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As avid race fans, we've attended countless events in the USA, you name it, we've probably been to it. Everything from the Indy 500, Petite Le Mans, NASCAR Cup Series, to our yearly tradition at the Rolex 24 in Daytona, enjoying each and every series along with the consistently entertaining fanfare involved. The world of racing is a feast for the senses and there is nothing more exhilarating (short of being an actual driver) than walking along the fence of a raceway as the amazing machines power by at full throttle. You’ll never forget the sound and absolute force nearly knocking you off balance as you absorb such a showcase of engineering marvels.
But we had yet to make it to a Formula 1 race and needed to remedy that. Sunday mornings in our home are always filled with the thundering of F1 engine’s via our sound system from room to room and it was time to experience this elite series first hand. We’d also never been to Italy and the stars finally aligned in our schedule so that we could plan a trip around this beautiful country that would ultimately culminate with the Italian Grand Prix! 🇮🇹
*Disclosure: The following post contains affiliate links with recommendations from our personal experiences and we can earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.
How did we get here?
For me, the most difficult decision in travel planning is when? Once you narrow down a date, the rest is supposed to fall in to place. Hopefully. In this case, we had our Monza ticket dates to work off of and after nearly a year of research and a lifetime of wishing, I planned a self-guided journey that would take us from southern Italy to the north, in attempt to get a small taste of a few regions. We flew into Naples to spend our first days on the Amalfi Coast, then took a train from Naples to Florence for three days, on to Bologna for the next two nights, and finally Milan for the remaining four days. Here are the links to read about our time in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast and Florence.
The following catches up with us during the midpoint of our trip as we made our way into the Emilia-Romagna region to immerse ourselves in the home of Ferrari, a perfect prelude to checking the Italian Grand Prix off our bucket list...
Bologna- Wednesday Before the Monza F1 Italian Grand Prix
Bologna was on our radar because of its world renowned medieval squares, porticoes, food, and proximity to both the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola as well as the Ferrari Museum. When I was previously researching the possibility of attending the Imola race instead, the hotel that kept coming up was NH Bologna de la Gare. Only steps away from the Bologna Centrale Train Station, a 15 minute walk to Piazza Maggiore and the famous towers, this well appointed, spacious hotel was the perfect hub for all we wished to experience during this part of our trip and I wish we'd had more time there.
Upon arrival, we checked into our beautiful room at the NH Bologna de la Gare then set out to explore and stumbled upon one of the best meals of my life! Established in 1903, Ristorante Donatello gave us the BEST Bolognese and tortellini in broth our taste buds could stand! Not only that but as soon as you enter this traditional Bolognese family owned restaurant, you will be immediately enchanted by the lovely ambiance and intrigued by its history depicted in photos that literally fill every inch of the wall space. Truly one of the best dining encounters ever and I'd absolutely go back for more in a heartbeat!
Then we attempted to walk off our meal by roaming around the spectacular medieval center of town. Always bustling with locals and tourists, these beautiful and haunting piazzas are the place to be for people watching and social hour. Did you know that the University of Bologna is the oldest continuously operating university in the Western World?
Ferrari Museum- Thursday
Getting an early start, we took an easy train ride from Bologna to Modena and then a taxi to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. We just wanted to go at our own pace but there are also shuttles and tours available if you prefer. Purchasing tickets to the museum in advance, we waited our turn to enter and began listening to a personal remote which informed us of all the ways Ferrari is a mainstay in the automotive world. You get to go through the exhibits at your leisure, traveling through time as you learn about the company's engineering and wins/losses, while getting up close and personal with the actual cars used throughout Ferrari's illustrious history. The fascinating tour ends "conveniently" in their beautiful gift shop so of course we had to get some swag. Even if you're not a car enthusiast, this museum will appeal to all members of the family and no doubt they'll become a fan too.
After our tour, there wasn't a shuttle back to the train station for a while so I got the number of a taxi from the information desk inside. For a US phone dialing an Italian number, you first punch in 011, then the number. Lucky for me, the taxi operator spoke English and sent a ride our way. The twenty minute drive from Maranello to the Modena train station was through beautiful countryside that deserved more time to explore. Would love to come back for the Imola race one day and truly immerse in the Emilia Romagna culture. But we needed to catch the train back to experience as much as we could of Bologna. And that we did by strolling through the porticoes and people watching on the squares, followed by yet another delicious gastronomic instance at La Trattoria del Rosso. 🍝🍷
Milan
Friday morning, we left Bologna for the Lombardy region on a fast Frecciarossa train to Milan and what a gorgeous train station that is!
