By Marcella Gallace
The San Marino Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) was the first MotoGP that I have attended outside of my home country of Australia. The track is renowned for its passionate fans and features fifteen curves and three short straightaways, making the San Marino MotoGP a site of intense battles every year.
It’s Valentino Rossi’s home turf and although the Doctor has retired, his legacy continues to captivate and inspire fans who come to pay homage to him.
If you've ever considered attending one of Italy's two MotoGP events, the San Marino MotoGP has a lot to offer. Planning the trip from outside Italy can be daunting, so I'll share my experience and offer insights on what I would do differently, helping you make the most of your visit.
Planning your trip:
Step 1: Flights
Step 2: MotoGP Tickets
Step 3: Accommodation
Step 4: Travelling to and from circuit
Step 5: What to do outside of MotoGP hours?
Book your Flights for Italy
I won’t go into too much depth with this step. I didn’t fly to Italy exclusively for the MotoGP, especially coming all the way from Australia. I love the MotoGP, but 24-hours on a plane for a few days in Italy. Not happening. I made a holiday out of it. Anyone flying 10-hours or less, very achievable to attend from Thursday to Monday.
What I would do differently:
I was too tunnel vision on organising my San Marino MotoGP trip BUT the Italian Grand Prix Formula 1 in Monza always falls the week before the San Marino MotoGP. So, DO BOTH! If I ever organised this again, I would fly straight to Milan and get a train to Monza for the F1 and then head down to San Marino. Two birds, one stone. This doesn’t happen in the world of motorsports.
Note: tickets for F1 Monza sell out a lot faster than MotoGP, so be very organised (many months in advanced).
When do I buy MotoGP Tickets?
San Misano MotoGP tickets go on sale early compared to other circuits on the calendar. For example, Phillip Island always goes on sale in June, approximately four and a half months prior to the event. Tickets for San Misano on the other hand are available from February, more than seven months prior. Just like concert tickets, you want to get in early to secure the best seats. The Italians also have reduced price periods, allowing you to purchase tickets for less if you are well organised.
They are as follows:
Reduced Tickets – Round 1
Ends mid-February
Reduced Tickets – Round 2
From February to end of April
Reduced Tickets – Round 3
April to end of June
Full Price Tickets
From July 3 onwards
From July onwards you will be purchasing tickets at full price. Grandstand tickets are not sold out at this point, so you can be a last-minute person and organise this one-month out. A three-day grandstand pass ranges from €175 to €385. A Sunday Grandstand pass; €130 to €280.
It’s a no-brainer that anyone traveling far and long for this event should be attending Friday to Sunday.
Purchasing Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased from the Official MotoGP website HERE. This site is very easy to navigate and understand.
Tickets can also be purchased from Official Misano Circuit Marco Simoncelli website HERE. They seem to have more ticket options than the official MotoGP website, as well as cheaper options. For English users, it’s not as clearcut.
My tip: The entire San Misano circuit has high fencing, something that makes Phillip Island so unique because it's a circuit with zero high fences and spectators can stand anywhere without obstruction of view! So, I do recommend a grandstand ticket for this race rather than general admission. You need to note that they have two different general admission tickets with different access points to the circuit, if you are considering this option no general admission ticket gives you full access to the circuit. These tickets are called Prato 1 and Prato 2.
Prato 1: General Admission Ticket - €165 (Fri-Sun) or €105 (Sun)
Prato 1 extends from the back straight to the 11th corner. You can view two back straights and the approach to the hairpin. It's a green area near the Kart track with visibility of the Tramonto turn.
Prato 2: General Admission Ticket - €125 (Fri-Sun) or €105 (Sat-Sun) or €80 (Sun)
Prato 2 spans the short straight between Turns 8 and 9, offering views of the long fast straight, the first hairpin, and the approach to the second hairpin. It is in a green area with Marco's oak, providing visibility of the Quercia curve and Curva del Tramonto entrance.
If you are considering general admission, check out my article Top 5 Corners at Misano MotoGP for the best vantage points.
Where is the San Marino MotoGP located?
