Monaco / Monte Carlo

Monaco / Monte-Carlo

The world's second-smallest country, with the Monte Carlo Casino, the F1 street circuit, a palace on the rock and the Oceanographic Museum, all of which can be covered in a day trip.

The Principality of Monaco covers just 2 square kilometers. A TER train from Nice takes 20 to 25 minutes (€4.3), and from the underground station, elevators and escalators take you to every district. Visits usually cover two areas. The first is Monte Carlo, centered on the Casino de Monte-Carlo, designed in 1863 by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera. The main hall can be visited for a fee from 10:00 to 13:00 (about €19, including an audio guide). Gambling opens at 14:00. You must be 18 or older, show your passport, and not wear shorts or flip-flops. The casino square is filled with supercars, and nearby are the Hôtel de Paris and Café de Paris. The hairpin bend, the tunnel and the harbor straight in front of the casino are part of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix circuit, and you can walk them. The second area is Monaco-Ville, known as 'the Rock', on a headland 60 meters above the west side of the harbor. The Prince's Palace holds its changing of the guard every day at 11:55. From April to October you can pay to tour the palace's state rooms (about €10). Next door, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas holds the tomb of Princess Grace. On the cliff edge, the Oceanographic Museum (about €19 to 24) is a century-old aquarium where Jacques Cousteau once served as director. Between the two districts, huge yachts are moored at Port Hercule, and buses 1 and 2 (€2) run between the harbor and the sights. Half a day to a full day is enough. A good plan is to see the Rock in the morning (for the changing of the guard), Monte Carlo in the afternoon, then return to Nice in the evening. Monaco has tight surveillance and excellent public safety, but prices are high, so for lunch try local snacks at the Marché de la Condamine.

Monaco / Monte Carlo

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Places to eat nearby