For a long time I thought that Monaco was the ugliest town on the Cote d’Azur. While I still think that, I accept there might be reasons you might want to go there.
For me the bling and ostentatious display of wealth and the hordes of tourists are probably a no. But to see a city that is different in character to the other cities on the Cote d’Azur – maybe a yes.
It’s certainly different to Nice. Nice is largely flat, until you get to Castle Hill, while Monaco is very much built on a slope. A quite steep one – it’s very hilly!
They do both have harbours, but Nice’s harbour is tucked away to the east of the city behind Castle Hill, whereas Monaco’s harbour is right in the centre of town. There’s no avoiding the huge boats in Monaco’s harbour. It’s very much central to the city’s image.
From a distance Monaco doesn’t look so bad, and walking on beautiful Cap Martin nearby, it almost fits into the environment.
Up close though you are spending a lot of your time walking up and down the hills in an urban setting. Locals know the lift and escalator systems that make the city a bit easier to get around, but arriving there as a tourist you won’t and after a couple of hours walking around, your legs will be feeling it.
I visited recently in 2026 when the Formula E race was on, and like for the F1 Grand Prix the city is turned into a racetrack. This makes navigating the city even more difficult as often the roads are blocked off, and you’re having to walk around the track.
I did get through to the harbour and see the boats, and made it to the small but pretty Old Town. Also Prince Albert’s, previously Prince Rainier’s palace on the hill – a steep climb.
For a couple of hours diversion I enjoyed Monaco. I’m not sure how I would feel if I was there longer. There were a lot of tourists, and it was a struggle to find somewhere to eat and also at a reasonable price.
So Monaco’s somewhere if you were going past, I’d take a look, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. Perhaps if you are an F1 fan or sailing in the Med you might disagree?