Potentially Travelling with 1 month old - but going to for formula 1 race in Monza

[Motherof1and2dogs]

Hi all, wasn't sure where to post this as I'm not asking if I am being unreasonable, but more for advice.

So I need an answer by this evening and I am really stuck on what to do. My husbands stepdad and half brother are round later today to book the F1 in Monza for this year, if we book it we cannot drop out last minute due to the cost of it, unless very valid circumstances.

The reason for it being booked for this year is his stepdad has stage 4 cancer and doesn't have very long left from what we know (he is very secretive and does not like to tell too much so we have no idea how long, what treatment he is on etc). We think he is so keen to book it for this year as he might not make it to next year. We are all very close and formula 1 is our thing, we usually get together most Sundays to watch it on TV. Of course if he is really unwell nearer the time and cannot fly or travel then that is on him and out of our control, however I am currently pregnant, due on 16 July 2025, the race is in September 2025 so the baby will be roughly 2 months old. We also have a toddler who will be turning 3 when we go.
My concern is travelling with such a small baby, the baby getting ill, me still healing, especially if I was to need a C section for whatever reason, lack of sleep and going to be very tired, also if I am 2 weeks late the baby could be even younger at the time of travel. My 2 year old got bronchitis when he was 3 months old and was in hospital so I am nervous about baby getting ill etc... just lots of worries and concerns.

I just wanted to see from others what they would do, what they think, have you travelled with such a young baby and it been fine or been hell, would they go/ not go etc.
I would love to go but not sure if committing to it and saying a definite yes is a good idea.
Thank you in advance for all responses, I will do my best to reply if anyone asks questions ☺️ x

Maybe do something like to to the Silverstone museum with the children as well, or get your step dad a track day?

No way would I take a one month old and a toddler to FI in Monza in the heat. It will be noisy and crowded and the last thing I'd want to do post partim is stand on my feet all day.

Suggest your dh go and you stay behind with the children and ask your family to come & support you during this time. What will you do if your toddler has a meltdown in the middle of the race? It's not going to be fun for anybody. Your dh will be focused on his stepdaughter and might not be available to help you.

I wouldn't take the baby to the Grand Prix due to the noise but I would go to Italy and stay on lake como. I recommend Lierna, lovely little village, staying right on the lake in a self catering place and the other guests were going to the Grand Prix!

It's on the train line

It’s an absolutely bonkers idea.

The big question is, have you been to a race before? Do you have any idea what to expect?
We have only been to Silverstone, but we were on our feet (apart from watching qualifying and rhe race for the whole 3 days.
It's so busy and so loud and so many people. There was a kids' play area, but generally, it's not child friendly at all. There is a popular F1 thread on here, in sports, but I can't link to it on the app.
Someone may have been to Monza, and some have taken kids.
DS was nearly 10, and we only have 1.

I've not been to F1 but have been to Le Mans & the noise is extraordinary, you could hear it a couple of miles away. I'm not sure if the two compare but if it is similar I wouldn't take a young kid at all. The travelling wouldn't bother me.

Could you go on the trip but skip the race, qualifying etc?

I wouldn't commit to going one month pp let alone exposng such a young baby to the frenzy, noise and fumes. Let your dh go and plan for some company at home.

Was going to say the same. My friend just waited over a month for an appointment to register her baby, and I know it worse than that in some places. Then getting the passport application done and back in time, that alone sounds stressful to me, let alone the actual travel and event. You surely will want to be at home resting and bonding with baby, catching up on sleep, recovering from birth? Don't get me wrong, we travelled lots with ours as toddlers, babies, but not for the first few months. We went to disneyland when dd2 was 5 months old, and that was hard enough, and on reflection, pretty stupid 🤣

How would you be travelling? I've never been to an F1 race but I've been to a different event at Monza and we went by train from Milan to Monza station and walked. That seemed to be what most people were doing and it was quite efficient with frequent trains and not very expensive. But the trains were absolutely packed and it's then quite a long walk from the station to the Circuit. We were there in June and it was very hot so the walk was hard going with kids and mine were older than yours. I'd be more concerned about how the 3 year old would cope than the baby to be honest - we were on our feet a lot all day and the walk back to the station afterwards was not fun! If you're planning to travel the same way as we did I would definitely take a buggy for the 3 year old, though if your FIL is frail I probably would look at other transport options anyway.

I travelled when my DD was 8 weeks. And DS was 2.5. But that was for visiting family. To be honest dealing with the newborn was the easiest part of the whole process.

I’ve never been to a formula 1 race, but I can’t imagine it would be much fun with a toddler! Or a newborn.

If it was us, I think I’d just tell DH to go on his own.

No fucking way. I don't think I left the house in four weeks PP and I would not be happy at DH going either if I had a newborn and a toddler to look after by myself.

I wouldn't go anywhere near the GP with tiny children, it will be SO loud. So if that's what this trip is about I wouldn't go. But I'd be thinking of something special you could do for him that you can take the children to afterwards, maybe a city break or something.

I was a severely sleep deprived (to the point of hallucinations) wreck when my first was that age. No way in hell would I be travelling. Plus to a GP with hundreds of thousands of people and exposing a very delicate baby with an immature immune system - not a chance

That's a perfect idea!

If I went, I wouldn't go to the GP but would just hang out. Travelling with a 1 month old wouldn't bother me.

But personally I would suggest DH went on his own and had a break.

Please don't take your baby to the F1.

It's so bloody loud, even from a distance.

Even with headphones on it'll be a struggle. Put your head on the hood of your car and then get someone to start the ending. Now imagine that 10 fold.

Like I said, it's loud. That's before you even get onto crowd noise, heat and germs.

Have you ever been to an F1 race? They're loud. Louder than a gig.

The crowds and heat would make it hard with a 3yr old, let alone a new baby. I think a 3yr old would get bored. The cars will be whizzing by and they'll not understand the drivers or team tactics.

@Sinkintotheswamp No never! A lot of people are saying how loud it actually is in person and you don't realise how loud it can actually be from watching it on tv.

I like the idea of going away still and being able to chill and miss out on the race, but as people have said the stress of getting the passport in time, vaccinations, me healing, being tired etc puts me off of going.

I might suggest for DH to go on his own, but only do 2 nights because I can't do it all alone, especially if I get post natal depression or end up having a C Section, I'll get my mum to help, but I will suggest I get a spa break myself once things settle a bit more 😂

OP here. Thank you to everyone who has replied. I do agree that going would be a bad idea and I'm best staying at home :)

Let them go and you stay at home.

A race weekend is no place for a small child let alone a 3 month old baby.

It will be heaving, extremely noisy, dusty, you'll have to carry the baby all the time, you'll have to sit on hard uncomfortable chairs for the entire weekend when you're only a few weeks post partum.

What will happen if you need a c section?

Sorry op but it's a ridiculous idea.

Not quite the same size event but a few years ago at Lydden Hill the stewards turned a family with a tiny baby away. It's not a good environment for a small baby and you're risking their hearing being permanently damaged.

Hi! We are taking our 3 month old to Melbourne this weekend for the race! Can I ask how your little ones went with the noise? This is my biggest concern at the moment. We have her ear muffs but I’ve never been to a race so not sure how loud it actually is..