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The French Riviera – Nice and Monaco

A few days in the French Riviera

It’s been a hot minute since traveling to Europe, and the first European trip of 2023 starts off with some time spent on France’s southern coast in the cities of Nice and the sovereign microstate of Monaco.  I believe this was the first time I’ve actually met family abroad as well!  As expected. the food was fantastic and we had some great weather for the 3 days we were there.  Above all, we were able to accomplish Mila’s plan for getting a passport stamp in Monaco.

Most of the filming took course over one day, aside from the b-roll.  Three days was more than enough to walk about Nice, see its many museums and take a day trip to Monaco via train.

Logistics for 3 days in Nice:

  • Since we had booked a Norse RT flight from MCO-LGW prior, we used Wizz Air exclusively for all intra-European travel. Flight from London to Nice was roughly $100.
  • The Airbnb was $450, and unfortunately was the worse one on the trip.
  • We used public transportation for getting around and costs totaled no more than $50.

Total for core logistics was $600 for our time in Nice and Monaco.

Nice Thoughts

Arriving to Nice in the night, Mila and I could already get a sense of the upscale nature of the city – even through the cover of darkness.  It’s always fun to wake up the next morning and see your surrounding in, literally, a different light.  Our Airbnb turned out to be in a great location right on the corner of a bustling square filled with shops, restaurant and gelato stands.  Although the city gave off a certain luxurious impression, our accommodation didn’t play along.  But I’ll leave it to the Airbnb host to deal with that, since we spent the majority of our stay exploring all Nice had to offer.  And for us, this meant mostly everything except the rocky beach, as we live in Florida and are spoiled by pristine sand 🙂

We spent our fair share of time walking the streets of Nice, hiking to the fortress vantage point, people watching at our corner restaurant and taking in the more than five centuries of architecture and design.  However, our times spent best were at the Museums of Chagall and Matisse.  This one was really for Mila, but I’ll admit, it grew on me a little.  They are slightly north of “downtown,” but easy enough to reach with public transport.  It’s not about the complexity of the art, but more so the trailblazing nature of the artist.  Or so I’m told.

During our stay in Nice, Mila and I also met up with my cousin and his girlfriend.  I think this is where the Aperol Spritz commenced…  But it was only the beginning of the rendezvous, as we’d surprise my Aunt and Uncle once arriving at the Monte Carlo in Monaco!

Monte Carlo Winner!

As the video portrays, we were on a time crunch to make it over to Monaco to get those passport stamps!  Fortunately the logistics of getting there were very straightforward, and train tickets can be bought day-of at the station in Nice.  I wish I could say the same about the journey back when we found out about the transportation (train) strike!

We sprinted off the train and made a beeline to the tourism office in Monaco – barely taking any time to even look around at where we were.  But we did it.  We got those darn passport stamps from Monaco, albeit stamped in a separate card. Womp womp womp…  Nevertheless, mission complete and time to take a breather.

First impressions of Monaco – I do not think it is as ritzy as it’s made out to be.  Yes, there are the exotic cars and luxury yachts, but it is not everywhere.  That piece of Monaco is pretty centralized, from what I saw.  Many condos and apartments are either rented out or vacant; simply providing tax benefits for the owners, too.  However, overall, is it a place to roll up in a mega yacht or sports car and make a flashy entrance to the Monte Carlo casino? Absolutely. 

With our mission behind us, I worked with my cousin to figure out when they’d be at Monte Carlo and finally surprised my Aunt and Uncle, who were already on some winning bets!  If you’ve been to Las Vegas, this obviously won’t compare with sheer size, but now we can say we’ve been to the Monte Carlo casino!  As with other places, there is no filming or photos allowed inside, but it is what you’d expect – very elegant, massive chandeliers and Goldeneye martinis.

Onward and Eastward

The return back to Nice was a little complicated, but it all worked out.  The Monte Carlo winnings definitely soothed the annoyance!  At this point, it was past midnight and we had a plane to catch the next day for Budapest.  We said goodbye to my family and headed back to our homebase.

With our morning cappuccinos and croque monsieur behind us (maybe some more gelato, too), we took the tram back to the airport and prepared for our time in Hungary.  As great as it was to be in Nice and Monaco, personally I do not think it’ll be somewhere I go back to anytime soon.  There was nothing I didn’t like, per se.  I just flat out know the further east I go, the more connected I feel.  Weird, but that’s how it is.  Onward and eastward we go!

-ML

Recap of Places

Check out the MAP for links!

  • Marc Chagall National Museum
  • Musée Matisse
  • Old Nice – explore the alleys!
  • Monte Carlo Casino – win big!

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