Social ConventionsCasual wear is acceptable for daytime and dress is the same as for the rest of the French Riviera. Smart restaurants, dining rooms, clubs and the Casino’s private rooms require more formal attire. Handshaking and, more familiarly, kissing both cheeks, are accepted forms of greeting.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThere is no airport in Monaco. The nearest airport is
Nice (NCE) (Nice-Cote d’Azur) (website:
www.nice.aeroport.fr), 22km (14 miles)
from Monaco. To/from the airport: There is a direct bus service from Nice Airport to Monaco, which stops at major hotels. The return journey stops at slightly fewer hotels and takes passengers to Terminals 1 and 2 at Nice airport (journey time – 45 minutes). A helicopter service run by
Héli-Air Monaco (YO) (tel: 9205 0050; website:
www.heliairmonaco.com) links Monaco with the airport (journey time - 7 minutes).
Héli-Air also serves points along the Côte d’Azur and in Italy. There are free shuttle links from the heliport to hotels in the principality.
Facilities: Restaurants/bars, Internet facilities, shops, car hire and a business center.
Departure TaxNone.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Monaco to a selection of other cities in Europe.
| | Air | Road | Rail | Sea |
| Paris | 1.15 | - | - | - |
| Nice | *0.07 | 0.45 | 0.30 | 0.20 |
| London | 1.55 | 20.00 | 11.00 | - |
| Rome | 1.00 | - | - | - |
* Time by helicopter; see above under
Air.
Getting There by WaterThe main
harbors are at
Condamine (Hercule port) and
Fontvieille, which are equipped to handle
yachts of all tonnages.
Intercontinental
liners are able to anchor in the
bay of Monaco.
Getting There by RailAn extensive train service, including daily and overnight through-trains, runs through the Principality to all neighboring towns. The
TGV Méditerranée line runs between Paris and Monaco (travel time – six hours five minutes). High-speed trains on this route run through the beautiful Burgundy and Provencal countryside. For more information, contact
Rail Europe (tel: 0870 830 2000, UK only; website:
www.raileurope.co.uk). Trains run to Genoa, Milan and Basel. Night trains are available to Strasbourg, Paris, Toulouse, Irun, Port-Bou, Milan, Venice, Pisa and Rome.
The
Regional Express Trains (TER) connect with all the towns on the Riviera.
SNCF Métrazur (tel: (8) 3635 3535; website:
www.sncf.com) stops at all towns on the Côte d’Azur between Cannes and the Italian frontier at Vintimille, including Monaco.
Rail PassesInter-Rail: offers unlimited second-class train travel in up to 29 European countries (includes Morocco and Turkey) split into eight zones (A-H). Three different tickets are available: a ticket covering one zone (two-six countries), 16 days’ validity), a ticket covering two zones (six to 10 countries, 22 day’s validity) and an
All Zone Pass (29 countries, one month’s validity). Ferry services between Italy and Greece are included. Passengers must be resident in Europe fro at least six months before the pass is used. Travel is not allowed in the passenger’s country of residence. Travelers under 26 years receive a reduction of about 30 per cent. Children’s tickets are reduced by about 50 per cent. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on
Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from
Inter Rail (website:
www.interrailnet.com).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The
Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people traveling together. The
Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The
Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The
Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). Children receive a 50% reduction. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Available from
The Eurail Group (website:
www.eurail.com).
Getting There by RoadCannes and Nice are 50km (31 miles) and 18km (11 miles) west of Monaco. The French/Italian border and Menton are 12km (7 miles) and 9km (6 miles) east of Monaco. No formalities are required to cross the frontier between France and the Principality of Monaco. The European motorway network is 8km (5 miles) away from the city center linking Monaco with France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Benelux, Austria and the UK. Between Monaco and Nice there are three attractive roads: highway 98,
Basse Corniche; highway 7,
Moyenne Corniche; and the Great Coastal Road,
Grande Corniche.
Bus: There are good connections with the surrounding areas, with regular services as outlined.
Nice: Seaside route with stops at Cap d’Ail, Eze-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Middle Corniche route with stops at Cap d’Ail, Eze-Village and Col de Villefranche.
Menton: Seaside route with stops in Roquebrune and Cap-Martin. Service to Saint Roman/Rocher de Monaco, Jardin Exotique/Rocher de Monaco, Gare SNCF/Larvotto Beach and Rocher de Monaco/Parking Touristique Fontvieille.
Taxi: Available from Casino Square, Monaco Monte-Carlo Railway Station, avenue Princesse Grace, Fontvieille, Métropole, Place des Moulins and the Post Office of Monte-Carlo. There is a surcharge after 2200. A 15% tip is usual.
Documentation: As for France, a national driving license will suffice.
OverviewSee
France section for details.
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