Monaco, or known as the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state in Western Europe, situated on the French Riviera. It’s the second-smallest country in the world — after the Vatican City, and it's well-known for its luxury, high-end tourism, beautiful yachts, the annual Monaco Grand Prix (F1), and as a tax haven with no personal income tax for most residents. It's economy is driven on banking, tourism, real estate and casinos.
As a city-state, Monaco doesn't exactly have a capital. However, Monaco-Ville, the most historically significant district in the country, is considered as the 'capital-like' area due to it being the historic and political heart of Monaco. Monaco-Ville is located on a rocky promontory known as 'The Rock', and it is home to the Prince's Palace of Monaco, the Monaco Cathedral, narrow medieval streets and historic buildings. Other important districts in Monaco are Monte Carlo — home to the Monte Carlo Casino, La Condamine — the harbour and commercial centre, and Fontvieille — a modern district built on reclaimed land.
High risks from landslides and wildfires, along with medium risks from earthquakes and water scarcity.
For traffic/driving offences;
Police can issue on-the-spot fines — typically up to €750, which can be paid immediately or later via instructions on the ticket. If you're driving a rental, fines can be sent to the rental company and then passed on to you.
The official language of Monaco is French, but Monégasque, Italian, Ligurian and English are also spoken.
Vehicles drive on the right in Monaco, and the minimum age to drive is 18. Some rental companies like SIXT would allow drivers 18 or over to rent, while others require a minimum age of 21 or 25. However, rental companies often require drivers to have held a valid driving licence for at least 1 – 2 years, along with restricting luxury or sport cars from those under 25, and applying a 'young driver' surcharge to those who are under 25. UK drivers don't typically need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in Monaco — specifically, the 1968 version, unless they hold an older paper licence, or the rental company requires one.
Roads in Monaco can be steep and narrow, along with tight turns, heavy traffic — especially in summer, and expensive parking. There are around 40 public car parks in Monaco — most are underground, where some areas like Monaco-Ville have parking that is restricted to only local vehicles, and street parking is limited.
The common fuel types in Monaco are SP95/E5/E10 (unleaded petrol), SP98 (premium petrol) and Gazole (diesel). Stations are self-service, that often have 24/7 automated pumps, where payment is made before fuelling. Some stations may have staff available, allowing you to pay at a booth after filling up, but staffed hours are limited. Card is widely accepted, and cash is usually accepted too, but is less common. Automated pumps generally require a chip-and-PIN card, and may require pre-authorisation on your card. Some machines may not accept certain foreign-issued bank cards, so it is advisable to have an alternative payment method like cash.
Monaco has very few petrol stations, and they can be hard to spot, small (sometimes, leading to big queues), expensive and located in awkward urban areas. Many tourists would fill up at stations near French towns like Menton or Nice for cheaper, easier to obtain fuel before entering Monaco.
The BAC limit is 0.05%; 0.02% for new drivers.
Mandatory for all passengers.
Children under 10 years must be seated in the back with an approved child seat or restraint. Front-seat travel for children under 10 is generally prohibited unless rear seats are already occupied by other children, the car has no rear seats, or no seat belts are available in the rear. Infants who weigh up to 13kg must be in a rear-facing seat in the front seat, with the airbag deactivated.
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