Working out the cost of your weekend at Circuit of The Americas while attending the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 2024
- The 2024 United States Grand Prix runs from October 18-20. Tickets are now on sale
- We also recommend F1 Experiences Packages
- Prices below are based on published 2024 F1 ticket prices from COTA
- This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links
The US dollar has gained in value recently against most major currencies, making a trip to the States fairly expensive for most travelers, especially post-Brexit Brits. Ticket prices for the USGP have also risen strongly since the pandemic, and are now amongst the most expensive on the calendar according to our ranking of 2023 F1 ticket prices. General Admission tickets are now on sale for 2024 and the price has fallen from $475 to $349, which bodes well for prices falling across the board at this race next year. Whilst accommodation prices do get inflated in Austin on Grand Prix weekend, it’s still a relatively affordable city by US standards and a night out in the city doesn’t have to break the bank. Depending on where you stay, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of getting to and from the circuit each day; more on that in Getting There & Around.
Budget
- Weekend cost approx. $930 USD
- 3-day General Admission ticket = $389
- Dorm bed at hostel in downtown Austin (3 nights x $80) = $240
- Spending money including daily transport to/from COTA ($100 x 3) = $300
Mid-Range
- Weekend cost approx. $1,825 USD
- Mid-range grandstand ticket (Turn 4 Lower) =$625
- 3-star hotel in Austin for 3 nights (per person, twin share) = $600
- Spending money including daily circuit transfers ($200 x 3) = $600
High End
- Weekend cost approx. $7,100 USD
- F1 Experiences Champions Club package = $4,999
- 4-star hotel in Austin for 3 nights (per person, twin share) = $1,200
- Spending money ($300 x 3) = $900
Average costs above are per person based on a stay of 3 nights in Austin with race tickets, accommodation and spending money. The prices do not include flights (or other travel costs) required to reach Austin.
About our categories: Budget fans buy the cheapest race tickets (General Admission) and camp by the track or stay in a hostel. Mid-Range fans buy a grandstand ticket and stay in a 3-star hotel, whilst High-End fans buy a race hospitality package and stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel.
Been to Austin for the US Grand Prix? Leave a comment with your tips!
Hello, Would it be possible to just buy a ticket for one day to the Austin race or do I have to buy all 3 days?
Thank you!
Hi Katie, yes it is possible. Some of the cheaper grandstands (bleachers) have single-day tickets. But we need to wait as tickets are not yet on sale. More information here: https://f1destinations.com/tickets-us-grand-prix-cota/
Hey Katie you can buy Sunday Only tickets I recommend turn 4 you get more bang for your money, been the last years tried different turns and this was my favorite and they usually around $200 for Sunday only includes general admission to after race concert, last year was Britney Spears, which is always a plus. Also I have found that if you buy directly from the austin circuit of the americas website you get to choose your seat while at the f1 website random selection; if are going in a group need to all be in one purchase to get next to each other seating while it might not be the case on the ( http://circuitoftheamericas.com/2021-usgp,) you can sign up to get updates of when this will be available for purchase. Hope it helps.
Tickets from COTA for this year’s race are expected to go on sale very soon – at the start of April.
Thank you for this great resource. Wondering if you can help me with what is are normal ticket prices for a one day (Sunday race main grandstand ticket)? Will be going to COTA for the first time and looking to sit in the main grandstand but just for Sunday I understand tickets aren’t up yet for 2021 but interested if they normally provide 1-day tickets for main grandstand and/or if they are usually available on places like stubhub and historic prices. Thanks for this great website!
Hi Daniel, tickets are not yet on sale for the race – unless you buy with F1 Experiences or COTA Experiences. I’m pretty sure that single day tickets for race day are NOT available in the Main Grandstand – only 3 day tickets. But you can buy single day tickets for some of the cheaper “bleacher” grandstands. Here are the prices for the different 3-day seats in the Main Grandstand from 2019 (tickets never went on sale in 2020): Club = $1295 / Mezz = $1095 / Lower = $695 / Trackside = $595
Hi, is it for sure that public will be allowed or it is unknown at this point?
