Monaco in 7 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Seven days: the full Riviera-from-Monaco spine
Seven days nests the 6-day plan and closes with Cannes and Antibes, the furthest realistic day trip from a Monaco base. Drop back to the 6-day plan if that last leg is more travel than you want, or trim further to the 5 , 4 , 3 and 2-day versions.
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 for the harder-to-plan day trip.
- Check Monaco hotel rates on Booking.com if you want one splurge night inside the principality itself across a full week.
| 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 7 | Cannes and Antibes | ~60-73 min train + 8-10 min | Train fares vary; walking free |
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+. Confirm 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.
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. You’re crossing into Italy, still Schengen so no passport check in practice, same euro, so no currency swap needed. If Day 6 isn’t a Friday for your dates, swap this with the Menton day instead.
Day 7: Cannes and Antibes, the long day trip
This is the biggest single-day commitment on this list: about an hour to just over an hour by direct train to Cannes, then another 8 to 10 minutes on to Antibes. Both are walkable once you arrive, the Croisette and old port in Cannes, the ramparts and Picasso Museum area in Antibes, and neither charges for the walk itself. See the Cannes budget guide and the Antibes place page for what to prioritize if you only have the one day to split between them.
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.
Is the Cannes and Antibes day trip worth a full week’s last day?
Only if you have not already seen the closer, cheaper options; it is a meaningfully bigger commitment than Eze, Menton or Ventimiglia, and better suited to travelers who are already based in Nice rather than making the full round trip from Monaco itself. If your week is genuinely full, an easier repeat visit to Nice is a fair substitute.
Book the museum ticket and the Nice-Eze-Monaco tour before you land; everything on Days 3 through 6 is free or walk-up once you’re actually there.