MONACO
How to get to Monaco
Monaco is tiny and tucked away in its mountainous cradle beside the sea but it is still a very accessible country from almost eveywhere in the world. It has truly international and wealthy residents so access is of premium importance. Hence transport services in and and out are exceptional and very well maintained.
Getting to Monaco by AirMonaco's closest airport is Nice Cote d'Azur which is the second busiest airport in France, after Paris, with almost ten million passengers passing through its doors last year. There are daily direct flights from North, South and Central Europe as well as North Africa, the Middle East, the United States and Canada. Once you arrive in Nice then Monaco is a short helicopter, train, bus or taxi ride away. Scroll down the page for more detailed descriptions of each mode of transport. Look at Nice airport website for details on what airlines operate out of Nice.
Getting to Monaco by RailFrom most European major cities, the Eurostar or National trains links connect to Paris, from Paris there is a sceduled TGV that takes you as far as Nice. From Nice you will take a local train onto Monaco. You won't have to change stations and you can buy tickets from machines or operators in the train station. The trains are regular and tickets are under €5.00 one way. If you are looking for a cheaper option then take the bus for €1.30.
From the Italian side trains from Rome arrive direct in Monaco while those from Eastern Europe, Milan and Turin connect through Genoa. There are several European rail websites available in English to help you plan your journey if you are coming from further afiels. Look in the RG Directory under 'Transport' to get contact details.
Getting to Monaco by RoadThe road network in most of Western Europe is exceptionally good and in particular people find navigating France very simple. There are a few tips that can help you to make this process even easier.
The motorways in France are signposted with blue signs. They may also be marked with the word 'Péage' and this means that you are going onto a tolled section of the motorway. It does not mean that you necessarily will end up paying a toll, especially if you are just moving about locally and you use an exit that doesn't have a toll booth. You can check online, however, on the French Autoroute website to get an exact price before you leave.
The free national routes or 'RN' roads are marked with green sign posts. The roads are toll free and they often skirt the towns in a series of roundabouts and by-pass sections. They are slow and can be heavy with local traffic but they are also more scenic and easier to skip into local towns for breaks or food.
When you are navigating through France it is better to have a list of place names that are en route rather than road numbers. Also know the names of the small local towns (on white sign posts) that you'll be passing through as well as the larger cities in which direction you are headed (on green or blue motorway signs).
The fuel stations on the motorway services are convenient but you will be paying a premium price for that service. The cheapest places to fuel up are at the supermarket petrol stations of which most reasonable sized town has at least one, so choose a town and take the exit if you prefer to save some money. Choose a town close to a motoway exit and take in a bit of sightseeing or lunch too.
The 'péage' motorways will cost you money but they are not necessarily more expensive. They are generally faster, often cutting the journey time in half, but they will also save you close to a tank of fuel on long distance journeys. The reason for choosing your route then is either for speed or scenery as opposed to cost.
Monaco is reached via the A8 motoway and is at junction 56. Be aware that there maybe several motorway exits for the town that you are entering. Your journey will be made a lot easier if you take the correct exit for where you want to go. Monaco can also be easily accessed by the La Turbie exit at junction 57 which is also €1.00 cheaper at the toll.
Getting to Monaco by seaGetting to Monaco via the sea will depend on your point of departure. The main ferry routes into France are in more northerly ports as the Mediterranean is largely used for pleasure boaters and holiday cruisers. Entering France by sea on a commercial ferry route will leave you on the north or western coast and from there you will have to link up to with the road network or rail links.
There are plenty of cruise companies that operate in and around Monaco and also visitor berths in Monaco port if you have your own boat. Look in the RG Directory to see contact links for the capitanerie in Monaco's ports.
How to get around Monaco
Monaco is such a tiny country that once you are there everywhere within it is accessible by foot. However the reality is that Monaco feels like part of France, certainly with regards to getting around it, remember though that it is a different country and you will need to have your passport or picture id on you.
 | | If you arrive into Nice Cote D'Azur airport there is a Taxi rank just outside the door of the arrivals halls of both terminal one and terminal two. The journey time to Monaco from here is about 35 minutes, depending on where your holiday accommodation is, the average fare is approximately 70 euro.
Prices may vary depending on the time of night and the amount of luggage you have. Once in Monaco there are several Monegasgue Taxi companies.
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Have your destination written down if you struggle with French pronunciation. |
 | | Nice Cote D'Azur airport does not have a rail link so to get to Monaco by train from Nice you must first find your way to Nice Ville train station, by taxi or bus, both of which leave from just outside the door of arrivals.
