February 25, 2023
Monaco things to do on a day trip from Nice
Monaco oozes wealth, glamour, and glitz. It’s where you’ll see some of the most expensive cars in the world, drink some of the most expensive coffee in the world and see the biggest super yachts in Europe. From window shopping in the streets of Monte Carlo, to attending iconic events like the Grand Prix, there’s no place like Monaco. The country covers a mere 485 acres. But this wonderland of groomed gardens and high street shopping packs in a lot for such a small area.
Most of Monaco can be seen in a day and it’s conveniently close to the hub of the French Riviera, Nice. Honestly, Monaco was one of the best day trips from Nice that we took on our last visit to the South of France. Our Monaco travel guide covers everything you need to know to plan the ultimate trip to the most glamorous location on the French Riviera. We provide information on how to get to Monaco, what to see and do while you’re there, and the best time to visit.
Looking for more guides to the South of France?
If your visiting Monaco as par of a larger trip to South of France, check out our 10 day French Riviera guide, or our guide on the best day trips from Nice. We highly recommend that you make Nice your home base when travelling through the South of France. We have incredibly detailed city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille, Cassis, and Villefranche-sur-Mer, and and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
Tip: avoid the biggest mistake we made. If you ask for water at a restaurant they will give you bottled still or sparkling water. They will never bring you tap water. To save yourself the money, ask for a carafe of water by saying the following ‘carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît’.
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In this article
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Monaco - things to do and seeMonaco - things to do and see
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What to pack for MonacoWhat to pack for Monaco
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Where to stayWhere to stay
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How to get to MonacoHow to get to Monaco
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Getting around the French RivieraGetting around the French Riviera
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When to visit MonacoWhen to visit Monaco
Travel For Working People
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Monaco - things to do and see
When planning your visit to Monaco, allow for half a day (more if you’re going to the casino). The glamorous world of Monaco is certainly worth visiting, even if you’re not interested in visiting the casino (we weren’t) or the insane cars (we weren’t).There are two main areas to visit, Monaco Ville where the Prince’s Palace is located, and Monte Carlo where to casino is located. Monaco is known to be quite expensive. But you can still very much do it on a budget by catching the train in and not staying for lunch or dinner.
Get a coffee at Cafe de Paris (Monaco things to do for: people watchers)
Start your day with a coffee and pastry from Cafe de Paris which sits in front of Monte Carlo casino. It’s a great spot to people watch. And for those interested in cars you will see a constant procession of ridiculous and expensive cars coming and going from the Hotel de Paris in front of the casino. Prices are high here. This was actually the only money we spent in Monaco but for the location we thought it was certainly worth a coffee stop to gawk and take in the atmosphere!
Walk around Monte Carlo (Monaco things to do for: high rollers)
There probably isn’t anywhere on earth that’s more glamorous than Monte Carlo. This glitzy neighbourhood is home to the casino, as well as high end stores and is the location of many films including Ocean’s Twelve and Iron Man 2. Behind the casino a lot of car owners park their cars for people to be able to get a closer look. It was a bit of a spontaneous car meet when we were there! The iconic casino is Belle-Epoque style. We didn’t go into the casino. But if you want to be aware that the entry fee is €17, and you will need to be wearing appropriate clothes (smart attire). You can enter the entrance hall for free if you wish.
Stroll around the harbour (Monaco things to do for: taking in the views)
Once you’ve had your fix of Monte Carlo, walk down towards the harbour to awe at the enormous yachts. More than just super yachts however, the harbour itself is very beautiful and it makes for a lovely walk to the Old Town. The Monte Carlo Harbour is one of the most famous harbours in the world. It’s best viewed from the Old Town (see point below).
Visit the Old Town – Monaco-Ville (Monaco things to do for: old world charm)
For the best views over Monaco, take Rampe de la Major to get to Place du Palais. This is where you’ll find the viewpoints for typical shots of Monaco you’ll see on social media. The Old Town was way more beautiful than I expected! The orange and yellow hues of the buildings set against the Mediterranean in all directions is absolutely stunning. The whole area is quite small so you’ll be able to cover the whole thing pretty quickly.
The Prince’s Palace is located here, the traditional Grimaldi Palace, where Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques currently live. You can tour the public rooms of the palace between June and October and there is a changing of the guard every day at 11.55am. Expect to spend most of your time in Monaco-Ville, unless of course you’re headed to the casino.
Jardins de Saint-Martin and the Oceanographic Museum (Monaco things to do for: escaping the crowds)
This free to visit garden is the perfect spot to find some shade and escape the crowds for a little while. Head to Port de Fontvieille viewpoint, near the palace of justice for the best views. The gardens are open between 9am and 6pm and cover about 1.2 hectares.
