MONTE CARLO, MONACO

OVERVIEW

• When: 10 June – 12 June, 2026
• Where (accommodations): Fairmont Monte Carlo
• Transportation: Aer Lingus airlines from Boston (BOS) to Nice, France (NCE) via Dublin (DUB); Bus #80 from Nice airport to Monte Carlo, Monaco. Train from Monte Carlo, Monaco to Nice.
• Sights/attractions: Casino de Monte Carlo, Casino Square, Exotic Garden of Monaco, Old Monaco, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, Princess Antoinette Park, Port de Fontvielle, Monaco Cathedral, Justice Palace, Prince’s Palace, Hotel Hermitage, Paris Hotel, Port Hercules, Princess Grace Kelly Rose Garden
• Food/drinks: Amu, Salon Rose, Buddha Bar, La Petit Cafe Robuchon, Chez Le Grecs, Santo Gelato, Beefbar

I strongly believe milestone birthdays deserve a special celebration. I quickly forget a birthday dinner party, but I’ll never forget a birthday trip, especially when it’s celebrated in a new country. Monaco turns out to be the 84th country for me (getting closer to 100, one country at a time!). However, the idea to visit the French Riviera wasn’t sparked by my upcoming 45th birthday. It was Delta’s announcement of direct flights from Boston to Nice, France. Monaco is less than a 30-minute train ride from there, so we immediately started looking into it. Sadly, Delta prices (at least for this weekend) were around 2k, but now that it has gotten us interested in visiting Monaco, we just need to find a cheaper way to get there. Aer Lingus, with a short layover in Dublin, comes to the rescue! Around 600 USD pp flights to Nice beat Delta’s direct flight by far. The money saved can be used on the French Riviera, some of the most expensive places in Europe (if not the world)!

We flew out of Boston on Tuesday evening, got lucky to be seated in the exit row (birthday miracle), and managed to get a few hours of sleep before we reached Dublin. We had some worries about immigration in Nice, since Europe is changing its system and long lines have been reported in several cities, but in Nice, it was a breeze! Initially, we planned to take a train to Monaco, but the next train wasn’t for some time, so we hopped on bus #80 to Menton and arrived in Monte Carlo in less than an hour. The train is cheaper and takes less time, but after the overnight flights, we just wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible. The views from both the bus and the train (which we took on the way back to Nice) are spectacular. When traveling from Nice to Monte Carlo, sit on the right side. When departing Monte Carlo and heading to Nice, all the sights are on the left side of the train.

Fairmont Monte Carlo

There is no shortage of hotels in Monaco; the question is how much you are willing to pay. Since this was only for two nights and for my birthday, we were willing to splurge. Initially, we booked the famous Hermitage Hotel, but after a while we came to our senses. It was around $1600 USD per night, and honestly, no hotel is worth that. We did the math and realized that most of the time we’ll spend in a hotel will be for sleeping, so why shell out so much?! The Fairmont Monte Carlo didn’t come cheap either (because nothing in Monaco does), but it was somewhat reasonable (at least half the price of the Hermitage).

Since we ‘saved’ money, we got the room with the view. Hairpin F1 view, to be exact. We are not huge F1 fans (we actually arrived a week after the race), but this view is worth it. The alternative would be an inner courtyard view that honestly looks a bit like a prison yard.

Sean had flowers, champagne, and sweets waiting in the room, and we really enjoyed our short stay at this hotel.

One thing to note is that their pool is only open from 10am to 6pm. After a full day of sightseeing, we finally returned to the hotel and decided to relax by the pool around 5pm. The sun was still high, so we took a swim and stretched our tired legs after all the walking. Not long after, we were told the pool was now closed! I don’t think I’ve been in a hotel that closes the pool THIS early, especially on a perfect sunny day. The hotel has access to the Nikki Beach pool in the same building, but only for swimming. If you want to lie down on a lounger, that comes with a steep price. Luckily, the sauna was open, so we went there, but Fairmont definitely lost some points in our view.

The hotel’s location, though, is excellent. We walked everywhere, the room was quiet, and overall, we had a comfortable stay.

Glitz and Glamour

We knew Monaco was very ‘posh,’ but we were still shocked by the ‘in-your-face’ wealth everywhere. There were hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cars, million-dollar yachts, and people wearing designer outfits head to toe, some super elegant, some a bit over the top. I absolutely loved people-watching here.

