Travel Basics – 2025 United States Grand Prix

Plan your trip to the 2025 United States Grand Prix at COTA. Advice for F1 fans about money, health, weather & staying safe in Austin, Texas

• The 2024 United States Grand Prix is scheduled for October 18-20.
• Tickets are not yet on sale for 2025, but you can already secure an F1 Experiences Ticket Package
• This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links

Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. As well as being the capital city of Texas, it is seen as the state’s hippest city, mostly due to its reputation as the “live music capital of the world”. That means at any given moment on its famous 6th Street in downtown, you can hear live performances of just about every genre of music, but especially rock, country and folk. After all, there’s a reason it’s the home of Willie Nelson.

Do I Need a Visa to Enter the United States?

Australians, Canadians, and most Europeans do not need a visa to visit the United States, as they are part of the visa waiver program. Check the full list of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries on the U.S. State Department website. Don’t forget, you need to have a passport that is machine-readable, contains an integrated chip, and is valid for at least six months from the date of travel. Don’t forget that all travellers to the USA must complete an ESTA application before arrival, which is valid for 2 years

USA Travel: Need to Know

• The U.S. dollar remains strong against most major international currencies, so keep that in mind when calculating the cost of your trip and working out how much spending money you will need. Click here to see how much you will pay for eating, drinking and getting around in Austin. To check exchange rates, visit xe.com.
• Health care in the U.S. can get extremely expensive if you have an emergency while uninsured, so it’s best to get reliable travel insurance for the duration of your stay.
• Austin is in the Central Time Zone of the U.S., which is the same as Chicago and one hour behind New York and two hours ahead of California (GMT -5 hours).
• If you’re coming from outside of the U.S. or Canada, you’ll need a plug adapter and possibly a power converter, as the U.S. uses 100 – 127 V sockets.
• Dial 911 for emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)
• Visit The USA Official Website

Austin Weather

Texas can get quite hot, especially in the summer, reaching temperatures of 40°C+ (100°F+). Luckily, almost all buildings are air conditioned, and if you rent a car while you’re there it will most likely be air conditioned as well. Fortunately, the Grand Prix takes place in October, which is one of the best months to be in Texas, and temperatures will likely be around a pleasant 25°C (77°F) during the day, dropping only slightly at night to about 20°C (68°F ). Having said that, a massive storm hit Austin on race weekend in 2015, and there was similarly bad weather just before the start of the 2018 race weekend, so pack your wet weather gear just in case.

Staying Safe

In general, Austin is a relatively safe city compared to other cities its size in the U.S., but be aware that gun violence does occur. The areas around downtown and South Congress Street are generally safe at night, but it’s best not to wander around alone in some parts of east Austin. Always take a taxi home if you are out late and have had a few drinks.

Language

While English is the official language of the U.S., don’t be surprised to hear a lot of Spanish while you’re in Austin. Due to its proximity to Mexico, Texas has a large Spanish-speaking population, which is particularly evident when you look at its cuisine. So practice saying “dos tacos, por favor” and you’ll be fine.