I can think of plenty of reasons to visit Monaco. This little principality is the second smallest country in the world and is best described as a city state – that city being Monte Carlo. It is also the most populous country in the world thanks to the nearly 37,000 people packed into its 0.78 square mile area. It may be small – tiny, really – but there are some brilliant reasons to visit Monaco.
If you really need reasons to visit Monaco other than that it is one of the world's most glamorous places, imagine being just 16 km distance from Italy and 13 km distance from Nice at the French Riviera. Picture the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea, super yachts and millionaires as far as the eye can see, and the world's second smallest country, Monaco, will come first on your list of must-see places in Western Europe!
Monaca enjoys a temperate climate with mild winters and pleasantly warm summers that sport temperatures of around 26 degrees Celsius (~79 degrees Fahrenheit) in July and August. Add a refreshing sea breeze and an average of 300+ days of cloudless skies and you have yet more reasons to visit Monaco.
Thanks to the close proximity of Nice International Airport (NCE), which is located a mere 24 km/15 mile distance from Monaco, it's easy to reach the principality. Car rental, tourist buses, even helicopters take you from Nice to Monaco in no time at all. You can also board frequent train services, which connect Monaco with its neighbors in France and Italy (Nice, Cannes and Ventimiglia).
For the super-rich the casinos and the marina may be the main draw, but for mere mortals the amazing shops in Monte-Carlo present a great attraction. Here high-end retailers like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Yves Saint Laurent line the magnificent streets. Fans of classic motors will also enjoy window-shopping here, for every imaginable marque and model is displayed in Monte-Carlo's car dealerships.
Another reason to visit Monaco is to see one of the world's most stunning marinas. Set in a natural harbor of outstanding beauty, where monumental cliffs tower over the yachts of the super rich, Monte-Carlo's marina is a masterpiece of engineering and Mother Nature's ample gifts. For a country with an area of just 2.02 square km/1.25 square miles, the marina represents one of the most lucrative sources of income, so naturally, the principality pulls out all the stops to keep the marina looking its very best.
Monaco's hotels are the very epitome of luxury, of which the gorgeous Hotel de Paris is the country's oldest and arguably most famous. Along the beach you'll find smaller hotels with no more than 40 luxurious rooms overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, while further inland - as far as that is actually possible in a country the size of a stamp - the larger hotels with 280+ rooms can be found. Try the Hôtel Hermitage, which has a lovely Winter Garden, where they serve a scrumptious buffet breakfast. If you prefer to see where international tennis aces stay during the famous Monte Carlo tennis tournament, try the 334-room Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a modern hotel offering mostly rooms with sea views. It's affiliated with the iconic Jimmy'z Nightclub, yet another reason to visit Monaco.
Thankfully, most people you'll come across in Monaco speak English and Italian in addition to French, which is the official language. It makes life so much easier, when you're trying to haggle over the price of a designer frock or negotiate your way through one of their mega menus. Monaco is a country where practically all restaurants serve gourmet food. Try the wonderful Hotel de Paris' Le Grill or the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel's Elsa restaurant for wonderful meals that may set you back up to EUR 200, (~$250) but will stay in your memory for a long time - for all the right reasons.
The attractions of Monaco are packed into a tight area which means you can cram so much into a short time. For Europeans it’s an ideal long weekend city break destination and for those from further away, there are enough things to do in Monaco to make it worth a longer trip. What attracts you most about Monaco?