considered the “Main” entrance to Monza. If you already have race tickets, it is my understanding that the Saturday train also goes to the Lesmo station.
On Saturday, the best was to get to Vedano is to take the train from the Garibaldi train station in Milan. There are two primary train stations in Milan that serve as transfer points between the Metropoitana-Underground “subway” and the regional rail service. You will be taking the train from Garibaldi to Monza. My wife and I entered the “underground” subway a few stops away from Garibaldi at a station near our hotel. You purchase tickets at the news stands. You do not have to go to any ticket window. Trust me, purchase your tickets at the news stand. You can purchase both subway and train tickets at the new stand. If you are intending to make a round trip, you can buy tickets for both directions at the same time.
The subways can be disorienting, but if you have used a large subway system in New York City, London or Washington DC, it is really no different. Racing fans know that Formula 1 is a big deal, but don’t expect signs or attendants in these Milan stations. Pre-knowledge is key because you will be self-guiding yourself to the track. If you take the subway to Garibaldi on Saturday and you get off your train, the first thing you will want to know is where do I go? Remember that the Underground is literally under-the-ground and that in order to get to the big, regional trains you will need to go up. Exit up out of the subway and you will find yourself at the main Garibaldi plaza. Go inside the regional train station. At this point, I just let logic take over and we followed the throng of Ferrari lovers wearing red hats to the train. You are taking the train to Monza.
At the Monza train station (on Saturday) you are now heading to the shuttle buses that are waiting outside for you. There will be attendants waiting for you in the halls of the train station to sell you tickets.
The shuttle buses will take you on a 20 minute bus ride through the town and will drop you off in a field inside the Monza park. You will have a 1.5 mile walk to the Vedano gate. There I found the ticket booth and all was well. Bring your passport.
Don’t worry about the reverse trip back to Milan. Just reverse your path.
On Sunday, the journey to Monza is quite different. My wife and I were taking a train on Sunday evening from Milan to Modena. The Sunday train to the track leaves out of Centrale (not Garibaldi). Our evening train to Modena departed from Centrale. We took a taxi to Centrale race morning. The taxi drops you off at the front entrance. As you enter, to your right is a luggage deposit office to stow your luggage. On Sunday, there are special trains to the Monza Lesmo station which is one station past the Monza station. Look for Monza GP on the sign boards. There are attendants on the platform selling tickets. The Sunday train dropped us off at the Lesmo Gate located at the NW corner of the track. The Lesmo station is a short walk to the Lesmo gate.
On Sunday, it took 90 minutes to get from our hotel to our grandstand and 2 hours to get back to Centrale after the race. Written 9/9/2014.