Discovering Monte Carlo on a budget

In this Mediterranean playground for casino connoisseurs, a traveller finds an exquisite but cheap plate of pasta and affordably epic sea views

- Alexander Lobrano

Fairmont Monte Carlo offers exquisite views of the Mediterranean; and (above) Monte Carlo in all its glory.

Thanks to the attention-getting power of Grace Kelly, a shrewd blonde from Philadelphia, the glittering Principality of Monaco has reigned as a top destination for high rollers ever since her 1956 marriage to its Prince Rainier. Ironically, until my recent visit there as a low-roller, I'd never taken a shine to it.

“There’s a real place here that's quite pleasant if you know where to find it,” insisted a childhood friend. So I gave myself a budget of around $350 a day and sceptically set out to see if anyone not arriving by Lamborghini could have a good time in this tax-free Shangri-La on the Mediterranean.

My first visit, in the 1980s, had been catastrophic.

With no place to check my backpack, I wore it up to the Place du Casino, the forum for Monte Carlo’s slightly nihilistic glamour. Its crowd regarded me as if I were a hobo, a single Coke was $10 and I promptly took the next train to Ventimiglia.

This time, after arriving at Monaco train station, I strolled about 10 minutes to the 14-room, three-star Hotel Miramar—a favourite of yacht employees, according to a friend’s tip, with rooms starting at around $240. Overlooking the main yacht harbor, my room’s view was splendid; its location ideal for someone who planned to get around by foot or bus.