7 Affordable Things to Do on a Monaco Day Trip
Monaco has a reputation for a champagne lifestyle, luxury hotels, and deep-pocketed budgets, and I can confirm it’s well-earned.
In fact, Monaco recently topped a list of billionaire-favorite vacation destinations, but visitors don’t need a billionaire’s budget to enjoy the principality or the French Riviera (read my budget-saving ideas).
But spending a day in the principality doesn’t have to drain your travel fund. Really, I’m not kidding! I’ve been visiting for years, and have even traveled there with kids.
Beyond the casino and luxury boutiques, Monaco has a less bougie side. Off the top of my head, it’s gardens, beaches, market, museums, clean buses, e-bikes, and quaint old town make Monaco feel almost modest for travelers on a budget.
One of the easiest ways to stretch a travel budget is to arrive prepared.
A handful of essential French Riviera travel apps can help with everything from direct bus routes and train tickets to discount restaurant reservations and navigating the principality’s pedestrian pathways.
Ready to explore Monaco?
Let’s go!
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Getting to Monaco
Basing yourself in Nice is the best option for an affordable Day Trip to Monaco.
Trains from Nice to Monaco cost between €4 and €6 per person, one-way, and take only 17- 25 minutes, with multiple daily departures. You won’t get out of the city in a taxi for that amount.
📍If you want to make the arrival more of an experience, there is a ferry from Nice to Monaco that runs three days per week.
It’s pricier ($63/adult)*, but if ‘take a scenic French Riviera coastal cruise’ is on your bucket list, you can tick this box at the same time. Check availability well in advance.
This round-trip ferry departs Nice at 9:30 a.m. and arrives in Monaco at 10:15 a.m. It returns to Nice at 5 p.m., giving you all day to spend in Monaco.
*Always check prices in advance as they can change.
1. Wander Through Monaco’s Gardens
Some of Monaco’s most affordable experiences are also its most beautiful.
Though the principality is dense with skyscrapers and apartment buildings, around 35% of it is also covered by green spaces and planted gardens spread across its distinct neighborhoods. Best of all, many come with sea views and artistic sculptures.
The Japanese Garden in Larvotto is one of the most peaceful corners of Monaco, with 7,000-square-metres of peaceful gardens, koi ponds, arched bridges and a tea house.
On the southern side of “The Rock,” Saint-Martin Gardens connect the amazing Oceanographic Museum with the Old Town and the palace square. You’ll also find statues, shaded benches, and unrivaled sea views.
After a six-year closure, the recently reopened Jardins-Exotique is once again open, with a massive collection of rare succulents and cacti, along with some of the best sea and old-town views you’ll find anywhere. Entry is €12/ adults*.
Even the Casino Gardens are worth a wander. Located right in front of the Monte-Carlo Casino and square, this immaculately manicured area has tropical plants, exotic flowers, and fountains.
Interested in other French Riviera gardens? Here are 6 more gorgeous gardens to explore.
*Always check prices in advance as they can change.
2. Spend the Day at Larvotto Beach
French Riviera beaches are an essential part of southern Europe’s hot summers, and Monaco’s Larvotto Beach is public, free, and one of the easiest ways to soak up the Riviera sun without spending much at all.
The beach itself is sort of a pebbly sand mix, rather than super soft, but the water is clear, calm, and perfect for swimming and families.
The promenade behind the beach is great for grabbing an ice cream or lunch, such as at BistroCoe, where Monday — Friday “business lunches” are prix fixe and a decent deal for the area.
For €28 you get a starter and main course, one glass of wine, and coffee while overlooking the beach. Check online to verify prices.
3. Visit A Monaco Museums
Monaco’s museums are surprisingly approachable, both in size and price.
Art lovers will find two outposts of Monaco’s National Museum tucked into two elegant villas—Paloma and Sauber— overlooking the Mediterranean.
Villa Paloma hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions while Villa Sauber explores architecture, design, and Monaco’s cultural history through changing exhibits.
Admission is just €6, and on Sundays it’s free.
While it isn’t inexpensive, the €22.50 / $26 admission fee to the Oceanographic Museum offers bang for the buck, especially if you’re with kids who will love the shark lagoon, sea turtle exhibit, and themed aquariums.
Throughout the principality, you’ll find more than 150 public sculptures scattered across gardens, promenades, plazas, and waterfront paths. For more art stops on the French Riviera, check out my guide!
Look for the QR codes, which, when scanned, will reveal the artist’s name, the context of creation, and ties to Monaco.
4. Visit Monaco by Bus + Bike
While there are plenty of amazing walking tours and even guided Ferrari Tours of Monaco, Monaco’s public buses and bikes are the best travel hacks you’ll find for getting around.
With six main daytime bus routes, three express lines, two night routes, and an intra-harbor water bus, Monaco buses are clean, efficient, air-conditioned, and cost €2 per ride.
Or hire an electric bike via MonaBike, the on-demand electric bicycle network with 49 stations dotted around the principality. The electric assist tackles any hill, and Monaco has cycle lanes to make journeys safe.
FYI: You must be 14+ to ride.
Bike fares start at €1 per single 30-minute trip, but you can also buy a 24-hour pass for €3 and a 7-day pass for €8.*
*Prices are subject to change.
5. Eat Local at La Condamine Market
Some of the best bites in Monaco can be found by getting away from the port and the casino, even just a few blocks.
Start around the daily La Condamine Market, where locals stop for coffee, produce, takeaway meals, and traditional Monegasque snacks.
One local specialty to try is the barbajuan, a savory pastry typically filled with Swiss chard and ricotta.
Being so close to the Italian border, Monaco is loaded with restaurants serving shareable (and good) pizza, fresh pasta dishes. Italian familial hospitality and seafood don’t get better than at Il Terrazzino. They are open for lunch from 12 – 2:30 and require a reservation.
Want something casual for the beach or garden picnic? Grab sandwiches from Panino Club —they are big enough to share.
For a real treat, head to the principality’s oldest patisserie, Riviera 1955, near the Japanese Garden.
Here you can grab morning croissants, or sip afternoon tea with desserts so beautiful you won’t want to eat them—but you can at a fraction of what you’d pay at hotels or Michelin-star restaurants.
6. Swim at Stade Nautique Rainier III
If swimming in the Mediterranean isn’t enough of a thrill, Monaco also has an outdoor Olympic-sized saltwater pool right on Port Hercule.
Stade Nautique Rainier III is heated and costs €12 for adults. Kids of all ages will love the warm water and the 45-meter slide that loops into the pool.
Sun loungers and umbrellas are available for a small additional fee, and the location overlooking the port’s yachts makes the experience feel distinctly Monegasque.
👉Travel Tip: Check online before you go as the pool is closed during special events such as the Monaco Grand Prix.
7. Watch the Palace Changing of the Guard
While touring the State Apartments in the palace requires a paid ticket (€15), watching the traditional Changing of the Guard at 11:55 each morning is completely free and is one of Monaco’s most memorable moments.
Monaco will probably never be mistaken for a budget destination, but it’s far more accessible than many travelers realize.
Between public beaches, scenic gardens, the local market, affordable museums, and cheap buses, it’s entirely possible to enjoy the principality without spending like a Formula 1 driver.
