Oh Monaco
Home to Monte Carlo Rally and Monaco Grand Prix, its astounding location, natural harbour and casinos make it a very popular spot along the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). Only 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide (about the size of New York’s Central Park), this is the second-smallest country in the world, right after Vatican City.
Arriving
Monaco is 9 miles east of Nice in France – which has the nearest international airport available. If you have a lot of spare cash, you may arrive by helicopter in 7 minutes from Nice airport. I took a short TER train ride on a late afternoon from Villefranche (starting from Nice, actually) for just a few euros, and alighted at this shiny, elegant underground station, a stark contrast from the other quaint train stations we passed by earlier.
It was my second time in this sovereign state. There aren’t many things to do here, perhaps you could visit and note the famous corners of the annual F1 race that takes place on a May weekend; or check out the casinos (some require entry charges); check out the facade of the palace before you walk down to the port; or visit the Oceanographic Museum.
Monaco & the Rich
It’s difficult to not feel impressed by the riches flaunted in full view in this country, such as seeing the number of yachts docked at the ports at any one time. This country is definitely full of extremely wealthy inhabitants, reportedly, one in every three persons is a millionaire.
Monaco has a population of about 35,500 – 38,000. With its small area, it has one of the highest population density in the world. If you’re thinking of gaining citizenship in this country where citizens don’t need to pay income tax, you’ll have to at least make a bank deposit of about €300,000 – € 1million, depending on the bank.
Public transport in Monaco
Even if you are not driving around in a swanky car, Monaco has a modern and efficient bus transport system that benefits everyone.
The main language spoken in Monaco is French. Euros is the currency being used here. A few hours would suffice to be spent in Monaco.
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Visited: Nov 2013
Information sources: Yellow Submarine information (source) | Population stats (source) | Visit Monaco | Public bus system
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