Our hotel, Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale, was only an 8 minute walk away, so we dropped off the bags and headed out to discover what Milan had to offer. A stark contrast to the rest of our trip through Italy, Milan stands out as a modern city with skyscrapers alongside remaining historic architecture carefully preserved in time. The emphasis on fashion and finance were evident as we also noted that everything is definitely more expensive in this city!
That afternoon we found ourselves gobsmacked at the sheer size and opulence of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II di Milano. A four story arcade for all of your high-end shopping desires, it is a must see! With our mouths still agape, we stumbled upon the Duomo di Milano right next door. The Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary was almost too much for me to take in. We purchased a couple glasses of vino from a street vender and stood in awe for a very long time, studying the details and grandeur. The whole scene was breathtaking and overwhelming which resulted in tears that helplessly flowed down my face as a woman began singing powerful ballads nearby on the piazza. Reluctantly pulling ourselves away, we headed back to get a good night's rest for the exciting weekend ahead.
Race Tickets
About six months before our trip, we purchased 3-day passes through Motorsport Tickets for the Italian Grand Prix. This site provided an easy way to pay for the international transaction and when the tickets became available, we were able to download them right on the app. But we printed out copies too just to be on the safe side.
Saturday- Practice and Qualifying
In an effort to get our bearings, we planned to the head on over to the track on Saturday for practice and qualifying. During an elevator ride at the hotel, we ran into some other race fans who told us to get a Trenord Card for €10 which included train and bus rides to and from the track! So we walked over to Milan Centrale and found the Trenord ticket counter only to discover the line snaking a very long way down the corridor. We decided to give it a shot and after only about a half hour wait, we had our cards, validated them in the machines (a mandatory and often forgotten step) and off we went with the masses of folks doing the same.
The train ride from Milan to Monza was only about 12 minutes. Then we were all ushered to the buses. The line moved pretty well through the barricades and there were plenty of buses to move everybody. It was a very organized system and we were pleasantly surprised given our apprehensiveness about the anticipated crowd numbers at such popular events. Once on the bus, we rode for about 15 minutes through the town of Monza and enjoyed viewing the shops, businesses, beautiful homes, and green space.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza is located within an enormous park of lush fields and tree lined walking paths. From the drop off area, it's a bit of a trek to the circuit but well worth it amongst the charming park ambiance and lots of fair-like venders set up along the way with anything you might crave. Just outside the entrance, we went through an airport type security ritual with metal detectors and bag checks. Then set out to find our seats at the entrance to the Parabolica.
We watched a bit of practice and qualifying from our seats and then ventured around various areas of the circuit. As we checked out the fan zone and noted where restrooms were located, we couldn’t get over all the fresh, gourmet refreshment options available!
Another priority for this day was to secure the purchase of event t-shirts and a hat I couldn't pass up before they sold out over the next 24 hours. As the day's schedule wound down, we headed on back to have dinner close to the hotel at Travetta, satisfied and more comfortable knowing what to expect for the next day.
A bit of Monza history…
Throughout its extensive and illustrious history, the Monza circuit has been renowned for its high-speed, straightforward layout, in contrast to more challenging street circuits with numerous corners. Boasting minimal modifications from the original 1920's design and currently the fastest track on the Formula 1 calendar, Monza's 5.793 km (3.6 mi) circuit features lengthy straights and tight chicanes, allowing the cars to operate at full throttle for nearly 80% of the lap. Aptly referred to as, "The Temple of Speed," this Italian staple has seen monumental events and provided a stage for elite teams of athletes to showcase what they're made of.
Race Day Sunday
Knowing that race day meant even more people would be attending, we made sure to be early. Before we even exited the Hyatt, there were tons of fans in their race day swag milling around waiting on the rest of their party to head to the track. We joined even more like minded early birds en route to the train station and all the colors of Formula 1 Teams were well represented alongside us. On the train, I noticed the majority of folks were speaking English with varying entertaining accents, all excitedly sharing news and predictions of what was to come. Partly due to the popularity of the Netflix show, Drive to Survive, a whole new fan base has been reached, which is wonderful for the sport but certainly makes these events even more packed with the record breaking crowds.
