Monaco

Monaco is less than two square kilometres in size, and you can walk from one end to the other in about an hour. In that space it fits a royal palace, a world-class oceanographic museum, belle époque hotels and some of the most expensive property on the Mediterranean. It feels polished and orderly, a little theatrical, and very safe to wander.

The principality is divided into districts. Monaco-Ville, on the Rock, is the old town, with the Prince's Palace, the changing of the guard each morning and the cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried. Monte Carlo is the district of the Casino, the Café de Paris and the luxury boutiques around the Place du Casino. Between them, Port Hercule fills with yachts and, every May, becomes part of the Formula One circuit. The Exotic Garden clings to the cliff above the harbour, and the Oceanographic Museum, founded by Prince Albert I, sits right on the edge of the Rock with views far along the coast.

Food here is Niçoise-Monégasque: barbajuan (fried pastry parcels of chard and ricotta), socca, fougasse sprinkled with aniseed, and plenty of fresh fish. Dining ranges from Michelin-starred rooms to simple cafés by the market at La Condamine.

Most travellers see Monaco as part of a wider Riviera journey. It features on several of our private van tours through the south of France and on our Provence and Riviera self-drive itinerary, and we also offer a private guided walk of the principality. Nice is around half an hour away, so a day visit from a base on the coast is easy to arrange. Èze, the perched medieval village above the coast road, and the Moyenne Corniche between Nice and Monaco make a short, scenic detour on the same day.