Prince's Palace

This lavish Monaco-Ville palace is home to the prince, of course (it’s in the name after all). The royal residence has sheltered the Grimaldi family (of the 13th century) and Prince Rainier III and his lovely wife, Princess Grace (of the 20th century). Today, Rainier’s son and heir, Prince Albert II, calls the Palais du Prince home. Many recommend at least stopping by the palace on your Monaco vacation, even if you're not up for a tour of the state rooms. One TripAdvisor user does say, however: "You would think that the Prince could afford air conditioning in his residence, it was stifling in the mid July heat with all the crowds."

Luckily, there's a more airy feel to watching the changing of the guard (which takes place every day at noon and is free to watch) outside. You can tour the state rooms in the summer for €7 EUR ($9.50 USD). All year-round, you can step into the Napoleon Museum, which holds historical artifacts from Napoleonic times. Joint tickets for both the state rooms and Napoleon Museum cost €9 EUR or about $12 USD.