How to get to the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. Advice on flights, trains and buses to Monaco and getting around on the French Riviera
- The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix is scheduled for May 22-25
- Tickets are on sale now via our trusted supplier
- F1 Experiences Ticket Packages are also recommended
- Join our closed Facebook group for Monaco to connect with fellow fans & get advice about attending
- This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links
Flying, Driving, Trains & Cruises to the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix
- Flying to Monaco: The best airport for flying to Monaco is Nice Cรดte dโAzur airport (NCE), just 30km from the principality, which is served by both budget and major carriers with direct flights to more than 100 cities in Europe and even as far afield as New York. Want to find the best prices on long-haul flights? Be sure to also check flights flying into major European hubs such as London, Paris and Amsterdam. There’s plenty of onward flights daily to Nice from these hubs and it can work out cheaper than flying direct.
- Driving to Monaco: More than a few British petrolheads make their pilgrimage to Monaco by road, with a good run down south taking under fifteen hours. Donโt forget to factor in the cost of road tolls, which will set you back around โฌ100 between Calais and Nice. Another classic motor racing destination, Le Mans, is roughly half way between the UK and Monaco, and a good place to break up the journey with an overnight stay.
- Hiring a Car: If you are on holiday and decide to hire a car to drive to Monaco, donโt forget to make sure you have insurance to cover driving in multiple countries. The region has an excellent motorway system which is the quickest way to get from A to B, as long as you donโt mind paying the tolls.
- Intercity Trains to Monaco: the train network in this part of the world is well developed. High-speed TGV trains depart Paris for Nice both day and night. The trip takes 5-6 hours and costs as little as โฌ65; early booking is essential. From the Italian side, a train from Genoa to Nice takes under 4 hours and costs from under โฌ30. Learn more on Seat61.
- Staying in Italy? Monaco is only four hours by road from Milan, three hours from Turin and two hours from Genoa. If you are living or staying anywhere along the Italian Riviera, itโs possible to make an easy return day trip to Monaco, avoiding the hassle and expense of staying in Monte Carlo itself.
- By Boat: not exactly overland, but definitely worth considering for something different. Several cruise lines offer Mediterranean cruises in May which take in the Grand Prix. As well as accommodation and transfers, these cruises generally include race-day tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix (check if there is a surcharge for tickets when booking.)
F1 Experiences Hotel Bookings & Circuit Transfers
Book your hotel and circuit transfers for the Monaco Grand Prix with F1 Experiences! Circuit transfers are available for F1 Experiences guests who have booked their hotel together with an Official Ticket Package. F1 Experiences secures room allocations at some of the most sought-after hotels in Nice on race weekend, and return bus transfers from your hotel to Circuit de Monaco can be added to your booking. View Monaco 2025 ticket packages & hotels
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How to Get to Circuit de Monaco
Staying in Monaco itself on Grand Prix weekend beyond your budget? Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. Most F1 fans stay along the coast outside of Monaco where the accommodation is more reasonably priced. Whether you are staying in Nice or surrounds (around 20km to the south), to the north in Menton (10km from Monaco) or on the Italian side in Ventimiglia (25km from Monaco), getting to the circuit is surprisingly cheap and not actually too difficult. Trains are the best option, followed by buses. Don’t rule out driving yourself, particularly on Friday before the big crowds descend on the weekend (more in Trackside).
Local Trains to Monaco
The train station in Monaco (Gare de Monaco) is centrally located on the hill behind the Sainte Devote corner. Finding your grandstand is relatively straightforward and thoroughfares are well signposted. There are regular trains connecting Monaco with both Nice (South) and Menton / Ventimiglia (North), as well as places in between and further afield (see map). Travel times are reasonable, with the journey taking around 20-30 minutes for both Nice and Ventimiglia.
Tickets cost under โฌ4 each way. Unless there are too many people and platform access is restricted (which can happen at peak times over the weekend), you shouldn’t have to wait longer than 15-30 minutes for a train. Trains run later than buses (till midnight). Booking your tickets in advance to avoid the large ticket office queues that can form, especially at the end of the day. There are ticket machines as well, but you will need coins or a credit card with a chip. Click here to learn more and book advance tickets.
Bus Services to Monaco
Bus number 100 travels between Nice, Monaco and Menton. Single tickets cost under โฌ2 and can be purchased from the driver. The bus operates every 15 minutes between 6am and 8pm, but can get pretty crowded on Grand Prix weekend. Allow around 45-60 minutes for the Nice to Monaco leg and 30 minutes between Menton and Monaco.
