Monaco at Christmas & New Year: What's On & Weather

2018 sees the 19th Christmas Village set up along the Quai Albert 1er. Until Sunday, December 6th you can take a stroll along the port to enjoy the sights and smells of the traditional 'German market' style chalets, selling crafts and specialities of the region. Don't forget to try some 'churros' – a seasonal treat which people queue up for. You'll understand why, once you've sunk your teeth into these fried choux pastry sticks sprinkled with sugar and served with chocolate sauce. You could even indulge in an oyster plate and some mulled wine whilst doing some people watching and your Christmas shopping.

During the festive season, the Stade Nautique Rainier III transforms into a giant 1000m² ice skating rink. There's also a smaller version for young children where they can learn. The open-air ice rink will be open to the public from early December all the way through the winter until March 3rd 2019.

For a more traditional Christmas, then you can enjoy the Chemin des Crèches Nativity trail. This year's edition of the Nativity Trail will take place on the Recher of Monaco until January 8th 2019. Discover the variety and beauty of nativities scenes and cribs from around the world as you wind your way through the old streets of Monaco to the Princes' Palace.

Whatever you do for New Year's Eve, you are sure to have fun in the playground of the rich and famous. Most of the local hotels, restaurants and bars will be putting on glamorous parties to see 2019 in. There will be a DJ evening with fireworks in the Port of Monaco just like every year while the Christmas Village will be open until 03:00 and the ice rink will not shut until 02:00.

If money isn't an objective, you could celebrate the New Year on at one of the many prestigious nightclubs and restaurants of the Société des Bains de Mer. There will be special menus served at most of its glitzy eateries while the iconic Jimmy'z Club, the celeb's favourite, will have four nights of champagne-flowing fun from December 28th to 31st to celebrate the end of 2018. You could also pull out all stops by dressing up real fancy and ringing in the New Year with a sumptuous evening at the Salle des Etoiles, dancing the night away to live music by Laura Pausini.