Monte Carlo Casino
During my trip to Monaco, I enjoyed visiting the legendary Monte Carlo Casino. The opportunity to experience all the glitz & glamour Monaco is known for was the highlight of my time on the French Riviera!
Monte Carlo, The Jewel of the Mediterranean
Monte Carlo Casino is located in the Principality of Monaco and many consider it the glittering jewel of the Mediterranean. The views are just spectacular everywhere you look, and it’s truly a sight that must be seen to be believed!
Fun Fact: Monte Carlo Casino is more than just a gaming house, it is also home to the Opera de Monte-Carlo!
Exploring Monte Carlo Casino
Our adventure at the Casino began at the Casino Square (Place du Casino), a Plaza at the front entrance of the building. The plaza was full of tourists taking photos (me included) of all the wildly expensive supercars driving by. It was a great introduction to the excess that is Monte Carlo. As guests, my husband and I got to visit the Casino de Monte Carlo without entering the gaming rooms. We were able to tour the artfully decorated Atrium. Touring the Atrium is a fantastic way to get the feel of the casino without paying to access the rooms. The Atrium is free to visitors beginning at 10 am and it is a beautiful spot to explore and people watch.
Our tour guide informed us that accessing the gaming rooms requires a valid national identity card or passport. Driver’s licenses are not an acceptable form of identification. Currently, the entrance fee is 18 euros (about $19) per person.
Bond, James Bond
007 fans should recognize Monte Carlo Casino from several James Bond films. Some of the filming of GoldenEye took place here, and the casino was also featured in Never Say Never Again & Casino Royale. It was so much fun snapping photos inside places I recognized from the big screen!
A True Bucket List Experience!
As I said earlier, during my time at the Monte Carlo Casino we only toured the Atrium, we did not enter the gaming rooms. It would have been nice to at least enter the famous (infamous?) gaming rooms and try my luck, but sadly time just didn’t permit it. I would love to hear from any of you who may have had an opportunity to try some games at the legendary Monte Carlo Casino! Please let me know everything I missed!
A visit to Cote d’Azur would be incomplete without a stop in Monaco and to trip to Monte Carlo Casino! If you love travel, architecture, glitz & glamour, this is the place for you!
Be sure to follow my IG page for lots of videos and photos of my time in Monaco!
Thanks For Reading!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this post inspires you to add Monaco and the French Riviera to your travel list!
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During my birthday trip to France in November, I was fortunate to spend a week in Paris and a week on the French Riveria, splitting my time between Nice and Monaco. While in Nice our fantastic travel agent, Travel Designs by Judy, booked us a tour of the village of Eze. Before my travels, I had no knowledge of the area, and I was in for the best surprise ever!
Eze is a beautiful seaside village in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region in southeast France. It is located on the French Riviera, just a short distance from Nice to the north and Monaco to the west.
A Brief History of Eze
During our time in the South of France, we stayed at the legendary Le Negresco Hotel which I will feature in my next post. The Negresco Hotel is located in Nice and our tour guide/driver picked us up directly from the hotel for our excursion to Eze.
During the scenic drive from Nice, our guide explained more to us about Eze. The village dates back to the Medieval Ages, but it’s been modernized with shops, art galleries, hotels, and restaurants. Because of the beauty and charm of the Eze, it is very popular with tourists and honeymooners. Eze is called by some a “museum village” as so few residents of local origin live here. The oldest building in the village is the Chapelle de la Sainte Croix and it dates back to 1306. Eze is often described as an “eagle’s nest” because of its location overlooking a high cliff 1,401 ft above sea level on the French Mediterranean.
A Day on the French Riviera I’ll Never Forget!
Our tour guide dropped us off right outside the village walls and we were on our own to meander the pathways and just enjoy being in the South of France! The first thing I noticed was how peaceful the atmosphere was. Cars are not allowed within the precinct, so the quiet was palpable. The only sounds are the birds in the air, muted conversations from other visitors, and your own footsteps along the cobblestone path.
The stunning views of the French Riveria coast took my breath away! There were so many photo ops in the village, I literally wanted to photograph everything! My husband and I both loved browsing the many shops and I was able to find some eclectic souvenirs for home. I was enthralled by the centuries-old architecture and seeing all of the carvings, plaques, and artwork from ages ago was truly an experience.
Thanks For Joining Me On The French Riviera!
Thanks for reading along and don’t forget to follow me on social media to see more photos and videos of my time in Eze. Please comment below with any questions you may have about the village, I’m here to help!
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