MONACO, FRANCE – Let’s be clear: I am not a millionaire. I haven’t won the lottery or inherited a wad of cash, but that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. So for for those of you who like dreaming, too – here’s how to spend a weekend in Monaco as a millionaire.
(And for those of you who are realists, I’ve included some handy tips at the end of this post for exploring Monaco without a six figure bank balance.)
About Monaco Millionaires
Monaco – a tiny principality, on the south coast of France – is home to more millionaires than any other country, with 1 in 3 of its inhabitants laying claim to a millionaire bank balance. It’s a pretty impressive statistic considering this is the world’s second smallest country, beaten only by the Vatican!
It’s not difficult to see why anyone would want to live here with its quaint old town, dramatic cliffs, stunning sea views and zero taxes! It also benefits from a mild climate and over 300 days of sunshine each year.
Arrive in Style
Take a VIP Helicopter
Pick up your own personal helicopter at the airport. Azur Helicopter offers a private seven-minute flight from the airport to central Monaco, which will have you soaring over vertiginous cliffs and shimmering coastline. Includes a meet and greet on arrival and transfer to your hotel in Monaco. €910 one-way.
Hire a Ferrari
Make a noisy entrance to your hotel by hiring a Ferrari or another supercar. Try Hertz’s Dream Collection and get a racy, red Ferrari F12. Be warned, you’re likely to attract some serious attention from crowds gathering to admire your wheels. €2100 per day.
Sail in on a super yacht
Alternatively, take to the water on a hired super yacht (or motor cruiser). What better way to discover the dramatic Riviera than on one of these sexy mammas? Boat Bookings offer a wide selection of boats to choose from, including the Rockstar.
The Rockstar costs a mere $238,000 a week, including crew, but if you’re after something more modest, you can find boats for around $20,000 a week. From $20,000 a week.
Sleep with Royalty and Rockstars
Stay at the Hermitage or Hotel de Paris
Both of these hotels are part of the Monte Carlo casino group and are most definitely the place to be if you want the VIP treatment, a chic location and stunning rooms with a view.
The Hotel de Paris is one of the Leading Hotels of the World with 3 restaurants, a bar, wine cellar and access to the private beach. Courtyard rooms start from €316 with casino view rooms available from €596 per night. From €316 per night.
The nearby Hermitage is an historic, luxury hotel that epitomises the Belle Epoque period and comes with panoramic views out to sea. Not only will you get access to the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, but you can choose from a selection of top bars and restaurants just a stone’s throw from the famous Monte Carlo Casino.
Book yourself a sea view room with terrace for €593 per night (lower-priced rooms are available – thank feck). PS: There’s a good chance you might bump into a celebrity during your stay, such is the allure of these two hotels. From €593 per night.
Play hard
Splash the Cash
Splash your cash a la Casino Royal with a trip to Monaco’s legendary ornate casino, Casino de Monte-Carlo. You won’t have far to go if you are staying at the Hermitage or Hotel de Paris.
In the lavish gambling hall, you can play Black Jack (minimum bet of €25), Roulette, Hold-Em Poker and many more games but remember the only real winner is the house. It costs €10 to take a look around the casino, although you can visit the atrium for free.
Shop. Drop
If gambling isn’t your thing, head instead to the designer stores lining the seafront leading to the casino. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Gucci are just some of the high-end names who flaunt their wares. At least you will have something to show for your cash if you’re unlucky in the casinos.
Wine and Dine at Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Understandably, Monaco boasts some of the best chefs in the world. Both the Hermitage and the Hotel de Paris boast in house Michelin-starred restaurants including the Vistamar and the Louis XV (currently closed for renovations). Other options to consider include Elite Travellers top ten Monaco restaurants.
Of course, no visit to Monaco would be complete without a trip to the Cafe de Paris, perhaps the most famous cafe of them all.
Cafe de Paris
This Brasserie is in an enviable position overlooking the Hotel de Paris and Monte Carlo Casino. From the terrace you will be able to enjoy parades of flash cars, Valentino-clad super-models flaunting their assets, and tourists clamouring to grab a photo of the casino and its guests.
Beware: you won’t be getting change from an €100 note dining at Cafe de Paris, even if you stick to two courses and opt for the cheapest items on the menu.
Watch the Grand Prix
Formula One epitomises glamour, as does Monaco – so, fittingly, the two go hand-in-hand. For the Grand Prix weekend, the town is invaded by hordes of F1 fans wishing to savour the many riches of Monaco. It’s tricky to find accommodation during Grand Prix weekend, so be sure to book earlier – as much as six months in advance.
If you do manage to secure a room, expect to pay a vastly inflated price as rack rates soar during the three-day event.
You can party along with the millionaires in the grandstand from €44 a ticket; the best tickets for the final Grand Prix showdown cost €720.
Pamper Yourself
Thermes Marins is a wellness centre in a magnificent location perched on the cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. With a seawater pool, underwater jets, hammam, sentorium and banya it is an idyllic place to while away a few hours, or even longer, if your wallet stretches that far.
The treatment list is truly mind-boggling with a raft of unusual treatments, including Mesopore and MLS. The one that catches my eye is <u>Cyrotherapy</u>, ideal for athletes seeking recovery and a snip at €55 euro for 3 minutes. Day packages start from €150. Gulp.
Do you have any money-saving Monaco tips?
Perhaps you have been to Monaco and found some amazing money saving tips, if so please feel free to share them below. Alternatively, if you have blown a fortune in Monaco, we’d love to hear from you, ideally with pictures!