The buses stop at various central landmarks in Nice, Monaco and Menton (click here for current timetable). The Nice Airport Xpress bus (number 110) also travels a similar express route (Nice Airport > Monaco > Menton) on a regular schedule. Tickets cost โฌ22 one way or โฌ33 return.
Driving to Monaco
The A8 motorway is the quickest way to get to Monaco from both the French and Italian sides. This motorway does have tolls, but is much quicker than the scenic routes which wind around the coast and are better suited to a leisurely drive (preferably in a cabrio).
Monaco is well signposted, but you should still have GPS navigation. There’s less traffic on Friday, and plenty of parking in the Monaco football stadium in Fontvieille. We don’t recommend driving on Saturday or Sunday. Read Trackside for more information about parking in Monaco.
Monaco Helicopter Transfers
If youโre visiting the Grand Prix for a special occasion, why not consider booking a helicopter transfer from Nice to Monte Carlo? Prices start from โฌ120 per person each way with Heli Air Monaco; the journey takes under 10 minutes.
How to Get Around in Nice
- The airport express buses are the best way to get from Nice Airport to the centre. Bus numbers 98 and 99 run every half an hour and cost โฌ4 per passenger โ just ask for a passe du jour so that you can use your ticket all day. Other bus services are as cheap as โฌ1.50 each way, and bus 23 runs from terminal one only to the central Nice train station in, Gare Nice Thiers. Click here for more information. The closest train station to the airport is Nice St Augustin, which connects with Nice, Monaco and the Italian border to the north, and back to Cannes and Antibes travelling south.
- With over one hundred bus & tram routes on the Lignes d’Azur throughout Nice, travel is easy and inexpensive. Flat fares on public transport are a pocket-pleasing โฌ1.50 each way and a passe du jour allows you a whole dayโs unlimited travel for โฌ5. Be warned that the full bus service stops quite early in Nice, at around 8pm. Several – but not many – night buses run till the early hours. Trams uses the same ticketing system as buses, and operate from 4.30am to midnight.
- Taxis are notoriously expensive in Nice, especially for tourists on this particular weekend. Agree a fare before you travel or insist that the meter stays on for the duration of your journey. No fare within Nice should come to more than โฌ20, and if youโre getting a taxi to Monaco you shouldnโt pay more than โฌ70. Uber is another option, and should be cheaper than taxis but demand can be high.
looking for info and prices towards hotels in nice in may of next year for the f1 please…
Hi Paul, check out the Accommodation section of our guide: https://f1destinations.com/accommodation-monaco-f1-grand-prix/
It pays to book your Monaco GP accommodation as early as possible in advance; you won’t necessarily save that much money, but you will guarantee a room at a good hotel. The date for 2016 should be known in September this year, and confirmed 100% in December. Use Booking.com or a similar website and you should be able to make a reservation in advance which can be cancelled with no cost to you in case the date changes (or your plans change). All the best, Andrew
HI, I would like to know about meal options inside the circuit, and if you know if I can take food with me. Thank you
Hi Jana, you shouldn’t have any trouble taking food into the circuit. As for options within the circuit, there are food stall behind most grandstands, where you can get sandwiches etc at reasonable prices (around 5 EUR, from memory). It’s also a city, so there are supermarkets and restaurants around the circuit to get food (and not all the restaurants are that expensive!). Enjoy!
Hi, do you know how long it takes to walk from Upper T stand to train station?
Hi Susan,
Pretty sure you will have to go around the top section of the circuit (no way to cross over), which means it will take you at least 30-45 minutes. There’s lots to see and do along the way however, so it could take you longer
Wanting to book a car transfer from nice to the Grand Prix for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I appreciate rates will be premium for this weekend but don’t want to get ripped off either. Do you have any suggestions for reputable companies that I could approach for booking in advance. Thanks Karen
Can you advise how you get from the rail station to le rocher on race day?
Just walk. It only takes 15-20 mins at most but on race day you will need to be there very early to get any chance of a decent spot. Quick tip. Don’t drink too much as if you leave to go to the loo you will loose your spot & it will take over an hour to get back. Le rocher is a nightmare. Did it once now it’s grandstand every time for me.
Hello,
When I look up train tickets from Nice to Monaco in the day of the race all times say sold out. Is this possible? Will there be tickets available when I arrive in Nice the Friday before?
Thank you,
Alexis
Don’t worry Alexis. I think you cannot reserve tickets for such trains more than 3 months ahead of your travel. Plus you don’t really need to book in advance for this train; the day before should be fine. The key is to always buy return tickets so you don’t have to line up at the train station in Monaco. Here’s some more information.
Hi,
How long will it take to get from the train to the Portier turn grandstand? It is secluded and at the entrance to the tunnel. Since it is a very small grandstand do you know if they have food and bathroom facilities close. Looks like a long walk on the map since you can’t cross the track.
