As for quite reasonable money, relax in the midst of luxury in the Principality of Monaco
The world is full of places that are ready to compete for the title of paradise on earth, and one of the first among them is the Cote d’Azur – the French Riviera.
A narrow strip of land stretched along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between mountains and water has contained so much beauty that for several hundred years it has been the most popular and, accordingly, one of the most expensive resorts in Europe. One in three persons: Cannes – Nice – Monaco, it is really not cheap, but you can relax here without a thick wallet in your pocket. How? Our correspondent is ready to share secrets.
Settle in a nearby town
If you came here not to litter money and not to amaze others with luxury, then in Monaco you have absolutely no reason to live. Everything that can be found in this city for reasonable money will be the size of a doghouse, although stucco and gilding may be located on its ceiling. But only three – five – seven kilometers from Monaco in towns like Villefranche-sur-Mer or Beaulieu-sur-Mer, you can easily find a room in a medium-sized hotel for 50 euros, if you book in advance. For the Cote d’Azur, it’s just a penny.
Instead of Ferrari, a bus for 1 euro
You should only rent a car in Monaco if you immediately add a certain amount to the budget to pay for parking. Free seats for cars on the streets of the capital of the Principality of Monte Carlo are very few, and they are almost always occupied by cumbersome Ferrari and Lamborghini. Therefore, you can leave the car only in a paid underground parking, but it costs substantial money.
But by and large, the car is not needed. To travel along the Cote d’Azur, it is much more convenient to use electric trains. The railway runs along the sea, the station every two kilometers. You can always go out to your liking and end up in a small town, take a swim, have a bite, go shopping.
Practical locals (those who don’t have a Ferrari in their garage) travel by bus. They go about once every half an hour, but are cheap. To get from Nice to Monaco is only one euro.
Free beaches
Of course, you can plunge into the sea in Monaco, and in Nice, and in Cannes. But there, as in our Sochi, there is one small drawback: only the top layer of vacationers tans. The beaches of these relatively large cities are usually crammed with bathers. It is much more logical to drive a couple of stops by car or the same train – and you will get a half-empty, free clean beach. If it is a municipal beach, you will find on it a shower, a toilet, and even lifeguards. If it’s just a wild coast (how wild it can be in the center of Europe), then there will be no amenities, but there will be almost no swimmers either.
Lunch with the Prince of Monaco
Our man, if he is not an oligarch and not a deputy, in Monaco there are three worthy goals, so that later there is something to remember. Go to the casino, walk along the pier and sit in a restaurant in the fortress.
The pier in Monaco is almost a museum. You will not see so many expensive items in the industry of modern yacht building anywhere else. Among the snow-white beauties, quietly swinging on a sluggish wave, there are a lot of those that belong to the Russians. Calculating the cost of a yacht is simple: you need to multiply its length in meters by a million dollars. How many meters – so many millions.
After a tour of the port, it’s time to eat. But you shouldn’t do it right on the pier: the prices there do not correspond to the dishes on the menu. Where it is more correct to rise to the fortress on the Rock, the heart of Monte Carlo and the residence of the Prince of Monaco. It’s not necessary to bother your feet: both elevators and escalators go upstairs. And at the very top behind the walls, right on tiny squares, are tables waiting for visitors. The food is delicious, and without wine it is quite possible to meet 40 euros, which is cheap for Monaco and such a place. The most interesting thing is that the Prince of Monaco can pass by at any moment (carefully look at the tall men with a bald head) and wave his hand to visitors. He decided to applaud in response. By the way, from the fortress that day, that night offers stunning views of the port and Monaco in general.
The famous casino is not very similar to similar Russian institutions. There is less pathos, as much gilding, and the atmosphere is completely different. There is no dress code at the entrance: they are allowed in t-shirts and slippers. And this despite the fact that the hall is full of people in tuxedos, evening dresses and diamonds. They ask for a passport at the entrance (they scan it and issue a ticket already registered), and the entrance price is ten euros. The croupiers are much more democratic than in Russia, they can smile at the players, they can even shout at the most impudent ones. But roulette is the same everywhere: to win, you need luck and the ability to stop in time.
WEATHER
They travel to Monaco year-round – you can enjoy life on the shores of the Mediterranean even in winter. Moreover, here it is very soft, the Alpes-Maritimes protect the principality from cold winds, and even in January the temperature does not drop below +13.
And in the fall, grace at all.
In October, the average air temperature is +21 … + 24 degrees, water +20.
In November, swimming is unlikely to succeed: on thermometers it is usually around +16 … + 17
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