Ive done Indy the past 5 years, but this year were thinking about Montreal instead. I cant afford both. A few basic questions 1) What type of tickets to get? (best place to watch) 2) Where to stay? (we like to have fun) 3) What type of costs for the long weekend? 4) Any other tips or tricks? Thanks, rob
For Indy the general admission tickets work great. You can acess pretty much the whole track and if your there on thursday they have a fan day thing where you can go into the pits and get autographs. They are only %65.00 and they work great.
Hi Rob - we've been to Montreal a couple times. Sat in same area - just as they came around the hairpin - great viewing of them breaking into hairpin with lots of glowing rotors and were able to see them heading out - seats not cheap but well worth it - www.grandprix.ca showing stand 24 at 385 CAN for 3 days. We've stayed in Laval at the Sheraton and drove to train station (free parking) took underground to the island. We got a weekend metro ticket at a slightly reduced rate in lieu of purchasing tickets daily. Also took train to Peel Street for dinner at Newtown (JV's restaurant) - dinner reservations are a must and had two seatings - for four of us it = 100+. Airfare from DFW to Montreal probably isn't too bad all things considering. Side step is showing 7 June rtn 11 June on AA ns at $559 pp. Just be alert to the regulations that a passport is required (for air travel) and no liquids can be brought onboard from Canada to US (got re-routed a few weeks ago from Frankfurt to Toronto then to DFW). There's (assuming it still exists) a great Italian restaurant in the casino on the bottom level - after the race and having walked the track, we had a window table, good meal and watched the transporters come and go. The park is beautiful. If they have the challenge cars, they are very accessible behind the stands along the water. Enjoy - we're headed to Le Mans again this year so no USGP (same weekend as LM). Carol
Stands 11,12,15,21 or 24. http://www.grandprix.ca/index_en.html If you want any downtown hotel, book now!!!!!! However, if you're willing to be a 30 minute subway ride from the downtown core where all the events are, rooms are plentiful. Rooms, about 500$-750$ for three nights, depending how far from the downtown core. Tickets, 500$ (per person) for the 3 days. Food and spending money, roughly 500$ (depending on your tastes and pleasures). Hook up with a local F-Chatter.....he'll make you avoid the tourist traps and take you on the road less travelled. Bienvenue.
For a first-timer, it is hard to beat the hairpin, (15 or 24). You can forget walking around. There are so many people that just getting to your seats is a fight. Another nice thing about the hairpin is that the Challenge pits are right behind you. Wear enough badges and Ferrari stuff, and you should be able to walk right in. FNA does sell passes to the Challenge tent, where you can relax, drink adult beverages, watch everything on TV, and bs with all the beautiful people. I spent almost a hour chewing the fat with Steve Earle. The passes are expensive, though. However, you can furgitabout the F1 pits unless you pony up some big bucks. Regardless of where you stay, plan on taking the tube to the race. Staying downtown will be expensive, but fun. You can pretty much walk to all the party scenes. I forget where we stayed, but just use Google. I'm sure that it is much more expensive than Indy, but worth it. (Also don't forget that we have a favorable exchange rate.) After the race, drive up to Mt. Tremblant. The resort is drop dead glorious and empty during the summer. This is also where Lawarence Strol has his race track, which is probably one of the prettiest and best tracks in NA. From what I have been told, all the Ferrari big wigs helo up there after the race. Dale
Rob, we've been going to Montreal for about 15 years. Like going to New Orleans for the Superbowl. Glad I went to Indy for the GP, had a great time, but never saw a reason to return. Montreal... the city goes NUTS for the weekend. Great restaurants, nightlife, enthusiastic locals, beautiful women, and even decently priced (well, the exchange rate USED to be much better, and you used to get your hotel tax refunded. Oh well!). This year, I'm bringing SEVENTY folks up to Montreal with us. If you're serious about going, email me and I can send you a LOT of info. vty, --Dennis
What a timely thread! I'll probably be heading to Montreal also for the race weekend. I booked the Mont Tremblant clinic with Ferrari for Wed-Fri the week before 6/7 & 6/8 and planned to go on to Montreal for the GP 6/8 - 6/10. I'm not familiar with the Montreal area at all, so I ended up booking a room at the Auberge Royal Versailles as it seemed reasonably priced. Is that an OK hotel or is it better to stay downtown? Are there enough F-chatters gathering for the weekend that there would be some places to meet up?
Yin . . . I'll see you on June 7th & 8th for the 430 clinic !!! . . . as well as the F-1 race in Montreal . . . Its going to be incredible . . . So . . . dreams do come true !
