EUROPE, MAGICAL EUROPE
Fear not, I’m not about to get all political. I think we’ve all had just about enough of the unmentionable B word to last us a lifetime. As far as I’m concerned Brexit is what happens when a fat bloke from Barnsley sits on a plastic garden chair. I’d like it to stay that way.
So why my fixation on Europe? Well, with the 2019 season rapidly approaching and with a degree of doubt lingering over the immediate future of the British Grand Prix – now is the perfect time to dust off your passport and plan a trip to an overseas race.
If you’ve never done it before there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get on a Thursday morning with the sun coming up over the Tuscan hills to the glorious soundtrack of 24 MotoGP machines warming up in pit lane. So, while this isn’t intended to be a comprehensive guide, I have selected three superb races that are easy to do and perfect for both first-timers and hardened Europhiles alike. I’ve thrown in a few tips that have served me well over the years as both a punter and a writer. All of which have been refined by making a succession of mistakes, from which to learn, all for your benefit. If you’ve got a particularly understanding missus and/or boss, why not do all three? So, settle in, get your credit card out and unleash your inner Marc Marquez ‘how hard can it be’ attitude.
A few general tips
Google Translate is your friend; nothing endears you more to the locals than being able to say a couple of key phrases. If you’re able to say “I’m sorry, I only speak a tiny bit of French/Italian/Spanish” watch in wonder as even the most hardened Frenchman miraculously starts to converse in English. It’s free, it’s easy and it can open doors – I once struck up a friendship off the back of a simple Google Translate conversation that landed me in the paddock at Mugello 12 hours later!
Save yourself a packet by visiting the supermarket every night and loading up on bread, local meats, cheeses, fruits etc. Make a bunch of sandwiches and load up your rucksack. I assure you it’ll be better than most of the overpriced stuff you get served up inside the circuits (okay, some of it is pretty good but it’s definitely overpriced).
Tripadvisor and Airbnb are also your friends. Both have map search options, so you can very easily find something in the right area to suit most budgets.
Get on Twitter. If you want to know the best viewing points get on Twitter and engage with both fans and people that do it for a living. Your best bet is to ask some of the many MotoGP photographers; these guys know all the best places to stand and are usually happy to answer your questions.