Last May, I showed up in Monaco on the day of the Formula 1 Grand Prix sans tickets. I decided to go on the spur of the moment. I thought there was a slim possibility of seeing the race from some distant vantage point. Locals were selling tickets at astronomical rates -- something like 1000 Euros per person. The grandstand was sold out; it only seats about 3000 people, so the remaining high-priced tickets were for apartment and hotel balconies overlooking the track.

I heard the unbelievably loud revving engines, but couldn't see anything. The Monaco police block off every conceivable view of the race track. Hordes of people were milling about trying to peek through the makeshift blockades, but the Gendarmes were militant about not letting anyone get a free peek. I scoured the elevated Palace grounds for a spot to spy the Formula 1 cars, and I found a tree on the edge of a rocky cliff with a partial view of the track.

If you plan ahead and purchase the tickets now for the May race, the grandstand tickets are approximately 430 Euros. A substantial difference from the prices I was faced with in the crowded streets of Monte Carlo. Order online here.

To get up close and personal with a fleet of exotic cars, walk over to the Hermitage Hotel where the movers and shakers line them up for all to see, and drool over.