Travel Basics – 2024 Italian Grand Prix

Start planning your trip to Monza for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix 2024. Advice about money, health, weather and staying safe.

  • The 2024 Italian Grand Prix will be held on August 30-September 1
  • Tickets are now on sale. Prices for 3-day tickets start from €160
  • We also recommend F1 Experiences Packages
  • This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links

Stretching from the mountainous north to the Italian peninsula in the south, Italy is a culturally and historically rich country in Southern Europe with a population of 61 million. The Italian Grand Prix is held each year at the tail end of the European summer in Monza, a small town just outside Milan. A world leader in design and fashion with a rich history of art and culture, Milan is Italy’s second biggest city with a population in excess of 4 million.

A fascinating blend of old and new, Milan features a historic center (home to the Duomo, the world’s third largest church) as well as the imposing skyscrapers of the Port Garibaldi financial district. The city is the capital of Lombardy, the wealthy industrial heartland of Italy and the home of media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, the controversial ex-Prime Minister.

Italy Travel: Need to Know

  • Do I need a visa to enter Italy? The short answer is no for most tourists, especially those from Western countries. Italy is part of the Schengen area, which provides borderless travel between 27 European member states, including countries close to Italy such as France and Switzerland. Find out here if you need a Schengen visa.
  • Italy operates on Central European Time (CET), which equates to GMT +1 hour.
  • The number to dial in case of an emergency in Italy is 112.
  • Tap water in Milan is safe to drink
  • Italy uses type-F power sockets. You’ll need an adaptor if coming from Australia, UK or the USA
  • Learn More: Italy Tourism Official Website
Milan tram Italian Grand Prix

Staying Safe in Milan & Monza

Both Milan and Monza are relatively safe and violent crime is rare. Pickpockets are active in the city centre of Milan (particularly at the central train station) and on public transport, so be vigilant and keep your belongings secure. Renting a car? Don’t leave any valuables in it, especially when parking close to Monza.

Money in Italy

The currency of Italy is the EURO. Credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs (‘bancomat’ in Italian) are easy to find. Don’t take the risk of bringing lots of cash or travelers cheques – just withdraw the money you will need each day or two. Tipping is not expected in Italy, though you can reward good service in a restaurant with a tip of up to 10%.

Language

Many Italians speak and understand at least some English, particularly in the service industry. But it’s still worth buying yourself an Italian phrasebook and learning some pleasantries. The locals will appreciate you making an effort! Check out the Italian for Dummies Cheat Sheet to learn a few basic phrases before your arrival.

Health

Pharmacies (‘farmacia’) are plentiful and operate on a rota basis so there will always be one open nearby. If you are travelling from Europe, don’t forget to organise an EHIC card to access free medical services. You should also organise adequate travel insurance in case of a medical emergency.

Monza Weather

The Italian Grand Prix is held each year in early September at the end of the hot Italian summer when crisp mornings give way to clear, sunny skies and pleasantly warm days. Average daily maximum temperatures in September are in the mid-twenties and the chance of rain is quite low – on average, Milan only experiences five wet days in September. You will be fine in shorts and t-shirt during the day, but don’t forget to throw in a light jumper/jacket for the cooler evenings and some waterproofs, just in case.

What are you tips for traveling in Italy? Leave a comment!

59 thoughts on “Travel Basics – 2024 Italian Grand Prix”

    1. Hi Naz, the race should be done by 4pm at the latest. Even if it takes you a little extra time to leave the circuit, you should be fine to get your flight at 10pm. Enjoy the race!

  1. Hey Is it worth travelling out to the pit walk on the Thursday if we are there all weekend?

    Should we use gate e if sitting at grandstand 24 Vedeno?
    Thanks

    1. Hi Margaret, it’s worth going to the pitlane walk if you are in town. This is a good chance to walk on the track and see some parts of the circuit that won’t be open the rest of the weekend. But if you are keen on getting driver’s autographs, it may not be the best place to do this as there are too many fans. Try going here instead.

      1. Thank you for coming back to me sorry just seeing this now, do you know which gate we enter for Grandstand 24, I hear it has restricted views, hopefully they are not too bad.
        Thank you for the heads up we were going to stay in Lake Garda till Friday then go all weekend so may just try there to see if we can catch a glimpse!

  2. I have purchased tickets for the inner parabolica stand on Sunday but there is no information about also needing a general admission ticket. Pls clarify if a general admission ticket is also required. Thanks Joe

    1. Hi Joe, you don’t need a General Admission ticket. Your Inner Parabolica ticket give you access to the circuit, including the General Admission areas!

  3. Two of us will be staying in Como near the Como station, we have tickets for Ascari stand 15. What is the best way for us to get from Como station to our stand (gate ingress E) ?

  4. Hello Andrew. I’m bringing my two kids (10 and 12) to their first F1 experience. What do you suggest as best place in the circuit to follow the races but to not walk too much? My idea is to arrive by train from Milan. Thanks

    1. Hi Pedro, there are some good General Admission viewing spots on the inside of Parabolica, which is not that far to walk if you are coming by the train from Milan. Children 11 and under get free General Admission.

