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Month: September 2026

Monaco raises Riviera taxi fares, adds QR codes and higher waiting charges

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/09/2026

Monaco has raised the fixed fares on most of its taxi routes into France and Italy under a revised official tariff, with increases of €5 to €10 to destinations from Èze to Cannes and a new two-tier fare for Nice. The order, published in the Journal de Monaco on 18th September and now in force, holds the €18 fare for a trip within the Principality, adds a compulsory QR code inside every cab and lifts the charge for waiting and slow-moving traffic.

Monaco’s taxi fares are set by the government as non-negotiable flat rates, all-inclusive for up to four passengers with luggage, with motorway tolls included on the longer trips. A journey within Monaco is fixed at €18, day or night, in normal traffic, and the grid then extends by zone across the border, with the bookable long-distance routes — Nice airport, Ventimiglia, San Remo, Antibes and Cannes — at the top end.

Fares rise across the Riviera

Most of the increases fall on journeys beyond Monaco. The fare to Nice airport rises from €100 to €110, and Nice is now split into two sectors — €100 to the east and €110 to the west — in place of a single €90 fare. A string of other destinations go up by €5 to €10: Èze and La Turbie from €50 to €55, central Menton from €60 to €65, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat from €75 to €80, Villefranche-sur-Mer from €75 to €85, Ventimiglia from €95 to €105, San Remo from €165 to €175 and Cannes from €190 to €200.

The €18 fare within Monaco, the €25 fare to the neighbouring communes of Cap d’Ail, Beausoleil and Roquebrune, and the €190 fare to Antibes are unchanged.

The tariff also does away with the old two-tier pricing that charged more for a pre-booked cab. Previously, a taxi within Monaco cost €18 if hailed but €28 if booked ahead, and the neighbouring-commune fare €25 or €38; those booking surcharges are gone, replaced by a single fixed fare.

A QR code and a higher waiting charge

The order adds a transparency measure too. Alongside the printed price list that must be displayed inside every taxi, drivers now also have to show a visible QR code, giving passengers a quick way to check the official rates.

The charge for waiting and slow-moving traffic rises from €80 to €90 an hour, after a three-minute grace period, and the speed at which it kicks in is now graduated by zone — below 8 km/h close to Monaco, 10 km/h further out and 15 km/h on the longest routes — rather than a single threshold. The €200 charge for cleaning a cab soiled through drunkenness or antisocial behaviour, sometimes reported as new, was already in force.

The Grand Prix grid

A separate, steeper set of fares applies during the Formula 1 Grand Prix, from 8am on the Thursday to 11.59pm on the Monday. Most of those held steady, but Nice airport rises to €160 and Villefranche-sur-Mer to €125, while — unusually — the Grand Prix fare to Antibes falls, from €300 to €290. Over that weekend a trip within Monaco is €30, San Remo €260 and Cannes €300.

Art and Luxury Fair 2026 to benefit Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/09/2026

The Art and Luxury Fair returns to Monaco this week for its third edition, moving to the Théâtre Princesse Grace for two days of free public exhibitions on 24th and 25th September. Held under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II and in support of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, this year’s fair is themed ‘Art, Luxury & Longevity’, exploring what its organisers describe as the links between art, creativity, science and wellbeing.

Founded by Annette Wijdom and previously staged at the Hôtel Métropole, the fair coincides with Monaco Yacht Show week and brings together artists, artisans, collectors and luxury houses. Among its guests is Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme, the fair’s Honorary Creative Contributor, who will present her nature-inspired jewellery line, De Parme Design, created with the Monégasque jeweller Isabelle Fissore.

Meeting the makers

The fair is built around encounters with the people behind the work. Each afternoon at 5.45pm, a “Storytelling” session gives artists and experts the floor: on 24th September, the sculptor Daphné Du Barry — whose statue of Princess Grace stands at the Princess Grace Hospital — speaks on “The Art of Grace”, while on 25th September the watch expert Michele Rosa turns to the timepieces made famous by cinema and celebrity.

The line-up spans painting, sculpture, jewellery and craftsmanship. Alongside Du Barry, the exhibiting artists include the Italian painter Claudio Sacchi, the Monaco-based Dutch artist Nora Bonavera and the contemporary portraitist Marcos Marin, as well as the art restorer Zuhura Iddi — known for her work on pieces by Breitner and Banksy — and the mentalist Max Schneider. Jewellery, watchmaking and design houses on show include De Parme Design, Feadship, Van Bergen 1795, Perrier-Jouët and Monacqua.

If you go

The fair runs on 24th and 25th September at the Théâtre Princesse Grace, 12 avenue d’Ostende, with free public admission from 2pm to 6pm each day and Storytelling sessions from 5.45pm. The evenings are reserved for a private, invitation-only event.

