Where to stay in Monaco
Monaco is two square kilometers of steep streets between the mountains and the sea, and you can cross it on foot in under an hour. Rooms inside the principality are among the most expensive in Europe, and prices go up again in Grand Prix week. Stay in Monte-Carlo if the Casino and the grand hotels are the point, in La Condamine for the harbor and the station at a lower price, or across the border in Beausoleil or Cap-d'Ail if you want to see the same sights for much less. Nice, 20 minutes away by train, is cheaper again.
The short answer
- First trip
- La Condamine for the market, the harbor and the train, or Monte-Carlo if you want the Casino at the door.
- Couples
- Monte-Carlo for the splurge, or Fontvieille for a calm marina.
- Families
- Fontvieille or Larvotto: calmer streets, the rose garden and the beach.
- Tight budget
- Beausoleil or Cap-d'Ail, over the French border.
- Quiet
- Fontvieille, or Cap-d'Ail if you stay outside.
How we judge an area of Monaco: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Monaco's areas, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Casino de Monte-Carlo | Prince's Palace | Monaco-Monte-Carlo station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monte-Carlo | The Casino, a splurge | Busy until late | 5 min | 20 min | 15 min | On foot; lifts and buses | €€€€ |
| La Condamine | Harbour, market, train | Lively until late | 10 min | 10 min | 5 min | Monaco-Monte-Carlo station | €€€ |
| Monaco-Ville (the Rock) | Day visits | Very quiet | 20 min | 5 min | 10 min | Free lifts from the harbor | €€€ |
| Fontvieille | Calm, families | Quiet | 25 min | 10 min | 10 min | Buses; the Rock by lift | €€€ |
| Larvotto | The beach, a resort stay | Quiet | 15 min | 30 min | 30 min | Buses; Casino on foot | €€€€ |
| Beausoleil (France) | Value near the Casino | Quiet to moderate | 10 min | 20 min | 20 min | Buses; steps downhill | €€ |
| Cap-d'Ail (France) | Sea air, lower prices | Very quiet | 40 min | 25 min | 25 min | Train: one stop | €€ |
Walking times are the straight line between two points plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. They are measured from the middle of each area, so a hotel at its edge will be a few minutes either way, and Monaco's hills add to them. Free public lifts take the climb out of some routes. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it. Beausoleil and Cap-d'Ail are in France.
Where the areas are
Monte-Carlo, for the Casino and a splurge
Casino Square, the grand hotels and the shopping streets: the postcard Monaco, and the most expensive.
Monte-Carlo is the district around Casino Square, with the Casino, the opera house, the Café de Paris and the largest hotels, and a grid of shops and apartment towers behind them. The Grand Prix hairpin and tunnel are on your doorstep, and Larvotto beach is a ten-minute walk.
You pay for the position, and rooms here are priced for the top of the market. It is also steep: the walk down to the harbor is easy and the walk back is not, so use the public lifts. Streets around the Casino are busy in the evening, building work is common, and in Grand Prix week the whole area is closed, loud and fully booked months ahead.
Good for
- The Casino and the grand hotels at the door
- Evenings out on foot
- A one-night splurge
Think twice if
- You are watching the budget: this is the dearest part of Monaco
- You are visiting in Grand Prix week and have not booked
- You want a normal neighborhood with ordinary cafes
Staying in Monte-Carlo: nearby sights, food and getting around
La Condamine, for the harbor and the train
The flat district around Port Hercule, with the daily market, the station and the most ordinary streets in Monaco.
La Condamine is the old working district around Port Hercule, the main harbor. It has the covered market, bakeries and cafes, the Monaco-Monte-Carlo railway station and the foot of the lift up to the Old Town. It is flat, easy with luggage, and the nearest thing to a normal town center in the principality.
The Casino is a fifteen-minute walk uphill, or a short bus ride. Rooms are cheaper than in Monte-Carlo, though still dear, and there are not many of them. The harbor is busy by day and livelier than quiet at night, and in Grand Prix week the circuit runs along the quays, which closes streets and fills the area.
Good for
- The market, the harbor and the train in a few minutes
- Flat ground and good transport
- A first visit that wants an easy base
Think twice if
- You want the Casino on the doorstep
- You want a very quiet night during an event
Staying in La Condamine: nearby sights, food and getting around
Monaco-Ville, for a day visit
The old town on the Rock, with the Palace, the cathedral and the museum: wonderful by day, with almost nowhere to sleep.
