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My fiancé and I splurged on a trip to Monaco for our very first Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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For about $20,980, we stayed in Nice, France, and attended the races all weekend.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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