Not yet known 100%, but I’d say there will be fans allowed at the race this October. Perhaps there will be a reduction in the capacity, but I think the races in the later half of this year will definitely have fans.
Hi, hoping to go to my first Grand Prix. Your site has been immensely helpful. A little confused about ticket distro. COTAExperiences is offering a 3 day Turn 12 seating package for $529, no amenities or hospitality, just the tickets. COTA’s website is taking $150 deposits for the chance “”to secure your place in line…[to] select your seats before we go on sale to the public”. Will I be able to get Turn 12 tickets without making that deposit, when they eventually release, through the official website and/or sites such as your own? Will those tickets be for sale cheaper than what COTAExperiences has them, $529/3 days? I know it’s a rich sport but trying to gauge what these prices are actually…I don’t want to stress about securing the seat I want, but also don’t know if that COTAExperiences is really higher than normal
Hi John, thanks for the compliment! It’s hard to say how easy tickets will be to get this year, given that many people will have ‘rolled over’ their tickets from last year. I can’t say what the circuit’s prices for Turn 12 grandstand seats will be this year, but the last time they were on sale in 2019 the prices were as follows: Higher (rows 27-37) = $395 / Lower (rows 11-26) = $345. So yes it is more expensive to go with COTAExperiences, but at least you know it’s an official product. If I had to say, you’ll still be able to get Turn 12 tickets from the circuit when they go on sale, but I’d recommend you buy them as soon as they go on sale.
Sure would like to drive the motor home there or rent one there.
Is the typical inside the track camping. RV park?
Hi Scott, yes there is RV camping inside the track at COTA – right next to it in fact! Not much information online about this. I suggest you contact Circuit of The Americas directly. (Details may not be available for 2021 until tickets go on sale)
If tickets aren’t on sale yet how can sit like stub hub be selling them already?
I believe these tickets are being sold by people who retained them from last year’s cancelled race. Tickets are going to go on sale for 2021 officially from the start of April.
Hello, are hospitality tickets worth the extra cost? What all do you really get? Seems like food/drinks and pit walk? Are normal food/drinks that pricey and long enough lines to warrant paying that extra money? Also do they have ADA seats in the hospitality sections? Thanks!
Hard to answer that question. It’s not only about the food and drink, but also being able to hang out in a well-appointed hospitality suite next to the track and eat at a table with proper cutlery. And of course the open bar is attractive for a lot of people! But if you are happy ordering take away style food and eating it on your lap in the grandstand, then that also works! I do believe that hospitality suites at COTA would be equipped with ADA seats. If you are interested, I can check for you.
How much will a paddock pass cost? Will I be able to meet Toto wolf to ask him questions?
You can’t buy a Paddock pass on it’s own. They are allocated to the teams, media etc. But if you buy certain access with F1 Experiences or in the Paddock club with the teams, you can get your hands on one – for example, Legend Ticket Packages from F1 Experiences give you a full day of access to the Paddock. Other packages include a guided tour of the Paddock.
Do you have any info on the shuttle service on race day ?
Not yet. The organizers normally don’t announce the shuttle service (and put the tickets on sale) until around 1-2 months before the race. But I would expect that the shuttle service will be similar to previous years. You can learn more about it in this post.
Early Bird pricing will be released in April?
Hi Kristin, we should know more about pricing very soon. But COTA doesn’t really do early bird pricing, apart from General Admission tickets. Maybe they won’t at all this year given the huge interest in the race, and the fact that many tickets are already sold (from cancelled 2020 race)
I came late to the party. I see that the tickets to the race are sold out.. Anyway they will have tickets on sale for race day how much do they usually cost? I wouldn’t mind general admission.
