Monaco holidays

Monaco is the world's second-smallest country (after Vatican City) — a 2 sq km Mediterranean principality between France and Italy that has cultivated since the 19th century a luxury-leisure identity around the Casino de Monte-Carlo (built 1863), the Monaco Yacht Show (each September, the world's most-significant superyacht event), the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix (each May, the most-glamorous race on the F1 calendar), and the Belle Époque palace and Old Town (Monaco-Ville on the rocky peninsula). The Grimaldi royal family has ruled since 1297 — one of the oldest continuously-reigning dynasties in the world.

A short Monaco trip (2-3 days, typically as part of a wider French Riviera/Côte d'Azur or Italian Liguria coast trip): arrival into Monaco's helicopter port from Nice airport (the world's shortest scheduled helicopter route, 7 minutes) or by train (the SNCF stop at Monaco-Monte-Carlo is one of the prettiest in Europe) → Monte-Carlo Casino visit (the building is open for visitors during daytime — small entry fee — even non-gamblers should see the gilded interiors and the Garnier-designed opera hall) → Hotel de Paris and the Place du Casino square → Monaco-Ville old town on the rock (Prince's Palace changing of the guard at 11:55am, the Cathedral with Princess Grace's tomb, the Oceanographic Museum, the Saint-Martin Gardens) → Larvotto Beach for the small Mediterranean strand → the Japanese Garden and the Princess Grace Rose Garden for quieter green-space. Add a Formula 1 walking tour of the street circuit, or attend a Monte-Carlo Philharmonic or Opera evening if dates align.