Whether you are a seasoned visitor to Monterey Car Week or this is your very first visit to the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegancehere are ten tips to maximize your enjoyment of your time on the peninsula. We’ve included some of our photos from the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, just to get you in the mood. Instead of a classic car which can be very expensive, you may consider buying used cars in san diego.
The Basics
Tip #1 Hydrate, drink lots of water, no make that a ton of water. Don’t assume the moist costal fog you wake up to around Monterey, Carmel and Pebble Beach is going to do anything for you. East of Pacific Coast Highway, you’re in the desert. There is ample water and plenty of restrooms at each venue. While champagne is the libation of choice on the lawn on Sunday, don’t forget to drink water.
Tip #2 Check the schedule, and plan each day. Know what you want to see and accept it will take you much longer to get there than what you might imagine. In terms of miles it all looks so close but when you add thousands of extra cars on the road, congestion is common place. 
Yes, you may even hit traffic on your way to the track at 8 am. The Waze app helps, if it is working. Understand it may take hours to get parked on Sunday morning – go early or late in the afternoon.
Tip #3 Cell service can be iffy. Some years service is great, others there’s not an app that’ll work. Your navigation app on your phone may not work, Twitter, Instagram, email, texts, all of it can be impacted by overloading the bandwidth with all the people in town. Know it, accept it, don’t get frustrated – its not your provider, everyone can have issues.
Tip #4 Temperatures will change by 10, 15 even 20° or more depending where you are on the Monterey Peninsula and the day. We’ve attended the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where women are wearing sundresses and guys are sweltering in their blazers (its not a t-shirt and cut-off kinda place) yet other years, the fur coats are out. Watch the weather and dress in layers. Pack rain gear, cashmere, and a coat, any or all can come in handy.
Tip #5 Men and women wear comfortable shoes. You are going to be on your feet for hours, walking on iffy surfaces, through dirt, sometimes mud and wet. I know the whole Car Week thing is a bit of a fashion show, but its not worth the blisters or bitchy demeanor brought on by aching feet. Sneakers are in fashion right now, embrace it! Your feet will thank you.
The Events
Tip #6 Regardless if you may not be buying a car, check out at least one auction preview. These are great places to see fabulous cars up close, kick some tires, plus they can offer a welcome respite from the crowds.
Tip #7 Get your ass out of bed and head over to the start of the Tour, its FREE! Cars line up at 7:00 am on Portola Road in Pebble Beach (by the Gooding & Company auction tent). This is a super way to see a majority of Sunday’s concours cars in a relaxed atmosphere. Talk to the owners here, rather than on the morning of judgment day when they are stressed and busy. Regretfully this picture is from 2016, we sadly missed the Tour last year.
Tip #8 Go to Pebble Beach before Sunday if for nothing else than to familiarize yourself with the venue and get into the spirit! It is great to check out the manufacturer displays, some with test drives, before Concours Sunday when a zillion other people arrive. 
Cars on the Concept Lawn can often be spied on Saturday before the concours, when its harder to get up close.
Foodie Tip: Stillwater Grill is an enchanting restaurant at The Lodge at Pebble Beach to enjoy a relaxing lunch any day prior to the big event.
Tip #9 Dawn patrol is a real thing on Concours Sunday. Be prepared for a dark and often cold morning. One benefit is parking may be easier however, don’t expect there to be just a few people, more like hundreds. Early morning before the official start of the event is when we get some of our best photos.
Tip #10 Hang out on Ocean Drive in Carmel in the evening for exciting automotive eye candy. Think of it as a red carpet for cars, you may actually spot one… the red carpet. This is the place to see and be seen. From the latest supercars to vintage gems, every night you’ll see something different.
For a primer on what you’ll see at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance check out our previous post, or lick on the drop down list above for our Pebble Beach/Car Week category for posts from past events. Monterey Car Week is six days of full on automotive enjoyment. It may be impossible to see it all, though if you follow these tips you’ll lower your stress, enhance your enjoyment and get good photos away from the crowds. Have a great time.
