TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
Here are a few tips and suggestions to make your visit to Montreal and the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit a most enjoyable experience.
1. Driving to Montreal
Downtown Montreal is easily accessible from all major centres in Ontario, the Atlantic Provinces, the New England states and the states of New York and Pennsylvania. To consult a map and to find other useful information, click here.
2. Flying to Montreal
All domestic & international flights land at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott-Trudeau International Airport. From the terminal, you can reach the downtown core in less than 20 minutes. Shuttle buses, taxis and limousines, service all major downtown hotels from the airport. All major car rental companies have service counters in the terminal. To learn more about the Pierre Elliott-Trudeau Airport, Canada’s custom policies and access to the Downtown area from the airport, click here.
3. Hotels, Motels & Inns
More than 200 establishments offer accommodations in the Montreal area. A wide variety of lodging to accommodate all budgets is available downtown, many of which are located near a subway station (Métro). You can also stay near the airport or adjacent to main highways leading to the city. To learn more and to make your selection, click here or contact our Travel Services at (514) 904-0155 ext 231 and ask for Stephen Pitone. You can also contact Mr. Pitone via email at spitone@zesteincentive.com.
4. Camping facilities
There are no RV parking or facilities at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. If you wish to locate a camping ground in the Montreal area, click here.
5. Leave your car at home or at the hotel
The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is serviced by the Montreal subway system (Métro) with the Jean-Drapeau station situated at the track. We suggest that you buy public transit tickets which are available at all subway stations. Leave your car at home or at the hotel since there is no parking available at the track and very limited parking near the site. Plan a 40-minute subway ride if you are departing from the North End of Montreal, a 25-minute ride from any downtown station and 15 minutes from the South Shore (Longueuil Station).
Please note that during the race weekend, public parking is not available on site. For a map of the Montreal subway system, click here.
6. Wear comfortable walking shoes
You may have to walk up to 2 km (1.2-mile) before reaching the grandstand seats located in front of the pits or in the Senna corner. Walking shoes, sneakers or flat heel shoes are most appropriate. Please take into account the walking distance to your seat, in order to be on time for the beginning of the race sessions.
7. Take the shortest path to your seats
From the subway station (Métro), there are two bridges available to access the island where the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit is located. The fastest way to get to the 1, 2, 11, 12 Grandstands is to turn right (West) and take the pathway alongside the basin and the fountains located outside the subway station. You can then take the Concorde Bridge and follow the signs. To reach the 15, 31, 34 grandstands (located at the East end of the track), turn left after the subway station building, cross the Cosmos Bridge and follow the signs.
8. Bring your binoculars, camera and portable radio
Gear up to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Tune into FM radio on your personal radio (frequency to be announced later) to hear the on-track broadcast. Bring a pair of binoculars to get a close-up view of the teams at work if of course your seat is located in front of the pits. You are authorized to take pictures of the cars on track if they are for your personal use only.
9. Bring a hat or a cap and your sunscreen lotion
The NAPA auto parts 200 – presented by DODGE racing program will take place at the end of August. We anticipate a warm and sunny weekend, therefore please protect yourself from the summer sun with a hat, a good sunscreen lotion and sunglasses.
10. Chairs, coolers and other accessories
The organizers reserve the right to prohibit anything onto the site that could be harmful to spectators or participants at the event, including ladders and other folding items. Glass containers are prohibited. In order to free the circulation in the stands and maintain the comfort and security of the spectators, coolers containing beverages or food for personal consumption must fit under the seats in an area with the following dimensions: 22.8 cm (9 inches) height, 45.7 cm (18 inches) length, 25.4 cm (10 inches) depth.
11. Being an early bird is an advantage
If possible, arrive early in order to locate and reach your grandstand seat. If you hold a general admission ticket, you stand a better chance of enjoying the best view by getting to the site early.
12. Relax and enjoy your day
Tens of thousands of people will come to the track everyday. Since nobody wants to miss any of the on-track action, food concessions and restrooms will be especially busy between sessions. We ask you to please be patient during these moments. Exiting the site after the race on Sunday will take time, we advise you to relax and visit the beautiful gardens located around the track or enjoy the scenic riverfront views of Montreal. You could also find a shady area to unwind while the crowd shuffles out.
