A NEWSLETTER FROM Pryority Travel

The Wall of Champions has earned it's name.

 

It's a concrete barrier at the final chicane of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.  Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve all hit it in the same race, in 1999. Three world champions. One afternoon. Same wall. The cars thread through there at speed, the circuit narrows, and whatever mistake you carry in with you is immediate and complete.

 

It is the most famous corner on the most fan-friendly circuit on the calendar. And it is where, this weekend, two clients of mine will be watching the race.

A client reached out a few months ago. Said she'd always wanted to go to a race in F1. She and her husband were ready. It's their first race and they had questions.  Which race to pick?  Where do they sit? They want to be comfortable, have access, and not have to worry about a crowded train to the racetrack.

 

After I talked to her and got a sense of what her and her husband were looking for, I knew the race for them would be Montreal.  She agreed, and then the work began.

 

Here's the thing about building an F1 trip the right way: the ticket is actually the easiest part. The hard part is everything around it. The hotel inventory that matters disappears months out. The restaurant reservations worth having need to be made sooner than you expect. The wrong seat puts you at a spot where the the other fans sitting next to you may be more interesting than the racing in front of you.

 

For Montreal specifically, I needed to know the city before I could plan it properly. So last October, I went.

 

I spent several days in Montreal — walked the Vieux-Port, stayed at the Four Seasons Montreal, drove out to Île Notre-Dame to walk the circuit during the off-season when it goes quiet and becomes a public park. I wanted to understand the sightlines. The scale of the thing. The neighborhood rhythms that change completely when sixty thousand people descend on that island in May.

 

And I ate at the restaurants (tough work I know…)

Le Serpent is in the Griffintown district, an industrial space converted into a modern Italian bistro with exposed brick, a raw bar, and an energy that keeps you excited, even during a midweek meal. I met the chef, Michael, who was happy to give me a card and take care of my guests when they come during the race.

 

Le Violon is the one that totally surprised me. I sat at the bar, which turned out to be exactly the right call. Watching the kitchen work from there, close enough to track every dish coming out. The food kept arriving better than what I'd set myself up for.  After enough Gnocchi to turn into a potato I started referring to Henna as Luigi and I knew immediately I was sending clients here.

Most people who want to attend a Grand Prix approach it like a concert: find the ticket, book whatever hotel isn't already gone, piece together the rest when you land. Which works. You'll see cars. You'll have a story.

 

But for this trip I put the clients at Champions Club Blanc — the hospitality option that positions you at the final chicane of the track, with catering, paddock access, and a Grid Walk Saturday morning during qualifying. Right at the wall.

 

Le Serpent Friday night. Le Violon Saturday after qualifying. These aren't discoveries you'll have time to make when you arrive. They're reservations I make months out, so you know exactly what you're walking into.

The Canadian Grand Prix is this weekend, I hope you're watching! (i'll be cheering for team Papaya) If you've had F1 on your list but you aren't sure where to start. I've done the research, and met the people to help get you out of the grandstands and into the paddock.

 

If you're thinking about race weekends in 2027, that conversation is always better early than late.

 

The details fill up fast. The wall doesn't move, but the seats around it do ;-)

P.S. I sat alone at Le Serpent, sipped Grappa with the chef Michael, and made such good friends with the couple sitting next to me that they drove me back to the hotel after our meals.  I'm normally not one for taking rides with strangers, but in Canada I figured…go for it, what the eh?

A FEW DETOURS WORTH TAKING

If you’re new here, welcome. I’m Ian, a travel advisor who helps people design trips that

feel personal, thoughtful, and easy from start to finish. I’m really glad you’re here, and I

hope you’ll stick around for destination ideas, inspiration, and stories from the road in

the weeks ahead.