Monaco has been on my travel bucket list for a long time.
I have always wanted to go to Monaco. I wanted to see how Paris and London stacked up.
The country is small, just 0.78 square miles, yet full of wealth. According to the World Bank Group, it is the richest country in the world when it comes to GDP per capita. USA Today reported that Monaco has a GDP of $173,700.20.
I traveled from my home in the tri-state area to go to the country for the first time.
I was blown away by all the examples of luxury I saw when I arrived in Nice. Right away, this caught my attention.
I flew from New Jersey to Nice. I saw a lot of private jets when I got to the airport.
I flew from Newark to Nice, France, on my way to Monaco. Monaco can be reached by train or car from Nice, but it doesn't have its own airport.
I was in awe as my plane drove past private planes at the airport. There were a lot of private jets lined up on the runway. I also noticed planes from companies likeVistaJet.
It can cost thousands of dollars to charter a jet, and owning one is even more expensive.
Several helicopter companies were at the airport in Nice. One way to arrive in style was it.
Monaco can accommodate choppers, even though it doesn't have its own airport. I noticed at the airport in Nice that there were a lot of advertisements for helicopter companies to get to Monaco.
I haven't seen a helicopter departure terminal like that before.
There were different stands in the arrivals area for different companies. If you want to take a fully private helicopter ride for up to six passengers, you have to pay 750 euro.
It was only a short drive to Monaco from the airport. I was surprised to be picked up in a Mercedes Benz.
I pre- booked my driver and met him at the airport. The drive took about 30 minutes. Taxis were also available.
Even though I booked a regular car service for around $100, I ended up in a Mercedes Benz, which made sense since I was going to Monaco.
I was impressed by the architecture when I arrived in Monaco. It reminded me of places I've visited in Europe that have rich histories.
After seeing it in person, I didn't think it would feel crowded since it's a small country.
I was reminded of Paris when I drove past some of the buildings in Monte Carlo.
I was impressed with the historic facades of the buildings. Monaco's real estate is the most expensive in the world, with the average price per square meter in Monaco being about $55,000USD.
I was surprised to learn that most of the five-star hotels in Monaco are owned by a single management company and that they have access to the private Monte Carlo Beach Club.
Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo, Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo, The Monte Carlo Beach, and The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel + Resort are all owned by the same group. Guests at these hotels are given exclusive access to the Monte Carlo Beach Club.
The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel + Resort was one of the places I saw while walking around Monaco.
The Hotel de Paris caught my eye. It is a major hotel development in Monaco and is located next to the Casino. It's hosted a number of celebrities, including Frank Sinatra.
A standard room at Hotel de Paris costs $517 in the low winter season but goes up to $1,000 per night in the summer. You can easily pay up to $5,000 per night for a suite in high season according to the hotel's website.
The hotel looked amazing and fit in with the rest of the city. It was renovated and completely modern when I entered.
The city of Monte Carlo only has 13 hotels according to the country's tourism website.
I was impressed by all of the hotels in Monte Carlo.
There are just 13 hotels in the entire country, ranging from high-end five-star to two, three, and four star hotels.
A basic room at the Hotel Metropole starts at $360 a night, but can go up to $41,000+ a night for some of the most expensive suites.
The Monte Carlo Yacht Club is one of the most exclusive places in the world. There are a lot of examples of luxury here.
Ranier III was the former Prince of Monaco and the husband of Grace Kelly.
If someone gets two sponsors and pays a non disclosed fee, they can become a member of the club.
There were a lot of signs of wealth as I looked over the marina. Super Yachts of all shapes and sizes were all over the place.
The price for a five-day stay in Monaco's prime berths can be $100,000 or more during certain times of the year.
In the past, people like Las Vegas businessman Steve Wynn and auto parts billionaire Shahid Khan docked their boats here for the Monaco Yacht Show, the latter of whom has chartered his boat to Bey and Jay-Z.
The Casino de Monte Carlo was grand to the point that I thought it would be.
It's considered to be the world's most spectacular place to gamble at the Casino de Monte Carlo.
The casino was featured in multiple James Bond movies, including the most recent "No Time to Die" and "GoldenEye", and has every casino game imaginable.
Even though I was with a tour guide, I had to pay an entrance fee. I was told by my guide that there are private gaming rooms for those who are in the casino, but I didn't get to visit them. Guests are not allowed to take photos inside of the casino due to the amount of wealth that is spent inside, so I left my camera at home.
Tourists who are 18 years old or older are allowed to gamble here for a fee of 17 euro plus the cost of any games.
I was surprised to learn that residents of the city are not allowed to gamble at the casino or anywhere else in the country.
There were a lot of expensive cars in front of the casino.
Monaco's cars were the most in-my-face sign of wealth.
In front of the casino there was a lot of cars parked. Many tourists snapped photos of the cars as I walked by, and I was not the only one taking pictures of them.
I saw these types of cars all over the city in parking lots and on the streets.
Most stores in Monaco appeared to be high end. They reminded me of how rich Monaco's residents are.
Fancy designer stores were in Monte Carlo.
There are 80 shops in the luxury shopping center. I saw a lot of stores that were busy and some that had lines outside.
I noticed that many of the items I was interested in were no longer available.
The Golden Circle area next to the casino is one of the most popular places to shop.
The restaurants cost a lot.
The food in Monaco was great. Each spot had a high price tag.
The risotto I ate at Hotel de Paris was covered in gold and cost 50 euro.
The Pavyllon Monte Carlo that I tried for 56 euro was a specialty dish of a runny egg stuffed with caviar.
There were no affordable restaurants that I could find. The cheapest meal I've ever eaten is around $75.
The Prince's Palace of Monaco is popular with tourists. I was shown how much the country is worth.
I thought the Prince's Palace of Monaco was one of the finest structures in the country when I first arrived.
The Republic of Genoa built the Palace of Monaco in the 12th century. The residence of the Grimaldi family was established at the end of the 13th century.
The top of the Rock is where the palace is located. The courtyard and ceilings of the palace are over 500 years old. I could see the entire city and marina.
Even though the royal family of Monaco still reside in the palace, it's not likely that you'll see them.
You can either pay the admission fee or hire a private guide. I enjoyed listening to the tour as I learned about my surroundings.
I was in Monaco for three days and was able to see how rich the country is. I thought it was an escape that I would enjoy.
I had a new understanding of what luxury really means after seeing the mega yachts, luxury cars, casino, and five star hotels of one of the most expensive countries in the world. I was blown away by the signs of wealth that I had never seen before.
Trips to New York, Paris, London, and other metropolitan cities have shown me extravagances as well, but in Monaco, I was completely immersed in it when I arrived.
I'm still dreaming about Monaco. I don't think I'll ever be able to live there like the rich do, but I definitely see myself visiting again to live extravagantly.
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