Is Formula One a Secret Travel Show? Fill Your Passport Traveling the Global F1 Race Circuit

Formula One is the world’s greatest (and most glam) motor sports competition — and with a high-octane, nine-month season comprised of 22 races across five continents, it’s also reason to visit some of the globe’s most exceptional destinations.

From classic European hubs like Milan and Barcelona to buzzing cities such as Mexico City and Singapore, the F1 calendar has it all. Here’s where to enjoy the best of the action on and away from the track.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Abu Dhabi

Inaugurated in 2009, this day-to-night race has become the traditional finale for the F1 season.

For those aiming to enjoy the race weekend in style, there’s no better place to stay than W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, on the doorstep of the race’s Yas Marina Circuit.

A lavish after-race concert each year brings the curtain down on the F1 season, but who will be celebrating hardest?

Austin, Texas

The United States has hosted F1 in a variety of venues over the decades, with Austin a home of the U.S. Grand Prix since 2012.

The race is popular with drivers — who enjoy the purpose-built Circuit of the Americas — and spectators, who flock to see the racing and post-race concerts before experiencing Austin itself, the “live music capital of the world.”

Bahrain

First held in 2004, the Bahrain Grand Prix was the Middle East’s only Grand Prix until 2009. Lewis Hamilton, famed British racer and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport superstar, counts it as one of his favorites.

“The weather is amazing every day; the hospitality there is really second to none,” he says.

For those keen to have a go at a racetrack themselves, there’s the globally renowned Bahrain International Karting Circuit, which can be found right next to the track.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, which hosts the Spanish Grand Prix, is one of the world’s great party cities, while its F1 circuit — with long straights and testing corners — is popular with drivers. The circuit lies slightly outside of the city, but it pays to be in a downtown hotel like Le Méridien Barcelona so you’re close to great tapas bars such as Cal Pep.

Travelers seeking a five-star experience will do well to book a stay at Hotel Arts Barcelona, a design-centric blue glass tower that houses seven restaurants, including two-Michelin-starred Enoteca Paco Pérez.

Budapest, Hungary

Located 12 miles north of Budapest, The Hungaroring racetrack has witnessed huge drama since hosting its first Grand Prix in 1986, when it was still behind the Iron Curtain.

Set in a natural bowl, it’s a great venue for spectators — especially those who are as interested in the delights of Hungary’s capital city as they are in the racing.

From Buda’s world-famous thermal baths to the elegant bridges that join it to Pest, there are hundreds of off-track reasons to take in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Don’t miss the panoramic views from the Fisherman’s Bastion. Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest is a suitably elegant place to stay in this breathtaking city.

Melbourne, Australia

One of the more consistently thrilling contests takes place in Melbourne, Australia’s most cosmopolitan city. A smooth, high-speed track composed largely of streets within Albert Park in the south of the city, the Aussie Grand Prix is rightly renowned for high-speed racing.

Fitzroy, where many of the city’s best restaurants and cafés can be found, is worth a visit after the race; St. Kilda, to the south, is also blessed with excellent restaurants plus a beach and the city’s historic Luna Park amusement park.

Mexico City, Mexico

Held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez since the competition returned to Mexico in 2015, Mexico City’s Grand Prix circuit is 1.4 miles above sea level — and the thin air at this high altitude makes it notoriously difficult for drivers.

Seats to watch the race in the famously atmospheric Foro Sol, a baseball stadium through which the circuit runs, are particularly coveted.

Miami, Florida

Miami’s Grand Prix has quickly established itself as the USA’s star-spangled response to Monaco, with an oceanside backdrop to match. As drivers dominate the circuit, racegoers enjoy one of North America’s most vibrant cities, famous for the art deco delights of South Beach, riotous nightlife and a vibrant food scene powered by talent from across the Americas.

Every indication suggests this is going to become one of the most fun races on the calendar; The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is the perfect base from which to enjoy it all.

Monaco

Formula One’s most famous race takes place on the streets of Monaco, a tiny principality on the Mediterranean coast.

There are few places where you can get closer to the action. Monaco, which is home to a number of current and former F1 drivers, is famous for its high-stakes gambling: Why not see if you can break the bank at the Casino de Monte-Carlo?

Montreal, Canada

Canada’s Grand Prix venue, Montreal, offers one of F1’s more unique tracks, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Notre-Dame Island in the Saint Lawrence River.

The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal is a short drive from the circuit and not far from Schwartz’s Deli, the oldest deli in Canada, where the Montreal smoked meat is rightly famous.

Monza, Italy

The quickest track on the circuit, Monza is a Formula One aficionado’s dream, with a history dating back to 1949 and a motor racing culture that revolves around F1’s most famous team, Ferrari.

Away from the track, it’s possible to visit Ferrari’s home at Maranello, about 100 miles to the southeast, but don’t overlook Milan, one of the world’s most sophisticated and elegant cities.

Try classic dishes like risotto Milanese and osso buco in the city’s restaurants, shop at the marvelous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — built in the late 19th century — and climb onto the roof of the Duomo, Milan’s cathedral, for a breathtaking view of the city.

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Passionate Brazilian fans have had no native hero to shout for since Felipe Massa retired at the end of 2017, but that hasn’t stopped Interlagos — which can be found in a southern suburb of São Paulo — from being one of the most atmospheric tracks on the circuit.

It has hosted many famous races, but none more dramatic than 2008, when Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton won his first FIA World Drivers’ Championship with an overtaking maneuver on the final corner while racing for McLaren.

Silverstone, UK

The U.K.’s connection to Formula One is decades old, with many of the championship’s teams based in the countryside around Silverstone, where grands prix have been held since 1948 and where the first championship race was held in 1950.

It’s a hugely atmospheric venue, electric on race weekends and within touching distance of Britain’s two biggest cities: London and Birmingham.

The former has something for everyone, from shopping at Harrods to the pubs of Borough, but the latter shouldn’t be overlooked: It has some of the best Indian food outside of India and a fascinating history as one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution (it’s also home to “Peaky Blinders”!).

Singapore

Taking place after dark on Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore‘s Grand Prix is one of F1’s most exciting races.

A race weekend in Singapore is about far more than just motor sports, with some of the circuit’s best live music on tap, as well as access to the city’s famous food scene (don’t miss a plate of Singapore chili crab at the hawker stalls).

The track is a huge physical challenge for drivers but always thrilling for spectators.

When it’s time to bed down for the night, be sure to check into The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, with its covetable location in tony Marina Bay. Culture lovers can take a break from the races to admire the property’s 4,200-piece art collection.