We spent $20,980 to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix live. The luxury yacht party and epic balcony views weren't even the best parts.

Wed, 06/12/2024 - 12:39

The writer, wearing blue jeans and a white top with her hair blowing in the wind, poses in front of the French Riviera, filled with boats and yachts, with the Grand Prix race track and stands behind her — My partner and I spent $20,980 to attend the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Indy DC

My fiancé and I splurged on a trip to Monaco for our very first Formula 1 Grand Prix.
For about $20,980, we stayed in Nice, France, and attended the races all weekend.
We also attended a luxurious yacht party and soaked in views of Monaco during the race.

My fiancé and I saved up to celebrate our recent engagement in style during one of the year's most iconic, expensive weekends: the Formula 1 (F1) Monaco Grand Prix.

The F1 Monaco Grand Prix is an annual race for drivers in the highest class of international racing for single-seater formula cars.

Though the sport is popular in Europe, it gained the attention of international audiences with the release of Netflix's Formula 1 documentary series, "Drive to Survive." In a 2022 poll from Morning Consult, 53% of nearly 1,900 F1 fans said the series contributed to their interest in the sport.

However, we've been dedicated F1 fans long before the series launched in 2019, and have always considered the Monaco Grand Prix the best race on the calendar.

Like many fans, we were willing to splurge to see some of our favorite drivers and were excited to attend the event this past May. We purchased a package from F1 Experiences for £15,220, or about $19,370, with a $1,610 yacht party add-on. The package for my partner and me included a hotel stay, two days of live racing, and transportation to and from the event.

From an unbelievable balcony view of the racetrack to cheering on a historic win, here's what the experience was like.

We stayed at a hotel in Nice, France.

A hotel with a pool, several lounge chairs, potted plants, and large windows overlooking the French Riviera. The water is bright blue — Our hotel had beautiful views and nice accomodations.
Indy DC

We stayed four nights at the Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée on the French Riviera, a 30-to-40-minute drive from Monaco.

Our hotel-room balcony overlooked the stunning Côte d'Azur region, and we were within walking distance of Nice's historic and charming old town.

We prepared for the high-energy weekend by celebrating at a yacht party.

A large white yacht filled with people next to a street with cars and several hotel and apartment buildings at night — The yacht was full of excited partygoers.
Indy DC

To fully experience the glamorous lifestyle in Monaco, we indulged in a yacht party on Friday night. This experience was an add-on to our overall package, and it cost £1,265, or about $1,610.

We boarded the boat and were greeted with glasses of Champagne. The bottomless drinks and canapés flowed as the onboard DJ pumped music, drowning out the sounds of nearby boats.

As dusk turned to nightfall, the partygoers seemed to buzz with anticipation for the excitement the weekend had to offer — and we couldn't wait.

On Saturday, I was excited to finally attend the main event, the Grand Prix.

Grand Prix race track, with red and yellow cars on it, in front of the deep-blue French Riviera, filled with boats and yachts — I loved that we had a nearly panoramic view of the Port Hercules marina.
Indy DC

On Saturday, we boarded a coach bus to Monaco and headed to the Ermanno Penthouse to watch the race. There, we climbed up 12 flights of stairs for a taste of Monégasque luxury.

The Penthouse's balcony terrace — overlooking the Port Hercules marina, stacked with at least 250 yachts — gave us an unbelievable panoramic view of Monaco's shimmering blue coastline and at least two-thirds of the racetrack.

From our viewpoint, we could see the start and finish line, up the hill toward the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the racetrack's tunnel exit, around the marina, and even the champions' podium.

We felt the thrill of the race from our balcony.

Racecars on Grand Prix race track, with thousands of people in stands and on yachts in the French Riviera, which is next to the race track — We had a great view of the racetrack.
Indy DC

Saturday's qualifying session was electrifying. Throughout the day, we saw the Formula 3 and Formula 2 sprint races, which typically feature aspiring F1 drivers. Then, we saw the F1 free practice three, which served as a practice round for F1 drivers to fine-tune their skills.

Lastly, we saw the F1 qualifying race, which determined each driver's place on the grid for Sunday's event.

I did notice, however, that my fiancé and I seemed to be two of the very few true F1 fans on the balcony. Many of our neighbors appeared to be new to the sport and seemed more interested in selfies or sparkling wine.

We enjoyed food and drinks as well.

A white table filled with pastries, fruit, and other foods. The table has black lettering spelling out — A table in our area was full of pastries and fruit.
Indy DC

Not only could we see much of Monaco from the balcony, but also we enjoyed warm hospitality from the staff.

The staff members served various snacks and offered as much Champagne, spirits, and soft drinks as we wanted. For breakfast, we had croissants and pain au chocolat with coffee, followed by finger sandwiches, sliders, canapés, and tasty desserts.

We even had a few celebrity sightings.

A hand holds several Experiences passes, including two large blue passes and one smaller black one, with a white lanyard hanging. The passes are in front of the boat-filled French Riviera — Our passes gave us access to more than just beautiful views.
Indy DC

Celebrating the same event as A-list celebrities like John Legend, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Kylian Mbappé felt like a real pinch-me moment — though we only caught glimpses of them in the VIP area on TV screens showing sports coverage, the same way viewers would see them on television.

The celebrities at the Grand Prix, which took place just after the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, made it feel like the spot to be.

We saw a race-car collision from our balcony.

A balcony with black railings and white chairs and tables with small bouquets of flowers on them. The French Riviera and several hotels, trees, and other buildings are in the background — We viewed all the action, good and bad, from our balcony.
Indy DC

Unfortunately, the weekend wasn't all positive. During the first lap of Sunday's F1 race, we saw a massive crash involving several drivers who couldn't continue in the event.

On a more positive note, we saw our favorite driver win the Grand Prix.

Bird's-eye-view of several fans, many of them wearing bright-red shirts, in stands during Grand Prix race. The spectators are huddled close together and wear colorful T-shirts and hats — The crowd cheered for Charles Leclerc's victory.
Indy DC

The highlight of the weekend was cheering Ferrari F1 driver and Monégasque Charles Leclerc on to his first-ever victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

As Leclerc's bright-red Ferrari zoomed by with a clear lead on his last lap, a symphony of boats blared their horns, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Leclerc is also the first Monégasque driver to win the race in over 90 years.

We watched the Champagne showers and celebrations on the podium, and my fiancé and I shared a kiss (and a few happy tears). It was the perfect end to an unforgettable weekend.

Overall, we were so glad we got to attend the Monaco Grand Prix.

French Riviera filled with boats and yachts next to Grand Prix race track with a red race car about to cross the finish line next to stands filled with hundreds of fans — We'd likely attend a Grand Prix again.
Indy DC

Overall, attending the Grand Prix in person was worth the money for us. We saw our favorite driver achieve a historic F1 milestone on a legendary track along a beautiful European coastline.

Though I wouldn't say it's worth the splurge for those who don't follow F1, plenty of guests on our balcony were there for the vibes, the flowing drinks, and the lush atmosphere.

We'd consider attending another F1 Grand Prix in the future. Still, our first taste of Monaco had our hearts racing — and the experience will be incredibly tough to top.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Travel, Travel, monaco, grand-prix, Race, race-cars, F1, Freelancer, freelancer-le, evergreen-story, aspirational-luxury

Source

We spent $20,980 to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix live. The luxury yacht party a…