Monte carlo Monaco from a cruise ship

[fuzzyfl]

am going to meet family in front of casino (at brassiere de paris) in monaco after we dock. does anyone know if there are cabs, or is it walking distance? thanks in advance.

[Essiesmom]

According to Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports it is about a 25 minute walk, You can see it from the docking area but it is across the harbor. There is also a shuttle boat that will take you across the harbor. There are also buses. Since I don't feel like typing in everything he says, I suggest you buy his book or Google for directions. And yes, I have been there and the Casino Gardens are beautiful. EM

[zoncom]

In the past one had to dress up to gain Casino access. Do not know if this still is true.

[Hlitner]

Well, we cannot speak for Rick Steves (love his books) but we have been to MC about 2 dozen times so have some personal ideas :). You do not say if your ship is going to Monte Carlo or nearby Villefrannche (which is a tender port between MC and Nice). If your ship docks in Monte Carlo (some ships will tender at MC if the pier is full) you have a good mile hike to the Casino. And its a bit of a hike to get out of the port and to the main road where you can access a local bus. So, in your situation we would probably suggest taxi unless you have the time and want to take a long urban walk. If you are planning to visit it will cost you 10€ just to see the inside of "part" of the casino! In recent years they have relaxed the dress code during the morning although they might still not look kindly on shorts. Understand that this Casino does most of its real business in the evening hours so the daytime is primarily tourists paying to see the inside of a casino (most other casinos pay me to visit :). You are not going to see any famous people in the casino and you will not even see the private gaming rooms where most of the really high roller gambling happens. Also keep in mind that the casino is not open (for gambling) until after 2pm.

 

Hank

[SuiteTraveler]

I just want to add the the casino is uphill from the port. It would be quite a haul to walk it.

 

If you go up to Monaco, you can see the cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier married and are now entombed. There is an aquarium and you can also tour the palace and still have plenty of time to go visit the casino after it opens.

[sail7seas]

I just want to add the the casino is uphill from the port. It would be quite a haul to walk it.

 

If you go up to Monaco, you can see the cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier married and are now entombed. There is an aquarium and you can also tour the palace and still have plenty of time to go visit the casino after it opens.

B oth times we were at MC on a ship, we tendered and walked easily to the c asino.

[Hlitner]

B oth times we were at MC on a ship, we tendered and walked easily to the c asino.

 

We were careful to mention the possibility of tendering :). However, in recent years MC has opened a real cruise ship pier which is what is generally used by all ships (unless there are multiple ships in the port at the same time). In the past 6 years we have been to MC 3 times (on cruises) and docked every time. Prior to that we always tendered. While the tender pier is within easy walking distance (but uphill) to the casino.....the cruise ship pier is on the other side of Port Hercule....pretty far from the casino. DW and I could still do that walk from the pier, but we are still in pretty good shape (I often walk 10 miles for fun). Given that a majority on our cruises cannot even walk down one flight of steps (they prefer or need to wait several minutes for an elevator to go one floor) we tend to not recommend folks walking anywhere that is more then a few blocks...or on an even surface. In the case of MC we are talking about a good mile....part of which is uphill (and its pretty steep). The thing about very experienced cruisers is they will tell you the way something was when they were at a port....but when you ask when was the last time they were at that port you might get something like "twenty years ago" or "it was so long ago I can't remember."

 

Hank

[SuiteTraveler]

Here's a photo showing how far uphill the Monte Carlo casino is - it's the fancy old style building with the twin towers:

http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/25255/monaco_casino_1.jpg

 

It would probably be a 15 - 20 minute walk and a lot of it uphill. Or you can take a Bateau bus (it's a boat) across the harbor then walk to the tunnel that the Grand Prix cars race through. There is an escalator that takes you up to the casino. You should be able to find your way using this map:

http://www.cam.mc/documents/1298472237.pdf

 

Here's a port guide which I believe will be quite helpful for you:

http://www.tomsportguides.com/uploads/5/8/5/4/58547429/monaco-06-20-2012.pdf

 

You can't get too lost as Monte Carlo is very small.

 

How you get there will depend upon where you dock or if you are tendering.

 

Here's information about entering the casino including the dress code:

http://www.casinomontecarlo.com/plan-your-stay/casino-entry/