The Best Way’s To Travel from Paris to Monaco

The Best Way’s To Travel from Paris to Monaco

Because of the intimate, close-knit nature of European countries, it’s easy to forget juts how big France actually is.

France is the third largest territory on the European continent, following closely behind Russia and the Ukraine.

Paris is the main port of entry for the country in terms of both air and land based transportation. From here, travelers will either stick around and explore the north, or make their way down south into the French Riviera region.

If you plan on traveling between Paris and Monaco while in France, use this as your official transpiration guide.

Monaco – by Julien Lanoy – Unsplash

Monaco

Paris and Monaco could not be further apart. Paris is up in the far north of France, while Monaco sits on the southernmost tip of the country, right in the heat of the picturesque French Riviera.

To put it into perspective, Monaco is just 15km from the Italian boarder on the easternmost corner of France.

Monaco is a travel destination often portrayed in movies involving high end gambling rings, Europe’s yacht scene and anything involving the iconic Monte-Carlo. Hollywood loves Monaco.

Monaco – by Viespire Travel – Unsplash

This coastal city involves all of the above, as well as some fantastic beaches and holiday resorts. While being both a scenic and dreamy destination, there is a very distinct element of wealth reigning supreme; the cost of living in Monaco is significantly higher than elsewhere in France.

Come, but come ready to splurge. Paris might have felt expensive in comparison to cities like Lisbon or Amsterdam, but Monaco’s prices are a league of their own and travelers who are unprepared tend to have a rude awakening.

Getting to Monaco From Paris

The total distance between Monaco and Paris is 954km. There is no “quick fix” to this journey, and one should set aside at least a day of travel time in their itinerary regardless of the chosen mode of transport.

By Train

My preferred mode of transport anywhere in Europe is always the train. In most cases, it proves to be more efficient than flying, and it’s almost always more scenic.

Since you’ll be traveling from Paris to Monaco, you’ll be passing through just about every natural terrain the French countryside has to offer. Regardless of the season, this is an unforgettable journey to make using ground transportation.

All trains between Paris and Monaco depart from the Gare de Lyon Station in the city center. There are two independent companies offering service between the destinations, and all of the journeys average between 6.5 and 7.5 hours in total.

Monaco – by Matthias Mullie – Unsplash

Considering that train travel requires little to no check in time prior to departure, you won’t need extra transit periods before and after the journey. Simply arrive, show your ticket, find a seat and before you know it you’ll get off right in the heart of Monte Carlo.

A lot of people think that traveling by air between Paris and Monaco is more efficient, but this is not always the case…

By Plane

To travel by plane from Paris to Monaco, one needs to know that there is not actual airport in Monaco itself. The nearest air portal is in Nice, which is a 35 minute bus ride from Monaco’s center.

All planes to Monaco depart from the Charles du Gaulle Airport. You’ll need roughly forty minutes to get here from wherever you are in Paris’ city center.

Monaco – by Kit Suman – Unsplash

Arrive at least an hour before your scheduled departure time. After this, the flight itself if 1 hour 30 minutes. As mentioned, once you arrive in Nice you’ll need to catch the Monaco bus line for another 35 minutes into the center, and find your accommodation from this arrivals station.

One can taxi between Nice and Monaco, but the prices cost about as much as your flight over did.

By Car

Driving through French country is a bucket list experience that not many people would turn down. To do so, one would need to hire a car while in Paris (most of them need to be picked up from Charles du Gaulle Airport).

If you were to do this journey without stopping, and without traffic, it would take just under nine hours to complete.

Given the nature of the land, you’re going to want to stop. There is a lot to see on this scenic route, as well as other major cities and villages you might actually want to stop in along the way.

Monaco – by Felix Neudecker – Unsplash

Lyon is the halfway point for this journey. I would recommend cutting the route in half and spending a night in this historic medieval city.

Alternatively, give yourself a solid 11 hours in which to complete the distance in one day. This accounts for bathroom breaks, lunch and snack runs as well as any unexpected traffic that one may encounter en route.

By Bus

Back when I was very brave, and very broke, I made use of the bus systems to get between European cities.

This is without a doubt the cheapest way to get between Paris and Monaco, with tickets starting at as little as €30.

The catch? A 16 hour journey through the French countryside, with just one stop along the way. The busses will depart at Bercy Station in the south of Paris, and arrive 15 long hours later at the station in Menton.

Monaco – by Pasquale Iovino – Unsplash

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From here, there is another bus to take you the last hour into the Monaco center.

If you want to save yourself two hours, there is another bus option departing from Gallieni Station in the city. This one gets you straight to Nice in just 13 hours, and then the last hour into Monaco is completed on a second bus ride.