Hi Eddy, I’ve now update this post to indicate that tickets are now on sale. General Admission tickets are currently sold out, but may become available again. Next cheapest available tickets are Turn 18 bleachers (new for 2021) which are priced at $275 for 3 days. I don’t believe single-day tickets will be available this year due to the high demand for the 3-day tickets. You can buy here.
Hello, I’m looking to buy 2 3-day GA tickets. How much do these usually cost? I saw tickets being sold on stubhub for like $600 and wondered if they’ll be this expensive when tickets go on sale??
They were last sold in 2019 for $175 early bird / $195 regular price. I wouldn’t recommend buying from stubhub. They should be going on sale via COTA this month but interest is very high, so you’ll need to be quick I think before they sell out.
Will general admission tickets sell out?
Hi Eric, there’s huge interest this year in the USGP. I would say there is a high chance that General Admission tickets will sell out very quickly this year when they go on sale – I think sales will begin later in April or early in May.
Hello,
First timer over here! I’m so glad I found your site. This article has been so incredibly helpful :)
Was just wondering which turn you suggest is best. Most articles I read mentioned Main Grandstand as the best seat but, I know cost is a bit higher for those.
Any info you could send my way would be much appreciated. :)
Thanks in advanced!
-RP
Hi Rebecca, the Main Grandstand is only good if you want to watch the start/pit stops/podium ceremony. But you won’t see any action on the track. I’d much rather be next to a turn where there can be some passing moves etc. Lots of good places to watch the action at COTA – even in General Admission. Other good places to watch the action include Turn 1, but it’s expensive too. Nothing wrong with the cheaper bleacher seats near Turn 4 as well.
Thank you soooo much for your response. You have been so incredibly helpful. I will definitely be looking at turns and general admission then. Fingers crossed that I can actually get tickets. Thank you again! :)
Hello! I just checked the COTA Instagram account and looks like tickets will go on sale on April 27th. Cheers!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNcyTcxBCeJ/
With 3-day GA tix, will we be able to access all of the extracurriculars (music, rides, etc…)?
Correct, you can attend the trackside concerts and attractions with a General Admission ticket. (Some activities within the circuit may be additional cost however)
Just booked a few weeks ago, coming from Canada on Thursday and flying out Monday, 3 day pass at the turn 19 grandstand. It was only $1350 CAD ($1100 USD) all in, flights, pass, and hotel (4star hotel 20 min away).
Sounds like a good deal Kyle, hope you enjoy the race. I’m hoping to be there myself, but not yet made any bookings.
Thank you, it just seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. Its goin to be the first GP that me and my best friend are attending, super excited!
Good afternoon, I’ll go from MA to watch, I’m thinking, There’s a flight leaving Texas at 6:50 from the airport that is next to where the race takes place, would it be nice to take this flight on the way back, would there be a lot of traffic on the day?
Even though the airport is close to the track, it can be very congested leaving the circuit just after the race. Personally, I wouldn’t book a flight leaving at 6:50pm. You’ll be stressed all day about missing your flight and won’t enjoy the race. I wouldn’t book a flight leaving before about 8-9pm.
Hi! It’s my husbands dream to go to this race and I”m trying to find tickets anywhere! Do you know if vivid seats offers a 3 day pass and at what rate? I tried looking a bit into it and might have found tickets around $400 but I’m not sure if that’s just for one day or all three days. Unfortunately, they don’t have a phone number so I”m not sure how to find this out. Or if there are any other reputable websites you know that have tickets for sale I would be so grateful! Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Tori, we don’t recommend buying with seat resellers like Vivid or StubHub as the validity of the tickets cannot be verified. Luckily, the supplier that we recommend still has a few official 3-day tickets left. Most of the best grandstands are long sold out, but you can still attend the race and sit in the Turn 2 Lower grandstand for about $600 per ticket. Here’s the link to buy, but a warning that these could be gone soon. Huge interest in the USGP this year!
Thanks for the response. Is it just the one ticket available? I only see one ticket for Turn 2.