You’ll also find the Oceanographic Museum here, one of the oldest aquariums in the world. The museum sits 90m above sea level and took 11 years to construct just the foundations to keep it from toppling into the water. There are 3 aquariums inside with over 6,000 marine creatures across 100 pools. It’s open from 10am to 6pm every day (last entrance a half an hour before closing). Honestly, I find the museum website ticketing page confusing. It says that tickets cost €18 however the ticketing page only provides options for combined tickets and monthly passes. You can find tickets for €19 if you buy your ticket on Get Your Guide.
Visit for the Grand Prix (Monaco things to do for: F1 fanatics)
Monaco has signed on to remain on the F1 calendar until 2025. The grandstand seats at Monaco are some of the most expensive on the entire formula 1 calendar and prices just keep on rising. The high prices are somewhat due to the limited seating with less than 40k seats sold in Monaco. For 2023, day tickets for Friday (practice circuits) will be €175 which isn’t too bad, however the price increases to €300 on Saturday and then a whopping €500 on race day (Sunday).
General admission tickets are cheaper, and apparently the Z1 admission area is much better than Rocher as it’s close to the action where Rocher is a hillside far away from the track. Z1 general admission tickets always sell out very quickly and in 2023 they will be €69 on Friday, €115 on Saturday and €231 for race day.
If you’re not visiting during the Grand Prix you can still make sure you find the famous formula 1 hairpin. Just put Fairmont Hairpin Curve Formula 1 into Google maps.
What to pack for Monaco
For the beach
Unless you plan on only visiting organised beach clubs, you will need to bring your own towel. You will be able to find quite a few stalls, bazaars and shops in the old town of Nice and near the promenade that sell beach towels if you have forgotten to bring one with you.
Most beaches in the French Riviera are pebble beaches. While you can lay on a towel for a little while, you will be uncomfortable if you’re staying for long. This is where a beach mat will come in handy. Some hotels will have beach mats that you can borrow but these will also be available from the same shops you’ll find towels in. The pebble beaches can be uncomfortable to walk on (and hot!) so water shoes or sandals will also be really helpful during your visit for walking around and getting in and out of the water.
Finally, there is more or less no shade at the majority of beaches. Again, a lot of hotels will have beach umbrellas that you can borrow. But if they don’t and you plan on spending a fair bit of time at the beach, you should pick one up (ask your hotel to keep it when you leave and lend it out to future guests so that it’s not trashed).
Universal adaptor
Don’t forget to bring your adaptor! If you don’t already have one, make sure you buy one that has USB and USB C ports so that you can plug in your phone chargers as well.
European sim
All European data and minute plans are interconnected, so if you’re arriving from another European country your sim card will work in France. You will only need to worry about picking up a sim card if you’re arriving from outside of the EU.
Try and pick up a European sim card (like Lycamobile, Giffgaff or Lebara) on your arrival at Nice airport. You can find sim cards at ‘Relay’, a large newsagent which has stores in both terminals at the airport. Relay will close at 9.30pm however, so if you’re arriving late at night you might need to wait until you get into town. In Nice (and also Monaco) you’ll be able to pick up cheap sim cards at the tobacco stores and corner shops. If you need help installing the sims however, you will be best off going directly to a provider’s store such as Orange.
Where to stay
While some people choose to stay overnight in Monaco, we definitely recommend making Nice your home base and taking day trips to places such as Monaco. This is especially true if you’re planning on traveling around by public transport. Nice has an incredible amount of connections to nearby towns and villages by train and bus at very affordable rates. In fact, most places on the Cote d’Azur can be reached from Nice.
Nice is a fantastic home base to explore the French Riviera due to its:
- Proximity to international airport
- Train and bus connections to nearby villages and beaches
- Accommodation and restaurant options
- Sightseeing options for your downtime
We suggest that you try to stay in the area between the train station and the old town / beach. These are the areas of Le Carré d’Or (green in map above), Thiers (red in map above) or Carabacel (purple in map above). We split our visit between staying very close to the train station for a few days, and then a few days very close to the promenade.
Hôtel Byakko Nice
At Hotel Byakko Nice we paid €490.50 for 3 nights in August 2022 (the MOST EXPENSIVE time of year to visit Nice). The hotel’s location was perfect for day trips, being only a 6 minute walk to the train station. It was also only a 15 minute walk into the old town and a 20 minute walk to the promenade. We really liked this hotel. The staff were really friendly, the aircon was cold, and the room was perfect for a few nights with enough space to spread out our luggage. An added bonus was the rooftop here, perfect for a rose at the end of the day.
Hôtel de la Fontaine
We also stayed at Hotel de le Fontaine and paid €585 for 4 nights in August 2022. It was only a 2 minute walk to the promenade, which was perfect for our beach days, and sunsets on the beach with a pizza and a bottle of wine. It was a 15 minute walk into the old town, and a 15 minute walk to the train station (or take the tram for €1.50 and you will cut down walking time to just 7 minutes). The distance to the promenade was our favourite thing about this hotel, but again the staff were incredibly friendly and the rooms were super spacious for a few nights.
