Monte Carlo: My Day in James Bond's Playground
We tendered in right under the palace and the first thing I heard was the scream of a V12 Ferrari doing a fly-by on the tunnel straight. The harbor was wall-to-wall floating palaces – one yacht even had a helicopter and a submarine. We walked the Grand Prix circuit (public streets!) and stood on the exact spot where drivers brake from 200 mph into the hairpin – insane.
The old town on the rock is surprisingly cute – pastel houses, palace guards in white, and views that make you dizzy. We had lunch at Café de Paris watching the casino crowd – people-watching here is an Olympic sport. We went inside the Casino de Monte-Carlo just to say we did – the atrium alone is worth the entry, chandeliers dripping money. The pros: nowhere else feels this extravagantly ridiculous. The cons: everything screams money, but you can enjoy the show without spending much.
Getting Around Monte Carlo
Tender to harbor, then everything is walkable (though hilly) or take the little public elevators – they're free and fun.
Positively Worded Word of Warning
Monaco is compact but vertical – the public elevators and escalators are your friends and part of the charm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Monte Carlo worth it?
A: For the people-watching and glamour alone, absolutely.
Q: Best thing?
A: Walk the Grand Prix circuit + casino visit.
Q: How long to see Monaco?
A: 4–5 hours is perfect.
Q: Walk from tender?
A: Yes – everywhere is close.