Monaco-Ville is the old town on the headland, with narrow lanes, the Prince's Palace, the cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum on the cliff edge. It is the most atmospheric part of Monaco and it is mostly a place to visit, with very few hotels.
After the day-trippers leave, the streets are quiet and some places close early. The access is by free public lifts or a short climb from the harbor, and the way back down at night is easy. Come for the changing of the guard and a lunch, and sleep elsewhere.
Good for
- A day on the Rock, with the Palace and the museum
- Walking at sunset when the groups have gone
Think twice if
- You want a choice of hotels: there are very few
- You want evening restaurants and bars: it empties out
Staying in Monaco-Ville (the Rock): nearby sights, food and getting around
Fontvieille, for a calm marina
A modern district built on reclaimed land, with a small harbor, a rose garden and quiet streets.
Fontvieille was built on land reclaimed from the sea in the 1970s, at the western end of Monaco, below the Rock. It has a small marina, the Princess Grace Rose Garden, a shopping center, the football stadium and a good number of apartment blocks. It is calmer and more modern than Monte-Carlo.
The Casino is a twenty-five minute walk or a short bus ride, and the Old Town is about fifteen minutes up through the public lifts. It feels like a residential neighborhood, so evenings are quiet and choices are fewer. Prices are lower than Monte-Carlo's, though still high, and it suits families and people who want to sleep well.
Good for
- Quiet evenings and a harbor walk
- Families, with the rose garden and open space
- The Rock within fifteen minutes
Think twice if
- You want the Casino and nightlife on the doorstep
- You want old streets: this is modern
Staying in Fontvieille: nearby sights, food and getting around
Larvotto, for the beach
The eastern seafront, with Monaco's public beach, a few large hotels and a row of apartment towers.
Larvotto is the eastern end of Monaco, with the public beach, the Grimaldi Forum and a cluster of large seaside hotels. It is the part to choose if the swim matters most, and it feels more like a resort than the rest of the principality.
It is also the dearest corner, and a long way from the harbor and the Old Town: the Casino is ten minutes away and the Condamine twenty. The streets are quiet at night, with few independent restaurants, so you eat in the hotels or walk back to Monte-Carlo.
Good for
- The beach and a seafront walk
- A resort-style stay, with a pool or beach access
- The Casino ten minutes away on foot
Think twice if
- You are watching the budget
- You want local restaurants on the doorstep
Beausoleil, for value over the border
A French hillside town directly above Monte-Carlo: the Casino is a short walk downhill, and rooms cost far less.
Beausoleil is a French town built on the hill above Monte-Carlo, with only a street to mark the border with Monaco. It has everyday shops, bakeries, markets and a range of hotels and apartments in mid-price brackets, and the Casino is ten to fifteen minutes' walk downhill.
The catch is the hill: the walk down is easy and the walk back is steep, so buses and the lifts matter. There are no border checks on foot, but carry ID, and remember that it is French: prices are in euros, but the town has its own character, its own tourist tax, and buildings that feel less polished than Monaco's. It is the sensible budget base for a stay of several nights.
Good for
- Much lower prices, a short walk from the Casino
- Ordinary shops and restaurants close by
- A longer stay, or a budget trip
Think twice if
- You want a flat walk home: the hill is steep
- You want to be inside the principality for the Grand Prix atmosphere
Staying in Beausoleil (France): nearby sights, food and getting around
Cap-d'Ail, for sea air and a lower price
A small French seaside town just west of Monaco, with a coastal path, small beaches and a station one stop away.
Cap-d'Ail sits just west of Monaco, across the border at Fontvieille. It has small coves, a coastal path with sea views, a handful of restaurants and some villa hotels and apartments. It is quieter and greener than the principality and noticeably cheaper.
The station is one stop from Monaco, and the walk to Fontvieille is twenty minutes along the coast; the Casino is a good deal further. It suits people who want to swim, walk and take the train in for a day, and not people who want a late night in Monte-Carlo.
Good for
- Swimming and walking on the coast path
- A calm base at a lower price
- One short train ride into Monaco
Think twice if
- You want the Casino and nightlife close by
- You do not want to depend on trains or buses
Staying in Cap-d'Ail (France): nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Monaco, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Monaco. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room inside Monaco in Grand Prix week, unless you have wanted it for a year
Prices rise several times over and the streets are closed. Stay in Nice or Menton and come in by train, or choose a different week.
