New country day! Our decision to put off Monaco until today because the weather was supposed to be perfect. The title of this post is a little misleading from the convention I've normally been using - by rights it should say Nice, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco, but seeing as we spent absolutely no time other than getting to the train in Nice, I wanted to highlight that this day was exclusively about Monaco. We slept in slightly (as we needed it), then breakfasted and went straight to the station. Trains to Monaco/ Monte Carlo weren’t as frequent as we expected, and we had to wait until 12.30 for the next train. Lots of people joined us on the platform.
A train arrived very early but we couldn’t see it’s destination. Dan told me to get on as he suspected it would be for Monte Carlo but wanted to check. I found us a seat but I didn’t realise it was backwards, so when Dan found me he directed us to the last forward facing sets of seats in the carriage.
About half an hour later, we were in Monaco! We realised that the border of France was about a block away on the other side of the train station. The first thing I noticed about Monaco was that the train station escalators didn’t work. I thought, surely they’re rich enough to fix the escalators? But then again, the people who live here likely do not catch the train in, but their Uber Helicopter instead! The station was at one of the highest points in Monaco, so when we finally reached the exit, we found a balcony with a rather lovely view down across the city and to the marina.
We decided to get ourselves the €5.50 all day bus pass, which is surprisingly cheap considering, but after watching 2 people in front of us fail with the machine, and then when we failed ourselves, we figured we’d just walk for now. The next bus in the direction we wanted to travel wasn’t for 45 minutes and it would only take about 10 minutes to get to our destination!
Our destination was lunch, of course. I had researched a place (of course) that was supposed to be quite cheap and also sold traditional Monaco food and pastries. On our walk down the hill, our first Ferrari passed us - a red one. We continued on and found ourselves in a bit of a crappy square with expensive restaurants and a SPAR, but finally we found the market that the restaurant was supposed to be housed in. Closed. For the 3 days after the Grand Prix, I presume to give the owners a bit of a rest! Because we were thwarted here, we weren’t sure what to do.
We backtracked to the SPAR, noticing that the tables and chairs outside were not for the surrounding restaurants, but for the SPAR itself. What a great idea! We went inside and got ourselves a couple of very reasonably priced salads and a half bottle of wine. I went up to pay while Dan packed the bag. The gentleman behind the counter didn’t seem to speak much if any English, and so he spoke to us in French. Upon handing over some cups to go with our wine, which was a nice touch, Dan blurted out “Bonjour!” I laughed, and I continue to laugh, but I understand where this came from. After visiting so many countries in such a short amount of time, I always had to flick through the teledex in my head…Bonjour! Merci! Danke! Gracie! Bonjourno! It get’s really confusing!
When we were outside, we noticed that some microwaves and kettles had also been set up which mean we could have gotten ourselves a hot meal too. However we probably needed the salad more… Definitely the most affordable meal in Monaco! We were enjoying ourselves and the situation so much, that we bought another half bottle of wine while we contemplated our next move.
One thing I was very keen to do was to take the Boat Bus across the Marina. This trip could be included in the day bus pass, so our next step was to try to get ourselves one of these tickets. We also wanted to visit the Exotic Gardens, as well as explore Monte Carlo and Monacoville, the old town. When we got down to the water front, we just missed one of the boats, so we walked around quite a considerable way until we found another bus stop. This time, the machine was working and we were able to get 2 day passes, and we didn’t have a long wait until the next bus.
We hopped on, booped our tickets and off we trundled right up and up the hill to the Exotic Gardens. When we got there, we found out that entry tickets were €7.50 each - it was essentially a cactus garden and while I love cactus, neither of us thought the entry fee was worth it. However, what we did discover was that the ticket office had the most incredible view out over Monaco - definitely worth the bus fare just for that view! We took a lot of photos (trying to look as rich as possible), before catching the next bus all the way back down again. While we were standing here, we were probably only about a block to the French border.
This time we got off the other side of the Marina and waited for the Boat Bus to come collect us. Surrounding us were hundreds of incredible boats and yachts of varying sizes. I joked that we were yacht shopping - some were seriously obscenely huge, while others were just tacky - there was one with a giant lion painted on the side which just goes to show that money can’t buy taste!
The Bus Boat finally arrived, and Dan and I were the only passengers. I spent some time lounging on the front of it like I was rich and owned a boat in the harbour, which made us giggle. We took a lot of photos on the passage which only took about 5 minutes, and when we alighted one of the gentleman running the boat pointed out some great spots for us to take some lovely photos - he’d obviously noticed that we enjoy photography!
This time we briefly explored some of the back streets of Monacoville, popping out at the palace. There wasn’t a great deal to see, so we made our way down to the waterfront again towards the Grand Prix circuit. The city/country was in a bit of disarray as the Grand Prix had only finished mere days ago and roads were still blocked off and all of the scaffolding still up. We skirted the outside of the track, making our way towards the Brasserie De Monaco for happy hour.
