Nice To Monaco Day Trip: What To See & Do

This post will share the details of my Nice to Monaco day trip.

I decided to head back to France for the first part of my Spring break.

For some reason, I haven’t been giving enough attention to the country despite living in a bordering country.

So I had to rectify that.

If I lived in London, I’d probably visit France once a month.

But I don’t, and flight prices from Manchester can sometimes be extortionate, so I have to wait until it is reasonable.

Typically, I get cheap flights to France during the Spring just before the prices are inflated for the Summer.

This time isn’t any different.

Immediately, I saw a cheap flight to Nice and jumped on it.

Last year, I found a cheap flight to Montpellier via Beziers in April, and the price was just right.

If you have not noticed, I’m not a huge fan of Paris.

I think the South of France is so much better.

So I go out of my way to avoid it and try to visit other cities, which, in my experience, are usually underrated.

So I booked a three-night trip to Nice and flew out on an 8 am weekday flight with EasyJet.

We landed before noon, and I had about three hours to wander before checking into my hotel at 3 pm.

Since we had longer days, I thought I could grab a meal first and still make it to Monaco for some time.

Of course, I followed through despite having a few hiccups on the way, and I was back at my hotel by 7:30 pm.

Getting To Monaco From Nice

Depending on your itinerary, there are different ways to get to Monaco from Nice.

But the cheapest and most frequent is by bus and train.

I had planned to take the train, but during my research, I realised I would miss out on the fantastic scenery if I didn’t take the bus.

So I changed my mind and took the bus instead.

Nice To Monaco By Bus

There are two bus stops you can catch the bus from:

• In front of Terminal 2 – Line 80
• The Arson/Fodere stop via Port Lympia tram stop – Line 607

If I wanted to starve, I would have taken the bus from the airport.

But I had to eat something and wasn’t about to spend a fortune on food in Monaco.

Also, I needed all the energy to explore the city.

When I finished my meal, I took the Line 2 tram from Jean Medecin to Port Lympia, where I walked about five minutes to the bus stop.

From 5:30 am, the bus runs every 10 – 15 minutes.

The ticket costs €2.50 one way, and the driver only takes cash.

If you buy ten tickets for 48 hours or even a one-time €1.50 ticket from Nice, you might be able to use it if there aren’t any inspectors on the bus.

If there are, say you’re going to the nearby town, Eze, and they’ll let you in.

Don’t worry; they won’t come around to check or anything along the way.

The journey takes about 50 minutes to an hour, but the stunning views make it worth it.

Depending on how much time you have, you can decide to take the train going and the bus coming.

Or vice versa.

Just make sure you take the bus as it will give you the best views of the French Rivera, which goes along neighbouring towns like Villefranche-sur-Mer and Eze.

Speaking of trains,

Nice To Monaco By Train

The train is another super quick way to get to Monaco from Nice, as the journey takes about 30 minutes.

There are three train stations in Nice, and the train stops at all three, so you can catch it anytime.

I took the train coming back because I had motion sickness and didn’t have mints in hand.

Also, it started to rain, and I wanted to experience the train journey.

Although the train was packed as I was returning during rush hour, the journey was seamless.

One way journey costs €4.40.

The Best Things To Do In Monaco On A Budget As A Solo Traveller

I only had two reasons for visiting Monaco.

• To see the Monte Carlo Casino
• To visit the Monaco Grand Prix race track

Every other thing was just, by the way.

That said, despite being a mini-state, there are a few things to do in the city.

Depending on all your interests, you can pick a few places to visit and call it a day.

If the city piques your interest even more afterwards, you can always return.

Don’t try to cram all the attractions into one day.

Iconic Attractions

• Casino De Monte Carlo: The complex houses the casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and the Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. You can visit the reception/main hall for free to see the views, but anything beyond that requires an entrance fee. The interior is magnificent.
• Monaco Cathedral: 18th-century Romanesque cathedral which also doubles as a burial vault where the wedding and burial of the famous Grace Kelly also took place.
• Prince’s Palace: The 11th-century official private residence of the Prince of Monaco. The State Apartments can be visited from April to October.
• Oceanographic Museum: A museum of marine sciences established in 1910, home to over 6,000 marine specimens.
• Jardin Exotique De Monaco: An exotic garden, observatory cave and botanical centre built on the edge of a cliff.
• The Cars Collection of the Prince of Monaco: If you’re into cars, you need to check out this iconic automobile collection of nearly a hundred vehicles, which has been available to the public since 1993. Get tickets here.
• Museum of Pre-historic Anthropology: Located within the Jardin Exotique, it was opened in 1902 and contains a collection of excavated artefacts related to the pre-history of Monaco. This. is such a fantastic way to preserve history.
• Museum of Stamps & Coins: A museum showcasing the country’s postal history dating back to 1640.
• Princess Grace Rose Garden: A rose garden created in 1984 in memory of Grace Kelly, which featured over 10,000 rosebushes over four hectares.

There are quite a few things to see in Monaco.

But if you have one full day, stop by the Prince’s Palace, where you can also visit the State Apartments and watch the Changing of the Guard, the Monaco Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum and the Monte Carlo Casino.

Ideally, you want to walk across the Old Town with these attractions as landmarks.

I don’t feel like I have explored Monaco enough because I had half a day, but it looks like I’ll be returning when I return to the French Rivera.

So, if you’re looking for an affordable and exciting day trip from Nice, you must visit Monaco.