Here is a good thread from a while back on US GP vs. Canada GP: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101285
I've never been there in person, but I'd think you'd want a good view of that last chicane leading to the "Wall of Champions". A lot of the stuff in the race happens in those two places.
Rob, You need to buy the tix NOW! The best seats are probably already gone (stand 11). The next best is 15 and 24. After going to Montreal you will never go back to the cow town "Indie"! Bob
Forget the car. The underground rail system is the way to go. You can go to the track, back to the hotel to freshen up then back to track on the days leading up to the race. On race day after the race you can be back in your hotel 20 minutes after the race if you want to. The problem is availabilty. The grandstands sell out fast and hotel rooms are hard to come buy. Unlike Indy where the Indianapolis hotels stick it too you with higher rates and minium nights, Montreal just seems to fill up. Downtown or close to downtown is more convient for night life, but the Metro about a block or twos walk from anywhere. I reccommend getting there a couple days b4 the race so you can get comfortable with the Metro and like Jknight buy a book of Metro tickets (you will save money and like the old days with film - buy it in quanity b4 you go and when you are using it ) you won't feel nickled and dimed. I charged everything I could(money exchange feel like you are always getting the short end) but with most credit cards now they are getting in to the act and charging from 3~5% exchage fee. Then I found some hotels gave even better rates for DOLLARS than the Banks and Exchage Houses. Sometimes the airport exchage was better than the banks in town, most of the time the smaller Exchange Houses were better than the banks. In any case do a $100 at the airport for the cab (they are mostly wannbe NASCAR drivers with India accents). There are shuttle buses that will be cheaper (if you are alone or want to skip the 90mph (not Kph) ride getting to and from the hotel. There will be shops just open for the GP and if you want to chance it the prices will be cut to half after the GP. Resturants they change from year to year. For several years there was a Greek resturant we would go to then it tuned into a bar. One year in OLD Montreal there was a middle eastern resturan with bellydancing you sat on pillows. The St Lawernce RAPIDS ride is aways fun. The FLEA market down at the docks has lots of interesting things. Sometimes the International Fireworks Contest is going on and it worth a night trip to the bridge accross the St Lawrence river it is free and they close the bridge to cars so that 1000s can get a view. If you are there when it is on and like fireworks- teh best reccomendation one year I was standing hext to a guy from Orlando and he had been drug there by the friends he was visiting, b4 the show he was complaining because he had seen the BEST at Epcot and he was just here to quiet his friend. After it was over he was singing a different tune, NOW he HAD SEEN the BEST. The fireworks are shot from an island below (where the amusment park is) and explode just above eyelevel when you are out in the middle of the bridge. Because of the winters there is almost another city underground in the Metro stations. There are a number of historic landmarks and churches. 1 last not GET your Passport now. Enjoy stephen
Canada is THE PLACE TO BE if you can only pick one, Stay downtown and enjoy ALL the things that happen there... You can't go wron and you will NEVER go back to indy again...
Hey Rob, Do contact Dennis, I've been up the last few years with the BHD group and he's a font of all knowledge. Quite a few of us take the f-cars up and its like being a superstar to have the fcar up there for the F1 weekend. I'm definitely go to Montreal this year and planning tentatively on driving on to Indy to do that trip again. Will probably do a different routing this year. You can park on the island next to the GP circuit. Certainly easy on the Thursday and Friday, for Sat/Sun there used to be a special parking for Ferraris but that didn't happen last year. But there was a solution to be found with some friendly parking attendants for a few $. Its great to have the car to hand esp. on the Sunday so that you can hit the road out of there and beat the rush. If you're not driving the subway does work well. We sit at the hairpin also, and you can go and easily stroll around the challenge pits during breaks so I'll add my opinion to that vote.
Rob - Karen and I went to Montreal last year and am nearly certain we will go again this year. I'll fill you in on the details when I see you at MSR this weekend.
To all the Montreal GP Virgins.... Book your hotel room ASAP, Montreal is a big city, however the "choice" rooms are not only pre-booked, but booked back in September '06, there is still time left to get the great rooms at the great hotels, ie Sheraton Centre, Hotel dela Montagne, Loews Vogue, and Novotel, which are all in walking distance of the party and entertainment zone (Montreals best clubs, bars and restaurants) which everyone is raving about. And BTW, it may seem an easy choice, but don't stay "near the airport", unless you love 1 hour cab rides and walking distances to the entertainment zone consisting of a 7-11, a few gas stations and McDonalds.
I've gone to the Montreal GP seven times now, best place to sit is in Silver 11, its right at the senna s (first turn). Great place for action and you get to see the start.
