How to visit Monaco on a budget
Monaco has a whole host of places to visit free of charge - © Monaco Tribune
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the Principality without breaking the bank.
While Monaco tends to be associated with luxury and huge fortunes, the country can still be affordable for those on a slightly tighter budget. What to see, where to stay, where to eat, how to get around… here’s a quick overview of Monaco’s best deals.
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1. Pick the right time of year
Like any self-respecting tourist destination, Monaco has its high and low seasons. So, to avoid skyrocketing prices and hordes of tourists, we would advise you to avoid the summer period. Similarly, we would also strongly advise against May, because of the Grand Prix.
We therefore recommend that you plan your visit in September or October when you can enjoy the Indian summer, or between November and April, since the climate is still mild.
2. Choose accommodation outside Monaco
Between the lack of accommodation to rent in the Principality and expensive luxury hotels, it’s hard to spend the night in Monaco if you’re coming from far away. Fortunately, there are other options. Monaco is surrounded by the French border, beyond which are its neighbouring towns.
You might want to take advantage of the wider range of hotels or holiday rentals in Beausoleil, Cap d’Ail or Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, and come into the Principality on foot.
Otherwise, you could opt for accommodation in Menton or Nice – or, why not, in Italy – and come in by TER regional trains or Zou! regional buses.
3. Get around by bus or on foot
Good news! Given its surface area of just two square kilometres, the Principality is easy to visit on foot. Some places may seem like a steep climb, but are in fact accessible by lift. Sometimes these are well hidden, so do keep an eye out for signs or just ask a local for directions.
Sore feet or showery weather? Not a problem, there is an excellent bus network throughout the territory. Single tickets (valid for 30 minutes) cost €1.50. You can get them on the free Monapass phone app or place your bank card directly against the terminal on the bus (up to five times on a given day, and one card per person).
And whether you’re on the bus or walking, why not download the Citymapper app, which will give you precise directions to where you’re going, what bus to take and where to get off.
4. Eat at the La Condamine market
For a reasonably-priced, gourmet, local meal, the best option is La Condamine market. Located at the foot of the Rock, on the Place d’Armes, the market is where Monaco’s workers and their families gather. In the food hall, you’ll find a number of stalls serving Mediterranean specialities made with local produce at low prices: Italian pasta, fish, socca, pissaladière, pizzas, roast meat, Lebanese cuisine… to eat in or take away. It can be hard to choose!
Most of the stalls take luncheon vouchers, including French ones. The market is open every day from 7am to 3.30 pm and from Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 11pm.
5. Visit the free must-see sights
You can enjoy Monaco to the full without blowing all your savings at the Casino! Here are a few places to discover for free (or at very low prices), and that are an integral part of Monaco’s cultural heritage.
Le Rocher:
- Monaco Cathedral
- Saint-Martin gardens
- Place du Palais (changing of the Prince’s Carabinieri guard every morning at 11.55 am sharp)
- Palais de Justice (Law Courts)
- Princess Grace Irish Library
- Fort Antoine (apart from during show times)
- The Sculpture trail
Monte-Carlo and Larvotto:
- The Casino Gardens
- The Japanese Garden
- The Métropole Shopping Centre
- The New National Museum of Monaco (Villa Paloma and Villa Sauber), free of charge every Sunday, or €6 at other time
- St. Paul’s Anglican Church
- St. Charles’ church
- Larvotto beach
- Carmes’ chapel
Fontvieille:
- The Princess Grace rose garden
- The Saint Devota Chapel
- Musée des timbres et des monnaies (stamp and coin museum): adults €3 / children aged 12-18, pensioners and students €1.50
- Musée d’anthropologie préhistorique de Monaco (Prehistoric Anthropology Museum of Monaco): 1 euro / free for children under 5)
- Port de Fontvieille and Port Hercule
- Sacré-Coeur church
Original article by Camille Esteve