How to get to Monaco
You will most likely be traveling to Monaco from Nice. Monaco is a 20 minute train ride from Nice Ville. Take the train towards Ventimiglia (Ventimille), getting off at Monaco – Monte Carlo (€2-4 each way). If Monaco is your first stop in the French Riviera, then you can also take a bus straight from Nice airport. Bus 110 runs about every half hour between Nice airport and the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel.
Tours
Tours to Monaco are very popular, particularly from Nice. If you’d rather avoid the hassle of organising your own day trips, you will find plenty of tours leaving Nice that visit surrounding towns and villages, especially Monaco. This tour goes to the village of Èze, Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Antibes over 10 hours and costs €75. Or you can opt for a half day tour like this one to Eze, Monaco, & Monte-Carlo for €40.
How to get to Nice
You will pick up flights direct to Nice from most destinations in Europe as well as further afield in the US, North Africa and the Middle East. The closest airport is Nice Cote d’Azur Airport, an international airport situated just 8km away from the city centre. It is the third busiest airport in France after the two that service Paris so that gives you an idea of how popular this destination is!
Getting from Nice airport into the city is soooo pleasant and easy! Inside the airport you’ll see signs directing you to the tram. Take tram line 2 in the direction of Port Lympia for €1.50 each way. There are multiple stops in town depending on where your hotel is. The main stop in the city centre is Jean Médecin. The whole journey won’t take longer than 30 minutes. The tram leaves the airport every 8 minutes and runs from around 4am to after midnight depending on the day. You can find more information including timetables here.
Getting around the French Riviera
As you will most likely be visiting other villages and towns on the French Riviera at the same time as Monaco, I wanted to cover off the basics on how to get around the south of France. Southern France is one of the easiest regions to travel around by public transport that I have ever experienced! It’s so well interconnected and affordable. Below I cover all the major options for traveling around southern France including public and private transport.
Public transport
To get to destinations outside of Nice you will want to take public transport. It’s quick, affordable and you won’t have to worry about traffic and parking.
Train
There are two train stations in Nice, Nice Ville and Nice Riquier. If you’re booking your tickets in advance be sure to check which station is closer to your accommodation. Nice Ville is to the north west of the old town. If you’re planning on staying close to the promenade this will probably be the closer option for you. Nice Riquier is further east, just above Quartier du Port. We found using the Trainline app to book our tickets ahead of time to be very easy and convenient. The prices are the same, and the schedule is accurate and up to date.
Bus
You will find that the train will get you to most surrounding villages much quicker than the bus, but there are exceptions. A notable example is Èze. The train station goes to the town on the coast, whereas most people want to visit the village at the top of the hill which can only be reached by bus. Bus tickets can be bought from the bus driver, just bring cash with you (typically a ticket will cost you €1.5 each way).
Car
Realistically a lot of destinations on the French Riviera are much more convenient to visit by public transport due to the lack of availability and high cost of parking in many villages. If you do need to hire a car, there are plenty of options in Nice both at the airport and in town. This is a hugely popular destination, so booking your hire car in advance will help you to secure a good price and the kind of vehicle you are after. If you’re driving make sure you plan your days so that you are arriving at your destination early in the morning so that you can find parking, and also make sure you’re factoring in parking fees in your budget as this will add up.
When to visit Monaco
We visited Monaco in August and honestly I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s very hot and France isn’t made for the heat. Between the hot trains, the beaches without shade and all of the outdoor eateries, Monaco would be much nicer in June or September. There are obviously crowds in summer, but we didn’t find them so bad. In fact, the crowds create a great atmosphere and add to the European summer vibe.
Some of the trains got a bit uncomfortably packed but we didn’t struggle with anything else. If you are visiting in the summer be sure to book restaurants ahead of time, like you would for anywhere in Europe. Between November and May a lot of tour operators, beach clubs and some restaurants will be closed. The weather will still be pleasant though, you will just have a quieter time and will have to plan ahead more to make sure what you want to do is possible.
Grand Prix
Obviously a huge reason people visit Monaco is to attend the Grand Prix which is at the end of May. If you’re not into formula 1 you should absolutely avoid this weekend as a lot of streets will be closed off and the number of people in Monaco will be overwhelming! However, if formula 1 is up your alley you can’t beat the Grand Prix in Monaco. Make sure you book your accommodation well in advance so that you don’t miss out, especially if you want to stay in Monaco.
Thanks for stopping by!
We hope we’ve inspired you to add Monaco to your south of France itinerary this summer. Honestly, it wasn’t our first choice, but we ended up loving it so much. It’s so beautiful, full of things to do and totally unique in it’s somewhat over the top glitzy atmosphere.
If your visiting Monaco as par of a larger trip to South of France, check out our 10 day French Riviera guide, or our guide on the best day trips from Nice. We highly recommend that you make Nice your home base when travelling through the South of France. We have incredibly detailed city guides to Nice, Menton, Marseille, Cassis, and Villefranche-sur-Mer, and and a guide to the best day trips from Nice.
If you have any questions, please let us know, and please subscribe!
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