That’s all that is left basically. The event is essentially a sell out (COTA circuit has nothing left). And better to buy our official tickets, which come direct from the promoter (COTA) rather than taking your chance with a reseller, who may not deliver what they say they will (or worse, could rip you off).
Hi Andrew, I hope you are still answering questions. Never been to COTA for a race, but have seen many concerts here. I am working in the hospitality area by Turn 13. It is supposed to be covered. What else can you tell me about this area? Thank you kindly!
I would like to point out that every ounce of information in this article is incorrect. The cheapest hotel you’re going to find in Austin will be around $100/night. Travel(Uber) to COTA is reasonable, however the drive leaving is a nightmare. Rates range from $80-$100+ to leave the track and get back near down town. Order your uber at least 30 minutes before leaving the stadium as there will be little to no availability once everyone starts to pour out. On another note I would love to see where you are getting a 3 day, let alone a 1 day grand stand pass for under $500. I came down this year (October 2021) and paid ~$100/night on a quality inn hotel, 2-stars. I paid $125 for Saturday GA qualifying pass and $524 for a Sunday GA race day pass. On top of that the merchandise at the track is extremely inflated running at $100 for a team hat. Food and drink prices are within expectations for an event like this. All said and done you’re looking at nearly $1,000 for a 2-day general admission experience without calculating food, travel, parking, etc.
Sorry your experience was different, but it doesn’t mean that the information in the article is all incorrect. If you had purchased tickets when they went on sale rather than after the event was a sell out, you wouldn’t have been paying the much higher prices for tickets on the secondary market. The ticket prices in this article are correct.
Lived 4 hours from the track for over 20 years and never been, next year may be my first!
I am trying to plan for 2022 and would be a first timer. I am interested in buying some kind of experience package so that we can have a more up-close and interactive experience BUT I’m not sure what the price range OR availability is. Is there JUST the very high -end package and then stadium/Turn seating OR are there a variety of experience packages that are more affordable/at different price ranges available? I would like to make an earlybird deposit but I am not sure if I should do the $250 OR $500 before really understanding what’s available to me. Sorry to be such a novice, but, any help you can provide to guide me would be very much appreciated!
Hello Kim, I don’t have much information about the hospitality packages offered by COTA for the USGP (but most of these are higher priced due to the all-inclusive food and drink). It sounds like you may be suited to one of the “Fan Packages” from F1 Experiences, which offer a 3-Day grandstand seat plus access to some exclusive trackside activities at the circuit like a pit lane walk, guided tour of the track and F1 driver appearances. These haven’t yet been released for 2022, but the cheapest Starter package should cost around $1000 (maybe less). Slightly more expensive are the Trophy/Hero Packages, which provide better activities.
I really appreciate your reply and the details. Do you know what month they release the packages? And, would purchase be through the COTA site? Again, thank you so much.
Hi Kim, I think COTA is waiting to sign a new race contract before releasing the 2022 tickets – but I’d guess they will go on sale in the next 1-2 months. You can already pre-register for tickets via the COTA site, or wait and purchase from our partners Grand Prix Tickets (GPT) when sales begin.
Any advice on tickets for 2022 in Austin? My teen daughters and I had a great time at qualifying a few weeks ago and plan on going for the full three days (or at least sat and sun next year), but would prefer covered seating and ideally meals. Yes, I know with that comes a hefty cost. Just wondering what options would be. Thanks!
Hi Amber, I think you should consider the Champions Club by F1 Experiences. It has a great location on the Main Straight and you get all-inclusive hospitality plus some cool additional benefits. Packages are expected to go on sale for 2022 in the near future, but you can already put down a deposit. Not sure on exact pricing for 2022, but I think it’s around $2500-3000 for 2 or 3 day access.
Planning to attend my first F1 grand prix in Austin. How much would it cost for a 3 day tickets in the mclaren paddock or Champions club and which website do we use to make payments for the tickets?
