Monaco is a tiny independent state located on the southern French coastline with the Mediterranean. It’s famous for its upscale, glitzy and glamorous lifestyle; imagine fancy yachts lining the harbor, luxurious hotels, each one more elaborate than the last, top of the line restaurants, and lavish cars driving through the perfectly-kept streets. As a budget backpacker, this isn’t really my scene, but I decided to make the day trip since I was in nearby Nice in the French Riviera.
How to get there: There are both bus and train options to get from Nice to Monaco. The train only takes about 15 minutes and costs under €4 each way, while the bus takes around half an hour and costs only €1.50 each way! I took the bus since a) it was cheaper and b) it offers incredible views of the coastline while you’re driving. Take bus #100 to get there, and make sure you get a window seat! They leave every 15 minutes until around 9:00 p.m. If you take the train it will drop you off at the main train station in Monaco, Gare de Monaco-Monte-Carlo, and you have a couple of different options for bus stops in Monaco: choose the Place d’Arms to stop for the Old Town & the Palace; or The Port stop for the yachts and fancy bars. Monaco is small, so you can walk the entire country and see the major sights within a few hours.
What to do: As it turns out, I came the day directly after the most important event of the year for Monaco: the Grand Prix. If you don’t know, its basically an uber-prestigious automobile race that’s been held in Monaco every year for nearly 100 years. It would have been fun to come on that day and see the hectic atmosphere, but it seemed like everything was closed/blocked off the day after to set the city back up like normal again. I was still determined to see what I could, so I continued on!
First, you have to check out the super-yachts on the harbor. They are ridiculously extravagant and will make you question why you aren’t a billionaire yourself. Near the harbor, there’s some beautifully manicured streets with pastel-colored stores and restaurants, so take a stroll along here as well. This is where I spent the bulk of my day because I’m on a budget and it was obviously free to walk around and observe the luxurious but out-of-my-league atmosphere. Some other top sights to see include the famous Casino of Monte-Carlo (€17 entrance fee + a dress code? Nah, I’ll just look from the outside), the Oceanographic Museum full of marine life, and the many gardens they have in the small country for a steep entrance fee, of course.
Other tips: Monaco is expensive, so budget $15 for a take-out meal and many times that if you’re thinking about an up-scale restaurant. I spend $7 on a scoop of gelato, that’s how expensive it was (and how real my gelato addiction is). The currency is Euro, even though Monaco is not in the EU.
If I’m being honest, I didn’t enjoy Monaco all that much. It felt much too fake and show off-y to me. I tend to prefer more down to earth and naturally beautiful locations instead. I’m sure if I had a bunch of money to blow I could have taken full advantage of the luxurious lifestyle there, but it’s not the most budget-friendly place. I am on a mission to visit every country in Europe, so I had to come while I was in the area, and I’d still recommend it as a half-day trip if you’re in the French Riviera. But just be aware that it’s very over-the-top, extreme, and exaggerated. That’s just my opinion, though!
