How to visit Monaco on a budget

You might be thinking the title is a contradiction in itself and sadly, for the most part, you would be right.

But there are amazingly still ways in which the average Joe can visit Monaco and its capital Monte Carlo (which to be honest is more or less the same place

geographically) and still come home without having to re mortgage their house.

• Sleep for cheap

There are hotels that will make your eyeballs come out their sockets (The Metropole will set you back around 500 Euros a night) but there are still some more affordable places to lay your head. Aparthotel Monte Cristo is a good example. Situated in Beausoleil, a few minutes from the biggest casinos, Aparthotel apartments are perfectly comfortable and a good place to treat as a base. Prices start from a more modest 59 Euros a night.

• Eat for cheap

There is a huge array of some the finest dining in the world in Monaco, with French cuisine to rival the best in the world, but if you want to come home without losing your inheritance, there are dozens of cafes around town that will feed you for no more than you’d pay in Paris or London. It’s worth looking at the menu first though as some of them, near the famous landmarks, will charge a fortune for a coffee and a croissant. The best bet overall for budget food is an obvious one and it’s to pop into one of the many supermarkets and stock up on essentials. Locals have to eat something other than foie gras too.

• Sights for cheap

The Princes Palace dominates the skyline and you couldn’t visit without climbing the hill to see the building up close. You’ll also be pleased to hear they don’t charge you to look from the outside, but they do to go inside for a tour. Watching the guards around the grounds might be enough for you though as, unlike a march, it’s more of a strut.

Right opposite the palace is Monaco Cathedral, which is free to enter and is well worth a visit. Strangely it has now become more famous for the grave of its favourite adopted Princess, the Hollywood star Grace Kelly.

On the subject of Princess Grace, one of the best sights in the city that doesn’t cost a penny is the Princes Grace Rose Garden. If you happen to be there in early summer time you will be bowled over by the beauty and the smell of this truly incredible garden. It’s immaculately and expertly kept and one of the most tranquil parts of the entire principality.

Finally, Monte Carlo would be Monte Carlo without its famous inner-city Grand Prix race track and this is perhaps the biggest treat for the visitor on a budget. Obviously it costs you nothing to go from the starting grid at the traffic lights in the mouth of the harbour all across town, to the hairpin bend at the casino and through the excruciatingly loud tunnel before arriving back at the busy finish line again where you will just be ready for a sit down in one of the many cafés along the harbour front.

Photo of Monte Carlo Casino at night originally posted bu Rob Lee

Topic:  How to Tuesday | 0 Comments
Tags:  budget, French Riviera

About the author

Phil is a freelance writer working on various writing and editing projects ranging from feature film scripts to travel writing. He enjoys writing from experience and sharing information on the many places he has visited over the years