Feeling a tad like a herd of cattle moving from the train to the buses, the line still moved efficiently and before we knew it we were back at the park. We sampled a few items from vendors on our way in and eventually passed through security easily. Our phones had little to no service due to the crowd size so we turned them to airplane mode to save battery and only used them for taking photos/videos.
As the pre-race festivities began, everyone was standing with excited anticipation, the energy was so positive and contagious. Scuderia Ferrari fans are known as the Tifosi for their spirited and unrelenting passion. It was genuinely an honor to witness and feel apart of such tradition. Together we cheered as the drivers were introduced and paraded around in cool classic cars. Then came an impressive and long lasting flyover which was truly moving.
Finally, it was time for "Lights Out" and the race began with a thrilling rush of intense exultation from all present. As the incredible machines sped by on their first lap, the deafening roar of engines coupled with thunderous applause and screams of excitement seemed to reverberate from inside my chest all the way to my toes. We were fortunate to have tv screens keeping us informed of what was happening elsewhere on the track as we waited for the cars to come around again and again. Unfortunately for us though, we couldn't understand anything the announcer was saying in Italian other than recognizing driver's names here and there. Usually we would tune in on our phone apps and listen to the call of the race on our Airpods but we had no service. That was ok though, we could still follow along and felt so lucky being welcomed to immerse in such a beautiful culture.
Mid-race we headed down to get out of the sun for a moment and find more water. Being the end of summer, it was very hot outside and the longest lines were understandably for water. We meandered through the fan zone and watched the race from a few different turns to enjoy the full effect of the venue. People watching is also a fascinating draw at these events and there was plenty to behold. Many folks curled up under trees to try to cool down and most were in food, beer, or water lines. Lots of lines.
Nearing the final laps, we opted to watch on a hill near a tv instead of heading back to our bleacher type seating where everyone was crammed together. Plus, we planned on trying to beat the crowds toward the exit knowing the buses would fill up fast.
In those last moments, we made as much noise as possible and waved feverishly as if it would help carry the teams through to victory. After the checkered flag on this day, the podium consisted of the winner, Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Sergio Perez (Red Bull) was second, and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) came in third. Monza's party like atmosphere was on full display as fans rushed the track to laud yet another extraordinary feat of competitive greatness. If we were 20 years younger, I imagine we'd have been right there with the rest of the Tifosi celebrating on the track but instead we chatted and high-fived with everyone else who had the same idea to head for the exit.
Securing our ride before the masses, we smiled at what we'd been so fortunate to witness. The constantly evolving technology, innovation, and competition are second to none in Formula 1 and forever fans we'll be. Monza definitely checked all the boxes of this bucket list experience and made us hunger for future events. Despite the sheer size of the crowd, everything ran as efficiently as possible, from concessions, to security and transportation. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza certainly lives up to its Temple of Speed title and universal reverence in so many ways.
Time To Head Home
We awoke to enjoy a much needed lazy Monday morning of packing and espressos then one last stroll around Milan. After checking out, it was time to head back to the Milano Centrale Train Station en route to the airport, since we had a super early flight the next day. With multiple stops, our train ride took about 45 minutes, followed by a five minute taxi to spend our last night at Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa Airport. We finished up the evening doing a bit of work then went down to the hotel restaurant for our last truffle pasta.
Catching the airport shuttle at 6am, we had an easy time through security and finally received an Italian stamp in my passport without customs asking a single question. Milan Malpensa Airport certainly has top of the line shops and amenities being the fashion and economic capital of Italy, it's probably the fanciest airport I've ever been to. Thankfully all the shops were still closed because of the early hour so we weren't tempted to get any last minute impulse Gucci. 🤑
Seriously, all I bought was a small bottle of Limoncello for my parents and a yummy macchiato to enjoy while waiting for our flight. I sat in a grateful bliss, appreciative of everything we had seamlessly experienced. Even though the plane was a little late to take off, we still landed at JFK early, the 7 hours and 44 minutes weren't so bad with a couple movies and new memories to make me smile.
Things to keep in mind...
Be aware of restaurant hours. Most will close from 2-5pm so have some alternative options/plans for your hunger needs.
We never had trouble with communication, most everyone in Europe is multilingual and if there is an issue then generally some hand motions and smiles will get your point across. Google Translate is a great resource too.
Omio was my preferred train app for booking our transportation.
Pack your patience, inevitably travel comes with lots of variables and sometimes things happen out of your control. But often that creates the most memorable moments. ☺️
As always, let me know if you would like further information or have any questions and I hope you found this to be useful for your future planning too!