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo by Monaco Life

From champions to survival: What remains of the Roca Team dynasty?

by: Kayla Sauceda
19/09/2026

The detrimental summer haunting the Roca Team appears to never come to an end as the club confirmed it received an unfavorable proposal from the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), recommending that the decision of the Federal Bureau of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) be upheld, rejecting the club’s application to play at the Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) level for the 2026-2027 season.

In a statement released by the club, it said, “AS Monaco Basketball wishes to express its profound gratitude to its players, its sporting and administrative staff, its partners, its sponsors, its fans, and all its supporters.” The statement read eerily like the beginning of an end.

As the club has been rejected from professional and semi-professional competition, lawyer Xavier Le Cerf-Galle has emphasized the impact the loss of the club could have on the community including “the dismissal of the 22 employees, the disappearance of the company’s purpose, and likely its liquidation,” as he argued in his recent appeal to the CNOSF.

The club stated it “remains fully committed and will communicate on the next steps as soon as the path forward has been determined.” As Monaco considers its remaining legal options, NM1 competition is now underway without the Roca Team.

For a club that has built a dynasty over the last five seasons, the blow is massive. Since its 2021 EuroLeague debut, the Roca Team has reached five consecutive EuroLeague playoffs, including two Final Four appearances and its first EuroLeague final, while domestically claiming three French championships, reaching two additional finals, and adding the Coupe de France, Leaders Cup and SuperCup to its list of achievements.

Just months after completing a historic season in which the Roca Team won every domestic title available, the club now faces a drastically different reality. With the possibility of liquidation looming and its immediate sporting future still uncertain, one of the most successful periods in Monaco basketball history could now be facing an abrupt end.

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Photo credit: Monaco Life

Football: Brunner stars again to send Monaco top of Ligue 1

by: Luke Entwistle
19/09/2026
Brunner and Zakaria share a celebration after the former netted against Lens at the Stade Louis II

Paris Brunner was on the scoresheet again, continuing his excellent start to the season and ensuring that AS Monaco returned to winning ways. The German netted in a 2-1 win over Lens that sends the Principality club to the top of Ligue 1.

“I always believe that we are going to win,” said Filipe Luís after his sixth win from a possible seven. Precedent justifies the Brazilian’s unwavering confidence, but as his side were put under the cosh in the second-half of Friday night’s game under the lights of the Stade Louis II, the path to victory was not clearly lit.

A victory through suffering was how Luís put it. “We struggled a lot,” admitted Luís, still unbeaten since being appointed Monaco manager over the summer. “I feel that my players are starting to enjoy this moment of suffering and competing together. It is such a difficult league; sometimes you have to suffer. We stuck together.”

It was a show of unity against a club divided. Cracks appeared at Lens this week, culminating in the shock exit of Dino Toppmoller, only named Lens manager over the summer. It was Yannick Cahuzac, who arrived as an assistant over the summer, who led the side for the first time. Hoping for a new manager bounce, it was perhaps unsurprisingly the Principality club who started the more coherent of the two sides.

Abline and Brunner run Lens ragged

It was only fine margins that prevented Monaco from blowing away their opponents in the first half. Abline and Edan Diop both found the back of the net, only for the offside flag to deny them on both occasions. It was Abline himself who was beyond the last defender for the first and Brunner who was offside in the build-up for the second. But the pair were both onside to combine for the opener. From a long ball from Vanderson, Abline stripped Jean-Clair Todibo for pace. The West Ham loanee beaten, his centre-back partner, Kyllian Antonio, sought to help but in doing so left Brunner completely unmarked to finish first-time past Robin Risser.

Brunner tested Risser once again. This time the France international was equal to the effort but could only push it straight into the path of Abline. This one would have counted had he hit the target; alas, he did not, with his weak effort dribbling wide. Denis Zakaria then stung Risser’s palms with a long-range effort.

“They caused us quite a lot of problems in the first-half,” said Cahuzac. That was not the story of the second-half, however. Lens “solved the problems” at half-time, said the newly-appointed manager, and whilst Abline once again had the ball in the back of the net, only to be denied once again by the offside flag, it was a rare sight of the goal for Filipe Luís’ side, who were forced to suffer.

Lens in a charitable mood

The equaliser came from a corner where Monaco simply switched off, allowing Matthieu Udol to drift to the near post and head unmarked past Lukas Hradecky. The Finland international was the busier of the two goalkeepers thereafter. He did well to tip a Thorgan Hazard effort around the corner, but he crucially wasn’t tested by Franjo Ivanovic, who, found in the box, could only head over the Monaco goal.