Thank you.
Hi Fran, I’ve checked the route on Google Maps and it should take you around 20-30 mins, it’s 1.5km. The route I’ve highlighted on the map should be the best way to get there given road closures. I remember walking past this grandstand, but I don’t remember if they had facilities. Pretty sure they would have as all the other grandstands had a food stall and some portaloos.
Thanks for the info. :)
Hey guys! Quick question, please: is there a chance to walk around the circuit on the race weekend, having bought tickets for just 1 area? Is there a general access option for this or are we mainly confined to 1 area/gate?
Entry is restricted during the day, but the track is opened at the end of each day – and that is when you can walk around and explore (from 19:30 on Friday and Saturday, 20:30 on Sunday). During the day you can visit the Fanzone in Place d’Armes and also go up to the castle on the hill for some nice views of the track. More information here: https://f1destinations.com/trackside-monaco-f1-grand-prix/
Hi,
We have a hire car and plan to drive to Monaco on the Friday. I noted that the track opens for local traffic at 14:30 and Iโd like to take the opportunity to drive around on the track area. Is this possible? Or does the volume of traffic make it difficult?
Hi do I need tickets to be in Monaco on the day of the race? I want to walk around Monaco rather than actually sitting in the grandstand. Is that something I can do?
Of course you can walk around Monaco on race day, but you can’t get into certain parts of the city when the track is closed. You can watch the race on the big screen in the fanzone, which is located on Place d’Armes.
Czy jutro miasto jest normalnie dostepne dla autokarow turystycznych? Bo pilot mowi ze chyba zamkniete i bede stal na wyznaczonym parkingu a on pojedzie lokalnym
Jutro jest ok. Ulicy beda zamkniety od Czawartku
Hi, any experience of staying at Nice Airport and taking a train from the nearby train station Nice-Saint-Augustin as an option?
Should work out, right?
Thanks!
Hi there,
We have purchased 3 Saturday GA Tickets. Is it possible to get in and get out several times to the restricted area during the day? Or do we have to stay inside whole day after we checked-in ?
Kind regards
Oner
Yes, pass outs should be possible in Monaco. But always double check at the gate when you are leaving!
Hi, this is such a great resource, thank you so much for running it. Do you think I would be ok getting a 10pm flight from Nice after the Sunday GP? In terms of time it usually takes to get out and get to the airport? Thank you!
I think that’s doable, provided you don’t hang around too long in Monaco after the race. I’d probably try to take the train to Nice.
Good day Andrew,
Love your site. It was incredibly helpful last year for our trip to Silverstone and has been helpful this year in our planning as well. Thank you for what you do!
Question, have you ever used Bus 100 from Nice area into and out of Monaco on race weekend? We would only be attending Friday sessions. Would we have any issues getting bus from Villefranche to Monaco Friday morning and back from Monaco to Villefranche Friday evening?
Kindest regards,
Albert
Thanks a lot Albert! I don’t have experience with the 100 bus from Nice to Monaco, but I’ve heard it’s pretty reliable. I was at the Monaco Grand Prix last year and took the train from Nice to Monaco and back, which worked pretty well – apart from Saturday night when it was super crowded and hard to get on.
Thank you Andrew! So from your experience, the train to and from Nice was not overcrowded in Friday? We’re thinking of staying in Nice. Did you enjoy it there?
Kindest regards,
Albert
Yes, Nice was lovely. Great base for the Monaco Grand Prix. Train was busy on Friday but not too overcrowded. Definitely worth buying your tickets in advance so you don’t have to queue up when you are ready to travel.
Do you know if Bus 1 or 2 are running as normal or adjusted routes or how to check that? Mostly coming to sightsee the “normal” spots (on Thursday) as we accidently planned our trip to Villefranche for Grand Prix weekend! Thanks!
These should be running as normal, best is to check Google Maps on the day. You can still buy tickets for Thursday, which cost 30 EUR.
Hi Andrew,
We are planning a trip to Europe in May 2024 and seriously considering the Monaco Grand Prix. I stumbled upon your site and found it very informative! Can you offer some insight into the best seats for an affordable price for the Sunday race? Also, we understand Monaco is an epic race experience, but are you familiar with Imola and what are your thoughts on that race over Monaco?
Thank you!
Hi Sandy, as you are probably aware tickets are not that cheap in Monaco. More info in this post. Most people agree that Grandstand K is a good place to watch in Monaco, also Grandstand T with views of the pits. Because Monaco is a bit different, you normally buy single day tickets. So if you are planning to go for two or three days, I recommend doing some kind of terrace or yacht hospitality experience on Friday or Saturday when it’s cheaper, then getting a more affordable seat for Sunday.
