12 Habits You Pick Up When You're Living In Monaco

Monaco is a undoubtedly a captivating pocket of the world. If you’re lucky enough to call it home for however long, you’ll be sure to pick up these 12 habits.

Crossing a border to get to work

It is not uncommon to cross the border between France and Monaco several times a day. The French town of Beausoleil – once known as Monte-Carlo-Superieur – adjoins the Principality of Monaco to the northwest and is where a lot of locals and people working in Monaco live.

Altering your sense of distance

Saving up for a coffee

It is Monaco after all, so nothing really comes cheap, including things like a steaming cup of coffee. However, away from the main streets and towards districts like Les Revoires, you’ll be able to find some more affordable caffeine spots.

Acting nonchalant when dining next to a celeb

When you live in Monaco, you get used to seeing famous faces and acting like it’s just a usual Monday morning when you have a breakfast meeting next to Karl Lagerfeld. That’s right, autograph books away, this is Monaco…

Not tipping

At eateries in Monaco, a 15% tip is automatically added to your bill. So even though your heartbeat may stop when you see the total, at least you won’t have to cough up even more cash on top of it. Somehow that just makes it feel better, doesn’t it?

Craving stocafi

Stocafi is one of Monaco’s traditional dishes. It comprises salted cod, tomatoes, garlic, olives and peppers with herbs. It is quite a distinct taste to get used to but the Monegasque love it. You know you’re settling into life in Monaco when you suddenly begin to crave it.

Forgetting what rain is

Monaco boasts approximately 300 sunny days a year. When it does rain, it’s mostly at night or the downpours are quite intense and don’t last long. Not only do those who live in Monaco forget what days upon days of grey skies look like, they probably don’t even own an umbrella.

Shouting Daghe Munegu! when watching sport

This Monegasque phrase is used all the time when watching a sports game. It means ‘Go Monaco!’ and if you suddenly shout it out yourself, you know you can’t live anywhere else.

Ordering a Casanis and actually enjoying it

With its proximity to France and Italy, it’s no wonder that Monaco is as keen on apéritifs as anywhere else on the French and Italian Riviera. Casanis pastis, a liquorice-flavoured spirit, originated in Corsica, after which its production moved to Marseille. It is definitely a favourite in Monaco.

Getting competitive

Whether or not you were a competitive person before living in Monaco doesn’t matter – if you call this principality home, you have no choice but to get competitive. Jobs are incredibly competitive and the general atmosphere here exudes excellence. This stems from its history and passion of events such as the famous Grand Prix. Competitions and the urge to excel go hand in hand with the glitz and glamour of Monaco.

Doing daily cardio

Monaco is built into the cliffs on the Mediterranean coast so, simply put, it is very hilly. You know you’re a local when you’re daily excursions equate to the same amount of effort as a gym session.

Picking up phrases in different languages

Over 130 nationalities call Monaco home and a mere 22% of Monaco residents are Monegasques. That’s a lot of different languages. So whether it’s because of work or your simple day-to-day life, you’re sure to pick up phrases in many other tongues.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.