The San Marino MotoGP takes place in the town of Misano Adriatico, in the Province of Rimini, Italy, at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Despite its name, the event is not held in San Marino, the landlocked country within Italy. The "San Marino" designation is used because Italy already hosts the Italian MotoGP in Mugello, and the Misano circuit is close to San Marino, giving the race its name. Yeah, too much confusion!
Where do I choose Accomodation?
I would really only consider towns very close to Misano Adriatico (location of race circuit) that have train lines. Unless you are driving (which is another nightmare to try and park close to the circuit) you will need to rely on trains in Italy. My picks are the following towns with hotels no further than 10-minutes by foot from the train station – Riccione, Misano Adriatico and Cattolica.
Riccione
Riccione. I don’t care what anyone says, this is the place to be. This is the neighbouring town of Misano Adriatico.
Accommodation is extremely affordable and A LOT cheaper than what is being charged at the hotels located at Misano Adriatico (all because they host the MotoGP). Riccione is an aesthetically beautiful town and has nightlife. Their beach strip stretches for miles with dozens of day beach clubs to choose from, shops opened past midnight, as well as animated bars and restaurants. This year, Space Ibizia nightclub even opened their first Italian venue in Riccione. That says a lot! The likes of MotoGP riders such as the Marquez brothers can often be found in Riccione leading up to the race. Riccione to Misano Adriatico is only 3-minutes by train. The best way to reach the circuit from Misano Adriatico is by walking, which takes about 25 minutes from the train station.
Misano Adriatico
The San Marino MotoGP circuit is located in the town of Misano Adriatico. It’s a good place to stay because you’re near the circuit and that will make your life easier, but apart from that, I don’t recommend it. Hotels are overpriced compared to the neighbouring towns of Riccione and Cattolica.
Cattolica
This is the other neighbouring town to Misano Adriatico. Again, the accommodation is a lot cheaper than what Misano Adriatico offers. Locate yourself walking distance to the train station which is Cattolica-Gabicce station. The train ride is only 4-minutes from Misano Adriatico.
My tip: If you plan to use public transport to reach the circuit, be mindful that trains from Riccione and Cattolica-Gabicce to Misano Adriatico are not as frequent as you might expect. They typically run every 40 minutes. To avoid any last-minute hassles, make sure to check the train timetables the night before and plan your journey accordingly.
Make sure your accommodation is located close to the train station in whichever town you choose to stay in. I was only 3-minutes by foot from the hotel to the train station which made my life wonderful! Taxis are very expensive in San Marino with a taxi start fee of 9.90€! A five-minute journey will easily cost more than 20€.
2-WEEKS OUT - Can you get accomodation?
I tend to be an expert at 'last minute' adventures - which is not an ideal trait! For last minute accommodation, don't bother looking at Misano Adriatico, they are booked out at least a month prior to the race. Look for anything at Riccione or Cattolica, what was interesting for me was that the hotels I had bookmarked in Riccione were sold out on Booking.com but when I emailed the hotels they had a room or two available. So perserve and email any hotels you are eyeing on booking.com.
Note: Many hotels in the three towns (Riccione, Misano Adriatico, and Cattolica) offer packages that include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is a common practice because many Italian families travel to the coast for their annual beach vacation, and the region is filled with hotels competing for guests. Be sure to shop around for the best deals. Zanirini Hotel Riccione is a good example of a hotel that offers this - check for availability.
How do I get to Misano Adriatico (circuit location)?
The San Marino MotoGP is located in the town of Misano Adriatico.
Unless you have hired a car, the easiest option is to travel to Misano Adriatico by train. Dependent on where you are traveling from, for example, Florence, Rome, Milan (etc) you will always have to stop at Bologna train station for the changeover and make your way to the corresponding platform to catch a regional train to Misano Adriatico train station.
How do I get to the San Marino MotoGP Circuit?
In my opinion, the best way to reach the circuit is by taking a train to Misano Adriatico station, followed by a 25-minute walk to the circuit. The reason I say this is because the circuit is only 2.9km away from the station and obtaining parking anywhere near the circuit (even 2km out) is extremely time consuming, you’ll be waiting in traffic for hours (very similar to anyone who has attended Phillip Island).
