Go to Monkey King’s Hometown to See Rossi – An Ultra-Exciting MotoGP Misano Track Travel Guide

▲Valentino Rossi waving to fans after the race.

▲Seeing Valentino Rossi up close is a dream for many motorsport fans. (Photo provided by netizen Roga, the same below)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Everyone travels for different reasons—some love shopping, while others go just to meet their idols. Roga, a longtime fan of MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi, made a special trip in September to Rossi’s hometown to pay homage and watch the MotoGP race live. It was truly an adrenaline-fueled journey.

Italian racer Valentino Rossi has been competing in MotoGP since 1996 and has won over a hundred Grand Prix races as well as nine World Championships. He is considered a legend in the world of motorsports and is affectionately nicknamed “The Little Fairy” or “Monkey King” by fans. He enjoys a massive global following.

▲Valentino Rossi.

Roga shared that given Rossi’s age (ahem), he won’t be racing much longer, so he decided last year that he had to make a pilgrimage to Rossi’s hometown this year to watch the MotoGP race at Misano, Italy. For this trip, Roga booked the race tickets via a ticketing website, flew from Dubai to Bologna, and rented a car to get to the circuit. He also compiled detailed tips for fellow fans. He also noted that considering Rossi might retire soon, all Rossi fans should consider taking a one- to two-week trip to Italy next year if time allows.

▲Valentino Rossi on the podium after the press conference, receiving cheers from the crowd

2016 Italian MotoGP Guide (Misano Circuit) (Full text and images authorized by netizen Roga)

【Tickets】
I purchased my tickets on bookmoto.com. I placed my order on February 6th and received the international delivery on August 18th. The race was on September 11th. I bought tickets for the Brutapela stand, which is the VR46 section. The only downside is there’s no shade, but luckily my seat was higher up, and the wall blocked some of the sun, so it wasn’t too hot. If you’re worried about sunburn, consider stands with shaded areas. Another perk of the Brutapela stand is that on Racing Day, each ticket comes with a VR46 official fan club flag. So during the race, you’ll see a sea of VR46 Official Fan Club flags. I had two tickets, so I got two flags.

Here’s how I paired my tickets:
Friday: Main Stand
Saturday: Brutapela Stand
Sunday: Brutapela Stand

The total cost for two tickets was just under NT$16,000 (including international shipping). Be aware that before entering the stands, your tickets will be checked, so going to the wrong stand means you won’t be allowed in.

▲At Rossi’s official club headquarters in Tavullia, joining on-site gets you a large Tavullia sign (made of cardboard). Since the sign was too big to fit in checked luggage, we went to great lengths to protect it and hand-carried it all the way back to Taiwan.

【Transportation】
I flew economy class with Emirates, departing from Taoyuan International Airport, transiting in Dubai, and arriving in Bologna.
From the map, transiting in Dubai is very straightforward—it’s the top choice—and the ticket price was reasonable. I bought early-bird tickets, so it cost NT$53,000 for two people, and we could even choose our seats. With a Priority Pass, you can use the Marhaba Lounge in Terminal 3 of Dubai Airport during layovers. Since Dubai Airport only offers one hour of free Wi-Fi, the lounge is perfect for internet, food, and drinks during your wait.

After arriving at Bologna Airport, I recommend renting a car directly to head to your accommodation in Cattolica, which is about 140 kilometers away and takes roughly two hours to drive. Also, I don’t recommend driving into Bologna city center mainly to avoid Italy’s ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) issues. The most relevant motoring-related attraction in the city is probably the Museo Ducati, which you can visit separately if interested.

I recommend staying in Cattolica because it’s very close to the Misano Circuit. In the morning, you can even hear the sound of engines from the track. From my accommodation, it took about ten to twenty minutes to get to the circuit without traffic. There are plenty of hotels in Cattolica and food is affordable, making it my top pick for lodging.

▲Map showing relative locations: red balloon is the Marco Simoncelli Memorial, yellow sun is Cattolica (accommodation location, right near the circuit), blue balloon is Tavullia (Rossi’s hometown)

【Accommodation】
I used Booking.com to look for hotels near Cattolica (Cattolica). When booking, don’t forget to check if breakfast and parking are included—unlike Taiwan, Europe doesn’t have breakfast shops on every corner... I stayed at Hotel Carlton, a double room for four nights, about €300. But I wouldn’t recommend this hotel for the following reasons: limited breakfast options, outdated facilities, small shower space, and you have to park at a contracted lot (though that’s not a huge issue). There are definitely better options in the area.

【Internet】
Bologna Airport doesn’t have a SIM card counter (remember this!), so I walked to a TIM store in the city to buy a SIM card. I purchased a plan with 10GB of data valid for 30 days—only 3G, no 4G—for €20 (this price includes the SIM card, no need to buy it separately). You only need to show your passport to activate it, and it takes about an hour to set up. During my two-week stay, I used about 2GB of data on average without streaming videos.

I recommend arranging an internet solution in Taiwan beforehand, whether buying an Italian SIM card or enabling data roaming, so you can use Google Maps for navigation as soon as you land. Otherwise, once you start driving, you’ll likely get lost—very frustrating… Evaluate your own internet solution accordingly.

[Car Rental]
I rented a car from Green Motion myself, but I deeply regret it. The main reason is that when I made the reservation, I didn’t notice that Green Motion doesn’t have a counter at the airport. As a result, you have to call them yourself to arrange for a car to pick you up. On top of that, they have very few staff, and their shuttle is just a regular van that can’t carry many passengers. This made both the shuttle process and communication quite difficult. Without sufficient travel experience and problem-solving skills, it can be really frustrating. Because the whole rental experience was so bad, I won’t include the link here.

