Monaco is a very small country in between France and Italy. You probably know it best for the famous Monte Carlo Casino or the Grand Prix held there each year. It sits east of Nice and is a easy day trip from wherever you’re staying on the Cote de Azur. Here is our guide to a $5 day trip to Monaco including how to get there using public transportation, what we saw and how to do it on a budget!
Do You Need a Passport to Go From France into Monaco?
Monaco is an independent country, however, has a treaty with France that outlines borders and visa information for travelers. There was no border security from when we got on the bus in Nice to getting off within Monaco.
The visa rules for visiting Monaco follow those of France. As US Citizens we did not need a visa to enter France (a part of the Schengen Area) for a stay of up to 90 days. Therefore because of the Monaco and France treaty because we did not need a visa for France we did not need one for Monaco either.
- You can get more information about visas depending on your country here.
Getting There
The bus 100 goes from Nice to Monaco leaving every 15-20 minutes. It is very easy to navigate and makes several stops in Monaco. You can get off at the Plaza d’Armes stop to see the Prince’s Palace and the Monaco Top Cars Collection Museum where you can see the Prince of Monaco’s classic car collection. The next stop will stop at the Port but if you’re looking for the Monte Carlo Casino stay on the bus one more stop. The next stop will be right outside the Tourism Office.
- You can go into the Tourism Office to get your passport stamped in Monaco. It’s not necessary (as we said above) but if you’re interested in getting the Monaco stamp for your collection you can walk in and they will stamp it for you!
Monte Carlo Casino
One of maybe the most famous sights in Monaco is the Monte Carlo Casino. You might recognize it from moves like Casino Royale, Never Say Never Again and Oceans Twelve. You can walk from the Tourism Office to the Monte Carlo Casino in about 5 minutes. You’ll will definitely know you are there!
There are many, many cars parked outside the Casino. You will see cars like Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and Ferrari all over the place. Nearby you will find some expensive shops and nice restaurants.
At the entrance of the Monte Carlo Casino they check bags and make you toss any water bottles (or at least they made us dump ours) but they were not looking at dress code. While standing around we did not see anyone turned away at the entrance for attire, jeans or no jeans.
Once inside there are public restrooms downstairs and a restaurant to the right. To the left you have to buy a ticket to enter the casino floor. When we visited a ticket inside was about 17 Euros per person. That does not include the table minimum to play, of course.
Travel Truth: We found the 17 Euro ticket price too steep to go inside. We thought it was enough to see from the outside but was just too expensive just to play one or two games. You can tour the inside from 9 am – 12 pm for about 10 Euros if you’re there early enough and want to save some money!
Is There Really a Dress Code for the Monte Carlo Casino?
We dressed up for our day trip to Monaco with the intention of going inside the Monte Carlo Casino. But when we got there and found out there was a 17 Euro entrance fee we quickly changed our plans.
We did put on nice clothes like a romper and khakis and a polo because we had read the dress code to get in was fairly strict. However, once we were there we saw many people far more casual than we were, including people wearing shorts, going inside.
Travel Truth: We brought one much nicer outfit for this trip specifically for the Monte Carlo Casino after doing some research beforehand. Now to be clear we walked inside to the ticket booth but did not actually go inside the casino floor so maybe they are more strict as you go inside. But if you are definitely planning to go inside we would say girls can definitely make a casual dress work and guys in a pair of nice jeans.
Not sure what to pack? Check out these posts below!
Male Carry On Packing List & Female Carry On Packing List
Monaco Grand Prix: Circuit de Monaco
If you don’t know Monaco for the Monte Carlo Casino then you probably know it for hosting the Monaco Grand Prix each year. It is a famous 90-year-old car race held on the Circuit de Monaco once each year.
You can easily look up the race course, called the Circuit de Monaco, to see parts of where the race takes place. You’ll find a hairpin turn right by the Monte Carlo Casino where you see many fancy cars driving through.
- During the Grand Prix the stands and the race way actually go through the port. If you walk down to the port you can continue to see parts of where the race takes place.
See the Yachts at Port Hercule
Take a walk down to the Port Hercule (Monaco Port) and spend some time looking at all the crazy huge yachts. Seriously they were bigger than anything we’ve ever seen before. You will see all kinds of boats and all kinds of people! Beware it was pretty hot in the middle of summer on the Port. There is little shade and we found ourselves buying an (expensive) water to brave the heat.
What About Food?
We ate lunch before leaving and decided to toss some snacks in our bag in case we got hungry. However, because a lot of the restaurants can be fairly expensive we chose to eat beforehand and then eat dinner once we got back in Nice. That’s not to say there are no reasonably priced restaurants in Monaco but between trying to save a little and also keeping in mind the bus schedule to get back to Nice we decided against eating there.
- It’s also really close to Nice so you can take the 30 minute bus ride to Monaco, spend a couple hours there and then take the bus back before dinnertime!
Other Notable Things to Do
- To see the Prince’s classic car collection you can visit the Monaco Top Cars Collection. Admission for an adult ticket is 8 Euros.
- If you’re interested in seeing a little more of the history of Monaco you can tour the Prince of Monaco’s Palace. It is not open for touring all year so check here for opening information. It is also 8 Euros for an adult ticket.
A Day Trip to Monaco Cost: 5 Euros!
Here is our cost for taking the bus to Monaco and back, seeing the Monte Carlos Casino, the Grand Prix Raceway and the Port. If you’re thinking about taking a day trip to Monaco but are scared because of how expensive you’ve heard it can be then hear it is!
Bus ride: 1.50 Euros (3 Euro roundtrip)
Monte Carlo Casino: Free to walk up to (or inside the front entrance)
- To go onto the casino floor it costs 17 Euros or you can tour the Casino in the morning for 10 Euros.
See the Grand Prix raceway: Free!
See the yachts at the Port: Free!
Water: 2 Euros
Now obviously admission inside the Monte Carlo Casino or touring the Prince of Monaco’s Museum would make increase the overall cost of our day trip to Monaco. However, let this show that it is very doable to visit all kinds of places while still staying on a budget!