One of the main reasons we booked four nights in Nice was to spend a day in Monte Carlo, Monaco. We aren’t rich but we wanted to spend a few hours pretending we were.
Nice has multiple trains per day to Monte Carlo and only takes about 25 minutes, so it was the perfect (and cheaper) spot to stay. The train is a local train, without seat assignments, and it was packed full. It was one of the hottest trains I’ve ever been on. People were dripping in sweat. I was very thankful that I remembered to bring my little travel fan. (Side note: this fan is the one thing I can’t live without, especially with all this travel.)
There was a collective sigh of relief when the train doors opened at the Monte Carlo station. As I expected from a country with some of the richest people in the world, the station was beautiful.
We headed straight to the Monte Carlo casino. There are a lot of rules for visiting. From 10 am to 12:15 pm you can visit the casino and take a tour of the gaming rooms but can’t play, and there isn’t a dress code. Gaming rooms open at 2 pm, and smart attire is required. Evening wear is required in the evening.
We wanted to take the morning tour because we didn’t have room for evening wear when we packed our suitcases for the year, and it’s best if I stay away from slot machines, especially high value ones.
For €18 each, we wore our comfy clothes and walked through the casino. The bar was still open, so you could order a martini, shaken not stirred, without having to dress up or spend all your money. Plus it was nice to have a relatively empty casino and take your time enjoying the scenery.
After the casino, we headed to the water for lunch so I could enjoy the yachts and beautiful cars.
We had a view of the road where the famous Monaco Grand Prix is, and saw this cute little car! I love tiny rides, and this one is the winner.
We got a taxi from lunch and headed up the hills to the Musée océanographique de Monaco. It’s a marine museum, similar to an aquarium, where Jacques Cousteau was the director for three decades. It has beautiful marine life exhibits, plus sea turtles and gorgeous view of Monaco.
After the museum we walked down the street to St Nicholas Cathedral, where Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, and Prince Ranier III of Monaco are buried.
After the church, we were hot and tired, so we called a taxi take us back to the train station. We were there for around five hours, and we felt like we saw enough. I could definitely spent more time there, but I was content with what we saw.
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