Even the bus system from the train station to the circuit is a nightmare, which isn’t actually a bus, but rather a trackless train, which gets full very quickly as one of these only has approximately 20-seats, so you lose time waiting for the next one to circulate. Due to heavy traffic around the circuit, the trackless train often gets delayed and caught up in the traffic and what should be a 5-minute commute can often turn into a 30-minute ride. In fact, on the Saturday and Sunday, I arrived on foot at the train station before the trackless train that departed at the same time as I did.
You’ll see a lot of Italians zip in and out of traffic on their bicycles, electric scooters, motorbikes or vespas to get to the circuit, which are obviously good options if you can access this way of transport. In fact, this is how most of the teams will travel to and from the track.
What's the Walking Route from the Train Station to the Circuit?
If you are attending on a Saturday or Sunday, just follow the crowd! I found Friday was too quiet, so I needed to work out the route myself.
My train tip: Purchase your train ticket/s on your mobile while you are walking to the train station. You should be purchasing your tickets from Trenitalia for regional trains (their site is: https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html). The reason I recommend this is because the lines to purchase from the ticketing booths at the train station on Saturday and Sunday are extremely long. Note that you must purchase train tickets whether online or in person a minimum of five-minutes prior to a train’s departure time. The system will lock you out once a train is five-minutes away. Trains are randomly monitored in Italy and you can get fined for not having the correct ticket and for not checking in a regional ticket. Regional tickets from Riccione/Cattolica to Misano Adriatico are 1,50€ oneway.
9 second video on how to check-in a hardcopy regional ticket.
I will try to provide a video on how to check-in an online regional ticket.
For rapid trains from the big cities such as Milan, Florence, Rome etc you should only be purchasing from Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com/it.html) or Italo (https://www.italotreno.com/en). Book well inadvanced for better prices as they spike closer to depature dates. You do not need to check-in these train tickets.
What to wear?
It is hot! You’ll be experiencing 30-degree plus days with ease. By the time you walk to the circuit from the train station, you’ll be sweaty.
Outfit:
T-Shirt or Singlet
Shorts
Cap
Runners/Converse
Sunglasses
See how I was dressed in video below.
Your backpack should have:
Water
Sunscreen
Snacks
Deodorant
Wet Wipes
Portable charger
Leave room for MotoGP merchandise!
Things to do when you're not at the Circuit?
I am writing this from the perspective that you have designed this trip specifically for MotoGP and you are arriving a few days in advanced. For example, I arrived on the Wednesday night, leaving me with all of Thursday.
Do a day trip to Tavullia - Valentino Rossi's Hometown
You can visit Tavullia, Valentino Rossi’s hometown. They always hold a Valentino Rossi party on the Thursday night before the San Misano MotoGP. AND Valentino Rossi makes an appearance but usually at 8pm or later. If you have hired a car, it’s a no brainer.
The Official VR46 Store is also located in Tavullia, and doubles as a bit of a Rossi Museum. Everything from merchandise to Rossi’s old leathers and a Championship bike can be seen here. Check out my TikTok to see it.
Tavullia on public transport: If you're relying on public transport, staying in the town of Tavullia until Rossi appears in the evening is almost impossible. This is because it takes two buses to reach Tavullia from the closest train station, which is Pesaro. The bus journey alone takes about an hour, and on your return, you will need to check if there are trains running late into the night to your town of accommodation.
Tip: Look at the transport timetable!
Visit the Marco Simoncelli Museum in Coriano
Visit Marco Simoncelli’s hometown of Coriano for the Marco Simoncelli Musuem. Located less than 12km from Misano Adriatico, you can easily get there in 10-minutes by car or catch the Line 58 bus from Riccione train station which should only take 35-minutes.
The late Marco Simoncelli is my favourite MotoGP rider, and visiting Coriano is still on my bucket list - I hope to make it there soon. While I don’t have personal tips to share, it looks incredible based on what I’ve seen online. I've read on some forums that the opening hours can be unpredictable, so it's best to call ahead and confirm before you go
The 2024 San Marino MotoGP is Friday, 6 September to Sunday, 8 September.
With the cancellation of the Kazakh MotoGP this year, the Emilia-Romagna race has been added to the calendar, taking place on the same circuit as the San Marino MotoGP. This gives you a second chance to plan your trip, with accommodation likely being easier to secure for this event. The race weekend is set for Friday, 20 September to Sunday, 22 September 2024.
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