Monte-Carlo Casino

A visit to the Monte Carlo Casino was on my bucket list and it did not disappoint. The casino was undergoing a renovation while we were there, and some of the areas were inaccessible BUT what happened while there is the reason for 5 stars and nothing less.
After walking around the slot machine area for awhile, and soaking in the historic building and the décor surrounding us, we really wanted to enjoy a glass of wine. I asked a manager when the bar would open as I could not locate a bartender. He politely asked my husband and I to wait near the bar, and told us he’d return in a few minutes. When he returned, he told us that he would be escorting us into the private gaming area in order to enjoy the bar in that area that was open at all times. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of possibly seeing James Bond in an area that we would normally not access!
We were escorted to the private bar area, and politely told that we were not allowed to gamble, but that we were welcome to stay at the bar as long as we wished. We each had two glasses of wine and spent a couple of hours just sitting and watching the gamblers and chatting with the bartenders, one of whom has been working there for 37 years! Did I see James Bond? Um, no… but I imagined several versions of him playing baccarat and sipping a martini. Heck, we were just so thankful and lucky to be invited back into this private area!
We found everyone we encountered at the casino to be kind and friendly, and will remember this experience that exceeded our expectations!

Every now and then in life, you get to witness something historic. Something that you read or hear about, and tell yourself that you want to see it one day. And then sometimes you actually get to see that thing. When I walked up to the Monte Carlo casino, all I could do was smile in admiration and say to myself, «I’m finally here».
This place is jaw dropping, yet only a fraction of the size of most casinos around the world. It maintains an old school charm while also entrenching itself in modern flashy culture. Waking past the Bentleys and Bugattis on your way to the entrance lets you know what your in for.
Never mind your shorts and flip flops here, it’s all suits, ties and dresses just to be allowed in. The slot machines are minimal as the tables run the show here. Chandeliers line the rooms and walkways of the entire casino and the the bars are stocked with the premium versions of all liquors. Simply put, this casino stands in a league of its own.
If you come to Monaco, the casino is a requirement as far as I’m concerned. Whether you actually gamble or not, it’s worth coming here to see and experience it. Architecturally, it’s pretty amazing and the service/​experience here will far surpass any casino you’ve ever been to.

You have probably been inside of this property by way of movies many times in your life already? The interior definitely looks better (in pictures). Don’t expect and «American» casino! And don’t try to use your meager $ 100 bills at the tables! This is the only place in area where you should EXPECT to be treated Brusquely…

There are lots of luxury cars parked right in the front. The casino opens in the afternoon. Shorts, flip flop, and t-​shirt are not allowed in. Real VIP normally shows up at night. It is worth to take a look at the painted ceiling.

If you’ve been to Vegas you would compare, and the comparison would not be in favor of Monte-​Carlo Casino. It is small and not very impressive.

Overrated. Enough said. Small, not very fancy cars parked out front, and nothing like the movies make it out to be! You have to check your phone and camera at the door and then if you want to enter the casino floor you have to sign up for a card and there’s a minimum you have to put on it even to play slot machines (but really, who comes to Monte Carlo for the slots?) Anyway, there was nothing that exciting to see here except the cool architecture of the buildings across from the casino and the fancy Laduree macaroons shop behind it in the garden area. Worth seeing from the outside once, but just a quick stop and go is all you need in this place.

Take pictures of the beautiful building but don’t waste time going in. 10 € to enter even if you are gambling??? Most boring casino I have ever been in. More like a tourist trap than what James Bond led us to believe.

The famous Monte Carlo casino — a pricey 10 € just to enter and check out the interior /​gamble. :)
Most people don’t go inside but if you’re itching to gamble, then this place where is for you to try your luck! Btw, you must do bag check at the front.
Lots of fancy cars parked out front!

Monaco is an extremely beautiful (and wealthy) area. Walking up to the Monte Carlo you will see an array of luxury and sports vehicles which you don’t see often. I had a belief that the Monte Carlo would be similar to Vegas with ung-​tis-​ung-​tis-​ung-​tis music, drunken charades, and a crowd. I was completely wrong. The people are all classy, rich, and ready to gamble. Sitting at a quiet table with people in designer clothes, 12 euro drinks, smoking a cigarette is how you should imagine your experience here. There is also an entry fee. But it IS the Monte Carlo, and you have to gamble there.
Good luck!

Très joli bâtiment conçu par Charles Garnier. Malheureusement, si vous voulez admirer l’intérieur, vous né pourrez rentrer librement que dans le hall. Pour entrer dans les salles de jeux et voir la superbe terrasse, il faut désormais s’acquitter de la somme de 10 € par personne.

Bei einem Besuch in Monte Carlo darf das weltbekannte Casino natürlich nicht fehlen. Ein wirklich beeindruckender Bau mit vielen Skulpturen dekoriert. Das Gebäude wurde vom Architekten der Pariser Oper Charles Garnier gebaut.

