Why Monaco? �A sunny place for shady people� in the words of Somerset Maugham. An anachronism. Impossible to overtake. Always a boring race. The pits and paddock are cramped. So why is Monaco such a favorite with Grand Prix fans,personalized bobble heads, teams, sponsors and drivers? The answer is �glamour�. And the street circuit, first raced in 1929, provides that intangible element that no modern purpose built circuit can ever match.
The Monaco GP usually coincides with the Cannes Film Festival in late May, providing a glamorous double bill on the C�te d�Azur but creating problems for those wishing to book hotels and flights. A piece of useless knowledge for fans of �Trivial Pursuit� � Q: �Which F1 Grand Prix has its date fixed by the Pope rather than Bernie Ecclestone?� A: �Monaco� (it normally takes place on the Sunday after Ascension Day).
To get your �best seat in the house�, you started work last autumn. You chartered your yacht (easy) and arranged your berth on the trackside (difficult). Luckily you have good �Formula 1� connections and a well known driver or team owner has agreed to sponsor your berth application. So all is well, and life is good. You are sitting on your yacht for the weekend,personalized bobbleheads, surrounded by beautiful people and with no need to step ashore. The crew is catering to your every whim. The world is beating a path to your passerelle (gangplank). And the spectacle of the Monaco Grand Prix is unfolding a few yards away on the quayside, whilst 300 million people worldwide are watching you live on television.
But maybe you are not so lucky. What are the alternatives? If your budget does not stretch to chartering a yacht for your exclusive use (�5,000 50,customized bobbleheads,000 per day plus food, drink & berth),., you can always enjoy the experience as a day guest on a yacht offering shared hospitality at a trackside berth on Saturday & Sunday (�2500 3000 per person). The view of the actual racing from a yacht is limited even at the trackside,personalized bobblehead, so you will have to rely on the giant screen above the port and TV monitors on board for race information. But the sights, sounds and excitement of being on a yacht in the harbour during the Monaco Grand Prix more than compensate!
There are a number of possibilities for shared hospitality and race viewing from well placed balconies and terraces (�1500 2500 per person for Sat/Sun). The apartment blocks above the start/finish straight and after the St.Devote corner offer an excellent bird�s eye view of all the race action in the port area, from the tunnel exit onwards to the Casino Square.
A number of trackside restaurants offer hospitality and race viewing,Why English To Chinese Translation Has Become Indispensable, including the famous Caf� de Paris (in the Casino Square) and the Grand Prix Caf� (the old Rascasse). Expect to pay a premium price,,, and remember that you will be watching most of the action on a TV monitor.
The grandstands are to be avoided if at all possible. They are expensive (more than �600 for a good Saturday & Sunday seat), noisy, lacking shelter from sun or rain and it is difficult to establish exactly what is going on in the race, even with a distant view of the giant screen. Food & drink outlets and WCs may be a long way distant. It can make for a very long day!
If you are not sleeping on a luxury yacht in the harbour, a leading Monaco hotel is the best alternative but expensive (�8,000 or more per room for a minimum 4 5 night stay, up to �55,000 for a suite). The renowned Hotel de Paris in the Casino square and its belle �poque sister hotel,custom bobbleheads, the Hermitage, are the places to stay if you can but they are normally booked from year to year by regular visitors. Both offer race viewing from the hotel. Modern de luxe alternatives positioned on the circuit are the Fairmont (the old Loewes), the new Port Palace and the Metropole.
Hotels outside Monaco or Cap d�Ail port are naturally much cheaper and the minimum stay requirement is usually reduced to 3 4 nights. It is possible to find reasonable hotel rooms in Nice (�250 500 per night). If you choose to stay further west,Chili Surfboards Are Shaped And Designed By Cutting Edge Australian Shaper James Chilli Cheal,customized bobbleheads,Things To Think Around When Buying An Automobile Roof Mounted Cycle Rack, your daily travel to Monaco becomes lengthy and you encounter pressure on hotel rooms from the Cannes Film Festival. The Italian border is only a short distance away by train to the east and San Remo offers excellent hotels,custom bobblehead, with Ventimiglia providing a budget alternative.
Visitors staying outside Monaco will probably find it easiest to travel to the Principality each day by the frequent & cheap coastal train service. Helicopter transfers from Nice airport are available (�600 return on Sunday). The Monaco heliport is in Fontvieille, the land reclamation area shared with Cap d�Ail (France), which is convenient for guests taking a speedboat transfer to a yacht in Monaco harbour but otherwise involves a 30 minute walk to the circuit. Taxi and limousine transfers are possible, but the roads are inevitably very congested. You can charter a small boat for the transfer, but you are subject to the vagaries of wind and sea. On GP Sunday there is no quick and easy way to travel to Monaco.
During the Grand Prix weekend,,, the action in Monaco continues long into the night. The Amber Lounge in the Grimaldi Forum opened at the 2003 Grand Prix, and instantly became the party venue of choice for F1 drivers, teams,personalized bobbleheads, models and celebrities. Enjoy chill out music in the relaxed bar area and lie back on a vast sofa overlooking the sea as your personal waiter arrives with your favourite cocktail (�5,200 9,000 for a table of eight with all drinks included).
The famous discoth�que Le Jimmy�z further along the sea front has always been a popular night time rendezvous for the international set. Dance under the stars until dawn, but a reservation will avoid queues at the door.
A visit to the world famous Monte Carlo Casino,custom bobbleheads, opened in 1878,Custom Vinyl Stickers- A Real Source Of Business Development, is a must and offers a great atmosphere in the Salle Priv�e at night during the weekend (passport required and jacket & tie for men). There are many popular Monaco restaurants within easy walking distance of the Casino Square, but they will be busy and early reservation is advisable.
For those on a tighter budget, the American style sports bar Stars �n Bars in the port beside the GP Paddock is always packed and lively at night throughout the weekend. It is the �local� for F1 teams.
Le Texan in Rue Suffren Reymond, just behind the start & finish straight, is good value and popular with those wanting a relaxed evening with a TexMex meal rather than haute cuisine. Look at the glamorous photos on the walls to see who goes there to relax when off duty.
A simple evening stroll around the historic street circuit after practice or racing can be enjoyable, taking in the sights, the famous bends, the acrid smell of burnt rubber and the tyre marks on the street curbs, as well as having the rare chance to see the pits and paddock close up.
Even visitors who are not �Formula 1� fans will find the Monaco Grand Prix a memorable experience. A trip to motor racing�s most glamorous event is something to be done once in every lifetime.
John Button is Chairman of Dolmen Yachts
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