As for Imola, I went last year and I really loved this race. So much history and the town next to the circuit is great too. I’m actually doing both races again next month!
Hi Andrew, Iโm from Peru and I will visit Nice from May 24th – 26th and Iโm planning to go to Monaco for the GP on Friday. Iโm not sure if the tickets for grand stand the ones around 200$ have an specific number seat or you get any seat from the pm KLM And my other option is just to take the train from Nice to Monaco and just walk around and luckily see the practice from afar
Hello, I think it is worth getting a seat on Friday. You won’t see much in Monaco without one. Prices are not too bad on Friday and we still have some tickets left. You will have an assigned seat, but this won’t be confirmed until a week or two before the race when you receive tickets.
Hi there, we are booked on the 21:00 flight out of Nice on the Sunday evening. We have tickets for grandstand P and need to know if we will make the flight if we leave after the race finishes?
You should be ok, but I think it will be a tight timeline.
If you had done the same last year, you would have missed the end of the race – it was delayed by rain for some time.
Assuming you are flying somewhere in Europe, which means you won’t have to be at the airport as early as for a long-haul flight.
You also didn’t say how you intend to get from Monaco to Nice? If you are going to take the train, just make sure you have tickets bought in advance.
The race should be finished around 5pm, so if you make your way straight to the train station, you should be fine.
Hi Andrew – thank you for such a comprehensive guide! My wife and I have tickets for Saturday’s practice/qualifying this year in Monaco and we are really excited! We are staying in Nice and plan to take the SNCF train to/from Monaco. I’m looking at buying the train tickets in advance as per your advice, but I have to commit to a specific time for the outbound and return. I have read that even with timed tickets we can use them for any train on that day….is this correct or must we take the train at the time selected?
Also, we are wondering about recommendations on where to watch the race on Sunday since we do not have tickets. Would you recommend travelling to Monaco on the Sunday and watching in a nearby restaurant or staying in Nice and watching from there?
Hi Aidan, thanks for your nice words! Regarding trains, my understanding is that you can take any train on that day, as long as you have a valid ticket. I do recommend staying around in Monaco on Saturday night to soak up the atmosphere (party on the track!) but check the return trains and don’t leave it to the last one. It was a bit of a nightmare trying to get home on Saturday night last year, the station and platforms were full from about 9pm onwards and it was a proper crush trying to get on to the last train. The entire, very long, platform was full of people (5 deep?) and then a very short train showed up with maybe 3-4 carriages, so everyone tried to pile on! I sincerely hope they add a few more carriages to the last trains this year, but who knows.
As for Sunday, I’d probably still travel to Monaco – but maybe leave it a bit later than the rest of the fans? You can try to make a reservation at a restaurant in Monaco, but obviously not one with a track view or you will be paying big money. Alternatively, there’s a free fanzone (called MGP Live) on Place d’Armes in Monaco where you can probably watch the race on the big screen, as well as grab some food/drinks. More info in our Trackside post for Monaco.
One more thing if you want to get the full Monaco experience. The track opens to cars and pedestrians later on Saturday and Sunday (check times in the schedule on the Trackside post above) and this is a great chance to do a full walking lap of the circuit, taking in all the sights along the way.
Hi Andrew,
We r going to be on a cruise on May24th 2024. Would there be a way to see any part of the Friday trials that day? The ship is in port from 7am and have to be back onboard at 3 pmโฆ..
Any ideas?
Angie R
Yes, absolutely. I assume your ship docks in Monaco? I’m sure your cruise operator will offer something. Tickets for 2024 are not yet on sale, and not expected to go on sale until October. Join our mailing list (check the box for Monaco) and we will keep you informed.
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for sharing the info :).
May I know how long could it normally take to wait for a train after the race? I am trying to catch a flight to London departing 9:30pm. I will need to pick up my bags near the Nice-Ville station. Just wonder if I would be arriving Nice by 7pm if I leave after the race is finished. Thanks a lot.
Hi Ryan, I think you will be fine. Yes, the train station can get very busy at peak times – my advice would be to either leave as soon as the race is over, or wait 1-2 hours – and try to avoid the biggest peak time. Race should be done by 5pm at the latest (unless red flag or other delay) and I think it will be easy to get to Nice by 7pm. Though if you check in online first for your flight, you don’t really need to get to the airport until about 8pm
Thanks Andrew :)
I have one more question about the race. Is the lookout point near the prince’s residence be open for access during the race weekend? any limitations for access? (I have 3 day grandstand tickets)
Yes, the lookout should be open the whole race weekend. I’ve been up there before and it’s a great spot for taking photos of the principality