This fabulous post was a guest piece by my travelling chum, Anne Slater-Brooks from the brilliant Travel The Globe For Less
//
About Monaco Millionaires
Monaco – a tiny principality, on the south coast of France – is home to more millionaires than any other country, with 1 in 3 of its inhabitants laying claim to a millionaire bank balance. It’s a pretty impressive statistic considering this is the world’s second smallest country, beaten only by the Vatican!
It’s not difficult to see why anyone would want to live here with its quaint old town, dramatic cliffs, stunning sea views and zero taxes! It also benefits from a mild climate and over 300 days of sunshine each year.
Arrive in Style
Take a VIP Helicopter
Pick up your own personal helicopter at the airport. Azur Helicopter offers a private seven-minute flight from the airport to central Monaco, which will have you soaring over vertiginous cliffs and shimmering coastline. Includes a meet and greet on arrival and transfer to your hotel in Monaco. €910 one-way.
Hire a Ferrari
Make a noisy entrance to your hotel by hiring a Ferrari or another supercar. Try Hertz’s Dream Collection and get a racy, red Ferrari F12. Be warned, you’re likely to attract some serious attention from crowds gathering to admire your wheels. €2100 per day.
Sail in on a super yacht
Alternatively, take to the water on a hired super yacht (or motor cruiser). What better way to discover the dramatic Riviera than on one of these sexy mammas? Boat Bookings offer a wide selection of boats to choose from, including the Rockstar.
The Rockstar costs a mere $238,000 a week, including crew, but if you’re after something more modest, you can find boats for around $20,000 a week. From $20,000 a week.
Sleep with Royalty and Rockstars
Stay at the Hermitage or Hotel de Paris
Both of these hotels are part of the Monte Carlo casino group and are most definitely the place to be if you want the VIP treatment, a chic location and stunning rooms with a view.
The Hotel de Paris is one of the Leading Hotels of the World with 3 restaurants, a bar, wine cellar and access to the private beach. Courtyard rooms start from €316 with casino view rooms available from €596 per night. From €316 per night.
The nearby Hermitage is an historic, luxury hotel that epitomises the Belle Epoque period and comes with panoramic views out to sea. Not only will you get access to the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, but you can choose from a selection of top bars and restaurants just a stone’s throw from the famous Monte Carlo Casino.
Book yourself a sea view room with terrace for €593 per night (lower-priced rooms are available – thank feck). PS: There’s a good chance you might bump into a celebrity during your stay, such is the allure of these two hotels. From €593 per night.
Play hard
Splash the Cash
Splash your cash a la Casino Royal with a trip to Monaco’s legendary ornate casino, Casino de Monte-Carlo. You won’t have far to go if you are staying at the Hermitage or Hotel de Paris. In the lavish gambling hall, you can play Black Jack (minimum bet of €25), Roulette, Hold-Em Poker and many more games but remember the only real winner is the house. It costs €10 to take a look around the casino, although you can visit the atrium for free.
Shop. Drop
If gambling isn’t your thing, head instead to the designer stores lining the seafront leading to the casino. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Gucci are just some of the high-end names who flaunt their wares. At least you will have something to show for your cash if you’re unlucky in the casinos.
Wine and Dine at Michelin-Starred Restaurants
Understandably, Monaco boasts some of the best chefs in the world. Both the Hermitage and the Hotel de Paris boast in house Michelin-starred restaurants including the Vistamar and the Louis XV (currently closed for renovations). Other options to consider include Elite Travellers‘ top ten Monaco restaurants.
Of course, no visit to Monaco would be complete without a trip to the Cafe de Paris, perhaps the most famous cafe of them all.
Cafe de Paris
This Brasserie is in an enviable position overlooking the Hotel de Paris and Monte Carlo Casino. From the terrace you will be able to enjoy parades of flash cars, Valentino-clad super-models flaunting their assets, and tourists clamouring to grab a photo of the casino and its guests.
Beware: you won’t be getting change from an €100 note dining at Cafe de Paris, even if you stick to two courses and opt for the cheapest items on the menu.
Watch the Grand Prix
Formula One epitomises glamour, as does Monaco – so, fittingly, the two go hand-in-hand. For the Grand Prix weekend, the town is invaded by hordes of F1 fans wishing to savour the many riches of Monaco. It’s tricky to find accommodation during Grand Prix weekend, so be sure to book earlier – as much as six months in advance.
If you do manage to secure a room, expect to pay a vastly inflated price as rack rates soar during the three-day event.
You can party along with the millionaires in the grandstand from €44 a ticket; the best tickets for the final Grand Prix showdown cost €720.
Pamper Yourself
Thermes Marins is a wellness centre in a magnificent location perched on the cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. With a seawater pool, underwater jets, hammam, sentorium and banya it is an idyllic place to while away a few hours, or even longer, if your wallet stretches that far.
The treatment list is truly mind-boggling with a raft of unusual treatments, including Mesopore and MLS. The one that catches my eye is Cyrotherapy, ideal for athletes seeking recovery and a snip at €55 euro for 3 minutes. Day packages start from €150. Gulp.
Do you have any money-saving Monaco tips?
Perhaps you have been to Monaco and found some amazing money saving tips, if so please feel free to share them below. Alternatively, if you have blown a fortune in Monaco, we’d love to hear from you, ideally with pictures!
This fabulous post was a guest piece by my travelling chum, Anne Slater-Brooks from the brilliant Travel The Globe For Less
//
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