Hop-On, Hop-Off Buses: A Great Way to See Monaco

I have picked up a few habits while exploring our world. One of them is going for a long walk at dusk, without a plan or destination. Another is learning the local courtesy words. A long-time favorite habit is the Hop-on, Hop-off Bus.

When I planned my short visit to the French Riviera last summer, I was glad to see Monaco had a Hop-on, Hop-off (hoho) bus. I checked the schedule and saw that the bus stopped everywhere I wanted to see. The pick-up point is a short walk from the train station.

As a racing fan, it was very cool to see how the hoho bus route followed the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Iconic! I was there at the beginning of July, and remnants of the track remained.

I knew exactly what day I would be there, so I booked my ticket early, after looking for and finding a deal that included the Aquarium and Museum. I happen to use the ‘Get your Guide’ app for these things. Not a paid endorsement, just a handy app that can save you a few Euros.

Get a general overview of the city and ideas for during your visit, plus an introduction to the history and culture

The Hop on, Hop-off bus is a great way to get a general overview of a city. You tour at your speed, a pass lasts a full day or two. The tours always have earpieces and you can listen to the recorded guide in 10 languages.

The best part of these buses is right in the name. You are free to hop-off at any of the stops that are most interesting to you. Explore a certain attraction or area of the city in more detail on foot. Hop back on any of the following buses. Interval times can vary with the seasons, but generally stick to a thirty-minute schedule.

With only a little planning, these buses are an efficient way to see the major sights in any city. There are no limits to how many times you go around the loop or how often you hop on and off the bus.

Using the Hop-on Hop-off Bus to see Monaco.

For a day visit to many places, the hoho bus is a perfect way to travel. In Monaco, it’s all the transportation you need. I started my day early, wanting to see as much as possible, and having to catch the train from Nice. The train enters a tunnel as you pull into the Monaco station, the station is in the mountain.

About 20 minutes and many escalators later, I was in Monaco, to see what it was really like. I took a deep breath. Cool. Bucket list checkmark.

The day of my Monaco visit was a scorcher, so I was dressed for the heat and sun, in hiking shorts and a light linen shirt. I made my way to the waterfront, where the hoho bus began. I remember seeing the water, seeing the yachts, and being stunned. Oh my, the Yachts!!

Monaco is like no place I’ve ever seen.

Describing Monaco, I’m going to run out of adjectives. It’s mind-bending. I have never seen any place like it. Then again, I’d never stood in front of a Bugatti showroom, gazing through spotless glass at a car worth three times my condo. Oi! What a machine, in its signature blue-on-blue.

The apartments and condominiums are stunning, as are views from the balconies! A colorful mosaic of old and new architecture, seemingly painted onto Mont Ager and the maritime Alps surrounding Monaco.

Opulence is the norm here. It’s not just the designers and the cars and the condos. It’s not just the manicured trees and gardens. There is something else. Something unique to Monaco. The names of those who live, and have lived, in Monaco, often for tax-avoidance reasons.

There is a mystique to Monaco, as the go-to place for the rich and famous.

In the 1850s, the royal Grimaldi family of Monaco realized they needed a draw to bring people to Monaco to increase revenue. The first casino opened in 1856. The current casino opened in 1865. The architecture is impressive. A truly beautiful building.

The Casino is stop number 5. I could not go in. Strict dress code. So be it, the temperature was 35 degrees in the shade, and I wasn’t bringing extra clothes across an ocean to wear losing money. (Perhaps I should have, the next night I won 370 Euros in the Nice Casino!)

I walked around the area, admiring the brilliant architecture. The Paris Hotel is stunning. An incredible level of craftsmanship in the detailed stonework.

In front of the casino, a concert was being set up in the square. A large platform covered the grass and fountain we’ve seen in the movies.

I hopped off the bus again at the palace and fortifications, stop 7. Incredible views overlook the Monaco Harbor. The palace is cool, but the views from this vantage point are spectacular. I walked around some and took a few pictures.

I allocated three hours at the ‘Musee Oceanographique’, stop 8. Albert 1 was a fascinating guy. Albert wrote the Monaco Constitution in 1911 and was a respected statesman around the world. His passions were exploration and oceanography, and he organized 28 different expeditions.

The current prince carries on the tradition of exploration. ‘Mission Polaire’ is a large exhibit detailing the ongoing missions to study the polar regions of our planet.

The museum is worth your time. Allocate at least 2 hours.

The museum has a replica of one of Albert’s sailing vessels. The laboratories are all recreated. It’s a great museum and definitely recommended.

After buying a few things in the large gift shop, I ate an ice cream while I waited for the next Hop-on, Hop-off Bus to continue my tour.

Opulence like nowhere else I’ve ever been

The opulence in Monaco is something else, truly another world. I noticed a McLaren dealership beside a store selling private jets. A Ferrari dealership was next to that. I saw watches I would be scared to wear, costing more than I’ve ever made in a year. Clothing designer shops were ultra clean and modern, with security at the door in a four-piece suit.

I had never heard of Eli Saab before that day. I saw a few designers that I had never heard of, presumably because I don’t wear dresses or suits that cost more than a mortgage.

On one level, it’s gross. The economic reality here is unreal everywhere else. This is not a place for the haves, it’s a place for the have-mores.

And then we have the yachts. OMG, the yachts.

Monaco needs to be seen to be believed. During the F1 week in May, the opulence is even more so.

Remember to talk to the other passengers on the bus.

Compare notes as to your stay so far. Ask them the coolest thing they have seen or done, and tell them yours. You never know who will point you in the direction of a great time or cool experience. There are breaks in the narrated recording.

I have never been to a major city that did not have a hop-on, Hop-off bus in one form or another. In Amsterdam, the bus circuit combines stops with boats on a canal circuit. Pay one price for both, a good deal.

Be sure to check out the Hop-on, Hop-off bus wherever you travel. For a city like Monaco, it’s all you need.