Travel guide to Monaco

Principaute de Monaco

Monaco

1.95 km2

French

Catholicism

31.693 (2000)

Constitutional monarchy

Monaco is the second smallest state in Europe after the Vatican. It is beautifully situated on the French coast of the Mediterranean just a few kilometres from the Italian boarder. The country consists of a narrow stone covered coastline that is approximately two kilometres long and a half a kilometre wide.

Monaco has over 300 sunny days a year, and the climate is mild, so you can basically go there all year around. The principality is overrun with tourists between June and August, and it is usually very warm during this period. For those who are interested in motoring it is worth mentioning that Monaco has its Formal One Grand-Prix in May and its classic car rally in January.

Inside Monaco

In Monaco the following weight and measure schemes are used:
Weight: kilo
Length: metre
Fluids: litre

When taking pictures it is important to be careful of the many prohibitions that are listed on signs everywhere. For example you might risk being arrested for using a tripod in the wrong area.

You can drink the tap water, but it has an aftertaste of chlorine and can give you stomach problems. Instead it is recommended that you drink bottled water the first couple of weeks of your trip.

220V, 50Hz

During the day it is acceptable to wear casual clothing, but upon entering the fashionable restaurants, clubs, and casinos a different dress code is required. A handshake and a kiss on each cheek is the normal way of greeting one another, and in addition smoking is not acceptable while dining.

Shops are open from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 18:30 (Monday-Saturday).
Office hours are from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 (Monday-Friday).
Banks are open from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00 (Monday-Friday).

The Monacan restaurants offer a large variety of dishes that are hardly distinguishable from those you will find in France. Of the local dinner dishes these are worth mentioning: barbagiuan, fougasse, socca, and stokafi. In Monaco wine is the main beverage at meals.

Monaco has 12 public wheelchair lifts that take people up and down the stone covered rocky slopes. Furthermore, most hotels have lifts.

New Year's Day, January 1st
St Dévote's day, January 27th
May 1st
The Virgin Mary's Ascension Day, August 15th
All Saints Day, November 1st
National Day, November 18th - 19th
The Day of The Immaculate Conception, December 8th
Christmas Eve, December 24th
Christmas Day, December 25th

Alternating Holidays
Easter Monday, March or April
Christ's Ascension Day, March or April
Whit Monday, May or June
Corpus Christi, May of June

If you are looking for a Hotel then the southern harbour called La Condamine is the best place to look, unless you insist on staying at one of Monte Carlo's luxury hotels. Besides hotels the country has one youth hostel, and houses with kitchen facilities you can rent.
Book your Hotel in Monaco here

The Monacan hotels are split into 5 categories. The first four have been given one to four stars while the last and most expensive ones have been described as four-star deluxe-hotels. There are 19 hotels in the principality whereof four are in the most expensive category.

In Monaco you can rent so-called self-catering houses that have kitchen facilities, so you can prepare your own food.

There is one youth hostel in Monaco. In the peak season there is a limit to how many days you can stay there, and it can be the case that the limit is one day.

Monaco has good transportation, even though a country that is barely two square kilometres has limited needs. The country's bus system is well developed, but besides the bus the easiest way to get around is by renting a car or taking a taxi (if you will not walk).

There are no domestic Flights in the area. But it is possible to rent a helicopter that can fly you around, but it is a very costly affair.

Monaco has six permanent bus routes that cover the whole miniature state. If you are out later than 21:00 it is necessary to take a taxi home.

There are no domestic trains in Monaco.

Taxi-cabs in Monaco are quite expensive and not really worth it in light of the fact that everything is within walking distance. Two large taxi ranks ensure that you easily can get a taxi. There is one by the casino and the other is by the train station. Furthermore, there are four smaller taxi ranks by: Place des Moulins, Avenue de la Costa, Fontvieille, and Beach Plaza. If you are arriving at the airport in Nice alone and will be continuing to Monaco then it is cheaper to take a five-seat helicopter than it is to take a taxi!

You can rent both ordinary cars and limousines in Monaco. Moreover you can also rent boats, yachts, and bicycles.

The two large harbours in Monaco are La Condamine at Monte Carlo and Fontvieille in the southern part of the principality. There is room for both yachts and luxury liners.

The miniature state has two helicopter companies which take passengers from the airport in Nice to Monaco

Security in Monaco is very high and there are surveillance cameras and police everywhere. For example you risk receiving a fine if you walk barefoot in the old town. It is therefore important that you read the warning signs thoroughly whilst in Monaco.

 • Monaco