- A cheap-looking room in Monte-Carlo with no reviews
Low prices in Monaco usually mean a small room, a poor location or a building site next door. Read recent reviews, or step over the border.
- Monaco-Ville, if you need an evening out
Beautiful by day and almost empty at night, with few places to sleep. Visit by day and stay in La Condamine or Fontvieille.
- Staying inside Monaco for a short trip on a limited budget
You pay a large premium for a postcode. Sleep in Beausoleil, Cap-d'Ail or Nice and walk or take the train in.
Which area suits you
First time in Monaco
La Condamine for the easy base, Monte-Carlo if you want the Casino at the door.
Couples
Monte-Carlo for a splurge, or Fontvieille for a calm marina.
Families with children
Fontvieille for open space and the rose garden, or Larvotto for the beach.
A tight budget
Beausoleil or Cap-d'Ail, or sleep in Nice and take the train.
Food
La Condamine, with the daily market next door.
Peace and quiet
Fontvieille, or Cap-d'Ail outside the principality.
A day on the Rock
Monaco-Ville by day, with a base in La Condamine or Fontvieille.
Arriving by train
La Condamine, a few minutes from Monaco-Monte-Carlo station.
Before you book a room in Monaco
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Monaco makes a good stay.
- The tourist taxMonaco charges a hotel tourist tax per person aged 18 or over, per night: €2 at two stars, €3 at three, €5 at four and €7 at five stars, at the rates published when it began in 2024. It is reset every February and August, so check the current figure with the hotel. It does not apply to furnished rentals. Beausoleil and Cap-d'Ail charge their own French tourist tax, and we could not confirm the current rates.
- From Nice airportMonaco has no airport of its own, and Nice Côte d'Azur is about 30 kilometers away. The 80 express bus runs on average every 30 minutes from 7am to 9pm, and takes around 45 minutes. The helicopter flight takes about 7 minutes. A taxi covers the road journey. From the airport you can also take tram line 2 to Nice-Ville and a regional train to Monaco.
- By trainMonaco-Monte-Carlo station is in La Condamine, with regional trains from Nice in about 20 minutes and from Menton in about 10. Cap-d'Ail has its own station, one stop toward Nice.
- Grand Prix weekThe Grand Prix, in late May or early June, closes streets around the circuit, takes every room in and near Monaco, and multiplies prices. Book many months ahead, or choose another week. The yacht show in late September is also busy.
- Hills and liftsMonaco is steep. Free public lifts and escalators link the harbor with Monte-Carlo and the Old Town, so check which one your hotel is near. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book.
- MoneyMonaco uses the euro and is cashless in most shops. Hotel prices are quoted with taxes added, so compare the final total, not the headline rate.
Where to stay in Monaco: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Monaco for a first visit?
La Condamine, for the market, the harbor and the train station, or Monte-Carlo if you want the Casino on the doorstep and can afford it. Both are within fifteen minutes of each other on foot.
Is it better to stay in Monaco or Nice?
Nice is far cheaper, with a larger choice of hotels, and the train to Monaco takes about 20 minutes. Stay in Monaco for the evenings and the setting, and in Nice for the value.
Is it cheaper to stay in Beausoleil or Cap-d'Ail?
Yes, usually by a good margin. Both are in France, a short walk or a bus ride from Monaco, and there are no routine border checks, though you should carry ID.
Where should I stay in Monaco during the Grand Prix?
Book many months ahead, or stay in Nice, Menton or the villages and come in by train. Streets near the circuit are closed, and rooms inside Monaco are the dearest of the year.
How do I get from Nice airport to Monaco?
Take the 80 express bus (about 45 minutes), a train via Nice-Ville (tram 2, then about 20 minutes), or a taxi. A helicopter flight takes about 7 minutes.
Is there a tourist tax in Monaco?
Yes, for hotel stays. It was €2 to €7 per adult per night, depending on the hotel's stars, when it started in 2024, and is reset twice a year. Furnished rentals are not charged.
Can you walk everywhere in Monaco?
Yes, but it is hilly. The Casino to the Condamine harbor is about fifteen minutes, and Fontvieille a little further, and free public lifts help with the climbs.