Currently, I recommend renting from noleggiare because they have a counter at the airport, so at least you can communicate face to face, and there shouldn’t be too many issues with pick-up and drop-off. Plus, it’s relatively cheaper. Other internationally known rental companies like Hertz and Eurocar also have counters there. This is something everyone can evaluate on their own, Up !

As for whether to rent an automatic or manual car, it depends on personal preference. Ever since I rented a manual car in Iceland, I decided not to make things hard for myself abroad, so this time I rented a Peugeot 308sw automatic (diesel). I drove a total of over 400 kilometers, and the estimated fuel cost was around 50 euros.

[Driving]
When driving from Bologna to Cattolica, take the highway. Remember not to enter the electronic toll lane or you might get stuck. Before getting on the highway, use the non-electronic toll lane where you can take a ticket from the machine—keep it safe. When exiting, refer to the image below: the rightmost symbol indicates the manual cash lane (use this one), then hand the ticket you got earlier to the toll collector, and they’ll charge you. The toll for this stretch is about 9 euros.

Another difference compared to Taiwan is that Europe has many roundabouts. For the traffic rules at roundabouts, please refer to the roundabout traffic rules—make sure to memorize them well, and don’t become a “road hazard” abroad.

Also, don’t bring Taiwanese driving habits overseas. Remember to yield to pedestrians, vehicles going straight have the right of way, and the inner lane on the highway is strictly for overtaking. The average speed there is 150+ km/h. Everyone overtakes and then returns to their lane, so don’t think it’s okay to stay in the inner lane just because you’re driving at the speed limit.

[Expenses]
For two people, 150 euros per day for miscellaneous expenses is more than enough, and this includes lunch and dinner. Of course, spending habits vary. Prices at tourist spots in Italy are roughly three times those in Taiwan (a 600ml bottle of cola costs 3 euros).

▲Other than the racetrack, when visiting Rossi’s hometown of Tavullia, you’ll definitely see this huge wall, and flags and signs with the number 46 are everywhere in the town.

[Racetrack Traffic Info]
To visit the Misano Racetrack to watch the races, I drove myself, but I also saw many people cycling (you can check with your hotel if they offer bike rentals) or walking to the track.

On the first two days if you go to watch the FP/QP sessions, traffic isn’t much of an issue—it’s not too congested.

On the third day, when the official race begins, local traffic turns into a nightmare: there’s severe congestion in the morning. Personally, I think the racetrack shuttle buses were poorly planned (I didn’t even see any shuttle buses; everyone drove or rode there… In comparison, the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia has excellent shuttle arrangements).

If you leave your hotel in Cattolica at nine in the morning to head to the track, you’ll definitely miss the 9:45 MotoGP Warm Up. So I recommend leaving at eight or even earlier on race days—better to arrive early and wait than to get stuck in traffic and panic.

Also, plan your parking spot in advance—try to get as close to your grandstand as possible. Otherwise, be prepared to park and then walk another kilometer or two… (the track is huge). Some locals rent out their lawns as temporary parking spots—I think it’s about 10 euros per day. There are also P1/P2 parking lots near the track—don’t even think about it, those are for staff and VIP Village guests, XD.

Leaving the racetrack on race day is also extremely congested. Make sure to use the restroom before getting in the car—finding one during traffic jams is nearly impossible.

▲The Misano Racetrack grandstands—those yellow dots are all people’s heads.

[Other Racetrack Info]

You can bring food and water inside. Quite a few Italians smoke too—if that bothers you, consider wearing a mask. Prices inside the racetrack are about twice as high as outside.

[Tips & Other Knowledge]

You can set the Race Program as your phone’s lock screen wallpaper so you don’t have to keep pulling it out. If you’re sensitive to the sun, avoid buying seats in the open-air grandstands—and definitely don’t bring an umbrella to one, as it’s a big nuisance to other spectators.

In Taiwan, we’ve long been used to calling Rossi the “Monkey King,” but actually, his nickname abroad is Vale.

[Other Recommended Attractions]

Near Cattolica, there’s a memorial for Marco Simoncelli (in his hometown). Search for “la storia del sic” to find it. Parking isn’t too difficult, and the location is easy to find. Entry requires a ticket, but it’s definitely worth it for fans—I’ll cover it in a separate post. Also, Rossi’s hometown of Tavullia is another must-visit pilgrimage site for fans, which I’ll also write about later. If you’re driving, you can plan a day trip to both: visit Tavullia in the morning, have lunch at Da Rossi restaurant (order everything on the menu with Rossi’s name on it), and then visit the Marco Simoncelli Memorial in the afternoon.

▲The official Rossi fan club headquarters in Tavullia—you can also become a member here. If you can’t make it in person, you can join through the Fans Club Ufficiale Valentino Rossi website. Membership comes with a hat, T-shirt, membership card, and some small souvenirs.

▲This is the menu from Da Rossi restaurant—they print special menus during race week.

▲A photo with the road sign before entering Tavullia—I bet this is probably the most-photographed road sign in the world.

▲Even when the crowds disperse after the race, everyone remains very patient while queuing.

▲After the race, the gates opened and everyone could freely enter the track — we certainly couldn’t miss this opportunity!

▲There were crowds of people near the starting line!

▲Everyone was waiting in front of the stands for Rossi to come out, while Rossi was holding a post-race press conference at the time.

▲The yellow army looks amazing!

▲My longest lens is only 24-105mm, so this is the farthest shot I could get.

▲The memorial monument for Marco Simoncelli

▲The Marco Simoncelli Memorial Museum (La Storia Del Sic), with an admission fee of 8 euros per person — I highly recommend visiting it.