Outside's Go Magazine - Travel and Style for Men

Follow the 2008 Formula One Race circuit in high style. We give you 10 great international cities with accommodations, restaurants, and activities to match.

By Stephen Camelio, Laurence Liss, and Aaron Martinez

Melbourne, Australia

The race: With Formula One president and CEO Bernie Ecclestone saying 2010 likely will be the last Grand Prix Down Under, there are only two more shots to check out the lakeside beauty that is the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne (this year’s race was March 14 to 16). On the track, the Australian Grand Prix is known for its smooth road course and fast times. Details: Off the track, it is the exclusive season-opening parties thrown by F1 backers such as Mercedes that make news. Qantas's Trackside Package will get you a spot at the race between the tricky 90-degree right-handers of turns 13 and 14 (call 800-641-8772 for next year’s rates). This year the deal, which included closed-circuit television monitors, food and drink service, and an exclusive race-day pit-straight walk, cost $2,625 and provided three nights at the deluxe Crown Towers in Southbank, just a mile and a half from the track. The hotel hosts the opening night Grand Prix ball and sports a bowling alley, a casino, and the second incarnation of Sydney’s legendary Rockpool Bar & Grill. Or stay at Como, a chic hotel (doubles from $300; mirvachotels.com.au) that is closer to the race and the nightlife at trendy club Boutique (boutique.net.au). Off-track excitement: Surfing and point-break fans will be happy to know that the race in Melbourne usually coincides with the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival at Bells Beach (aspworldtour.com), just 60 miles from the city. Big Stick Adventures will pick up surfers in Melbourne and use four-wheel-drive vehicles to find them some tasty waves along 300 miles of unspoiled beaches southwest of the city ($460, including food and equipment; bigstickadventures.com). If the only thing you like wet is your whistle, less than an hour’s drive east of Melbourne is the Yarra Valley, vino-mad Australia’s oldest wine-producing region. Evergreen Winery Tours offers a private tour of three wineries, complete with a helicopter flight over the region ($370 per person for two people; evergreenwinerytours.com.au).