      1. Hello!
        Did I understand right, if I come for race with my kids 13 and 8 years old, I need only ticket for me and my older son? 8 years old doesn’t need?
        And if I buy a sit ticketC he can sit on my knees?
        Can you please suggest the place, where is better to buy a sits, not the expensive one,
        Thank you

  5. Hi, My boyfriend and I will be attending my first GP this year at Monza (my 40th birthday gift to him). We will be staying at a hotel next to Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 2 due to the flight arrival and departure times. I am wondering about travelling to and from the circuit.

    Do you know if there is a 3/4 day pass to travel by train and/or bus that we could get; alternatively what would be our best and cheapest mode of transport from the airport?

    Any details you could provide would be greatly appreciated or being pointed in the right direction of who to contact for this information would be most welcomed.

    Thank you very much in advance.

    Melanie

  6. Jacky Franklin

    Hi, Please can you advise can you use visa card at the circuit to buy merchandise caps and shirts.

  7. Hi Andrew,

    We’re driving to Monza for race day with my 4yo son. I understand the car parks are outside the circuit. Have you any advice on which would be the best car park to find so we dont have a long walk with him.

    thanks

    Rik

  8. Hi Andrew,

    Staying in Bergamo for 2019 race,how is getting to/from.Hoping to sit in 26/27-is this ok for podium view?

  9. Thanks you from a girl who is giving his boyfriend tickets to this event but knows nothing about it. this article will help me to ensure i give my boyfriend the best experience possible. Thanks so much!!!

  10. Hi Andrew
    Do you need to pre book train tickets to get from Milan centrale to Monza and back or can you buy on the day

    Thanks

  11. I purchased expensive paddock tickets from F1 events for Monza 2021 and the communications re travel restrictions to Italy for UK citizens has been shocking bad. Currently if you can’t comply with the Italian self isolation rules, you simply lose your all your money!! F1 Events have been hopeless.

  12. Hi there,
    I am planning on purchasing tickets for Saturday, but see that only those with the EU Green Covid pass will be allowed entry. Do you think that as a US citizen my US Covid vaccination card would suffice in the way it does for other locations here? Thanks in advance!

    1. Yes it should be ok, though you may get a test as well just to be sure. Here’s the reply I got from Monza:

      Non EU/Schengen people

      EU Digital COVID Certificate for non-EU / Schengen people just show in digital or paper format:

      result of a negative PCR or antigenic test in the last 48H;
      certificate of vaccination in Italian / English / French / Spanish, with the 4 vaccines authorized by the EMA (Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson), indicating the identification data of the holder, the data relating to the vaccine, date administration and identification data of the person who issued the certificate;
      covid certificate of healing in Italian / English / French / Spanish with indicated identification data of the holder, information on the previous SARS-CoV-2 infection of the holder, after a positive test (date of the first positive swab), identification data of who has issued the certificate with a validity of 6 months from the date of issue.

  13. Hey there!
    Just found this website and it’s awesome. Hoping to make this my first F1 GP experience. As a US citizen, is there anything special I need to do in order to attend in terms of COVID?

    Thanks!

    1. Thanks Spencer. The Italian GP at Monza is great – but be aware that it can be a little disorganized and chaotic. That’s the Italian way :) If you want to attend this year, I think the minimum requirement at this stage is that you are fully vaccinated/boosted against Covid-19. We won’t know more about entry restrictions for the race until tickets go on sale and more information is available. But even now, fully vaccinated travellers can enter Italy. And hopefully when the race is held in September there will be lots less restrictions. Fingers crossed

      1. Hi Andrew. I will be travelling from US. Do I need to be vaccinated to attend the event? Thank you!

        1. As of right now, no. There are no vaccine requirements any more to enter Italy or to attend the race. Hopefully that won’t change, and there won’t be an increase of cases in Europe in the next few months.

  14. Is there any idea when the Monza tickets for 2022 will so on sale? Usually they are out by now but I have checked periodically since January and nothing!

  15. Hi. Coming from Canada for a vacation to Milan and attend the F1 race at Monza. Any word on when the tickets will go on sale? Thinking of purchasing tickets for Grandstand 8. Is A or B better? Are there any restrictions on bringing back packs?

    Thank you

    1. Hi Walter, 8A is better (and more expensive) as the seats are higher in the grandstand and you should be able to see over the catch fencing. More info about restricted items is in Trackside – you should be ok with a normal size backpack.

      1. Thank you. This site is awesome and has a lot of good information. I really appreciate the viewing information and short video clips. They really help narrow down where best to sit.

