Monaco || Travel diary

17 June 2014 (Travel day 49)

On our third day in Nice we took the train over the visit Monaco for the day. We arrived in the Monaco train station and the difference between where we got on the train in France and were we got off was already startling. It was a very fancy train station with polished marble walls and floors. Not the usual for European train stations in my experience.

 For those of you who know Chris, he is a big petrol head and loves his cars. So as we exited the train station he suddenly got all excited and I had no idea why. He had instantly recognized the road we had come across as part of the Monaco F1 Grand Prix road race which he has both watched on TV and played on racing games. It was an unexpected novelty for him that was completely lost on me. Even though the race was not happening while we were visiting, you can still see the red and white striped ripple strips (on the left side of photo)

Most of our time in Monaco was spent admiring the expensive cars, expensive yachts, expensive buildings and beautiful vistas. There is certainly a lot of wealth here.

 

 We followed Chris's nose as he had a vague idea where some of the sites were just from playing video games. We walked up the hill and found a Casino which was surrounded by more fancy people and their fancy cars. Plus a few nosey tourists like ourselves. We attempted to have a look around the casino but got denied due to the dress code. Chris wasn't allowed in due to him wearing shorts and sneakers. So I had a quick squiz inside and then rejoined him outside.

 We walked the immaculately clean streets as the sun went down and the city lights came on. Spotting exotic cars as they roared past.

Quick Summary (TL;DR)

Duration of stay: An afternoon
Was it enough time?: Yes, we couldn't afford to stay the night.
Where we stayed: Back in Nice
Time of Year: June

Best memories: Looking out at the majestic ocean views from the hillsides and walking hand in hand with my "under-dressed" husband
Worst memories: Getting denied from the Casino
Top tip: Even if it is hot as balls, wear light weight pants and dress shoes

Next time: We would time our trip to watch the Rallye Monte-Carlo
Monaco in a few words:Wealth, Luxury, Exclusive
Recommended?: Yes, worth a day trip to see how the 1% live. We wouldn't bother paying the crazy hotel prices there though when it is so easy to travel from Nice.
Overall experience:7/10
Next destination: Nice, France