Monaco: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Monaco feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 25 written places.
Groomed, discreet and dressed up; appearances are minded from morning coffee onward.
✓ Considered polite
- Say Bonjour entering every shop - the language and manners are French
- Dress a notch smarter than usual; jackets are expected in the casino after 20:00 and in better restaurants
- Carry your passport or EU ID card for the Casino de Monte-Carlo - entry is checked and driving licences are not accepted
- Use the free public lifts and escalators that stitch the hillside levels together
✗ Better avoided
- Walk the streets in swimwear or bare-chested - beachwear away from the beach can draw a fine
- Wear shorts and flip-flops to the casino in the evening - you will be turned away
- Photograph inside the casino gaming rooms
- Expect budget anything - even a simple lunch is priced for the setting
Worth knowing
- Service is included on restaurant bills - extra tipping is a discreet round-up, not a percentage
- The whole country covers just over two square kilometres - everything is walkable
- Trains and buses from Nice make it an easy day trip, with no formalities crossing from France
- The euro is the currency and cards are accepted everywhere
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.