We Went To Monaco GP With And Without The Tickets. Here’s What We Learned.
Some say it’s the most boring race on the F1 calendar, others can’t get enough of it. The truth is - there a little bit of truth in both statements.
If you have been watching Monaco Grand Prix from the comfort of your own home, I can see why you would say it’s a boring race. I admit, there not much going on, unless there’s an unexpected rain shower like in 2023.
However, being in Monaco during the Grand Prix weekend in person…now, that’s something else. Even if you are going to Monaco GP without the ticket, you still have a great chance of having an amazing time, seeing the race, the drivers, and just having fun in general (If you don’t believe us, just continue reading).
I went to Monaco GP in 2022 without the ticket and in 2023 with the General Admission ticket. Here is my comparison of these trips and my tips for anyone who wishes to attend the Monaco Grand Prix in the future.
Monaco GP Without The Tickets: Our Experience
I’ll try to keep this short and give you just the most important information in regard to attending the Monaco Grand Prix without the ticket.
Here is how our no-ticket experience went.
Our travel group decided extremely late that we wanted to visit the Monaco GP which meant that all the affordable Monaco GP tickets were already sold out.
If I remember correctly, we had the option to buy the Grandstand tickets but they were out of our budget at that time.
That’s when I started contacting all the restaurant near the track and called one by one asking if they have any watch party organized for which the Grand Prix tickets were not needed. That is how we found Stars ‘n’ Bars and had the best day of our lives.
Stars ‘n’ Bars restaurant was offering 30€ tickets, it was located just near the track and granted the access to the area in front of the media center. Nothing was included in the price, but the food was not expensive, the drinks were great, and the atmosphere was out of this world, so we really didn’t mind. In the end we saw all the drivers and team principals because all of them had to walk right near the Stars ‘n’ Bars restaurant in order to get to their motor homes. Again - best day of our lives!
To cut the story short, if you are going to the Monaco GP without the ticket here is what you can expect:
If you don’t have a ticket for the Monaco GP you won’t be able to go past a certain checkpoint. There are a few places you could go and watch the race with the binoculars, for example right above the General Admission section.
You can also access other parts of Monaco, maybe go sightseeing a bit or just take in the atmosphere.
There are a lot of restaurant outside the track that are showing the race so you could always find a nice place, eat, drink, and watch the race on their television.
Stars ‘n’ Bars restaurant closed down so our 30€ option from 2022 is not possible anymore. But if you can afford it, there’s a new place in the same location - Conscientiae - and they are offering the access to the restaurant for 165€.
Monaco GP With The Tickets: General Admission View And Experience
In 2023 we decided to buy the Monaco GP General Admission tickets, also known as Sector Rocher tickets.
The General Admission tickets cost 70€ per person and they are the cheapest option for visiting Monaco Grand Prix. Le Rocher offers unique view (if you manage to catch a good spot) and even has a giant TV screen which you can see form most of the spots - I say most, because there are a lot of places at the hill where trees are blocking your view.
The General Admission offers pretty decent view and if you have a great zoom on your phone you can even capture some amazing photos. If you’re curious about what kind of zoom I’m talking about, then check our TikTok post from last year.
Here are some of the photos that can maybe better show you what kind of view you can expect at the Monaco GP General Admission.
To sum up our Monaco GP General Admission experience, and also offer you some tips and tricks for your Monaco GP trip:
It was worth the price, but only if you come super early (7 AM latest) and you take a great spot right on the hill - yes I mean literally on the dirt under the trees. You can jump over the concrete fence and take a great place in the shade of the trees where you can sit and relax.
The toilettes are the awful portable ones and be prepared that if there’s no one to save you spot, once you get up someone else will take it.
You have to queue for food and drinks for more than half an hour so maybe it would be better to bring snacks and water with you in your backpack
What are our final thoughts on going to Monaco with and without the tickets?
My final verdict would be - go and have fun!
Who are we to say if something’s worth it or not. It was definitely worth it for us - both without and with the ticket (actually we had more fun without the tickets!), but you might end up feeling completely the opposite.
Read all the information you can find online, gather your sources, ask us anything you’d like in the comments, and then decide for yourself.
I can only add that Monaco is a wonderful destination no matter if you have the Grand Prix ticket or not, and regardless of the fact if there’s a Grand Prix, E-Prix, Le Grand Prix historique or no Grand Prix at all. You’ll probably have fun in any case!
