Monaco in 6 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Six days: Monaco, Nice, Eze, Menton and the Italian border
Six days nests the 5-day plan and adds Ventimiglia, the Italian border town whose sprawling Friday market is worth crossing for. Drop back to the 5-day plan if Ventimiglia’s Friday-only schedule doesn’t line up with your trip, or extend to the 7-day version for Cannes and Antibes too.
Book these before you go
- Book the Oceanographic Museum ticket in advance, EUR22.50 adult.
- Book the full-day Monaco, Monte-Carlo and Eze tour from Nice to cover Eze without solving the bus yourself.
- Compare Nice hotel rates on Booking.com ; six days of day trips run more cheaply from a Nice base than a Monaco one.
| Day | Focus | Travel time | Cost today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Monaco-Ville, Le Rocher, Oceanographic Museum | - | Museum ~EUR22.50; lunch ~EUR10-12 |
| Day 2 | Monte-Carlo, Casino, Larvotto Beach | - | Casino heritage visit ~EUR20 (optional) |
| Day 3 | Nice day trip | ~22 min train | Train ~EUR5-7 each way |
| Day 4 | Eze day trip | ~7 min train + 20-30 min bus/hike | Train ~EUR5-7; Fragonard tour free |
| Day 5 | Menton day trip | ~11-12 min train | Train ~EUR3-4 each way |
| Day 6 | Ventimiglia, Italy (Friday market) | ~25-30 min train | Train ~EUR4-7 each way |
Day 1: Monaco-Ville and Le Rocher
Arrive via the Monaco-Monte-Carlo train station, fully underground since 1999. From Nice, the ride is roughly 22 minutes, about EUR5 to EUR7 one way. Start at the Prince’s Palace: the Changing of the Guard happens free, daily, at 11:55am. If the State Apartments are open (seasonal, 30 March to 15 October 2026, check current dates on palais.mc ), the interior tour runs about EUR13 adult. The Cathedral next door is free and holds Grace Kelly’s tomb. Spend the middle of the day at the Oceanographic Museum, founded in 1910, adult entry about EUR22.50, then finish at La Condamine market for a EUR10-12 barbagiuan and socca plate.
Day 2: Monte-Carlo, the Casino and Larvotto
The Casino de Monte-Carlo’s Atrium is free, no ticket, no dress code. A morning heritage visit (before 2pm) runs about EUR20 adult; gaming from 2pm onward is a separate EUR20 ticket, strictly 18+. Check current terms on montecarlosbm.com . Walk down to Larvotto, Monaco’s only public beach, then Port Hercule’s yacht rows, both free.
Day 3: Nice, the Riviera’s budget base
The same EUR5-7, 22-minute train that brought you in runs about 60 times a day, and a Nice hotel room costs a fraction of Monaco’s roughly EUR550-650+ nightly average. Spend the day on the Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice’s alleys, and the Cours Saleya morning market. See the 3-day Nice itinerary or the pebble beaches guide for more.
Day 4: Eze, the perched village
The train to Eze-sur-Mer takes about 7 minutes, but the perched village sits well above that station, so budget 20 to 30 minutes more for the infrequent connecting bus, or climb the Chemin de Nietzsche on foot instead. The village and the Fragonard perfumery’s free guided tour cost nothing once you’re up there.
Day 5: Menton, the flatter option
Menton trades Eze’s climb for an easier, flatter old town, about 11-12 minutes from Monaco-Monte-Carlo by train, roughly EUR3-4 one way. It’s the last French town before the Italian border, known for its lemon-themed Belle Epoque seafront. The old town and seafront cost nothing to wander.
Day 6: Ventimiglia, the Italian border market
Ventimiglia sits about 25 to 30 minutes from Monaco-Monte-Carlo by train, roughly EUR4-7 one way, and it’s worth the trip only if this day lands on a Friday, the one day its sprawling open-air market runs. Arrive on an early train to beat the crowds; the market is a 10-minute walk from the station. You’re crossing into Italy, still Schengen so no passport check in practice, but a different country all the same, same euro, so no currency swap needed. If your Day 6 doesn’t fall on a Friday, swap this with the Menton day instead.
Is Monaco actually duty-free?
No. Monaco sits inside France’s VAT and customs territory, so the roughly 20% French VAT applies to everything bought here. What Monaco actually offers is no personal income tax for most residents, a rule dating to 1869, not a shopping perk. visitmonaco.com has the principality’s own current visitor essentials.
Why does the Ventimiglia day trip need to land on a Friday?
Because the market that makes the trip worthwhile only runs that one day of the week; the town itself is pleasant enough any day, but the sprawling open-air stalls that draw Monegasques and Nicois shoppers across the border are Friday-only. Check your itinerary’s actual dates before you slot this day in.
Book the museum ticket and the Nice-Eze-Monaco tour before you land; the Palace ceremony and every Riviera day trip on this list are otherwise free or walk-up.