Monaco Made Easy · Guides for visitors
Monaco’s free public lifts and escalators
Monaco climbs about 100 metres from the sea to the top of the town, and the streets are steep. The good news: a network of free public lifts, escalators and moving walkways does most of the climbing for you.
Free, and open to everyone
Around 80 public lifts, 37 escalators and 8 moving walkways link the harbour, the Rock, Monte-Carlo and the neighbouring French towns of Beausoleil and Cap d’Ail. You don’t need a ticket or a pass: walk in and press the button.
How to find them
This is the hard part. Many lifts are tucked inside buildings, tunnels and car parks, so you can walk straight past them. Look for:
- Blue signs with a lift symbol, pointing along the street.
- Doors marked “Ascenseur public” (public lift).
- Lift lobbies inside public car parks, which often double as short cuts between streets.
Opening hours
Monaco’s public lifts are generally open day and night, but a few close overnight. Beausoleil’s lifts were reported in 2020 to run from 5am to 9pm. Lifts are sometimes closed for repairs, so it helps to know a second way round.
Some of the most useful
- Parking des Pêcheurs lifts, at the foot of the Rock: from the harbour up to Monaco-Ville, by the Oceanographic Museum.
- Rainier III Auditorium lifts, Boulevard Louis II: from Port Hercule up towards the Casino.
- Station lifts, Monaco Monte-Carlo station: from the platforms up to Boulevard Princesse Charlotte.
- Condamine Market lifts, Place d’Armes: from the market to the streets above.
- Place des Moulins escalators, Monte-Carlo: between the shopping streets and Larvotto.
- Rex lift and Libération lift, Beausoleil: between the lower and upper town.
Our app shows every lift, escalator and moving walkway on a map, and builds routes that use them, with the climb each one saves.