It was a let-off, and the visitors were even more charitable to their hosts in the dying stages. It was a hopeful cross from Vanderson, and whilst Brunner rose to contest it, he didn’t make contact. Jonathan Gradit,  just behind him, did, turning past his own goalkeeper. USMNT forward Folarin Balogun, on his return, had a late chance to make the three points secure. He couldn’t, but neither could Udol find the net when he headed at the near post once again. Hradecky was there to gather, and he didn’t have time to clear before full-time was whistled.

A friendly to maintain Monaco’s momentum

Abline said that this Monaco side “can go far” this season. They can’t go any higher, but naturally, Luís is looking over his shoulder. “You know me, I’m very humble. It is only five games; I’m very happy with the performances in those five games, but it is a long marathon. The best team in the world (Paris Saint-Germain) is in our league. The next thing is to celebrate, to rest, and then to look forward to Toulouse,” said Luís.

It is a long time to wait for Monaco, who have momentum. A friendly (against an as-yet-undefined opponent) will ensure that the players who remain in La Turbie, rather than joining up with their respective international team, aren’t left twiddling their thumbs over the course of this abnormally long international break. Balogun has fitness to build, as do Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu, both returning from ACL injuries. Brunner, once again “fantastic” in the words, will not be one of those to stick around. His performances have earned him a maiden call-up to Germany’s U21 side.

“The injured players need to play more,” said Luís, who will also hope to have Jordan Teze, Anis Soubeir, and Ansu Fati up to speed by the time Ligue 1 returns next month. This isn’t a Monaco side at full strength, but it has been a very strong start to a season that began with low expectations that week-by-week, have been exceeded by Luís and his men.

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Photo source: AS Monaco

Young chefs and waiters have days to enter Monaco’s YYY contest

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/09/2026

Young chefs, waiters and mixologists working in Monaco have until 23rd September to enter this year’s Young Chef Young Waiter Young Mixologist (YYY) competition, the national contest that showcases the Principality’s rising hospitality talent. The one-day final will be held at the Lycée Rainier III, Monaco’s hotel school, on 8th October, with the judging panel choosing this year’s finalists once entries close.

Open to hospitality professionals aged 28 and under who work in Monaco’s restaurants, hotels and bars, the competition is free to enter and, now in its third year, has become a fixture of the Principality’s hospitality calendar. It aims to uncover young talent and promote careers in the industry.

A place at the world final

The winning chef, waiter and mixologist will go on to represent Monaco as a team at the YYY World final in London, where the top prize is €15,000. The global competition, founded in the UK in 1979, brings together national winners from around the world.

Building on a silver medal

Monaco has form. Earlier this year, the team that won the 2025 national selection took second place at the world final in London: Clara Germain, a private chef and owner of Gioia; Clara Babkine, demi-chef de rang at Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris; and Eric Maccario, mixologist at the Buddha-Bar Monte-Carlo, finishing runners-up against dozens of competitors from nine nations.

Robert Lee Mulcahy, president of YYY Monaco, said the competition had become an important annual event for the Principality. “The aim is to support the industry, with a platform, for their young professionals to compete and show how they excel in their chosen career,” he said.

Entries can be submitted through the competition’s website, youngchefyoungwaiter.com/monaco.

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok. 

Photo source: YYY

How to get to the Monaco Yacht Show without the parking headache

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/09/2026

Parking and traffic in Monaco are notoriously difficult during the Monaco Yacht Show, and with this year’s edition drawing crowds to Port Hercule from 23rd to 26th September, the Prince’s Government is urging visitors to leave the car at home. Free buses across the network and a park-and-ride at the edge of the city are being promoted as the simplest ways to reach the show without joining the queues.

Travel on the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM) network is free from 18th to 30th September, covering the build-up, the show itself and the dismantling afterwards. The free travel applies to every line, including the bus boat, the N1 and N2 night services and the on-demand ClicBus — part of a wider government scheme that waives bus fares during the Principality’s major events. For those coming from further afield, the government points to the train and the regional Zou! bus network as the best-suited options on the busiest days.

If you must drive: the Salines park-and-ride

Drivers who cannot avoid bringing a car are steered towards the Parking des Salines, the park-and-ride at the western entrance to the Principality, reached via the Albert II tunnel or the Jardin Exotique roundabout. With ample capacity, it lets visitors skip city-centre traffic and reach the Port Hercule show site quickly, on foot or by CAM bus, at rates the show’s organisers say are up to 50% cheaper than central car parks.

Since April 2025, spaces can be booked in advance through the resa.parkings.mc platform, for anything from half a day to 14 days, with preferential rates and unlimited entries and exits during the reserved slot. Outside the free-bus periods, drivers parking at the Salines can also claim a 10-journey pass for the entire bus network on presentation of their parking ticket — a benefit that runs year-round.

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo by Monaco Life