Me and my partner Lisette Holm, who is co-founder and writer at Formulapedia.com, have visited the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and want to share our best tips for your visit.
We saw many positive – and negative – sides to the visit and have therefore chosen to put together this travel guide to help you maximize your visit before your trip.
In this guide you will get:
- Our best tips and trix to maximize your Formula 1 journey
- Our best tips to avoid our mistakes
- How to best get to the track
- Where you should sit for most action
- And so much more!
This travel guide to Monzas Formula 1 circuit is divided in to five chapters. You can navigate to the chapter you want to read more about.
All though i recommend you to read the whole guide if you want to learn about our best tips to avoid the same mistakes as we did.
Table of Contents
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Things to think about before going to Monza Circuit
There are a couple of things I think you need to consider before heading to Milan to watch The Italian Grand Prix (Gran Premio D’Italia) at Monza International Autodrome.
You can get away cheaply with General Admission tickets, but you also have a significantly poorer view compared to sitting on a chair in one of the track’s Grand Stands. You also don’t have much opportunity for shade.
When I visited Monza it was 30 degrees and I was sweating through my t-shirt. The heat and sun can be really stressful on and around the course. Therefore, a shady spot is absolutely recommended.
My tips for things you should take with you to Monza:
- A backpack: Perfect for carrying your stuff in (many seasoned Formula 1 spectators carry rucksacks)
- A water bottle:The maximum permitted size is 50cl, but you can top it up free of charge with cold water
- A hat/cap:Protect your head and face from the sun and heat as much as you can
- Sunscreen:You are in Italy and you will need sunscreen to avoid burning
- Extra clothing:Bring an extra t-shirt to change into after lunch – you will be very sweaty
- Along with: You can bring your own food to the track – here you can save money as the food is expensive (about €10 for a hamburger and another €5 for fries.)
- Headphones: The commentator is in Italian. If you speak another language, you should definitely bring headphones so you can listen to commentators, otherwise it will be very difficult to follow along in the race.
- Good shoes: The Monza National Autodrome is set up in such a way that you will be walking long distances to get to your seat. We walked 20,000 steps a day when we visited the track. Combine that with high heat and it’s stressful.
- A blanket/underlay/chair: Whether you’re sitting in the stands or have General Admission tickets, you’ll want to seek shade under trees during the day. Many people bring blankets, tent chairs and seating mats to be able to spend this time in the best way.
Buy Formula 1 tickets to Monza Circuit
We bought tickets through the Swedish supplier Olka Sportresor as we were late in ordering the tickets.
But we recommend you buy tickets from Motorsport Tickets – one of the world’s largest ticket resellers when it comes to Formula 1.
Buy the tickets below:
Motorsport Tickets has 20+ years of experience selling Formula 1 tickets online.
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How to get to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza
I recommend taking the train from Milan to Monza National Autodrome. Below, I will help you with exactly which stop you should go to and which is the right ticket machine for you.
No matter how you choose to get to the track, expect queues and delays. Everything takes longer than you think so be there in good time.
You can also take a taxi or drive to the track, but the traffic is crazy as all traffic is routed through the center of Monza which is not designed for that kind of traffic load.
The two best ways to get to the track in my opinion are:
Train from Milano Garibaldi Station to Biassono-Lesmo
Total travel time to the runway entrance:45 minutes
We found this train on day two which allowed us to take a train all the way to an alternative entrance at Monza. The train ride cost €2.50 per person and took exactly 45 minutes.
Note: You must buy your ticket in one of the green ticket machines.
You get off the train right outside the arena in the “Curva di Lesmo”. We also timed how long it took to get from the train to different places on the track. See the graphic below.
- First popular place for you with General Admission tickets. It took about 15 minutes to walk. You walk through a pleasant forest where the racing track winds through.
- You can get to the Fanzone in about 30 minutes on foot. Drinks and food are served here and you are offered, among other things, to try changing tires or buy merchandise.
- It took us a full 55 minutes to walk to our seats which were at Grandstand 26b. Be out in good time and remember that there are several “bottlenecks” when it comes to pedestrian traffic, which means that sometimes it takes much longer than expected.