But we came to see a new country, so let’s see what it has to offer.

Casino de Monte-Carlo and Casino Square

Of course, you can’t come to Monaco and skip this famous casino and the square right in front of it. You also don’t need to be a gambler to appreciate it. Built in the 19th century, the Casino de Monte-Carlo has appeared in a few James Bond movies, Ocean’s 12, and many more.

There are a few important things to note when visiting this casino. First of all, you need to be rich. Joking! No, first of all, you need to bring your passport. It is checked in the lobby, and you will not be able to enter the gambling rooms without it. Monaco residents are not allowed to gamble (some say they can’t even enter the casino, but others claim they can, so it’s not clear). Also, if you are not eating at one of the on-site restaurants, there is a 20 Euro per-person fee to enter the casino. From 10am to 1pm, you can wear anything you want and take pictures of every room, but after 2 pm, there is a dress code and no photos are allowed beyond the lobby area. We came on Wednesday evening and had a reservation at Salon Rose for dinner, so the fee was waived. The casino is indeed beautiful. Impressive art, paintings, and architecture. I almost considered returning in the morning and paying the fee for the tour so that we could take photos, but we didn’t have the time. As for the dress code, we really tried. Sean even brought a jacket, which he normally does not do for short transatlantic trips.

I think we looked very nice and respectable. But we definitely saw plenty of young people in much less formal attire. I don’t know if the dress code is enforced more strictly later in the evening or on weekends, but we definitely saw people in sneakers, jeans, and casual clothes, despite what’s being said online. We didn’t want to be turned away at the door, so we put in more effort. I was ready to walk barefoot after all evening in those heels, though!

Exotic Garden of Monaco (Jardin Exotique)

On our first morning in Monaco, right after breakfast, we took a taxi to this garden because it’s up the hill. You could walk or take one of the elevators, but we decided to save time and walk down instead.

There are three price options: garden only, garden and cave, and one that includes the botanical garden. I can’t speak to the botanical garden, but definitely get the ticket that includes the cave tour. When we arrived, the next tour was at 11am, giving us 30 minutes to explore the gardens (you can stay longer afterward), and it was well worth it.

We have seen several stalagmite/stalactite-formation caves all over the world and had no high expectations, but they still impressed us a lot! The tour was 100% in French, and when we asked for a brief translation, the guide was sorry but said she spoke no English. Luckily, one of the men on the tour knew both languages and provided a narrated version and helped answer all our questions. Even without the information you can easily find online, the cave is worth a visit and a spectacular sight. There are a lot of stairs to climb, so do yourself a favor and do not attempt this in kitten-heel sandals. Spoken from experience.

Old Monaco

Monaco-Ville, also known as the Old Monaco, is the area you don’t want to miss. We walked there from the Exotic Garden, and because it was downhill, the walk was easy and pleasant.

Old, winding streets and beautiful architecture make it easy to spend a couple of hours wandering around. After lunch, we went to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, located in the Old Monaco area. We are not huge museum fans, but when it’s listed as one of the must-see places in Monaco, it’s hard to skip.

Glowing reviews were not misleading. From the massive aquarium on the lower level to the well-crafted exhibits across several floors to the expansive open-air rooftop terrace with sweeping views below, this museum is truly worth visiting.

The only area that was more crowded, mostly with the little kids, was the aquarium. The rest of the museum, especially the terrace, was not busy at all.

Monaco is very walkable. From the museum, we passed through Princess Antoinette Park, stopped at the Port de Fontvielle viewpoint, and arrived at Monaco Cathedral, with the Justice Palace directly across from it.

We just happened to arrive at the Prince’s Palace as the guards were changing, but the ceremony was very short and underwhelming. However, the palace itself is definitely worth a visit. It might not be the most elaborate palace compared to some others in Europe, but it was a quick and pleasant self-guided tour.

The view leading up to the Prince’s Palace is spectacular—you can see the F1 track from there, and I can only imagine how popular this spot must have been a week before our arrival, when the race was happening.

Luxury Hotels and Exquisite Yachts

Back in Monte-Carlo, walking toward our hotel, we could not help but stop by the two super-expensive, luxurious hotels, the Hotel Hermitage and the Hotel de Paris. Since we had initially planned to stay at the Hermitage, we at least wanted to see what we were ‘missing out on’.