Hi Brenda, Champions Club from F1 Experiences costs more or less about $3000 for 2-3 days access with fully hospitality. For McLaren Paddock Club, you are looking more like $5000-6000, again depending on 2-3 day access. However, I should say that prices for 2022 have not yet been announced. You should be able to buy both from F1 Experiences directly sometime early in the new year. They are not yet on sale, but I think they will be fairly soon – we have been waiting for confirmation of a new contract between COTA and F1 to continuing holding the race. One thing I should note is that McLaren Paddock Club may be not available straight away, as that’s dependent on the team confirming their offer. You can also join the mailing list for the USGP from F1 Experiences and they will notify you when sales begin.
When do the tickets go on sale for 2022 and how quickly do they sell out? Is it possible to pre-register?
Hi, I don’t know exactly when tickets will go on sale but I’m expecting it will be in late January. It was possible to pre-register for tickets via Circuit of The Americas, but I believe this is now closed. We will have tickets available through our partners, but I expect them to sell quickly – there’s huge demand for this race, so I suggest getting yours quickly. Follow us on social media and we will be sure to provide further updates.
Don’t the tickets usually come out in April or May?
In the past, yes. But this year we are expecting them to be on sale earlier.
Do you think there will still be tickets remaining in the main grandstand? Also, can you get a good view of turn 1 from there?
Yes, we should have tickets to all grandstands. Not such a great view of Turn 1 from the Main Grandstand – it’s quite some distance away and up the hill, but you will see something distant.
Will the tickets come out suddently or will there be notice on what day and which time. What are the digital queues like in that case?
When it comes to purchasing from the circuit (COTA), for sure there will be notice of when tickets go on sale – but there is a chance that all tickets will be allocated in the pre-registration and thus won’t be available. This is what happened with the Miami Grand Prix. However, we will have a separate allocation of tickets via our supplier, Grand Prix Tickets.
Are the Champions Club packages sold out? Would be interested in this package for two.
Tickets and packages have not yet gone on sale for the 2022 USGP, however I do work for F1 Experiences and my understanding is that the Champions Club is already sold out via deposits. It would still be worth adding your details on the F1 Experiences site, as something could become available.
Is it possible to extend hotel accommodations beginning from Monday October 16th to Monday October 23rd? If not, is it possible to remove the accommodations for the mid- range packet?
You can stay as long as you want! These prices are just a guide for the average fan, who normally only stays in the city on race weekend.
When are we expecting tickets for the 2023 race to go on sale? When have they gone on sale previously?
Is it best to buy of your ticketing partner, the COTA site or F1 site?
My flight and hotel are already booked, so the ticket is the last piece of the puzzle!
Tickets for the USGP used to go on sale in April. It came forward to March this year, but I’m expecting tickets to go on sale even earlier for 2023. Possibly before the end of the year, otherwise maybe in January. As to where to buy them, keep your options open as they can be hard to obtain. By all means try with COTA as they will be cheapest. Sign up to our mailing list (checking box for USGP) and we will also inform you when we go on sale. The F1 Tickets site should be the last option, as they apply a large markup and are thus more expensive.
New here and a little behind – just got tickets for Oct. 21st primarily to go see Queen and will be coming from San Antonio. Anyone have any idea how to best plan for an uber ride to COTA and back? how much would I be looking to pay for an Uber from Austin to COTA during such a big event anyway? Thanks!
You have more information in this post: https://f1destinations.com/getting-around-us-grand-prix/
The price is hard to estimate, but it will probably be cheaper to get to the circuit than to get back from the circuit due to surge pricing.
Just commenting for 2024 pricing estimate purposes. The hotels this weekend are going to be through the roof in Austin itself because the University of Texas plays the University of Georgia on Saturday of that weekend. Hotels right now in and around downtown Austin are already $700-1,500 per night depending on the hotel quality and location.
Thanks for that intel, Grant. I wasn’t aware of the big game on the same weekend. I’ll make a note in this and the accommodation guide.