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Page 6 of 10
Budapest, Hungary
The race: The Formula One race in Hungary (August 1 to 3) generally doesn’t decide the fate of the season, and it’s considered one of the slower races. For this reason, tickets are more affordable: Three-day Super Gold tickets, with views of the pit lane and start/finish line, run only $730 (formula1.com). Details: The track is located 15 miles from Budapest. Panorama Tours & Travel offers limousine service in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class (price upon request; budapest.panoramatours.com). Alternatively, rent your own car. During the race, a lane of the motorway is dedicated to F1 traffic, and VIP tickets include VIP parking. To add your own racing miles to the trip, fly into Prague and pick up an Alfa Romeo Spider from Elite Rent (from $311 per day; eliterent.com). The drive to Budapest from Prague is 350 miles of rolling hillsides and picturesque villages along winding roads flanked by cherry trees laden with fruit. Lodging: Stay at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal (from $623 per night; corinthiahotels.com). The exterior of this classic hotel represents all the grandeur visitors have come to expect of Budapest’s Austro-Hungarian architecture, but the hotel has a fully renovated interior that meets palatial standards. Sustenance: If you can stand to leave the hotel’s Royal Spa with its 45-foot swimming pool, multiple saunas, steam bath, and hot tubs, go to dinner at Café Pierrot (pierrot.hu) in the Castle district. Aim for a table in the back for a more subdued and romantic atmosphere.
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