Escape to Monaco

We travelled to Monaco in October, and one of the highlights for us was certainly the weather. We were there for 5 days with no rain at all and perfectly clear blue skies, with 70 degrees C weather! It was a real tonic for the winter blues, especially when we took in the morning air on our hotel balcony drinking coffee and eating breakfast!

You really do feel safe in Monaco, as there is virtually no crime here. It has the highest police-to-residents ratio anywhere in the world, and most places are under surveillance, making it feel very, very safe to look around and explore! It is a great place to walk around, from the hustle and bustle at street level to the peace and tranquillity of the sea, as well as the height and splendour of the surrounding mountains. Kids will also have a great time, as there are lots of small parks hidden everywhere!

I was pleasantly surprised that Monaco wasn’t an overly stuffy place or completely filled only by people with money; it was great to see lots of families and tourists enjoying the attractions!

There are lots and lots of things to do in Monaco, and because of its size, no one thing is too large to become boring, as attractions often do in larger cities! There is also lots and lots of choice of activities from galleries, museums, and aquariums.

There are lots and lots of great places to eat, and we never had a bad meal anywhere and especially enjoyed the great Italian and French specialities as well as the great selections of fish. Easting out is no more expensive than in any other European city, with an average meal costing 20 to 40 Euros per person. Bon appetit!

Quick Tips:

My top few tips are designed for those people who may just have one day in Monaco and maybe don’t have the earth to spend. Many of the items here are free and all of the others cost less than 5 Euros per person!

FREE Check out the amazing yachts around all of the marinas and take a walk around the coastline before having lunch at one of the cafes, a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours!

Prince Rainer’s car museum costs less than 6 Euros per person and is great fun for anyone with any sort of interest in cars. Here you don’t find the best cars, merely those that the prince enjoyed and you will, too!

Go to the Princess Grace Rose Garden for peace, tranquillity, and a stunning arrangement of wonderful roses, a perfect memorial to this country’s heroine.

Eat at the local market, as well as checking out the supermarkets and having lunch in many of the smaller parks, and you can save a fortune.

Be sure to try the small tour train that runs around the principality; it only takes half and hour but is a great way to get a feel of the place and make a few new friends as well!

Also, be sure to go to the palace, zoo, history of Monaco story, Monte Carlo casinos, Napoleon museum, and stamp museum (yes, strange I know, but actually quite enjoyable for half an hour!).

Best Way To Get Around:

The main way of getting around Monaco is on foot, as it is only 3 miles long in its entirety! It is easy to access anywhere on foot, although one note of caution is that it is very hilly here, so you will certainly be kept fit whilst you are here!

There are lots and lots of stairs everywhere, as the principality is almost designed to be on differing levels, and as such, there are outdoor escalators and lifts everywhere throughout to make travelling easier!

Taxis are available, although we really didn’t find a need for them, as it is so pleasant walking everywhere!

If you wish to travel out of Monaco, the easiest way is by train from the large and brand-new train station that takes you to Nice in under 30 minutes as well as in the opposite direction to Italy, a perfect way for exploring farther a field! Tickets can be booked at the main station using machines (in English) or at the tickets booths. Trains are clean and reliable, with tickets reasonably priced. The station is located in the heart of Monaco, with signs all around.

The Columbus Monaco Hotel is modern, chic hotel that was constructed in 2003 and is part owned by world-renowned racing car driver David Culthard. The hotel is located in the newly reclaimed area (from the sea!) Font Vielle and is approximately a 15-minute walk into Monte Carlo. Transfer from Nice Airport takes approx. 30 minutes by taxi and costs approx. 80 Euros. By helicopter, it is approx. 90 Euros per person and takes 6 minutes. You are then bused from the helipad to the hotel, which takes under 2 minutes.

The hotel is decorated in calm tones of beige and creams, but without being boring or bland. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite (at no extra charge), and this included a separate sitting area, bedroom, walk-in closet, and a huge bathroom. All of the rooms are well maintained and feature comfortable beds, international TV, mini bar, internet access, Playstation facilities, and lots of nice own-brand toiletries in the rooms. The hotel is spotlessly clean, and the nightly turn-down service includes lighting romantic candles…

The hotel pool is not that large and is shared with the residential apartments nearby, but was always quiet and well maintained when we visited (October). The gym is large, modern, and always has plenty of space to work out in. The hotel restaurant and terrace service breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is included with many accommodation deals here and serves the most wonderful selection of breads, meets, and cheeses as well as scrambled eggs and bacon. Lunch is a fun affair, with a range of salads, sandwiches, and local meals. Dinner is a great variety of local produce juxtaposed against international favorites with a good wine selection starting around 20+ Euros. Also try the bar for its chic atmosphere - and the chocolate martini drink is a must.

Service everywhere in this hotel is impeccable, with all staff speaking excellent English. From the moment we arrived and were shown around by the Chief Concierge, we were treated with courtesy and respect. Make sure to stop by the hotel boutique, which offers a nice selection of gifts and souvenirs, including some of the decorations found in the hotel.

This hotel is highly recommended for anyone if you are travelling on business, pleasure, a romantic break, or with children. The cheapest rates appear to be via the Columbus’s own website, with some great last-minute deals starting from around 150 Euros. There are basic room deals, packages that also include breakfast, and then you can upgrade to superior rooms that feature balconies and then to suites (around 350 euros per night) or the ultimate apartment!

Most of the time when you arrive at an international airport, the normal way to get to your hotel is usually taxi, bus or train or maybe even boat in the case of Venice. Not when you arrive at Nice international however and are travelling onto Monaco! The most spectacular way to travel to Monaco is via helicopter!

Nice international airport takes in most of the passengers arriving in this region with daily flights from most corners of Europe, the US (often via Paris) and further a field. As you step off the place and collect your luggage, follow the signs for helicopter transfer to Monaco.

There are a variety of firms operating helicopter flights out of here including Heli Air Monaco who we flew with although it appeared to me that the number of companies operating at any one time varies very much according to time of day and time of season that you visit.

At the desk they will take payment (via credit card only), check your details etc and then walk you through to the departure area. Your luggage is all taken care of from this point, so relax and enjoy your holiday!

The facts:

The flight time from Nice airport to Monaco (only one heli-pad) is approximately 6 or seven minutes one way.

Flights take off approx every 15 minutes running in both directions.

You need your passport when you fly and you and your luggage goes through security checks as with any flight. You do take your luggage onto the flight with the you and the helicopters seats up to six persons with luggage although we had one to ourselves!

You can book in advance or just turn up at the airport as we did and only had to wait 10 minutes for the next flight.

Tickets are approx 80 euros per person one way and include ground transfer to your hotel once you land (if you travel back then ring the company and they will collect you and your luggage from your hotel).

Once you have bought your ticket you will be walked to the departure gate and then driven across the air field before boarding your helicopter. You don’t need to touch your luggage as it is all taken care of for you!

The flight:
You take off from the airport and head out over sea to take in the fantastic views of the coastline and water in this wonderful way to travel!

It’s a great way to feel like the rich and famous and a really interesting way to see what Monaco has to offer from an unusual view point!

The helicopters used are small with one pilot, 2 smaller seats up front (great for kids) and four larger seats in the back. It’s very comfy and although take off is strange as you kind of glide and pivot, it’s very smooth once you are in the air and landing is great fun!

Other modes of transport?

A taxi takes approximately 40 minutes and costs 80 euros and is actually a very nice journey through some spectacular mountain backdrops. We took a taxi on the return journey and very much enjoyed the contrast.