Renting a car in Monaco: agencies, requirements and local rules

In short

Inside Monaco a car is of little use: you can walk across the Principality, CAM buses cost 1.50 € and the public lifts are free. A rental earns its keep as soon as you want to leave — the hill villages behind the coast, the Italian Riviera, Provence — or when you are moving here and still waiting for your own vehicle. If you are not sure you need a car at all, our guide Monaco with or without a rental car weighs the alternatives. This page assumes you are renting, and tells you where and how.

Agencies inside the Principality

Four major companies have a desk in Monaco. They are neighbourhood branches with a small fleet and office hours, so book ahead — especially in summer and during the big events.

To give an idea of what "office hours" means: the Avis branch opens Monday to Friday, 9:00–12:30 and 13:30–17:00, with no after-hours return service; cars are dropped in the neighbouring Ostende car park. Check the return time before planning an excursion that ends late or a weekend departure.

Nice Airport or Monaco?

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, about 30 km away via the A8, has most of the rental companies and the widest range of categories. It is the right choice if you fly in and plan to drive throughout your stay.

If you only want the car for a day or two, the reverse is often smarter: reach Monaco without a car (see Nice Airport transfers), then rent locally on the day of the excursion. You avoid paying to park a car that is not moving. Most companies allow a one-way rental between the airport and a Monaco branch, but it may be charged — ask for the amount when you book.

What the desk will ask for

• A valid licence. Visitors drive on their national licence; if yours was issued outside the European Union, bring an International Driving Permit as well.
• A credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit, which is held for the length of the rental. Debit cards and cash are often refused for the deposit — check the company's policy.
• A minimum age and number of years of licence, set by each company and stricter for premium categories; young drivers usually pay a surcharge.

Moving to Monaco? Your foreign licence will not follow you indefinitely. Monaco does not apply EU mutual recognition to its residents: any foreign licence, EU ones included, must be exchanged within a year of acquiring resident status. The process is set out in our guide to exchanging your driving licence.

Driving in the Principality: what catches people out

• 50 km/h is the general limit (article 11 of the Highway Code), lowered to 30 km/h in places. There is no motorway and no trunk road on Monegasque territory.
• Drivers must slow down, and stop if necessary, for a pedestrian who has stepped onto a marked crossing.
• Tunnels, hairpins and one-way streets confuse satnavs: look up the destination car park before you set off.
• During the Grand Prix and the E-Prix, the circuit streets close, some car parks become hard to reach, and traffic is disrupted from the moment the installations go up, several weeks beforehand. See Grand Prix access and parking.

The rest of the rules are in Driving in Monaco.

Parking a rental car

Street parking is scarce; you park in the underground public car parks, which all apply the same official tariff. In 2026:

• first hour free in most car parks;
• 7.40 € for 2 hours, 11.90 € for 3 hours, 15.50 € for 4 hours;
• capped at 24 € per 24 hours (30 € in car parks with fewer than 60 spaces);
• night rate of 0.20 € per 15 minutes between 20:00 and 08:00, except at the Casino car park.

So keeping a rental car overnight in Monaco costs at most 24 € a day in parking. Car parks by district: Parking in Monaco.

Leaving Monaco

• France: the A8 is reached via La Turbie; the Moyenne and Grande Corniche roads are slower but far more scenic towards Èze and Nice.
• Italy: the border is about twenty minutes away, beyond Menton. Tell the rental company if crossing is not covered by default, and watch for the camera-enforced ZTLs in historic centres: the fine arrives months later via the rental company, with an admin fee on top.

Route ideas: Riviera day trips.

Related guides

• Monaco with or without a rental car
• Driving in Monaco
• Parking in Monaco: public car parks and rates
• Exchanging your driving licence
• Car sharing in Monaco
• Nice Airport transfers