Where to Stay for European F1 Races — Monza, Barcelona, Spa, and Austria

The difference between a great F1 weekend and a miserable one is where you stay — and for European races, that means booking 6-12 months early or paying triple.

Updated April 2026 | 5 min read

Here is what I learned from attending four European Grand Prix weekends.

Italian Grand Prix — Monza

The circuit: Autodromo Nazionale Monza, inside a park 15km northeast of Milan.

Best area to stay: Milan city center. Specifically around Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi train stations. The train from Milano Centrale to Monza takes 12 minutes and runs every 10-15 minutes. From Monza station, it is a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute shuttle to the circuit gates.

Do not stay in Monza town. Hotels there triple their prices for race weekend and the restaurants are limited. Milan gives you a real city to enjoy on Thursday and Friday before the race, plus the train connection is fast enough that commuting is painless.

Budget: A decent hotel near Milano Centrale costs EUR 150-250/night during race weekend if you book 3-4 months ahead. Wait until August and the same room is EUR 350+. I paid EUR 180/night at a Holiday Inn Express near Centrale — clean, functional, 2-minute walk to the train.

Book how far out: 4-6 months for budget options. The moment the F1 calendar is confirmed (usually December), hotels start inflating. February is the sweet spot.

The exit strategy: After the race, 80,000 people flood toward Monza station. The queue for trains can be 45-60 minutes. My trick: walk 15 minutes in the opposite direction to Villasanta station (one stop further from Milan) and catch a nearly empty train. Add it to Google Maps offline before race day.

What I would do differently: Book an Airbnb apartment near Porta Garibaldi instead of a hotel near Centrale. Better restaurants in the neighborhood, slightly cheaper, and the Garibaldi station connects to Monza just as easily.

Spanish Grand Prix — Barcelona

The circuit: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmelo, 30km north of Barcelona.

Best area to stay: Barcelona city center — Eixample or Gracia. The official race shuttles depart from Passeig de Gracia and take 35-40 minutes to the circuit. Without the shuttle, driving is a nightmare (parking is limited and traffic is brutal). The train option (Rodalies R2 Nord to Montmelo) takes 30 minutes but gets extremely crowded on race day.

I recommend the shuttle. It costs about EUR 25 round trip and drops you at the gate. Book it through the circuit’s official website when tickets go on sale.

Budget: Barcelona hotels during race weekend (late May/early June) run EUR 120-200/night for a mid-range option in Eixample. The city has enormous hotel supply so prices do not spike as badly as Monza. Book 2-3 months ahead.

Why Barcelona works: You get a world-class city with beaches, food, and nightlife for the days around the race. The Barcelona neighborhood guide I wrote covers the best areas for eating and exploring.

What I would do differently: Skip the Friday practice session. The shuttle commute makes it a full-day commitment for what amounts to watching cars go around while teams test setups. Saturday qualifying and Sunday race are the only days worth the trip.

Belgian Grand Prix — Spa-Francorchamps

The circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in the Ardennes forest, 45km southeast of Liege.

Best area to stay: Malmedy or Stavelot. These are the two closest towns to the circuit (5-10 minutes by car). Both are small Belgian towns with limited but decent hotels, B&Bs, and Airbnbs.

Do not stay in Liege or Brussels unless you want a 45-60 minute drive each way on roads that become parking lots on race day. Spa (the town) is an option but is 20 minutes from the circuit and prices spike just as much as Malmedy.

Budget: This is where F1 accommodation gets expensive relative to what you get. A basic Airbnb apartment in Malmedy costs EUR 200-300/night during race weekend — for something that would normally be EUR 60. Hotels in Stavelot are similar. The limited supply drives prices up.

Book how far out: As early as possible — 6+ months. Spa race weekend accommodation sells out faster than any other European race because the area has so few rooms. Some people camp at the circuit’s official campsite (EUR 60/person for the weekend, bring your own tent).

The car question: You almost certainly need a rental car for Spa. Unlike Monza and Barcelona, there is no practical public transport to the circuit. Budget EUR 50-80/day for a rental from Brussels or Liege airport. Park in the official circuit lots (EUR 30-50 per day, book in advance through the circuit website).

What I would do differently: Book a holiday cottage or gite in the Ardennes countryside, 15-20 minutes from the circuit. More space, a kitchen (restaurants in Malmedy are overloaded race weekend), and often cheaper than a town-center Airbnb. Search Booking.com for “Ardennes gites” specifically.

Austrian Grand Prix — Red Bull Ring, Spielberg

The circuit: Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Styria. A mountain valley circuit that is both beautiful and remote.

Best area to stay: Graz or Leoben. Spielberg itself has almost no accommodation supply — a few hotels and some farm stays. Graz (80km south) is a proper city with good hotels, restaurants, and a train to Leoben. From Leoben, shuttle buses run to the circuit on race days.

Alternatively, if you want the full experience: camp. The Red Bull Ring campsite is legendary. Thousands of fans camp on the surrounding hillsides. It is a festival atmosphere — loud, social, and the cheapest option at EUR 50-80 for the weekend.

Budget: Graz hotels during race weekend: EUR 100-180/night for mid-range. Farm stays and pensions in the Spielberg area: EUR 120-200/night. Both are reasonable by F1 standards — Austria has less accommodation inflation than other races.

Book how far out: 3-4 months. Graz has decent hotel supply. The nearby farm stays book out faster, so 5-6 months for those.

General F1 Accommodation Rules

• Never book through the F1 official accommodation partner. They mark up 30-50% over direct hotel bookings. Search Booking.com and direct hotel sites first.
• Airbnb beats hotels for groups. Two couples sharing an apartment is half the per-person cost of two hotel rooms and you get a kitchen for breakfast instead of paying EUR 20 for a hotel buffet.
• Check cancellation policies. Race dates occasionally shift. Book accommodation with free cancellation when possible.
• Book the Wednesday before the race through Monday after. Arriving Thursday and leaving Sunday means you miss Thursday’s track walk (many circuits offer these) and deal with Sunday’s exodus traffic.
• Download offline maps. Cell service near circuits is terrible with 100,000+ phones all hitting the same towers. A portable charger and offline Google Maps are non-negotiable.

For the complete guide to planning an F1 trip from scratch, read the F1 logistics hub post.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I book F1 race accommodation?

For European GPs, book 6-12 months before race weekend. Austrian GP in Spielberg has the smallest supply — book immediately when dates are confirmed. Barcelona and Monza have more options.

Is it better to stay near the circuit or in the city?

For Monza, stay in Milan (30 min train). For Barcelona, stay in the city center. For Austria and Spa, you need a car — stay within 30 min of the circuit.

How much does F1 race weekend accommodation cost in Europe?

Expect 2-3x normal rates during race weekend. Budget $80-150/night for Barcelona, $100-200/night for Milan (Monza), $120-250/night for Spa area, and $80-180/night for Spielberg area.

Book Your F1 Trip

Hotels (Milan/Monza): Milan on Booking.com

Hotels (Barcelona): Barcelona on Booking.com

Car rental (Spa/Austria): RentCars

Flights: Skyscanner

eSIM: Europe eSIM from Airalo

Travel insurance: SafetyWing

Related Reading

• Italian Grand Prix at Monza
• Barcelona and the Spanish GP
• Belgian GP at Spa
• Austria and Bavaria
• Best F1 Circuits Guide