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PRACTICALITIES |
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The gare SNCF is on avenue Prince-Pierre in La Condamine, a short
walk from the main gare routière on place d'Armes. Municipal buses ply
the length of the principality from 7am to 8pm (8.50F/¬1.30 single; four-trip
card 21F/¬3.20). Buses following the lower corniche stop at the gare
routière ; other routes have a variety of stations; all stop in Monte
Carlo. Local bus #4 runs from the gare SNCF to the "Casino-Tourisme"
stop, close to the tourist office at 2a bd des Moulins (Mon-Sat 9am-7pm,
Sun 10am-noon; tel 92.16.61.66, fax 92.16.60.00, www.monaco-congress.com
). One very useful public service is the incredibly clean and efficient
free lift linking the lower and higher streets (marked on the tourist
office map). Bicycles can be rented from Auto-Moto-Garage, 7 rue de
Millo, off place d'Armes (tel 93.50.10.80).
The best areas for hotels are La Condamine and Beausoleil, just across
the northern boundary in France, where you'll find the pleasant Villa
Boeri , at 29 bd du Général-Leclerc (tel 04.93.78.38.10, fax
04.93.41.90.95; 220-300F/¬34-46), only a couple minutes' walk from Monte
Carlo centre. In Monte Carlo itself you could try Cosmopolite , 4 rue de
la Turbie (tel 93.30.16.95, fax 93.30.23.05,
hotel-cosmopolite@monte-carlo.com ; 300-400F/¬46-61), near the station,
or its neighbour the Hôtel de France , at no. 6 (tel 93.30.24.64, fax
92.16.13.34, hotel-france@monte-carlo.com ; 500-600F/¬76-91). Another
reasonable option is Helvetia , 1bis rue Grimaldi (tel 93.30.21.71, fax
92.16.70.15, hotel-helvetia@monte-carlo.com ; 400-500F/¬61-76), a small
and comfortable old hotel with en-suite bathrooms and a bar for guests.
If you're aged 17 to 21, you may be able to get a hostel bed at the
Centre de Jeunesse Princesse Stéphanie , just north of the station at 24
av Prince-Pierre (tel 93.50.83.20, fax 93.25.29.82; midnight curfew); be
sure to turn up early. Monaco has no campsite, and caravans are illegal
in the state - as are bathing costumes, bare feet and bare chests once
you step off the beach. Camper vans have to be parked at the Parking des
Écoles, in Fontvieille, and then only between 8am and 8pm.
La Condamine and the old town are replete with restaurants , but good
food and reasonable prices don't exactly match. The best-value cuisine
is Italian, notably Le Pinocchio , at 30 rue Comte-F.-Gastaldi (tel
93.30.96.20; closed Wed out of season & Dec to mid-Jan), with a
110F/¬16.78 lunchtime menu. Alternatively, try L'Orangeraie , 42 quai
des Sanbarbani, Fontvieille (tel 92.05.67.37), which has good seafood,
and a menu at 135F/¬20.59, or Castelroc , in the old town on place du
Palais (tel 93.30.36.68; closed Sat & Dec-Jan), which has a generous
125F/¬19.06 menu. You can also eat a decentish 80F/¬12.20 menu at La
Cigale , 18 rue de Millo (tel 93.30.16.14; closed Sat & Sun & Aug). It's
really not worth going upmarket in Monaco unless you're prepared to hit
900F/¬137.25-a-head bills, in which case head for the Belle Époque glory
of the Louis XV (closed Tues, Wed & Oct; 500F/¬76.25 lunch menu) in the
Hôtel de Paris .
Your best bet for non-casino nightlife is the large Stars 'N' Bars on
the quai Antoine 1er, packed out on Fridays and Saturdays, with a lively
club upstairs where drinks will cost you 60F/¬9.15. Otherwise you might
like to try out Chérie's Café , near the casino at 9 av des Spélugues,
which serves food throughout the night and has regular live bands.
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