Happy hour is from 6-8pm, and beers become half price. And by half price, I mean that it makes them the normal amount you’d pay for a beer - €3.50, instead of €7 or more. We tried all of the beers they brewed themselves, and they were actually very tasty! We had intended to return to Monacoville for dinner but ended up staying at the Brasserie - it was going to be cheaper, and saved us having to walk a lot more. Dan and I both ordered the steak - not the most amazing steak but also certainly not the worst. The beer was good, at least!
From here, we walked over to the casino area. We had purposely dressed well enough that we would be able to go inside, however we were worried that our backpacks may prevent us from entering. I noticed a crowd near the entrance of the main casino, and realised they were people watching. Dan and I joined them, and we stood and watched people coming and going from the casino. It was about half half rich people who looked like they belong, and tourists who wanted to peek inside. A few people got turned away because they were not dressed appropriately. We saw a lot of fancy cars, quite a few Maserati’s and other brands.
My favourite patron arrived in a rusted out old Fiat 500. He and his 9 foot leggy blonde unfurled themselves from the front seats while valet staff were falling over themselves to take their keys and park. The gentleman was amazing - he had long, greasy, curly black hair, and was wearing a bright purple and pink sparkly sequinned jacket. As he walked up, he shook everyone’s hand while the leggy blonde looked bored and didn’t stop talking on her phone. I took a photo of his numberplate so I want to look up who he is - maybe some kind of playboy Monaco royalty?
After a while, we were done with people watching and wanted to get back to the train station. On the walk, we passed another Ferrari on the side of the road, engines running, no one inside. Dan called it when he spotted a greasy looking old man with a young woman standing looking at the view over the yachts. Sure enough, once they were done admiring the view, they made their way back to the car and took.
We were cutting it fairly fine to get the train back to Nice, and once we hit a bus stop we discovered we had just missed the last bus back to the train station. Then we noticed that they have a night bus service and that would get us back to the station happily enough. We had a short wait, maybe about 20 minutes.
Once on the bus we settled in for the journey back to the train station. It wasn’t a direct route as it was a night bus (oh how we all love night buses!) so we literally went from one side of the country to the other. We even popped briefly into France to pick up some people, before back into Monaco again.
We got to the station with plenty of time and a little while to wait for our train. While we waited I noticed a structure in the corner - it was a series of bikes that you could hook your phone too and by pedalling you charged it! I had a go but failed pretty miserably, but Dan gave my phone a few extra percent. By now it was time to catch the train back to Nice and call it a night. We would be leaving the Europe mainland on the morrow.
In all I really liked Monaco. I’m glad we gave ourselves almost a full day here - there was enough to see and do to fill it. Oh, and the fancy car tally?
Here we go:
And one Kia.
For hours I had only seen the one Ferrari and felt quite disappointed but come night time they came out in force! Didn't see any Lambos but the Ferrari’s were nice!
Til next time
Xx
A train arrived very early but we couldn’t see it’s destination. Dan told me to get on as he suspected it would be for Monte Carlo but wanted to check. I found us a seat but I didn’t realise it was backwards, so when Dan found me he directed us to the last forward facing sets of seats in the carriage.
About half an hour later, we were in Monaco! We realised that the border of France was about a block away on the other side of the train station. The first thing I noticed about Monaco was that the train station escalators didn’t work. I thought, surely they’re rich enough to fix the escalators? But then again, the people who live here likely do not catch the train in, but their Uber Helicopter instead! The station was at one of the highest points in Monaco, so when we finally reached the exit, we found a balcony with a rather lovely view down across the city and to the marina.
We decided to get ourselves the €5.50 all day bus pass, which is surprisingly cheap considering, but after watching 2 people in front of us fail with the machine, and then when we failed ourselves, we figured we’d just walk for now. The next bus in the direction we wanted to travel wasn’t for 45 minutes and it would only take about 10 minutes to get to our destination!
Our destination was lunch, of course. I had researched a place (of course) that was supposed to be quite cheap and also sold traditional Monaco food and pastries. On our walk down the hill, our first Ferrari passed us - a red one. We continued on and found ourselves in a bit of a crappy square with expensive restaurants and a SPAR, but finally we found the market that the restaurant was supposed to be housed in. Closed. For the 3 days after the Grand Prix, I presume to give the owners a bit of a rest! Because we were thwarted here, we weren’t sure what to do.
We backtracked to the SPAR, noticing that the tables and chairs outside were not for the surrounding restaurants, but for the SPAR itself. What a great idea! We went inside and got ourselves a couple of very reasonably priced salads and a half bottle of wine. I went up to pay while Dan packed the bag. The gentleman behind the counter didn’t seem to speak much if any English, and so he spoke to us in French. Upon handing over some cups to go with our wine, which was a nice touch, Dan blurted out “Bonjour!” I laughed, and I continue to laugh, but I understand where this came from. After visiting so many countries in such a short amount of time, I always had to flick through the teledex in my head…Bonjour! Merci! Danke! Gracie! Bonjourno! It get’s really confusing!
When we were outside, we noticed that some microwaves and kettles had also been set up which mean we could have gotten ourselves a hot meal too. However we probably needed the salad more… Definitely the most affordable meal in Monaco! We were enjoying ourselves and the situation so much, that we bought another half bottle of wine while we contemplated our next move.
