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Browsing Tag: South of France

My Visit To The Legendary Monte Carlo Casino

Casino Monte-Carlo
Embracing the glitz & glamour of Monte Carlo!

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!

The Icon!

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.

Atrium Floor of Monte Carlo Casino
The Famous Atrium Floor Inside The Casino

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!

Other French Riviera Posts You Might Enjoy:

I Absolutely Love This French Way of Life!

Hotel Le Negrsco, Nice France
The Legendary Hotel Le Negresco, Nice France

A Memorable Stay At The Legendary Hotel Le Negresco!

During my November 2022 trip to France, I spent a week on the French Riviera and was fortunate enough to stay at the legendary Le Negresco Hotel! Le Negresco Hotel opened in 1913 and it is one of the most famous hotels on the French Riviera. Many notable guests have stayed here over the years including the painter Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco, The Beatles, and Louis Armstrong.

Le Negresco overlooks the beach and the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The unique and timeless hotel features artwork from the 17th century to today, displayed throughout the property. In 2003, Hotel Negresco was listed by the government of France as a National Historic Building and is a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

Le Negresco, Our Home Away From Home in Nice

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Le Negresco is only 3.1 miles away from the Nice Cote d’Azur airport! It felt like our driver had just picked us (and our MANY bags) up when we were pulling up to the front door of the hotel!

I was immediately struck by the Doormen dressed in 18th-century style uniforms, it was so fun to see! The hotel is simply stunning. There is no other way to describe the place. The front desk is beautiful, the hotel bar is beautiful, and even the elevator is beautiful! Because our stay was in late November, the hotel was decked out in full Christmas decore and it only added to the appeal.

Le Negresco Hotel
A beauty of a hotel, right?

The front desk was kind enough to upgrade our room to a King Suite overlooking the beach and promenade. Be sure to head to my Instagram for a video tour of our stunning room!

Of course, Hotel Negresco features a Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Chantecler. The food was everything you’d imagine and then some! I’ve got another post coming that spotlights our dining experience at the restaurant. For now though, just trust me when I tell you the food is phenomenal! We also enjoyed our breakfast daily at the hotel. We opted for room service but the La Rontonde restaurant serves a fresh buffet breakfast daily.

Room Service at Hotel Negresco
Our Delicious Room Service Spread!
Le Negresco Hotel
The View From Our Hotel Room!

Le Negresco, The French Way of Life

My experiences on the French Riviera are times I’ll never forget. From visiting the Medieval village of Eze, to strolling the Promenade of Nice, to spending the day in Monaco, it was a dream vacation. Le Negresco Hotel was the perfect place to end each day of my French adventure. We you find yourself in the South of France, you simply must book a stay here.

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Update! A Room Tour of Le Negresco!