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Before You Go: Monaco Essentials
Monaco is tiny and easy to get around once you know a few things, starting with how to arrive.
Updated October 2026
Arriving from Nice
Monaco has no airport. Nice Côte d’Azur, in France, is the gateway. From there, Monacair’s helicopter reaches the Monaco Heliport in about 7 minutes, the Zou! Line 80 express coach takes about 30 minutes, and trains from Nice reach Monaco-Monte-Carlo station in about 23 minutes. Taxi Monaco also covers the airport.
Getting around Monaco
You can cross the Principality on foot in about an hour. Visit Monaco counts 80 public lifts, 37 escalators and 8 travelators linking the levels. The CAM runs the city buses and the MonaBike electric bikes, and the Bateau Bus crosses Port Hercule every 20 minutes or so from 8am to 8pm.
Doctors and hospitals
The Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace has a 24-hour emergency department (+377 97 98 97 69). For the on-call doctor or the duty pharmacy in the evening, at weekends and on holidays, dial 116 117.
Beach rules
Larvotto is Monaco’s main beach and is open all year. Dogs are not allowed on Monaco’s beaches, and smoking is banned on all of them.
Monaco, France and Italy
Monaco is surrounded by France, and Italy is a short drive east. Many places that carry the name Monte-Carlo, such as the Monte-Carlo Beach, are actually in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France. Our day-trips page marks French and Italian places clearly.