{"id":1688,"date":"2021-05-10T09:55:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T09:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allurebytess.com\/?p=1688"},"modified":"2021-05-10T09:55:50","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T09:55:50","slug":"36-hours-in-monte-carlo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allurebytess.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/10\/36-hours-in-monte-carlo\/","title":{"rendered":"36 Hours in Monte Carlo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Glitz, glam, fast cars, and Birkins are a few things that come to my mind when I think of Monte Carlo, Monaco. I hadn’t been to Monaco, let alone Monte Carlo, in about 20 YEARS, so when the opportunity for a quick girls trip came up, you better believe I jumped on it. I’ve always been a fan of luxurious places (I mean, I do live in Cannes!) and I’ve wanted to visit Monaco since I moved back, but things are complicated with the situation we are in. When I went to Monte Carlo, all we needed was a hotel reservation and a negative Covid test less than 72 hours old. Do keep in mind that Monaco is in the middle of my department, so rules may be different for tourists who live elsewhere. Always do your own research! So, what did I do in 36 hours? Well, spoiler alert, LOTS of restaurants were involved. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are always nice cars parked in front of the casino! I spy with my little eye… a Bentley!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Getting to Monte Carlo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Cannes, we have two common ways to get to Monaco. We can drive, which takes about an hour, few tolls, and then trying to figure out where to park in a principality that is the size of two kilometers squared, or you can take the train, which takes about the same amount of time and costs under 10\u20ac. We decided on the latter, mainly due to the fact that we wanted to have some wine on the train and not worry about a car. Hey- this is a mini vacation for us and we planned to live it up! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Fairmont Hotel garden view on a rainy day.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once we arrived, we went straight to our hotel (it was less than a 10 minute walk) which let us in for early check in. There, we had to provide our negative covid tests. The Fairmont hotel was fine; we had a garden view which was okay and the room itself was decent! However, I still think 17\u20ac for a bowl of Special K cereal is abusive, Monaco… The beds were comfy, the terrace was absolutely adorable, and the shower had good pressure! Honestly, I’m not picky and for me, it was great. Besides, I don’t book a hotel with plans to hang out there! When I go somewhere, I am out and about exploring. In general, I do recommend the Fairmont hotel, just not during the Grand Prix unless you’re willing to pay over 6,000\u20ac for a room. Yup, you read that right! If you’re curious on regular prices, the room costs around 330\u20ac with an additional 500\u20ac hold on your card for damages, so do keep that in mind. You can check out this 4 star hotel here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lunch in Monte Carlo, Monaco<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If I’m being honest, the main reason we decided on Monte Carlo is because their restaurants are open for certain guests. In France, they’ve been closed for dine in since October, so you could say we were missing the ambiance! While I do enjoy take-out on occassion, it’s not the same. One quick little tip when in Monaco… GET A RESERVATION! I wouldn’t dare risk trying to get a table by just walking in. You’ll more than likely be stuck with either fast food or a pizza parlor. With that being said, we had early afternoon reservations for Caf\u00e9 de Paris. This restaurant is located right next to the Monte Carlo Casino and if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t return. The food wasn’t over the top and I was still hungry and unsatisfied when I left. For the prices that Monaco charges, I expected more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n