Updated on November 03, 2026
Summary:
- A Principality still cut off
- A station at the foot of Casino de Monte‑Carlo
- From the station to the Casino terraces
- A plot of land with increasing value
- The price of comfort
Monte-Carlo would almost certainly never have come into existence without the railway. Surrounded by sea and mountains, Monaco had to break free from its isolation if it hoped to attract international visitors. In the 19th century, François Blanc, founder of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, recognised that Monte-Carlo’s future depended on the railway.
A Principality still cut off
When the Société des Bains de Mer launched the Casino de Monte-Carlo, Monaco was still difficult to access. A steep road connected the Principality to La Turbie; Nice or Menton were reached by stagecoach. The sea offered an alternative route, sometimes faster but often uncertain. From 1856, a steamship service was established, notably with the Palmaria, followed by the Charles III. However, this mode of transport remained unsatisfactory.
François Blanc very quickly realised that only the railway could bring to Monaco the visitors needed for the development of the Société des Bains de Mer. In 1866, he ceded 6,000 sq m of land so that the Paris‑Lyon‑Méditerranée company could build a station. Negotiations were lengthy, plans changed, tunnels collapsed. But the founder of the Société des Bains de Mer remained persistent.
A station at the foot of Casino de Monte‑Carlo
Following the opening of an initial station in Monaco in 1868, the Monte‑Carlo station was established in 1869 at the foot of the Casino. On 6 December, the first passenger train arrived at Monte‑Carlo station. The impact was instantaneous: visitors flocked in. François Blanc had succeeded in his wager.
The train transported more than mere passengers: it brought a society to the Rock, marked the seasons, and shaped a new art of holidaying. Connected to Europe’s capitals, Monte Carlo became one of the great stages for Mediterranean luxury.
Monte‑Carlo station, situated on what is now the site of the Fairmont Monte‑Carlo, was decommissioned on 10 December 1964.
From the station to the Casino terraces
In Monte‑Carlo, arriving has never simply been about getting from A to B; it’s always been part of the experience. After the station opened, travelers found a route designed as a climb towards the Casino: a broad, flower-lined staircase led up to the gardens, then onward to Casino Square.
On 24 December 1889, a lift was opened, offering direct access to the terraces. For 25 centimes one way or 35 centimes for a return journey, visitors could avoid the climb and reach the centre of Monte‑Carlo more easily.
From the 1950s onwards, the railway line was relocated further north and was diverted underground. The station closed in the mid-1960s, while the new tunnel freed up valued urban land for development.
However, in Monte‑Carlo’s collective memory, the train has preserved its original aura: that of a journey commencing even before reaching the Casino, at the exact moment when one alighted from the train at the station, promising an exceptional stay.
A plot of land with increasing value
In 1866, François Blanc purchased the 6,000 square metres of land necessary for the construction of the railway line and transferred it to the Paris–Lyon–Méditerranée company to facilitate the building of Monte Carlo station. It was a daring move, as in ten years the price per square metre had increased from 18 centimes to 13 francs. However, the investment proved to be particularly lucrative…
The price of comfort
Inaugurated in 1889, the elevator offered travelers a more comfortable alternative for ascending from the Monte-Carlo train station to the Casino terraces. The service required a fare: 25 centimes for a one-way trip and 35 centimes for a round trip—a modest expense for easier access to the heart of Monte-Carlo.
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