Monaco enjoys a typical mild Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. There's rarely a frost or snow and most months of the year will have many sunny days, more than 300 days without a cloud and only an average 60 days rain a year. Spring and autumn are pleasant, although October is one of the wettest months of the year.
Many choose April - May and September-October to visit Monaco, when temperatures are pleasantly warm and the crowds thinner - at least until the end of May and the Monaco Grand Prix.
July will typically see 11hrs of sunshine and temperatures averaging 26°C. There will be very few days with rain. Contrast this with January, which has an average of only 5hrs sunshine and typical temperatures of 13°C, with cool nights. Winter weather is moderate but it is probably too cold for swimming or for lying on the beach.
The mountains inland of Monaco protect it from cold northerly winds, like the Mistral, which can cause so much havoc further west along the French coast. Monaco sits on a a narrow coastal strip with steep cliffs that rise almost vertically to heights of 63 metres (206ft) above sea level. Fresh breezes help moderate the summer temperatures making Monaco a very pleasant destination at all times of the year.
For Monaco weather check out the
Monaco When To Travel Guide on Weather2Travel.com
January: The Monte-Carlo rally will have travelled from the north across the Alps before finishing in Monte-Carlo. The end of January sees the international circus festival. At the end of the month it's the Festival of Ste-Dévote.
February: The hotels can be busy as it's the International Television Festival when executives from all over the world talk about, well, TV.
May: The Monaco Grand Prix is at the end of May and the whole area is packed. There's plenty of disruption before and afterwards as the grandstands and racing paraphernalia take six weeks to build and another three to dismantle after the race.
April: This is a busy month with the Spring Arts Festival and the International Tennis Tournament.
May: Not a great deal happens in May unless you're into flowers. The Flower Festival runs throughout the month and is well worth a visit.
June: The Monte-Carlo Golf Open, although Monaco is too small to have its own golf course, so it's played over the border in France.
July and August: Music concerts in the Palace courtyard. Also the Fireworks Festival lights up the evening sky.
November: It's Monaco's National Festival on the 19th.