Die Anfänge liegen im Jahr 1854 zurück, als man in Monaco diese neue Einnahmequelle ersann. In seiner wechselvollen Geschichte mit vielen Betreiberwechseln brachte es seinen Besitzern in den ersten Jahren große Verluste. Heute steuert das Casino 5 Prozent dem Staatshaushalt von Monaco zu.
Natürlich dürfen auch hier die obligatorischen Männerspielzeuge vor der Tür nicht fehlen, die von den Touristen bestaunt wurden.
Seitlich an das Casino ist die Oper von Monaco angebaut. Das Gebäude stammt allerdings aus dem Jahr 1879.
Mit einem Eintritt von 10 €, gepflegter Kleidung (Jacket und Krawatte sind obligatorisch) und Ausweis, kann man auch das Innere des Casinos bestaunen und sein Glück beim Roulette oder Black Jack versuchen. Leider hatte ich keinen Ausweis dabei und musste daher leider draußen bleiben. Wie ich nachgelesen habe, ist die Ausweiskontrolle auch dafür da, dass Bewohner aus Monaco hier keinen Zutritt erlangen, um nicht ihr Erspartes zu verspielen.
Es ranken sich auch viele Geschichten um die Spielbank. So soll ein Herr Jagger 1875 mit einem mathematischen System die Bank gesprengt haben. Mick Jagger soll mit diesem Glückspilz ganz entfernt verwandt sein.
Auch James Bond war in den Filmen in «Sag niemals nie», in «GoldenEye» oder im fiktiven «Casino Royale» zu Besuch.
Ein wirklich prächtige Sehenswürdigkeit, deren Besuch bei keinem Monaco-​Besuch fehlen sollte.

Ce casino est aussi beau à l’extérieur qu’à l’intérieur !
Une architecture faites par Monsieur Garnier avec un style de Belle Époque et second empire. On est impressionné par son côté imposant lorsqu’on le voit, on sait qu’à l’intérieur l’argent coule à flot! Une fois à l’intérieur on se sent soit pas à sa place, soit on s’imagine nouveaux riches! (je préférais vraiment être la 2ème impression!)
De plus c’est assez sympa de s’imaginer que 2 James Bond y ont été tournés ainsi que Coco avec Gad et une courte scèné pour la série Gossip Girl (Ouiiiiiiiii!)
En bref, passage OBLIGÉ si vous êtes à Monaco, mais né vous sentez pas obliger de dépenser vos sous! :)

This is not your average Vegas casino folks, it’s something out of a friggin’ James Bond movie! The iconic front façade is a sight to see, especially at night and with all the exotic cars parked in front, you can’t help but feel «where the heck am i?!» Oh yes, Monte-​Carlo, where the high rollers like to roll. Seriously, once you step inside, there are even more exclusive rooms reserved for their extra special guests. The main room offers a few tables and slots but it’s not a clusterf$&@k, which is nice. A point of advice, look dapper to avoid a hassle from the doorman (we didn’t have to pay any entrance fees) and bring plenty of $$$$ because they’re not messing around here. But if luck is on your side like it was for me, you can double your money in no time flat ;)
Bonne Chance!

completely disappointed. maybe my expectations were set to high based on the background hype I had of this place in my mind…
in any event, was in Monaco for the F1 race and decided to swing by to check out the Bond famous Monte-​Carlo Casino.
in very few words: very very drab.

This is tiny compare to the casino floor in Las Vegas hotels. However, it has character and style (at least the «common area»).
We had to get ticket (free) to get in. We didn’t look like the kind that will drop a fortune but they let us in anyway.
One of the guys at the table was betting 4−5k Euros at once — and was winning. It is amazing to see him leaving the table with about 250k Euros of chips in hand. Later, my companion told me that that guy’s shoes worth more than my suit… that was the point that I decided this place is out of my league.
They have a «back room» in which one of their hotel staff will escort their :“customer” to through the «common area.» Of course, they will not let me in so I can’t report the scene there. :-)
A good tourist stop and make sure you don’t forget to bring your suitcase filled with cash!

It’s not Vegas but it is amazing in its own way

The truth is there isn’t much you can see inside of the casino (unless you are a VIP). The most interesting thing was the display of several vintage slot machines and the architecture.
Oh there’s a terrace? No access. Oh there’s an upstairs area? No access. What exactly can I see then?!
It’s free to enter so have a look if your curious. After 2pm you must show ID to enter. Must check all cameras, bags, etc.
The center room has about 6 tables: roulette, a few card games. The two rooms on either side of the center room have ‘slot’ machines. No coins. Bills only.
Outside there is more action than inside as «celebrities» arrive and valet park their snazzy cars. While I was there the cars were nothing I haven’t seen before in other cities or private car shows. But the crowds of people taking photos seemed impressed.

C’est un magnifique casino conçu comme le palais Garnier, un belle bâtisse face à la mer, des magnifique salle de jeux, par contre, cela reste un casino, un bel endroit pour aller claquer son fric.

We were staying at the Hotel de Paris and so you get complimentary access to the casino… if you are not a hotel guest I believe there is a € 10/​€ 20 entrance fee.
You don’t have to dress up but we were since we had just come from an event. I liked that some people were dressed to the nines… fyi no shorts or leisure wear allowed here.
We had a private tour of the entire complex and I swear I felt 007 was going to stroll pass me to a private table :) Beautiful architecture throughout and staff is lovely as well.
If you have extra cash to burn then this is the place you want to be! Been to several casinos all over the world and this is the only place where one can win or lose over € 1 million in a blink of an eye and not bat an eyelash worrying about it.

Beautiful. Worth a visit.

Win some, lose some!
But I didn’t even get the chance to do either. The famous Monte-​Carlo casino doesn’t open until 14:00, and, what do you know, our cruise ship departs at 14:00. Tricky tricky.
€ 10 entrance fee, and shorts not allowed!
Maybe next time.