Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground.
Wilfred Peterson
Do you have a thirst for the finer things in life? Do you aspire to one day own a yacht or a Lamborghini?
Well, Monaco is the place to visit !! Every other car is a supercar, and the yachts are probably bigger than your dream house.
Interesting facts about Monaco you need to know before visiting:
- Monaco is a Principality, meaning that Monaco is ruled by a prince and princess rather than a King and Queen.
- It is a sovereign city-state, country, and microstate on the French Riviera in Western Europe.
- Monaco has a total population upward of 30,645 and a total land area of 2.02 sq. km. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world.
- 32% of Monaco population are millionaires
- Monaco is notoriously famous for the Monaco Grand Prix, which is one of the main events that the country hosts every year.
- Monaco is a tax haven. The country survives solely on the revenue generated by its tourism and casinos.
- Monaco is extremely safe and has one of the worlds lowest crime rates.
- To the eastern side of the country lies Italy at a distance of 8 kilometres.
Monaco is the perfect destination if you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway. You honestly don’t need to spend more than two days in Monaco. Or if you are very strapped for time, you could go for a lovely day trip whilst in the south of France. I planned on being in Monaco for 3 nights before heading back to London, but I missed my early morning flight on Friday 22nd October from City airport and I ended up having to pay £100 for a flight the following morning leaving from Heathrow airport. An amazing tip I can give you is if you have a super early morning flight like I did, try and book one of the cheap airport hotels, this way you’re super close to the airport so you are less likely to miss your flight, you get to sleep in for a little longer and the money you would have spent for transport from home to the airport might have cost you more than staying close the night before.
Travelling to Monaco:
Monaco doesn’t have its own airport, and the closest airport is in Nice, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE). From Nice you can take a taxi, helicopter or shuttle coach. When I arrived, I was a little lost as I was hoping to take a train from Nice to Monaco, but I couldn’t find the train station and was told that I would need to take a special coach that brings you directly to Monaco. the coach was €35 for an anytime return, and a single was €16. I bought a return as I had hoped to take the coach back to the airport on my way back, but that did not go to plan.
Make sure that if you are taking the coach that you check the times, on the way back to Nice airport there was only one coach every hour, meaning that if you missed your coach you would have to wait a whole hour for the next one. It takes about 45 minutes to get from Nice airport to Monaco Luckily the coach stopped right outside my hotel so I walked straight into my hotel.
Taxi:
So I missed my return coach, and I ended up having to take a taxi back to the airport. If you decide to take a taxi from Nice to Monaco, the journey is about 45 minutes, and it will cost you anywhere from €90 upwards.
Helicopter:
Monaco doesn’t have an airport as the country is too small. But they do have a heliport, and during high seasons helicopters come in every 20 minutes. If you decide to splurge and arrive in style, it will set you back €150 per person for a single trip getting you to Monaco in only 7 minutes.
Where to stay:
The majority of hotels in Monaco are super fancy and very expensive, trust me I stayed at the Fairmont Hotel during the low season, only for 3 nights and it cost me a pretty penny. I must say that the hotel was beautiful, from the entrance to the lobby, everything screamed luxury. I had a King Room with a Garden View, although the garden wasn’t very pleasant to look at. The room was spacious and the bed felt like sinking into a cloud, there wasn’t much lighting apart from the lampshades so I would recommend doing your make up in the bathroom.
Top 6 Hotels In Monaco:
- Hotel De Paris Monte-Carlo
- Fairmont Monte Carlo
- Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo
- Le Meridien Beach Plaza
- Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
- Monte-Carlo Bay & Resort
Where to eat:
Café de Paris Monte-Carlo
When you arrive in Monaco, whether you’re visiting for the day or you’re staying overnight, the first place you should go to is Café de Paris Monte-Carlo. Make sure that you get a seat outside, but please be aware that there is always a queue to get a seat especially if you want to sit at the front where you get the most amazing view of the casino which is directly next to café de Paris and its the best place to sit to car watch and also people watch. Unfortunately, the outside area is only available for drinks so if you’re hungry you have to sit inside.
Twiga Monte Carlo
For dinner, I booked this highly popular restaurant called Twiga, I had seen all the pictures online and the interior looked amazing, and the food looked delicious. The restaurant was no more than a five minutes taxi journey from my hotel although the taxi cost me €14, I was literally in shock when the man told me the price. The restaurant was busy and the music was booming, I ordered a glass of white wine and sushi to start, for mains, I had a lovely pasta dish and I was very surprised by the large portion that I received, and finally for dessert, I opted for a nice cup of tea.
The great thing about this restaurant is that it turns into a club after a certain time, so if you’re looking to shake a leg then definitely book a late dinner and stick around for the turn-up.
Caffè Milano Monaco
If want to have a lovely lunch special then definitely head down to Caffè Milano, make sure you have a booking because it gets super busy and if you don’t have a reservation you won’t be able to get a table. This restaurant is down by all the yachts so it’s perfectly located if you want to admire all the beautiful boats.
Nikki Beach Monaco
So if you’ve decided to stay at the Fairmont Hotel then you have to make sure that you spend a few hours by the pool at the Nikki Beach located in the hotel. I went outside the busy months of the year, so the pool area was very chilled and relaxed, I was able to get one of the massive poolside cabanas. I’m sure during their busy summer season you have to pay an arm and leg for one of the beds, as there is probably a DJ and other entertainment during the busier months.
Nobu Monaco
Unfortunately, I would not recommend Nobu in Monaco, this was my second time going to this Nobu restaurant and both times I’ve had a terrible experience. I decided to go to Nobu on my last night as I didn’t have a reservation and honestly I didn’t know where else to go last minute, and this restaurant was in my hotel. The sushi did not taste fresh, and the soy sauce was so salty I was worried about my blood pressure. I should have known better because the last time I went with a few friends the black Cod was burnt and the food was salty. If you want to go just for the vibe and to say you’ve been then go at your own risk.
Le Bar Américain
If you’re into jazz music and your vibe is more chilled and relaxed then you definitely have to visit Le bar Américain. When I arrived the low light and candlelight atmosphere calmed me immediately, as I walked in a woman in a long ball gown with a full band behind her was singing Dianna Ross, followed by some Michael Bublé. Everyone was drinking Champagne but I decided to have some vervain tea, the band played for about another hour and a half after I arrived at 22:30.
Buddha Bar
If you’re looking for a restaurant that has good music, a nice atmosphere and tasty food then definitely make a reservation at Buddha Bar.
Sass Cafe
If you’re looking for a younger crowd then Sass Cafe is your vibe, you can have a nice drink, chill and smoke some hookah in an outdoor jungle-themed atmosphere.
What to do:
Honestly, there isn’t much to do in Monaco hence why it’s perfect for a day trip or a nice weekend getaway. Unless you’re visiting Monaco to go to the yacht show or the Grand Prix then a weekend is more than long enough.
One of the main tourist attractions in Monaco is the casino, so make sure you have your passport on hand, and head over there. Be aware that you must be dressed properly and there is an entry fee of €17 which gives you one token that can be used for a drink once inside.
- Marxhè de la condamine Sunday Market
- Port Hercules
- St Martin Gardens
- Jardin Exotique
- Roseraie Princesse Grace De Monaco
- Monaco Old town
- Japanese-Princess Grace Garden
- The Musée Océanographique
- The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco