From 15th September to 12th December 2025, all train traffic between Nice and Ventimiglia will be halted Monday to Thursday nights from 10pm to 6am due to rock wall works. SNCF is deploying a road substitution service in Monaco, while ZOU! Bus access remains available to qualifying subscribers.
SNCF Réseau has confirmed that from 15th September through 12th December 2025, no night-time trains will operate between Nice and Ventimiglia between 10pm and 6am, Monday through Thursday nights. The disruption is part of a scheduled rock wall reinforcement project located between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Ventimiglia. While regular services will resume during the day, late-night and early-morning travellers are advised to rely on alternative transport.
Monaco–Nice and Monaco–Menton bus links confirmed
To accommodate passengers during the works, a road substitution service will be put in place. In Monaco, buses will depart from the landing stage (minute drop-off) of Monaco-Monte-Carlo station. These substitute services are clearly identified on the Line 04 schedule sheet, which SNCF urges passengers to consult in advance.
In addition, ZOU! Bus services are available to holders of a ZOU! Train Subscriber Work Pass. These passengers may use the ZOU! Noctambus Line 601, running between Monaco and Nice from 10pm, Monday to Thursday, starting 1st September. Also available is a special early-morning ZOU! 600 bus from Menton (5:50am) to Monaco (6:15am), operating Tuesday to Friday from 15th September.
Football fans, take note: Monaco is once again set to become the epicentre of European football. On Thursday 28th and Friday 29th August, the Principality will host UEFA’s annual launch of the men’s club competition season at the Grimaldi Forum, officially kicking off the 2025/2026 campaign.
The two-day event will bring together club representatives, members of the football family, football legends and media for the draws that will determine which teams face each other in the 2025/2026 Campions League, Europa League and Conference League.
Two days of draws
The anticipation begins on Thursday 28th August at 18:00 with the Champions League phase draw, determining the path for Europe’s elite clubs.
Friday 29th August at 13:00 sees the Europa League and Conference League phase draws complete the season launch programme, setting the stage for all three competitions.
The 2025/2026 season marks the second year of UEFA’s league phase format across all three competitions, having replaced the traditional group stage system last year. The reformed structure has proven particularly popular with clubs and fans, offering more varied matchups throughout the campaign.
Yacht Club de Monaco has claimed a sensational and historic victory at the 2025 Admiral’s Cup, marking the Principality’s first-ever appearance—and first win—at one of the most legendary offshore sailing events in the world. Led by YCM vice-president Pierre Casiraghi on Jolt 6 and seasoned sailor Peter Harrison on Jolt 3, the Monegasque team clinched the win after a fiercely competitive final leg of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
The Admiral’s Cup, making its long-awaited return after a 20-year hiatus, brought together 15 nations for a demanding three-part format combining offshore and inshore racing. Yacht Club de Monaco, racing for the first time in the event’s history, entered with two boats—Jolt 6 and Jolt 3—and finished ahead of favourites from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
Photo source: YCM
“It still hasn’t sunk in,” said Pierre Casiraghi, visibly emotional after crossing the finish line in Cherbourg. “To win the Admiral’s Cup in its revival year and on our debut is beyond words. I’m not a professional helm—this was the most exhausting race I’ve ever done.” He credited the tight-knit crew of Jolt 6, including Ben Saxton, Joey Newton, Will Harris and Cole Brauer, with delivering a flawless performance under pressure. “From the moment we exited the Solent, everything went to plan. We held our lead, resisted pressure from Callisto and Beau Ideal, and made every move count. For Monaco, this is historic.”
the fastnet finale seals the deal
The decisive moment came in the Rolex Fastnet Race, the final and highest-weighted stage of the competition. Spanning 695 nautical miles, it pushed sailors to their physical and tactical limits. Jolt 6 won on corrected time in their category, while Jolt 3 delivered a critical performance, finishing 3rd in real time in Class 1.
“This is without doubt the biggest result I’ve ever had in sailing,” said Peter Harrison, skipper of Jolt 3. “From the start, Pierre and I believed in this campaign, and the Club stood behind us. It’s a huge moment for Monaco. Everyone—from strategists to sailmakers—delivered. This firmly establishes YCM as a serious contender in offshore sailing.”
consistency across all races
The 2025 Admiral’s Cup featured eight races across three formats: the Channel Race, a series of inshore races in the Solent, and the Rolex Fastnet Race. Thanks to consistent podium finishes throughout—Jolt 3 won AC Class 1, while Jolt 6 came second in AC Class 2—YCM secured the overall team victory with a 16-point lead over the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
The results will be celebrated at the official prize ceremony on Thursday 31st July in the Rolex Fastnet Race village.
Photo source: YCM
monaco sailors making waves
Beyond the Admiral’s Cup success, other Monaco-flagged entries also made headlines in the 51st Rolex Fastnet Race. Black Jack 100, owned by Remon Vos and helmed by Tristan Le Brun, claimed Monohull Line Honours, while Rayon Vert, helmed by Oren Nataf, finished 19th in the multihull division. Rising talent Didier Schouten, a young sailor from YCM’s Sports Section, also crossed the Channel for the first time aboard Ocean Breeze, making a memorable debut.
next stop: the ocean race europe
There’s little time to rest for Monaco’s offshore elite. Several YCM sailors, including Will Harris and Cole Brauer, will be back at sea with Team Malizia, founded by Casiraghi, in The Ocean Race Europe, kicking off on 10th August. The race will carry them from Kiel to Montenegro, via Portsmouth, Porto, Cartagena, Nice and Genoa.
A new transatlantic trade deal has triggered political uproar after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed a flat 15% tariff on EU exports to the United States. While framed as a strategic necessity to avoid harsher sanctions from Donald Trump, critics warn the agreement could severely impact European industry — with Monaco’s high-value exports among the likely casualties.
A sweeping new trade agreement between the European Union and the United States has been signed, imposing a standardised 15% tariff on most EU exports to the American market. The deal, struck by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US presidential candidate Donald Trump, has already sparked widespread backlash from political leaders and trade experts across Europe.
According to von der Leyen, the agreement was necessary to prevent Trump from introducing a punishing 30% tariff, which she described as a serious threat to transatlantic commerce. “Today’s deal creates certainty in uncertain times,” she said. “We have stabilised on a single 15% tariff rate across most sectors, including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. This 15% is a clear ceiling. No stacking. All-inclusive. So it gives much-needed clarity for our citizens and businesses.”
The agreement also includes zero-for-zero tariffs on selected sectors such as aircraft components, agricultural goods and critical raw materials, while steel and aluminium will fall under a new quota-based system. Von der Leyen described the outcome as a “building block reaffirming the transatlantic partnership” and praised Trump’s “personal commitment” to the deal, calling him “a tough negotiator, but also a dealmaker”.
Political backlash across Europe
Despite the Commission’s optimistic tone, reactions from European lawmakers have been scathing. MEPs from multiple parties labelled the agreement “a submission” and “a breach of WTO rules”. Many warned that the deal hands disproportionate advantages to the US while failing to secure meaningful concessions for Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly described the agreement as “a dark day for European industry”, while Spain’s Pedro Sánchez criticised its impact on competitiveness and inflation. Even within von der Leyen’s own European People’s Party, voices of discontent have emerged, with several members calling for an urgent parliamentary review.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič attempted to calm the backlash, calling the deal “the best outcome under very difficult circumstances” and defending it as a necessary compromise given the geopolitical instability and looming threat of protectionist escalation.
What it means for Monaco
As Monaco is bound to the EU’s common trade policy via its customs union with France, the Principality will be directly affected by the new tariff regime. Sectors reliant on exports to the United States — particularly those dealing in high-end goods such as luxury yachts, jewellery and bespoke manufacturing — now face a 15% cost increase when accessing the US market.
With no exemptions for luxury sectors, Monaco-based exporters may experience tighter margins, reduced competitiveness, and slower growth in transatlantic trade. The agreement could also complicate supply chains, particularly in areas tied to pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing.
While von der Leyen pointed to new energy cooperation and the opening of strategic sectors as future opportunities, Monaco’s niche economy — heavily reliant on trade predictability and low-friction international commerce — may see more pressure than promise from this latest shift in global trade dynamics.
Tucked into the raw, untouched corner of the Côte d’Azur known as the Golfe Bleu, Cala Pulpo is a place that feels like a well-kept secret — the kind whispered about between locals, hidden from the high-season hum of Monaco and the Riviera’s well-trodden beach clubs.
Unveiled last summer under new ownership, Cala Pulpo has returned this season with a quiet confidence. A full revamp and the arrival of a new Italian chef have transformed the laid-back seaside hideaway into a destination of substance — still low-key, still private, but now unmistakably polished.
a mediterranean sanctuary, just minutes from monaco
Cala Pulpo’s charm lies in its contrast. Though only a short drive — or boat ride — from the Principality, the setting feels completely disconnected from the Riviera’s relentless rhythm. Nestled along a stretch of pristine shoreline where natural springs feed into crystal-clear waters, the beachside restaurant is framed by white parasols, breezy gazebos and the kind of sun-bleached serenity that makes it hard to tell the time.
Everything is designed to disappear — the valet service, the boat tender from the Yacht Club of Monaco, even the attentive but unfussy staff. What remains is simplicity, and the sense that you’ve stumbled upon somewhere that doesn’t want to be found.
The new Italian-focussed cuisine delivers delectable homemade pasta and perfectly-cooked seafood. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
a menu shaped by the sea
At the centre of Cala Pulpo’s 2025 relaunch is a refreshed culinary vision, led by a talented Italian chef who understands that being beside the sea means letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
The menu is Mediterranean, yes, but rooted deeply in place — starting with fresh homemade pastas that have become something of a house signature. The tagliolini au homard, served generously and with depth, is an easy standout. Elsewhere, grilled prawns, black rice with octopus, and line-caught fish arrive perfectly prepared, unfussy and full of flavour.
There’s an honest elegance to it all — a balance between generosity and restraint. Even the desserts carry the same tone: a chocolate mousse as dark, rich and unashamedly indulgent as you believe you deserve, and a classic tiramisu that holds its own.
Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
where you come for lunch… and stay for the day
It begins with a cocktail under the canvas shade. Then comes the meal — slow, unhurried, perhaps shared. Then, inevitably, comes the sunbed. Cala Pulpo is that rare beachside restaurant where time expands. The vibe is deliberately relaxed, the music gently curated, and the crowd refreshingly discreet.
The first-line sunbeds are among the most coveted on this stretch of coastline, complete with soft cushions, parasols, and a welcome smoothie to get the day started. The wine list is thoughtful, the cocktails well-made, and the afternoon light — golden and stretched — has a way of making plans disappear.
Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life
a place that doesn’t want to be famous
“Il y a des lieux qu’on découvre comme un secret” — Cala Pulpo’s own words. This is not a place designed for selfies or spectacle. It’s for those who know how to be still, who seek intimacy in the everyday, and who understand that sometimes luxury isn’t loud.
There’s nothing performative here. Just fresh ingredients, exceptional service, and a view that has inspired painters, poets and the occasional beach-bound wanderer.
In a region where everything is curated to be seen, Cala Pulpo invites you not to look, but to feel. It doesn’t ask for attention — it earns it.