  16. Hi
    Do you know if we will still need a Green Pass for entry to the GP?
    From what I can see on the Italy tourism website from the 1st of June a green pass is no longer required to enter Italy
    My concern was that the green pass would require the booster to have been within so many days, and I had mine in December so it could have been too long ago for the green pass to be effective.
    Thank you

    1. Nicky Haldenby

      Hi Emily. Entry conditions for the Italian Grand Prix have not yet been announced but it’s highly likely that the rules on green passes will change again before the race takes place, given that most people’s boosters will be out of date by then. We recommend checking the government website and the Monza website in August, closer to the race, for up to date info

  17. Hi,
    Am I correct in saying that as of right now there will be no Covid restrictions for the Grand Prix? From what I can tell you no longer require a green pass or super green pass for any outdoor events in Italy, so I assume the Grand Prix will fall into that category. If this is correct do we expect it to stay that way or will they bring in the need to show a Covid pass as it’s such a bit international event?
    Thank you!

    1. That’s correct. I’m not expecting any COVID restrictions for the 2022 Italian GP. Just like there’s really been no restrictions at recent events since Imola in April. I do expect it to stay that way unless there is some new concerning variant or huge jump in worldwide COVID cases.

  18. I noticed that power banks are prohibited from being brought in but apparently they rent them out inside the grounds – can you confirm or deny that? If I bring a power bank anyway will it be confiscated/destroyed?

    1. Yes power banks are prohibited, but it all depends on the actual security person who will be checking you on entrance. I would take the risk. I don’t know if they are rented out inside the grounds.

  19. Hello, we are going to the race this year, and is there anywhere online which states the entry rules – of prohibted items?
    the last comment here, is about power banks – but what about bringing in food and drinks – i believe they remove bottle caps – but what abouts Cans (both alcoholic and none) – I assume Glass is a no no, which is fine.
    We only have a sunday ticket – so dont have the ability to tese the rules prior.
    Was just planning to take in spare bottle caps too.
    I believe as youve also mentioned – it depends who’s on the gate checking your ticket/searching you – but i think they are also generally friendlier to the local fans, as ive read elsewhere.

  20. Hi there

    Where is the best spot in your opinion for general admission ticket holders? We are coming by train to monza, so maybe a spot which is not to far away but is still good?

    Thanks a lot!

    1. It’s hard to say. Last time I was in GA was a few years ago, and the circuit has changed. For example, I used to recommend the inside of Parabolica but this year there will be grandstands there. If you are coming all three days, I recommend using Friday to walk around and find the best locations. Then return to those on Saturday and Sunday early

  21. Hi. Are covid 19 vaccine passports needed for entry to the Grand Prix?
    Are they also required to enter bars and clubs in Italy?
    Thanks

  22. Hi, we plan on catching the Monza 2023 race while touring europe during this time. We are looking to purchase general administion tickets. Will these be give us a decent viewing experience? Any other advice (we plan to stay in Milan and catch a train to Monza) will be highly appreciated, thank in advance.

    1. Hi Lee, we used to recommend General Admission at Monza, but it has really gone downhill in the last few years – the experience for many fans in 2022 was particularly bad, as many areas previously good for viewing were either off limits or taken by new grandstands. I’d recommend buying a grandstand seat if you can afford it. Sales should begin in late January. Advice is to read all parts of our guide for the Italian Grand Prix. We also have a closed Facebook group for fans to ask questions and share experiences, which you can join here. Last advice is to join our mailing list and check the box for Italy – we will provide some useful updates about tickets and more.

  23. Hello Andrew ,

    This site is pure gold for anyone who will attend to any F1 race. Thank you for that.
    As for the question – im going to bring my sister (age 14) to Monza Grand Prix. We have GA 3-day tickets.
    I’m not sure where to stay for the whole weekend. I’m thinking for Bergamo.
    Which entrance will you recommend to enter the circuit for best GA stands ? On Friday as you suggested we will make a walk , but i need to plan everything before just to be sure that everything will be OK. On Google maps some of the entrances are locked and looked little abandoned . Are they opened during the race weekends ?
    Any other advice will be highly appreciated, thank in advance. I will keep an eye on the things you post here.

    1. Hi Alexander, hope you have a great time at Monza. I think Bergamo is a good base for the weekend, you have trains from there to Monza. The entrance depends on how you get to the track. If you take a train to Monza, followed by the black shuttle bus, then you can enter closest around the Parabolica area.
      More information about getting to the track: https://f1destinations.com/getting-around-italian-f1-grand-prix/
      More information about entrances: https://f1destinations.com/trackside-italian-f1-grand-prix/
      Circuit map with entrances: https://www.monzanet.it/images/content/pages/docs/autodromo-monza-jABIxTCef4tzYmL.pdf
      The above entrances should all be open on race weekend.

  24. Hi. Any update on the entrance regulations for this year in Monza? Mainly regarding water bottles and power banks. Thank you.

    1. It’s not been published, as far as I can see. Based on the updated regulations this year for Imola, I think you will be allowed in with sealed 500ml water bottles and power banks that weigh less than 300 grams. Normally the rules for both races in Italy are the same, as based on the same government regulations for events in Italy.

  25. You are not allowed to bring into the circuit: (a) bottles, cans, glass containers or food and drink (if not permitted by the Circuit Regulations or by the competent Authorities).

    This is coming from the Monza website: https://www.monzanet.it/en/tickets/.

    I was also looking into this if I can bring my water bottle to the track.

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