From Nice the trains run right along the seafront regularly throughout the day and evening to Monaco. Once in Monaco there is also a tourist train that runs on the roads offering sightseeing tours of the city for visitors. |
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The trains running into Monaco are French so you can look up timetables and fares on the internet. |
booking onlineThe SNCF website is not very user friendly if you are a tourist. It is excellent to use as a guideline for train times but there are no other language translations and if the site is unable to sell you a ticket within the time frame that you specify then it will not always list every train time. It is great to use if you are planning well in advance or to gauge how long journeys take but pick up free pocket-size train timetable in the stations for total accuracy and independence.
| There is a bus link that runs at regular intervals throughout the day from 9am - 9pm, from terminals one and two of Nice Cote D'Azur International airport to Monaco. The journey is about 45 minutes to get to Monaco and costs 13 Euro one way or 21 Euro for a return ticket.
Once in Monaco the bus routes and times are clearly laid out at bus stops including maps of this entire small country so they are very easy to use. They run every few minutes and are the easiest way to get around.
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You can buy tickets from the bus drivers and also multiple journey tickets valid for that day saving time and money. |
Buses and operators.There are numerous bus operators along the Cote d'Azur as each town is serviced by it's own companies. It can be confusing. There are express buses for the airport, inter regional buses and city buses. There are buses that will use the motorways and then there are intercity buses that take the coast roads.
From Nice airport you can either take an express bus to Monaco or you can get on a local bus, line 110 or 100, from Terminal 1 or 2 and get to Monaco for €1.30. It will take a lot longer but will cost a lot less and you'll get to see some of the countryside. Check at the tourist information desk if you are unsure of which service to use.
| Access roads to and from Monaco are excellent. There are four main routes into the country, the Basse Corniche, Moyenne Corniche, Grand Corniche and the A8 motorway. Monaco is ringed by mountains and all of these routes offer spectacular views. The motorway junction is a peage and costs 2.20 Euro.
Once you are in Monaco the traffic can become quite slow but the streets are well sign posted and there is plenty of underground parking. |
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Many of the underground car parks offer the first hour for free if you are there for less than 60 mins. |
Motorways and Tolls.The motorway exit for Monaco is Junction 56 off the A8 motorway. It is a tolled road and, by comparison with other junctions, is quite an expensive exit at 2.20 Euro. The reason for this is that the road has to travel through a significantly sized mountain which cuts down the journey time, difficulty and wear on the vehicle. The toll cost goes towards the cost and maintenance of the tunnel however if you don't want to use the motorway then opt for the slower , more scenic and free routes into Monaco along the Basse and Moyenne Corniches in particular.
The beauty of French roads is that there is always more than one option. You also have the option of exiting the A8 motorway at the La Turbie exit, number 57, which is cheaper and winds you down through the pretty little village and drops you down into Monaco along a beautiful road with great views over the Mediterranean sea, Monaco and Cap d'Ail.
 | | If you want to do things in style you can hop in a helicopter from Nice airport and be whisked off to your holiday property location in the blink of an eye, it takes about seven minutes to get to Monaco from Nice airport.
The Heliport is located in Fontvieille in Monaco which is the commercial zone of the city. Monte Carlo is a short bus or Taxi ride away. It's a stunning way to arrive, direct and with the ultimate view of Monaco. |
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flights depart every 20 minutes from Nice, takes 7 minutes and costs about 95 Euro per person one way. |
 | | There are two Ports in Monaco, Port Hercule and Port of Fontvieille. Port Hercule has recently been extended to include a new 90 metre sea wall.This means that bigger cruise ships can now dock in Monaco making this a new Port of call.
There is continuing development of the port area ongoing with new berths being created all the time. Port Hercule has berths for 500 vessels while the smaller Port of Fontvieille can take 60 boats.
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Contact details for Capitanerie and all of Monaco are in the RG directory. |
Renting holiday Accommodation in Monaco
However you choose to arrive once you are there you will need holiday or vacation accommodation. If you are ready to rent a holiday apartment or vacation villa in Monaco then simply use the search facility below. To find out more about Monaco then click 'Next' to go through the other sections. Alternatively, to look through all our holiday villas and vacation rentals in all areas then click on 'Browse Rentals' in the main menu.
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Some of our vacation rentals in Monaco |
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Elegant studio that is perfect for all events in Monaco and Monte Carlo. It is in a completely new building which is...
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Bijou 1 bedroom apartment with a balcony and captivating sea views. This apartment is in a new building and benefits...
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This is the ideal low cost option for Monte Carlo, this spacious studio apartment is the perfect place to stay for a...
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