So, I was trying to figure out flights to Monte Carlo, France. Sounds straightforward, right? That’s what I thought.
First thing I did, like anyone would, I guess, was to punch “flights to Monte Carlo” into one of those search engines. Or “Monte Carlo Airport.” And you know what? It was a bit confusing. Not like booking a flight to Paris or London where you get a million options right away. This felt… different.
I was sitting there, thinking, “Hold on, this famous place, surely it’s got a massive airport?” But the more I looked, the less I found for a direct, big airport in Monte Carlo itself. It’s a tiny place, after all. Maybe that was the clue I was missing.
So, I had to do a bit of digging. You know how it is, you start reading travel forums, looking at maps, trying to connect the dots. It wasn’t like I was planning a moon landing, but still, it took a moment to crack.
And then, bam! The answer. Turns out, you don’t really fly into Monte Carlo’s non-existent major international airport. Nope. The main hub everyone uses is Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. That’s in France, yeah, but it’s super close. Like, really close.
This Nice airport, from what I gathered, is pretty big. Handles a ton of people, something like 13 million a year. It’s got two terminals. And it’s only about 20 miles away from Monaco. So, not a massive trek. They’ve got all the usual airport stuff too – places to change money, car hire desks, food, shops. Basically, everything you’d expect from a proper international airport.
Getting from there to Monaco? They say it’s about a 25-minute drive on the motorway. So, you land, grab your bags, sort out your transport, and you’re practically there. Easy peasy, once you know the trick.
Why did I even bother looking all this up so carefully? Well, I had this image of Monte Carlo, you know? From old movies and stuff. All glitz and glamour. Thought it would be cool to see. But the planning part, man, it always has these little curveballs. It’s never just ‘book and go.’ Reminds me of this one time I was trying to get to this remote beach spot. Searched high and low for flights to ‘Paradise Cove Airport.’ Turns out, you had to fly to some big city three hours away and then take a bus that ran twice a day. This Monte Carlo airport thing wasn’t quite that bad, but it was still a bit of a “huh?” moment before I figured it out. You just gotta do a little bit of homework sometimes. They don’t always spell it out for you in big flashing letters.
So, yeah, if you’re thinking of heading to Monte Carlo, my two cents? Start your flight search with Nice. That’s the main gateway. Saves you a headache. One less thing to worry about when you’re trying to plan a trip, right?
