Transport in Monaco
From trains to bus boats and electric bikes, here’s everything you need to know about transport in Monaco
Getting to Monaco by train
The Marseille-Saint-Charles-Ventimiglia railway line goes straight through Monaco. The railway was put underground as early as 1958 thanks to a first 3,5 km tunnel. A second 3 km tunnel was built in 1999, the year when the new underground station of Monaco-Monte-Carlo was first inaugurated.
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The micro-state has had a railway since 1868. There previously were two stations in Monaco: the Monte-Carlo train station, and the Monaco train station. The Monte-Carlo station was near the current Fairmont Hotel. It was closed in 1965 before being destroyed. The Monaco station, which was closed in 1999 and also destroyed, was located in La Condamine.
On top of the numerous French trains that go through the Principality on a daily basis, Monaco also owns five of its own trains, purchased in 2008. Decked in the colours of the Principality, the trains were purchased by Monaco to improve the service for cross-border workers.
Getting to Monaco by car
By motorway, Monaco is less than 30 minutes away from the Nice-Côte d’Azur airport. You can also reach Monaco through France’s national roads. While they are not as fast as the motorway, they do offer striking views of the Mediterranean.
Monaco has almost 40 public car parks and over 15,000 car spaces. Given Monaco’s small size, most of these car parks are underground. At the height of the summer tourist season, more than 100,000 vehicles go through the Principality on any given day.
Please note that Monaco-Ville is only accessible to vehicles registered in the Principality or in the French department of Alpes Maritimes (with proof of residence). Moreover, although motorhomes are not forbidden in the Principality, it is quite complicated to drive one in Monaco as well as to find adequate parking. For more information, contact the Monaco town hall.
Getting to Monaco by boat
Monaco has three ports:
Port Hercule: Located in front of the Condamine, it is Monaco’s oldest port. According to the body in charge of Monaco’s ports, Port Hercule is “one of the few, if not the only, deep-water port on the Côte d’Azur”.
Fontvieille Port: Opened in the early 1970s, it is located at the foot of the Rock and can accommodate up to 275 boats.
The Port of Ventimiglia: In need of space, in 2020 Monaco opened a third port in Ventimiglia, Italy. The port of Cala del Forte can accommodate up to 178 boats and is also home to about 30 shops. It is located about 20 minutes away from Monaco by sea.
Getting to Monaco by helicopter
Located in the Fontvieille neighbourhood, Monaco’s heliport is mainly used to transport passengers between Monaco and the Nice-Côte-d’Azur airport, some 20 kilometers away. The trip takes about 7 minutes.
Two Monegasque airlines operate the Heliport: Heli Air Monaco and Monacair.
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Getting around Monaco: on foot
Despite the many hills, it is actually rather easy to walk around Monaco, thanks to its many public moving walkways. There are 79 lifts, 35 escalators, and eight conveyor belts. Want to know more? The Monegasque public services publish a brochure on the subject.
Getting around Monaco: buses
The Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM) was created in 1939 to replace the former Monegasque public transport company. It currently operates six bus lines and two night routes. In accordance with the environmental policy outlined by Prince Albert II of Monaco, the buses are either electric or run on biofuel.
Four lines of the French Ligne d’Azur network go through the Principality:
- Bus 110: links Menton to Nice-Côte-d’Azur airport
- Bus 100: links Nice to Menton
- 100X: links Nice to Monaco
- Bus 114: links Monaco to La Turbie.
Since 2019, Monaco also has a shuttle service that stops at the Prince’s Palace, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum, and the Place de la Visitation, all key tourist sites.
Getting around Monaco: electric bikes Since 2013, Monaco has had its own electric bike service, MonaBike. There are over 300 bikes available and 35 bike stations throughout the city-state.
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Getting around Monaco: car sharing Since 2014, Monaco has also been offering an electric car-sharing service called Mobee. 30 Renault Twizzy are available 24/7 in “free-floating” mode, i.e. without stations. You can locate the cars using an app. Parking is free on the road and as well as in 34 partner car parks.
Getting around Monaco: Boat Bus
Since 2007, Monaco has an electric and solar-powered boat bus. The boat bus transports passengers across Port Hercule, offering a quick connection between Monaco-Ville and Monte-Carlo. The boat bus transports over 110,000 passengers annually. The fares are the same as for bus journeys.
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