Must-see's in Monte Carlo on a budget

[sae019]

DH and I will be in Monte Carlo on 11/1 this year off the Norwegian Jade. We are doing this port on our own and need to know the must see's without having to spend too much money. We aren't fans of museums or gardens - we are more into good food, movies, beaches, hiking, fashion and just relaxing. Any advice is appreciated!

[Keith1010]

You can just walk around Monte Carlo and not spend a dime.

 

You can walk to the area of the Palace and then to the main church and all around the surrounding area. There are paths that take you by some beautiful outdoor gardens where the views are beautiful. You can also walk to the areas where the Grand Casino is located. No need to go in there just walk around the surrounding area. It is a nice area to just people watch.

 

It is an easy port to walk around and to just enjoy a nice day.

 

Keith

[stinesheri]

I concur. We just got back,and other than admission to the Oceanographic institute (which you mentioned you weren't interested in), coffee and pastry, some trinkets, bottled water, and the 1 euro Bateaux Bus ticket each (we were really tired of walking by the end of our stay), we paid nothing else. We were docked, so if you aren't tendered, you can even go back to the ship for lunch.

[sae019]

Thank you for the advice! From where the ships are docked, is the main town area pretty close to walk to? We don't mind walking but just wanted to get an idea of how far away it will be if we are just going to look around. Are there any sketchy areas to avoid?

[Oceanator]

If you're docked in Monaco harbor, then Monaco is not really "walkable". From the harbor, on one side, is a hill where the palace and gardens are and on the other side of the harbor is another hill where the casino is located. :eek:

 

Thankfully, there are buses that run from one hill to the other.:)

[stinesheri]

It is walkable from the dock, but prepared to do a lot of it, and mostly uphill. We were docked, and then walked to the Rock (where the Palace and Cathedral are).

 

This walk is all uphill, with many switchbacks and stairs. Then, after walking around that area for a while (flat on top), we then walked back down, then around the marina, which is flat, and then uphill again, to the Casino area. Where we were we did not see stairs, and it is a rather steep incline. We then took stairs down from the back of the Casino area, back to the marina where we picked up the Bateaux Bus, which sails you past the luxury yachts, and brings you back to the ship dock.

 

Timewise, we were off the ship around 8:00am, with about 40 minutes in the Oceanograhic institute, and back on board by noon, with window shopping and general sightseeing in between.

[sae019]

Is there a public transportation website that will give general routes and prices?

[olwagner]

Is there a public transportation website that will give general routes and prices?

 

Yes, you can check this page ; in the external resources section (bottom of the page), you have links to "Public Transportation within Monaco" ; if you have troubles with some pages in French, feel free to use Google language tools

 

I would just walk around, enjoy watching the general level of luxury of the place, visit the Place du Casino.

[BiggiB]

All necessary information about public transport, maps, things to do you can find on the http://www.visitmonaco.com website. It is very useful, you just have to get "into" things and take time to read.

 

The Principality of Monaco is smaller than Central Park in New York.

There are no "sketchy" areas at all; it is one of the most -if not the most- secure place on earth.

 

Yes, it is built on a steep mountain side, but ... there are many public elevators and escalators to ease the differences in height: Just consult your city map, readily available in the port building.

As mentioned before, the public bus system is very efficient and brings you from one end of town to the other. Bus tickets cost € 1 per ride, or you purchase 10 rides (permitting the change of bus lines once) for € 6 or a day-ticket, if you plan to do some serious sight-seeing, involving all 5 parts of town.

 

To see for free: The Casino gardens and terraces, the beautiful foyer to the Main Casino, the Jeux Americain at Café de Paris and the Sun Casino in the Fairmont Hotel, also the Japanese gardens, possible current exhibitions at the Grimaldi Forum Glass Hall,

the Old Town, the Princesse-Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille (still in bloom in November), yacht spotting in either of both ports in town, window shopping around Casino Square -the Golden Quarters with boutiques of most of the world's famous brands- or just watching people on Casino Square or on the Port Promenade.

 

Enjoy your day in town!

[sae019]

Thank you, everyone, for your advice and helpful links. I have the same question for Palma if you've been.