Never been? Most of Car Week is free, and the best of it is on the street. Here is how to do your first one right, without a ticket you don't need or a plan that falls apart.
The best-kept secret of Car Week is how much of it costs nothing.
Most of the shows, cruises, and street gatherings are free and open to the public. Anchor your first year on these: the Kickoff Cruise down Alvarado Street (Fri), the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove (Wed), Legends of the Autobahn (Thu), Concours d'Lemons and Exotics on Broadway in Seaside (Sat), and the Tour d'Elegance drive-by (Thu). See the full run in the where to watch guide.
You don't need all ten. You need the right two or three.
The single thing that makes or breaks a first Car Week.
Stay off Highway 1, park once on the edge of a town, walk to the cars, and arrive early for anything on the weekend. Get those four right and you have beaten most of what goes wrong at a first Car Week. The full version, with the routes and the right Pebble gate, is in the parking and traffic guide.
Small stuff that makes a long day on your feet a lot better.
Pack layers, because coastal fog can make 55 degrees feel cold in the morning and the afternoon sun feels warmer than the number says. Bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes, cash, and water. Download offline maps before you go.
Cell data crawls around Pebble and Carmel Valley when crowds are thick, so save the printable guide and your maps to your phone before you drive out. A hat and a sweatshirt cover most of what the weather throws at you.
You can do the whole week for free. If you want to pay for one experience, pick from these.
Yes, and most of it is free. You can stand next to world-class cars on public streets all week without a ticket, which makes it one of the best free events in California for a first visit.
Yes. The majority of shows, cruises, and street gatherings are free and open to the public. Only the marquee events, like the Pebble Beach Concours and the Rolex Reunion, are ticketed.
Layers for the coastal fog, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, cash, water, and offline maps downloaded ahead of time. A hat and a sweatshirt handle most of the weather.
One or two well-chosen days is plenty for a first year. Come midweek, Aug 10 to 13, for a calm experience, or the weekend for the marquees and the biggest spectacle.
Not for most of it. The free shows, cruises, and street events cost nothing. Only the marquee events at Laguna Seca and Pebble Beach require paid tickets.
Everything in one place: free events, schedule, parking, backroads, and where to eat.
Read the Full Guide