going to Monaco GP next year...suggestions?

Honestly, I would consider going to Spa or Monza instead as Monaco is a PITA for any but the VIP-est of VIPs. But if it has to be the Pocket-Size Police State GP, then get a hotel or nice AirBnB outside the principality in a location that allows you to take a short train ride into Monaco each day. A lot of the journalists do this. For viewing, I'd recommend stand B (Casino Square and easily the best for qualifying) or stand V (Anthony Noghes, the last corner, which is also handy for the train station). And be prepared for the most obnoxious cops of any F1 race.

 

I echo Peter.

If it has to be a grandstand ticket get one at Swimming Pool complex (M N O P stands). The speed these cars carry through Swimming pool 1 (the left right) is one of the most impressive things you'll ever see.

 

Next May will be my 28th year in a row at the GP de MC, so PM me if you have specific questions and I'll get back to you when time permits, but here's a quick summary reply:
Hotels: Almost all rooms in town are booked year-to-year by the teams for their personnel (or by people like me who have a standing relationship with a hotel), and are much pricier than usual during race week. All require a minimum stay- usually 3-5 days. Staying in town is vastly preferable to staying in Nice or elsewhere, as you get a first-hand look at how the atmosphere builds day-by-day as Sunday approaches. Having said all that, there are nearby French towns within walking distance, such as Beausoleil, Cap d'Ail, etc., but rooms there are rare and expensive too during this period.
Seats: I prefer a high row in the K grandstands, but I'd guess they're already filling up fast- bought my seats the day they went on sale a couple of months ago. The view from there is pretty panoramic, and if you're in a high enough row of K1, K2 K3 you can see from just after the exit of the tunnel down to the swimming pool complex. Caveat: the top 4 rows are now sold separately and command a premium price- about $1,400 each for a three-day ticket.

 

I was fortunate enough to go in 2009 and stay with my wife's cousin in his apartment 100m from Casino Square (where our tickets were). If you can stay in the town itself I would try to - or at least plan on staying late a few nights before heading home - as the feeling of walking around the track after the barriers are lifted is quite unique. The views into the pits for non-VIP ticket holders are especially good - when you stroll down there on Friday.

Remember Friday is a rest day - FP1 and FP2 are on Thursday - and you really can soak up the atmosphere around the track and the town on Friday. Also if you hang around the entrance to the pits (behind Rascasse) all the team personnel and drivers have to walk up there from the hospitality areas and motorhomes to access the pit lane - so always a good spot for speaking to personnel and getting autographs or pictures. I chatted to Ross Brawn and Rob Smedley there in 2009 and if you wander down to the motorhomes you can normally get close to the drivers.

If you have some downtime also look round the Prince Albert Motor Museum - some really quirky stuff as well as lots of F1 cars.

The number of really exotic cars is mind blowing - you wont even notice the 488's and Rolls Phantom Dropheads after a while, especially in Casino Square and outside the Hermitage Hotel - back in 2009 I remember a Bugatti Veyron and Maserati MC12 parked nose to tail there.

 

Don’t bother unless the racing is back...... processions are boring, and makes you spend way too much money livening up the weekend especially in Monaco..... even the cheap strippers are £100 a dance..... I mean, I’ve spent more are far less, but even so, still takes the mickey doesn’t it!

 

This is where I had my seats. Many other seats are pretty bad. To be honest you can't see a lot at Monaco. You go for the experience and ambience.

Personally I would stay in Cannes or Antibes or Nice and take the train.

 

We stay in nice and use the money we save to spend Thursday at the rascasse restaurant

 

One day I want to watch the Monaco GP from the balcony of this building (looking forward to find one apartment on AirBnB). I watch F1 on TV since I was 10 or so and this building always comes to mind. Perhaps this is the most famous apartment building in the world?

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"The views into the pits for non-VIP ticket holders are especially good - when you stroll down there on Friday."
Actually, although the Friday afternoon pit walk is still available, when it was open to anyone with a ticket for the race or for qualifying it got so crowded that it was of little value, As a result, as of 2018 it's now open to a smaller sub-set of people, and is much better- the catch is that now you need to buy a Gold or Silver Package (or have access otherwise) in order to qualify.