Location-wise, they are both very close to each other and to the Fairmont Monte Carlo, where we stayed, just about a 5-minute walk away. So from that perspective, there was no loss whatsoever. Of course, the hotels themselves are works of art.

Hotel Hermitage is absolutely stunning. There is no doubt about it. Taking pictures in hotels in Monaco is frowned upon (in some hotels, it’s forbidden), so there aren’t many photos, but you get the point. Their spa is also well regarded, but we didn’t get that far. However, as nice as it looked, I have no regrets about not spending 1600 USD per night to stay here.

Hotel de Paris is right in the Casino Square and beautiful, at least as far as the lobby goes. It was just as (if not more) expensive as the Hermitage, and we watched one of the guests hand a 100-Euro tip to the valet for parking his Ferrari, which he pulled up and parked against traffic right in front of the hotel… Life of the super wealthy…

As you are in Monaco, you can’t miss the luxury yachts parked in the marinas. We admired them at Port Hercules, but couldn’t get very close because many of the F1 fences were still blocking the streets, making it hard to cross. Either way, the boats were large enough to see from afar.

On our last night, we also snuck into the Princess Grace Kelly Rose Garden because it claimed to be open 24/7; however, the low-hanging chain showed it was closed. It is near the Beefbar, where we had dinner, and is a nice place to check out while in the area (preferably without trespassing).

Let’s Eat and Celebrate!

We only spent two nights in Monaco, which did not give us much time to try many restaurants, but here is an honest review of the few we tried.

First, we had a late lunch at the Fairmont rooftop restaurant Amu. We arrived tired and hungry and, while waiting for the room to be ready, decided to grab a quick bite. It turns out ‘quick’ was not on the menu. The drink and the carpaccio arrived within 30 minutes, but the French fries must have been waiting for potatoes to grow. Honestly, not sure what was happening. An hour later, we got up to leave, and finally the fries arrived; we took them to the room. The view is nice, though. Do not expect fast service.

We had two breakfasts in Monaco, and they were my favorite! La Petit Cafe Robuchon was a short walk from the hotel, and we liked it so much we ordered the same breakfast two days in a row. Scrambled eggs with truffle are still some of the best I’ve ever had!

Our second lunch was a simple, quick Greek meal at Chez Le Grecs while exploring Old Monaco, followed by amazing gelato at Santo Gelato.

And finally, dinners! On our first night, we booked a table at Salon Rose at the Casino de Monte Carlo. We chose to dine outside on their terrace with a beautiful view, and by eating here, we didn’t need to pay the entrance fee to the famous casino.

It was a beautifully prepared and satisfying meal, especially the chicken dish. It was also reasonably priced for such an expensive country. For my birthday dinner, I chose Beefbar, a restaurant that’s been in Monaco for over 20 years and has several locations worldwide. It has a beautiful view, but it’s also right near the parking lot, so we struggled to find a spot for a nice pre-dinner photo.

The service was amazing, though the food review is mixed. The cocktails and appetizers were good, and the truffle mashed potatoes were absolutely-to-die-for. The filet mignon was also cooked to perfection. However, their Szechuan Pepper Beef Wok was a big disappointment. I ordered it only because there were a few gluten-free options, but it was some sort of mishap in the kitchen. The meat bites were super stringy and impossible to chew through. The server apologized and offered to bring something else, but we were full by then.

Not too full for an incredible chocolate soufflé, though! All in all, it was a great dinner, and I would still go back to this restaurant, but I would order the filet mignon with truffle cream mash to be fully satisfied.

CONCLUSION

Short but glamorous visit to Monaco! It might go down in the history of trips as the one where I wore the most heels! Very clean, extremely safe, and full of beyond-wealthy people, Monaco did not leave us wishing to return. It was a wonderful experience and an unforgettable birthday, but it also felt very superficial and a bit unnatural to see that much wealth in such a small square footage, if you know what I mean. It just didn’t feel like real life amidst all this glitz and glamour, and I guess we like seeing real life. We had fun checking Monaco off our country list, but we were also excited to see more of the French Riviera, so let’s head to Nice, France, and the surrounding villages for a couple more days!