Located in the far south-east of France, the Principality of Monaco extends 4.4 kilometres along a narrow strip of coastline next to the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the southern Alps. The Principality sits between the French Riviera and the Italian Riviera.
The Principality of Monaco can be accessed from anywhere in the world, and there are a number of options for getting here by plane, train or road.
Monaco is close to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport, which links the Principality to more than 100 destinations all over the globe, with 70 daily connections to the major European hubs. It is the third busiest airport in France, serving more than 14 million passengers per year.
Standard Time Zone : UTC/GMT - 1 hour. Time Zone Abbreviation CCEETT - Central European Time.
In September, the average temperature in the Principality of Monaco varies from 18 °C / 20 °C (80 °F / 90 °F). Website: www.meteo.fr.
Entry to Monaco is via French territory. To enter and stay in Monaco, participants must hold a valid passport or travel document with the relevant stamps, visas and authorisations to allow them to enter and stay in France. Visa applications should be made via the French Consulate or Embassy in their place of residence or any other country that is part of the Schengen Agreement. Although the Principality of Monaco is an independent, sovereign state, there are no formalities at the border.
Please note that Nationals of the European Economic Area and associated States do not require a visa to enter Monegasque territory. They only need to carry a passport or a valid identity card.
Concerned countries are : Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands), Estonia, Vatican City, France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion), Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores), Czech Republic, Romania, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar), San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.
For the Nationals of countries outside the European Economic Area, they must be in possession of a valid passport and a visa for the Schengen area.
Consequently, requests for visas to enter Monegasque territory must be made to the Embassy of the country of the Schengen Area that will be the entry point for a stay in Europe. Once a Schengen visa has been obtained, a visit to the Principality can be made with no additional formalities.
For stays of less than 90 days, some nationalities are exempt from the requirement to have a visa to enter the Schengen area.You can consult the list of nationalities that are exempt from the visa requirement of the French Public Service : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/ai-je-besoin-d-un-visa
A list of member countries of the Schengen Area can also be consulted at this address.
The electricity supply in the Principality is 220 V / 50 Hz with European-style sockets. You are advised to bring an adaptor.
The official language is French. English and Italian are also widely spoken. The official currency is the euro (€). Bureaux de change in Monaco:
Banque Générale du Commerce – 2 Avenue des Spélugues
Compagnie Monégasque de Change – Pécheurs car park, Avenue de la Quarantaine
The credit cards most commonly accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops are: Visa, American Express, Mastercard, Eurocard.
Free shuttles running between the Principality’s hotels and Place du Casino are available for use by participants. Information totems marking the position of bus stops will be installed in front of the Principality’s hotels.
Timetable for shuttles between the hotels and Place du Casino
Will be made available at a later date.