Train from Milano Garibaldi Station to Biassono-Lesmo
Total travel time to the runway entrance: 1 hour and 20 minutes
On Saturday morning when we were going to Monza to watch the Formula 1 qualifying, we took the train from Milano Garibaldi Station to Monza Railway Station. The train was very fresh, had good air conditioning and took 25 minutes. The price for the train journey was around €6 per person.
When you arrive at Monza Railway Station it is clearly marked with signs as to where to go to take the shuttle bus to Monza National Autodromo.
You won’t be alone on the train so really just follow the train of people the whole time.
When we got to the stop for the Shuttle buses, there was a long queue. Thanks to many buses, it still didn’t take more than about 20 minutes in line before you got a seat on the bus. The price for a return trip was €5.20 per person.
The bus journey goes through the busy center of Monza and took us about another 20 minutes. Once there, we were dropped off at the Monza park, where we had to walk about 15 minutes to the track’s entrance and ticket control.
This time, too, we timed how long it took to walk the area starting from where the bus dropped us off (that is, not from the entrance itself). See the graphic below.
- It took about 15 minutes to walk from where the bus dropped us off until we got to the ticket control and the track entrance.
- From where the bus dropped us off, it took about 25 minutes to walk to the Fanzone.
- To get to our seats at Grand Stand 26b, it took about 45 minutes to walk. Note that it is much slower to walk inside the track as it is crowded, many people and several “bottlenecks” that form queues.
How to get to the Monza Curcuit according to us
We tested both ways during the weekend we spent at the Italian Grand Prix. It became clear that one meant that you had to stand in line more and the other that you instead had to walk longer.
Personally, I’d rather walk than stand still in a queue for long periods (Shuttle bus). In addition, the walk is around Monza’s racing track and you get to pass the old classic velodrome curves, among other things.
Inside the Monza National Autodrome
Once you are in place inside the Monza Circuit, there is a lot of entertainment, food and drink for you to enjoy. Here are the reflections we took part in:
Long distances
As I mentioned earlier in the guide, there are long distances between many of the points around the course.
Always expect that it will take extra time to walk as there are around 100,000 other people around the course who think alike.
Get an estimate for the walking distance through our map above.
Merchandise
The majority of everyone who visits the Autodromo Nazionale de Monza wears some form of merchandise to support their team. Whether it’s just a cap, a full kit or a flag.
There are market stalls with official Formula 1 merchandise all over the area and you can choose from many different products.
I bought myself a Ferrari cap (€70) and t-shirt (€50) to blend in better with all the visiting Tifosi supporters.
So yes, it’s expensive.
You can order your merchandise from the official Formula 1 here:
Order official Formula 1 merchandise and choose between 300+ products.
- World wide shipping
- Official Formula 1 store
- 300+ different products
- 90 days returns
Food & drinks
Monza Circuit is an old racing track and has all the kiosks and the like in food trucks outside/behind the grandstands themselves.
Food served includes hamburgers, pizza, pasta and pulled pork. A hamburger costs around €10 and fries around €5. The pizzas cost around €13-15.
You are allowed to bring food on the course so it is a good way to save some money.
The only alcohol served in the whole area is beer which cost €7 for 40cl. In addition to that, soft drinks, water and coffee are available.
However, we couldn’t find wine anywhere despite visiting about 10 drink stalls.
To do
On the big stage in the fanzone, there was always live music or a DJ to pump up the atmosphere all the time.
In the fan zone there were also various things you could try, such as how the air pressure feels when you sit in a Formula 1 car or how good you are at changing tires on a Formula 1 car.
Where to sit at the Monza Circuit? (Best seats)
I bought tickets just above the grid at Grandstand 26b. From here we saw both the build-up before the race and the ceremony after the race.
In addition, the race itself is not very much to see from these places, so the cars usually just swish by at over 300km/h.
If I go back to the Monza Circuit again, I would definitely buy tickets at the first curve/ chicane.
The majority of all overtaking takes place here, several tough duels and you also get to see the drivers brake from 340km/h to approx. 80km/h.
This means that these places give you much more action throughout the race.
