Nice

Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa, up to 90 days in any 180. If France is your main destination, fill in the form on france-visas.gouv.fr and book a slot on consulat.gouv.fr; go in person to the embassy (15 Peace Avenue) on Monday, Wednesday or Friday 9:00–11:30 to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45), cash in tögrög only. Apply from 6 months and at least 10 days before travel; the passport comes back in 2–3 weeks.

Tip: Slots get scarce before the summer and winter holidays — book as soon as you know your dates.

Medical insurance of at least €30,000 covering the whole Schengen stay, recent bank statements, an employer's letter, hotel bookings for every night, a return-ticket booking and ISO-standard photos. Children under 12 give no fingerprints but must attend. Incomplete applications are not accepted.

Monaco is not in the EU, but the France–Monaco border is open and you enter on your Schengen visa — there are no checks, but carry your passport. Since 10 April 2026 the EES has been live at Schengen external borders: your face and fingerprints (over age 12) are recorded instead of a stamp. ETIAS is for visa-exempt nationals, so it does not apply to Mongolian citizens.

Tram line 2 (T2) runs from both terminals to the centre (Jean Médecin, Garibaldi) and the port. Boarding at the terminal stops you can only buy the €10 return 'airport' ticket; a standard ticket costs €1.70 and allows transfers to other trams and buses within 74 minutes. Ticket machines take bank cards.

Tip: Keep your suitcase in sight on the tram — pickpockets work it.

Official fixed fares from the airport (2026): central Nice €32, Antibes €72, Cannes €85, Monaco €95. The taxi rank is outside exit A3 at both terminals; take only cars with a 'Taxi' roof sign.

On MIAT + Lufthansa via Frankfurt, the Schengen border check (EES) happens in Frankfurt and you land in Nice as on a domestic flight. Via Istanbul, the border check is in Nice. Booking both flights on one ticket checks your bags through, and the airline is responsible if you miss the connection.

If your phone supports eSIM, buy a Europe plan from Orange Travel, Airalo or Ubigi before flying: Orange Travel Europe 14 days 20 GB is about $30. One plan works across the EU/Schengen — handy on a Frankfurt connection too. Monaco is not in the EU, so check whether your plan includes it.

Tip: Before visiting Monaco, set your phone's network manually to a French operator to avoid roaming charges.

Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom shops in central Nice (Avenue Jean Médecin, the Nice Étoile mall) sell tourist SIMs; a passport is required. Roaming on a Mongolian SIM is very expensive, so switch data roaming off.

A single ticket costs €1.70 and allows transfers between trams and buses within 74 minutes; buy multi-trip tickets in the Lignes d'Azur app or on a rechargeable card. The same fare covers the buses to Èze (82, 602), Villefranche and Monaco (600). Bus 400 goes to Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

ZOU! TER trains run along the coast: Nice-Ville–Monaco is €6.10 one way full fare (~20 minutes), Nice–Cannes €9.70 (~40 minutes), with Villefranche, Èze-sur-Mer and Antibes on the way. Buy tickets on SNCF Connect or from station machines; trains are regular, cheap and avoid traffic.

There is almost no public transport to the Verdon Gorge — book a day coach tour from the tourist office (often combined with Grasse and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie) or rent a car. Mountain roads are narrow and winding, so drive only if you are experienced. Grasse is reached by TER via Cannes.

Euros — Monaco uses the euro too. Cards (Visa, Mastercard, phone payments) work almost everywhere; keep a little cash for market stalls and small beach kiosks. Use bank ATMs and avoid private ones like Euronet and airport exchange desks. If an ATM offers to charge 'in your currency', choose euros.

Non-EU residents spending over €100 in one shop on one day can reclaim VAT: ask the shop for a tax-free form with your passport and scan it at a PABLO kiosk when leaving from Nice airport. French rules also apply to purchases made in Monaco.

Nice's municipal museums (such as the Matisse) are free for under-18s and free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The Musée Matisse is €10 and the Chagall National Museum €10 — both are closed on Tuesdays.

Socca (a thin chickpea-flour pancake), pan bagnat (a round tuna-and-vegetable sandwich), salade niçoise, pissaladière (onion tart) and stuffed vegetables. Small places line the Cours Saleya and Rue Pairolière in the old town; with children, pizza and ice cream (Fenocchio) are everywhere.

A meal in a cheap restaurant is about €17 per person; a three-course dinner for two in a mid-range restaurant about €70 — far more on the seafront in Monaco or Cannes. Service is included, so tipping is optional. You can ask for free tap water (carafe d'eau).

Tip: Some private-beach restaurants discount the sunbed if you have lunch there.

Buying fruit, cheese and bread at the Cours Saleya morning market or the Libération market for a beach picnic is cheap. Monoprix, Carrefour City and Casino Shop are all over the centre.

European emergency number 112, police 17, ambulance (SAMU) 15, fire 18 — free, 24 hours, even with no credit on the SIM. In Monaco, 112, 17 and 18 work as well.

Don't leave your phone and wallet unattended on the beach while you swim; on the Monaco bus, TER trains, in the old town and on the Promenade, wear your bag in front. The seabed drops quickly — don't swim when the red flag is up in rough sea, and in summer swim in lifeguarded zones.

Tip: Keep a copy of your passport on your phone and leave the original in the hotel safe — you only need the original for Monaco's casino.

Autumn brings violent downpours and flash floods — when Météo-France issues an orange or red warning, keep away from riverbeds, underpasses and the seafront. In summer bring a hat and water. Green-cross pharmacies are everywhere; in an emergency go to the CHU de Nice emergency department (Pasteur), and the Lenval hospital for children.

Say 'Bonjour, madame/monsieur' when you enter a shop, café or bus, and 'Merci, au revoir' when you leave. Jumping straight to a question without a greeting is considered rude. A few words of French make people noticeably warmer.

In Nice and Monaco, walking in streets, shops and restaurants in swimwear or bare-chested is banned away from the beach — Monaco issues fines. Bring a shirt or cover-up to the beach.

People live in the old town and in small villages like Èze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, so keep the noise down and don't wander into private courtyards. In churches cover your shoulders and don't take photos during services. Flying drones is banned in Monaco and central Nice.

Lignes d'Azur — tram and bus tickets and routes. SNCF Connect — coastal TER and TGV tickets, timetables and delays. Taxi Nice Riviera — official taxis; Uber and Bolt also work.

Google Translate's camera mode translates menus and signs on the spot; download the French pack for offline use. Tourist areas usually have English menus.

Buy Monaco palace, Oceanographic Museum and Lérins ferry tickets on the official sites. Explore Nice (the Nice tourist office) lists events, carnival tickets and opening times.

Take tram T2 from the centre to the terminals (the 'airport' ticket at terminal stops is €10 return), or a taxi at the fixed €32. Check whether your flight leaves from Terminal 1 or 2. Plan to be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight — EES registration and security.

Scan your tax-free forms at a PABLO kiosk before passport control (green screen = approved); carry the goods unopened in your hand luggage. Returning via Frankfurt, your Schengen exit check happens there. EES records your exit — don't overstay the 90-day limit.