La Vigie Villa, Monte-Carlo

Famous for its casino, royal family and the Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo is where the world’s richest people come to fritter large amounts of money. The train station at Monaco lies on the very scenic Nice-Ventimiglia trainline. To get to Monaco you can also take a bus from Nice: the 110 express runs from Nice airport (€20) and the 100 runs from Nice town (€1.50). You could, of course, always fly or sail into Monaco, in which case there is Port Hercules or the Monaco heliport at your disposal. (You may scoff, but the helicopter isn't outrageously expensive at 165 euro when you consider that a taxi will generally set you back up to €90. And let's face it, Monaco's the kind of place where one should arrive in style).

Monte Carlo is the spiritual home of the super-chefs. Your wallet will probably not thank you for eating in this fancy district, but your taste buds (and memories) certainly will. This place is simply littered with Michelin stars.

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Monte Carlo is all about glamour and ostentatious displays of wealth- so head to the Place du Casino and visit the sumptuous Casino de Monte Carlo where James Bond, Grace Kelly and Cary Grant have all strutted their stuff for the silver screen. The gardens outside are simply spectacular, while you can't fail to be impressed by the futuristic-looking supercars lined up under the palms. The iconic Cafe de Paris is a lovely place to sit on the shaded terrace and eat (expensive) ice cream sundaes, and perhaps indulge in some celebrity-spotting. In short, there's not much of historical interest to see in Monte Carlo, but that's not to say there's nothing to see!

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If you win big at the casino you won’t have any shortage of places to spend your money; Monte-Carlo has practically every big-name designer store within minutes of each other - Chanel, Hermes, Balenciaga, etc - and they are all even listed on the street signs! This town specialises in indulgence so there's plenty of luxury spas to get pampered in too. If you feel like being more active, head along one of the beautiful coastal paths along to either Plage Mala beach in Cap d'Ail (4km) or Cap Martin (3km).

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Monte Carlo is the home of the Monaco beaches - you'll find the only public beach, Larvotto Beach nearby, which is reachable by bus numbers 4 and 6. It's gravel and man-made, but it is clean and has lots of restaurants backing the beach for a pleasant lunch. If you have money to burn and want a special day out, head to Monte Carlo Beach, which is a private sandy beach that is part of the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel. It has an Olympic sized swimming pool too. Further down the coast is the lovely beach at Cap d'Ail, or head around to spectacular Villefranche near Nice.

Also see: Beaches in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

The Monte Carlo Golf Club is actually located in La Turbie. This wonderful century-old course is rich in history and offers breathtaking views over mountains and sea- at the fifth hole you can actually see three countries at once! The 18 holes, par 71 course has some is very hilly and requires considerable accuracy. The green fees aren't cheap, but the elegant clubhouse and those extraordinary views of the Riviera make it worth the expense. There's a restaurant open every day except Monday and a practice ground on site, as well as a pro shop and caddy and equipment rental.

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The place to be seen is the Café de Paris, right next door to the famous Monte Carlo casino. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and after dark it fills up with people celebrating casino wins with champagne cocktails and partying on the open air dancefloor. Other glamorous nightspots include Jimmyz and Buddha Bar, both nearby.

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