One thing I was very keen to do was to take the Boat Bus across the Marina. This trip could be included in the day bus pass, so our next step was to try to get ourselves one of these tickets. We also wanted to visit the Exotic Gardens, as well as explore Monte Carlo and Monacoville, the old town. When we got down to the water front, we just missed one of the boats, so we walked around quite a considerable way until we found another bus stop. This time, the machine was working and we were able to get 2 day passes, and we didn’t have a long wait until the next bus.
We hopped on, booped our tickets and off we trundled right up and up the hill to the Exotic Gardens. When we got there, we found out that entry tickets were €7.50 each - it was essentially a cactus garden and while I love cactus, neither of us thought the entry fee was worth it. However, what we did discover was that the ticket office had the most incredible view out over Monaco - definitely worth the bus fare just for that view! We took a lot of photos (trying to look as rich as possible), before catching the next bus all the way back down again. While we were standing here, we were probably only about a block to the French border.
This time we got off the other side of the Marina and waited for the Boat Bus to come collect us. Surrounding us were hundreds of incredible boats and yachts of varying sizes. I joked that we were yacht shopping - some were seriously obscenely huge, while others were just tacky - there was one with a giant lion painted on the side which just goes to show that money can’t buy taste!
The Bus Boat finally arrived, and Dan and I were the only passengers. I spent some time lounging on the front of it like I was rich and owned a boat in the harbour, which made us giggle. We took a lot of photos on the passage which only took about 5 minutes, and when we alighted one of the gentleman running the boat pointed out some great spots for us to take some lovely photos - he’d obviously noticed that we enjoy photography!
This time we briefly explored some of the back streets of Monacoville, popping out at the palace. There wasn’t a great deal to see, so we made our way down to the waterfront again towards the Grand Prix circuit. The city/country was in a bit of disarray as the Grand Prix had only finished mere days ago and roads were still blocked off and all of the scaffolding still up. We skirted the outside of the track, making our way towards the Brasserie De Monaco for happy hour.
Happy hour is from 6-8pm, and beers become half price. And by half price, I mean that it makes them the normal amount you’d pay for a beer - €3.50, instead of €7 or more. We tried all of the beers they brewed themselves, and they were actually very tasty! We had intended to return to Monacoville for dinner but ended up staying at the Brasserie - it was going to be cheaper, and saved us having to walk a lot more. Dan and I both ordered the steak - not the most amazing steak but also certainly not the worst. The beer was good, at least!
From here, we walked over to the casino area. We had purposely dressed well enough that we would be able to go inside, however we were worried that our backpacks may prevent us from entering. I noticed a crowd near the entrance of the main casino, and realised they were people watching. Dan and I joined them, and we stood and watched people coming and going from the casino. It was about half half rich people who looked like they belong, and tourists who wanted to peek inside. A few people got turned away because they were not dressed appropriately. We saw a lot of fancy cars, quite a few Maserati’s and other brands.
My favourite patron arrived in a rusted out old Fiat 500. He and his 9 foot leggy blonde unfurled themselves from the front seats while valet staff were falling over themselves to take their keys and park. The gentleman was amazing - he had long, greasy, curly black hair, and was wearing a bright purple and pink sparkly sequinned jacket. As he walked up, he shook everyone’s hand while the leggy blonde looked bored and didn’t stop talking on her phone. I took a photo of his numberplate so I want to look up who he is - maybe some kind of playboy Monaco royalty?
After a while, we were done with people watching and wanted to get back to the train station. On the walk, we passed another Ferrari on the side of the road, engines running, no one inside. Dan called it when he spotted a greasy looking old man with a young woman standing looking at the view over the yachts. Sure enough, once they were done admiring the view, they made their way back to the car and took.
We were cutting it fairly fine to get the train back to Nice, and once we hit a bus stop we discovered we had just missed the last bus back to the train station. Then we noticed that they have a night bus service and that would get us back to the station happily enough. We had a short wait, maybe about 20 minutes.
Once on the bus we settled in for the journey back to the train station. It wasn’t a direct route as it was a night bus (oh how we all love night buses!) so we literally went from one side of the country to the other. We even popped briefly into France to pick up some people, before back into Monaco again.
We got to the station with plenty of time and a little while to wait for our train. While we waited I noticed a structure in the corner - it was a series of bikes that you could hook your phone too and by pedalling you charged it! I had a go but failed pretty miserably, but Dan gave my phone a few extra percent. By now it was time to catch the train back to Nice and call it a night. We would be leaving the Europe mainland on the morrow.
In all I really liked Monaco. I’m glad we gave ourselves almost a full day here - there was enough to see and do to fill it. Oh, and the fancy car tally?
Here we go:
- 5 Maseratis
- 8(9) Ferrari one left the motor running (Dan saw one that I didn’t, hence the brackets). Their colours were:
1 red
1 dark red
1 silver
The rest black. - 1 tesla
- Countless Twizzy’s
- Countless Smart Cars
- Countless Bentleys
- Countless Porches
- Countless Mercs and Beamers
And one Kia.
For hours I had only seen the one Ferrari and felt quite disappointed but come night time they came out in force! Didn't see any Lambos but the Ferrari’s were nice!
Til next time
Xx
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