Our tips for you once you're on the track
We learned a lot by spending the weekend at the Monza Circuit. The next Formula 1 trip will look different to maximize the experience. Here are a couple of tips we came up with that we want to give to others going to The Italian Grand Prix:
- A backpack: Perfect for carrying your stuff in (many seasoned Formula 1 spectators carry rucksacks)
- A water bottle:The maximum permitted size is 50cl, but you can top it up free of charge with cold water
- A hat/cap:Protect your head and face from the sun and heat as much as you can
- Sunscreen:You are in Italy and you will need sunscreen to avoid burning
- Extra clothing:Bring an extra t-shirt to change into after lunch – you will be very sweaty
- Along with: You can bring your own food to the track – here you can save money as the food is expensive (about €10 for a hamburger and another €5 for fries.)
- Headphones: The commentator is in Italian. If you speak another language, you should definitely bring headphones so you can listen to commentators, otherwise it will be very difficult to follow along in the race.
- Good shoes: The Monza National Autodrome is set up in such a way that you will be walking long distances to get to your seat. We walked 20,000 steps a day when we visited the track. Combine that with high heat and it’s stressful.
- A blanket/underlay/chair: Whether you’re sitting in the stands or have General Admission tickets, you’ll want to seek shade under trees during the day. Many people bring blankets, tent chairs and seating mats to be able to spend this time in the best way.
After the race on the Monza circuit
After the race, a lot happens. I am happy to have been there to help you with my best tips to both experience as much as possible but also to get you home from the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza as smoothly as possible.
Tifosi (and you) storm the grid and circuit
After the race, a lot happens. I am happy to have been there to help you with my best tips to both experience as much as possible but also to get you home from the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza as smoothly as possible.
Walk on Autodromo Nazionale Monza
After the race, a lot happens. I am happy to have been there to help you with my best tips to both experience as much as possible but also to get you home from the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza as smoothly as possible.
Chill in the area before you start walking towards the bus or train
With 100,000+ people going home from the Monza Circuit at the same time, there will be worryingly long queues basically everywhere.
I recommend that you either walk part of the course or do like us, we chose to have a beer in the shade and a bite to eat before the journey home. Then the worst frenzy has time to subside and you can get home more easily with public transport.
Even though we lingered around the track for about an hour, we still had to queue for 30-40 minutes for the train once we got there.
Our views on The Italian Grand Prix at Monza
We leave our Formula 1 journey with mixed impressions and opinions.
Formula 1 is spectacular, exciting and something you should definitely experience – but at the same time there are a couple of opinions we want to highlight about the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in particular.
Smooth transport (even if there were too long queues)
The transport to Monza Circuit from Milan is actually one of the negative aspects as there were a lot of people and queues while there were too few buses/trains.
But if there hadn’t been queues, it would have been easy to get to the track, especially with the train that goes directly to Biassono-Lesmo (just outside the track).
We spent 6-8 hours just transporting ourselves to and from the track.
Maybe it would have been easier to live in Monza?
Tifosi fans
Ferrari’s supporters, the Tifosi, are some of the most devoted supporters in Formula 1.
When we were there, Ferrari was fastest in both practices and took P1 and P3 in qualifying.
Once the race was over, Ferrari finished in P3 and P4 – a very good result compared to how the season looked earlier.
This of course contributes to a very good atmosphere throughout the weekend as an estimated 70% of all visitors were Ferrari fans.
A large part of the weekend was spent standing in line
It felt like whatever you wanted to do there was a long line everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you want to go to the toilet, shop in kiosks or go somewhere.
Also, they had put in a, in my opinion, idiotic payment system which meant you had to stand in line to buy food/drink and then stand in another line to get your food or drink.
This meant that many spectators on site were really grumpy and many who missed this very thing. No wonder as it was poorly signposted.
The commentator speaks only Italian
It was totally impossible to keep up with the race and what was happening by listening to the commentator if you don’t know Italian.
In our case, we had headphones with us and were able to stream our Swedish broadcast with Swedish commentators – unfortunately the broadcast was about 30 seconds delayed but it helped to understand what was happening on the rest of the track that you don’t see.
Information about Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Other names for this legendary racing track are:
- The Monza Circuit
- “The Temple of Speed” (nickname)
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza (Italian)
- National Automobile Racetrack of Monza (english translation of the Italian name)
Address: Viale di Vedano, 5, 20900 Monza MB, Italien
Telephone: +39 039 24821
Kapacitet: 118.865 people
Opened: 3 september 1922
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