Visiting Monaco

Monaco is free to enter and small enough to walk across in about 45 minutes. There is no border post, no entry fee and no requirement beyond the documents any Schengen traveller already carries. The Principality receives far more visitors than residents, and most of them arrive by train from Nice for the day.

Entry rules

  • Monaco sits inside the Schengen Area through its customs union with France, so Schengen rules apply
  • Monaco issues no visas of its own. A Schengen visa obtained through a French consulate covers entry
  • Nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland enter with a national identity card or passport
  • Visa-exempt nationals enter with a passport, and should check the current validity requirement before travelling
  • Visits under 90 days in any 180-day period need no permit. Staying longer than three months a year requires the residence permit set out in Monaco residency
  • There is no passport control on the road border with France, though Monaco police check vehicles at the entry points, and both French and Monégasque authorities check arrivals at the port and heliport

Getting there

By air

  • Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is the gateway, roughly 30 km west
  • Helicopter transfer to Monaco Heliport in Fontvieille takes about 7 minutes
  • Airport bus line 110 runs to Monaco in about 50 minutes
  • Taxi or private transfer takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic
  • Monaco has no airport of its own and no space for one

By train

  • Regional trains from Nice reach Monaco-Monte-Carlo in about 25 minutes, with frequent departures
  • Ventimiglia, across the Italian border, is roughly 25 minutes east on the same line
  • The station is underground and cut into the rock, with lifts and covered walkways to each district
  • This is the cheapest and usually the fastest way to arrive

By road

  • The A8 motorway runs above the Principality, with three exits into it
  • The three Corniche roads approach from Nice at different heights, covered in the French Riviera
  • Parking is underground and paid, with the first hour often free
  • Driving into Monaco is the least convenient option and worth avoiding

By sea

  • Port Hercule takes yachts and tenders, and Port Fontvieille handles smaller craft
  • Cruise ships anchor offshore and transfer passengers by launch

The four quarters

Monaco-Ville

The old town sits on a rock 60 metres above the sea, on the site of the fortress the Grimaldi family took in 1297. Narrow medieval streets run between the Palace and the Cathedral, and the quarter holds the government buildings, the courts and the Oceanographic Museum. It is the only part of Monaco that looks its age.

  • Prince's Palace. The residence of the ruling family since the 13th century. State apartments open to the public seasonally. The Changing of the Guard takes place outside daily at 11:55 and lasts a few minutes
  • Monaco Cathedral. Built in the 1870s in Roman-Byzantine style, on the site of a 13th-century church. Princes of Monaco are buried there, including Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace
  • Oceanographic Museum. Founded by Prince Albert I and opened in 1910, built directly into the cliff face. Aquariums, a shark lagoon and the collections from Albert I's own expeditions
  • Place du Palais. The square in front of the Palace, with views over Port Hercule and Fontvieille

Monte-Carlo

The quarter created in the 1860s around the casino, when Monaco needed revenue after losing Menton and Roquebrune. It holds the luxury retail, the grand hotels and most of the reason the name is known.

  • Casino de Monte-Carlo. Opened in 1863, designed by Charles Garnier. Entry to the gaming rooms is charged, identification is required, a dress code applies and photography inside is prohibited. Monégasque nationals are barred from gambling there
  • Place du Casino. The square in front, with the Hôtel de Paris and the Café de Paris
  • Salle Garnier. The opera house attached to the casino building
  • Larvotto. The main public beach, rebuilt and reopened in recent years

La Condamine

The working quarter around Port Hercule, holding the market, the older shopping streets and the harbour itself. Moneghetti, above it, is often counted as a fifth quarter.

  • Port Hercule. The main harbour, and the section of the Grand Prix circuit that runs beside it
  • Marché de la Condamine. The covered market on Place d'Armes, with food stalls
  • Jardin Exotique. Above Moneghetti, a cliffside garden of succulents with the widest view over the Principality, and a cave system beneath it

Fontvieille

Built on land reclaimed from the sea in the 1970s. It holds the second port, the stadium, the heliport and a quieter residential district.

  • Princess Grace Rose Garden. Planted in her memory, open and free
  • Stade Louis II. Home of AS Monaco, built above a car park and a sports complex
  • Collection de Voitures. The princely car collection

Other things to see

  • The Grand Prix circuit. The track is public road for 51 weeks of the year and can be walked any day. Covered in the Monaco Grand Prix
  • Japanese Garden. Beside Larvotto, built to Japanese design and free to enter
  • Nouveau Musée National de Monaco. Two villas, Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber, showing contemporary art
  • Mareterra. The district completed in 2024 on reclaimed land, with a public coastal walk

Getting around

  • The territory measures 2.08 square kilometres and crosses on foot in about 45 minutes, though it is steep
  • Public lifts and escalators connect the levels, are free, and run through the night in most locations. They are the practical way to move vertically
  • CAM bus lines cover the whole Principality, with single tickets and day passes
  • The Bateau Bus crosses Port Hercule on a small electric boat
  • Taxis operate but are limited in number

When to go

  • April. The Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament, played at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France rather than in Monaco itself
  • May. The Grand Prix. Roads close, prices multiply and accommodation must be booked many months ahead. Avoid unless you are there for the race
  • June to August. Warmest weather and the heaviest crowds
  • September. The Monaco Yacht Show fills Port Hercule
  • October to March. Quietest, mild, with some venues on reduced hours. The best period for seeing the place rather than the event

Practical points

  • Currency is the euro, and cards are accepted everywhere
  • French is the official language, with Italian and English widely spoken. Monégasque survives as a heritage language and appears on street signs in the old town
  • Walking through the streets in swimwear or bare-chested is an offence
  • Emergency numbers are 112 general, 17 police and 18 fire
  • Crime is very low, with dense camera coverage and a high ratio of police to residents
  • A day trip by train from Nice, walking the whole territory, costs little beyond the fare and any museum entries

For staying longer than three months, see Monaco residency. For what a night in Monaco costs, see cost of living in Monaco.

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