How to afford the Monaco Grand Prix

For most mortals, attending the Monaco Grand Prix is a pipe dream.

One of the world’s most anticipated and thrilling live sporting events, it is known to be earth-shatteringly expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.

To help make it accessible for all, Booking.com used its internal data to compile a list of the best places to stay near Monaco.*

These destinations are all less than 50km from Monaco but were up to 81% cheaper last year, so you can still enjoy the event and the French Riviera at a fraction of what it would normally cost.

Antibes, France

Enclosed by 16th-century star-shaped ramparts, the Riviera town of Antibes is not only irresistibly pretty but was 78% cheaper than Monaco during the Grand Prix and only 30km away.

Eze, France

Though St Tropez and Cannes may get all the recognition, Eze is often referred to as the Riviera’s real showpiece. Within this clifftop coastal village you’ll find Belle Époque villas hidden behind wrought iron gates and streets filled with bougainvillea, wisteria, and lemon trees. It was 37% cheaper than Monaco but only 5km away.

Nice, France

Lining the curved Bay of Angels, the seaside city of Nice is sunshine and glitz. Decadent hotels, restaurants and casinos line the Promenade des Anglais, while flower markets and the scent of freshly-baked baguette wafting from boulangeries maintain the Provençal feel. Nice was 60% cheaper than Monaco during the Grand Prix and only 14km away.

Bordighera, France

On the Italian side of Monaco sits Bordighera, a town that used to be the favourite resort of the British aristocracy. It also played host to Eva Perón and Monet, who drew creative inspiration from the genteel villas and gardens. It was 65% cheaper than Monaco and 19km away.

Beaulieu sur Mer, France

Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a village found on the unspoilt, forested peninsula of Cap Ferrat, and its name translates literally as ‘beautiful place’. It was 36% cheaper than Monaco during the Grand Prix and only 8km away.

La Colle sur Loup, France

In contrast to the terracotta-colour that covers most houses on the Côte d’Azur, the houses in La Colle sur Loup are made of white stone with mint green or burnt orange shutters. This inland village is also a real contrast to nearby towns on account of its simple, authentic French rural way of life, centreing around activity in the main square. Grand Prix accommodation here was 59% cheaper than Monaco and is 27km away.

Menton, France

On the French-Italian border, Menton is a town of lemon groves, steep, winding streets, gardens laid out by the English nobility, and a fine Baroque Basilica with a landmark belltower. To stay here during Grand Prix week was 72% cheaper than in Monaco, while only 7km away.

Cagnes-sur-Mer, France

Cagnes-sur-Mer the encapsulation of Côte d’Azur charm. With its palm-tree lined promenade, humble fishing harbour, and medieval village centre perched on a hill and overlooked by the Château Grimaldi. Accommodation here was 81% cheaper than in Monaco and it’s only 24km away, easily accessible via a short train ride from Nice.

Grasse, France

This small, hilltop town made its name in the 16th century as a centre for perfume production. With Provençal mansions, a 12th-century cathedral and floral, cobbled streets, you might struggle to tear yourself away to go to Monaco. But it’s only 41km away and was 71% cheaper during Grand Prix week.

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France

An elegant, burnt-orange bell tower stands tall against the royal blue ocean backdrop on the edge of the cape. This is the rustic, medieval village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, just 4km from Monaco yet 44% cheaper during the Grand Prix.

**The data analysts looked at which cities were within 50km of Monaco. They then filtered destinations by only selecting those that had more than 20 hotels. Finally, they looked at prices for Monaco and the selected cities for the Grand Prix week 2016, and calculated the % these were cheaper than Monaco.