My wife and I are planning to attend Monterey Car week in June, getting there on Wednesday the 22nd and staying through Sunday. Looking for help with must do’s, where to stay without breaking the bank (if possible), and recommended mode of transportation once in the area (rent a car, Uber, etc.) Thanks.
+ to the Quail. Ticket prices are pretty absurd (I think $600?) but IMO, the selection of cars is unmatched anywhere. I had a better time there than Pebble Beach. Lodging will be the biggest challenge. We stayed at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands which was absolute magic and would recommend but I doubt they have much availability...and won't be cheap! The thing that struck me most about Monterey Car Week is that great cars are EVERYWHERE. Every street is awash with them. You get to the point where you don't really bat an eye at say a 458. So even if you don't hit all the events you will still see plenty of great stuff out and about.
I experienced Pebble Beach for the first time last year and I loved it. I'm going back again this year again. Hotels - I literally only slept in my room, and that was it, so I went cheap and stayed at a national chain motel. Still, my room was over $400 a night so expect to pay at least double that for a good hotel. I was alone on the trip so I would imagine you will want a nice place with your wife. Just go to Orbitz and look up hotels that week. There are lots of options but they all charge a lot that week (even cheap motels). Shows - The tops are the Quail, Concourse Italiano and of course Pebble on Sunday. There are many other gatherings and shows that are all great. As was earlier mentioned, there are amazing cars everywhere. Do a simple google search on Pebble Beach week and you'll see all that's going on. I also recommend you arrive very early (around 5:30 or 6:00) at the entrance of the Pebble Beach show field for Dawn Patrol. It's an amazing experience watching the show cars arrive on the fairway. Getting Around - I actually rented a car. When I went to pick up the car at the desk I realized that I had forgotten my drivers license (I used my passport to board my plane). Needless to say, they would not rent me a car. I quickly realized how thankful I was not to waste my money on a rental car. Parking is a nightmare. I used Uber everywhere with no issues at all. If I had the rental it would have stayed at my motel the whole time. I'll be presenting my 1989 Ferrari 328 GTB at the Quail. Please come by and say hello. Enjoy.
This is great information guys! I looked online and the Quail is sold out except for the $2,300 tickets. Not sure I'm ready to spend that times two. I think I'm going to try the wait list and see what happens. Thanks for the help! Joe