Stade Louis II (Monaco)

The Stade Louis-II, also known as Louis II, is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team. The stadium is most notable for its distinctive nine arches at the away end of the ground. The arena is also used for the Herculis, a track and field meet of the Diamond League.

General information

Official website: stadelouis2.mc

Arena capacity: 16,360 spectators

Address: 7 Avenue des Castelans, Monaco, 98000, Monaco

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 43°43′39″N 7°24′56″E

Year of construction: 1981

Construction cost:  million

Field: hybrid lawn with dimensions of 105 × 68 m

Seating plan of Stade Louis II

The stadium obeys the rules of similar grounds in Europe in that it has a ‘European Style’ of continuous seating that runs around the perimeter of the pitch. There is also a running track that separates the stands from the playing surface itself. The North Stand is the main stand in the ground, containing the dugouts, VIP areas and more. Along with The South Stand it runs along the full length of the pitch. The East and West Stands are found behind the two goals at either end of the pitch.

Where to buy tickets?

Perhaps because the club is one of the richest in Ligue 1, ticket prices are surprisingly cheap at the Stade Louis II. Prices start at around €7 for some games and can go up to around €65. Of course, should Monaco be up against one of their rivals like Paris Saint-Germain or Nice then expect the price to go up a little bit. Equally, if you’re a senior, a student or a child then you’ll be able to get tickets at the lower end of the spectrum.

As with most major clubs, the best way of getting tickets for a Monaco match is via the club’s official website. You can also purchase tickets from any number of sellers around the city of Monaco. These include Digitick, Francebillet and Ticketnet. There’s also a ticket office at the stadium itself.

How to get there?

Located in the South-East of France, Monaco is used to welcoming a huge number of visitors to its principality on a regular basis thanks to both the football and the Grand Prix. Here’s how you might want to get there.

Train

A train from London to Monaco will take about ten hours to complete its journey. You’ll head off from St. Pancras International to Paris-Gare-Du-Nord before switching to Paris-Gare-Du-Lyon. You’ll then get an internal TGV to Monaco itself. Once in the city you’ll have a twenty minute or so walk to the station from Gare de Monaco.

Bus

The nearest bus stop to the ground is Liberté that is around five minutes away and is served by the number 79 bus.

Car

Highway A8 is the one you’ll want to take to get close to the ground as it’s about 8km away.

By Air

The nearest international airport to the Principality of Monaco is the Airport of Nice Cote d’Azur. It’s about 22km from the centre of Monaco and there are bus routes into the city.

Taxi

A taxi from the main station in Monaco to the stadium will take about ten minutes and cost in the region of £5.

Parking

There are forty car parking areas at the stadium itself that can be used but they do fill up fast.

Where to eat and sleep?

As one of the most beautiful and attractive cities in the South of France, Monaco is ready to welcome tourists at any time. Here are some of our favourite hotels:

1. Best Western Hotel Prince De Galles. The Monaco chain of the Best Western features a restaurant, a bar, self-parking and a terrace area. There’s also a garden, a computer station and free Wi-Fi, should you prefer to use your own computer than sit in a public space looking at…private stuff.
2. Hotel Regency. The Hotel Regency has just twelve rooms, so you know you’ll be getting personal service. It’s about thirty minutes away from the Monto Carlo Casino, too. It’s got a garden, free parking and free Wi-Fi.
3. Princess et Richmond. The Princess et Richmond is a class act of a hotel. Right on the Monaco beach, it has a rooftop terrace, a fitness centre with a spa, a bar and self-parking. There’s also free Wi-Fi available to you.

Monaco is a destination for the rich and famous. There are any number of amazing places to go for a drink or a bite to eat, though not all of them are the cheapest. Here are some places you might want to have a look at:

1. Stars ‘N’ Bars. This fun sports bar with an American twist earned its name because of the numerous famous people who have rocked up at it at one point or another. With a decent food selection, an excellent drinks menu and numerous bits of sports memorabilia lining the walls next to the TVs, it’s a sports fan’s must visit.
2. Ship and Castle. The Ship and Castle in Fontvieille is a typical English style pub with meals you’d expect to find back home, such as fish & chips. There are also numerous televisions that show live sport and plenty of good drinks to choose from.
3. Slammers Bar. The clue of what to expect is in the name with this place. More of a bar that the youngsters of Monaco enjoy visiting to do shots than a sports bar, Slammers does have a television and you might be able to persuade the barman to put some sport on but you’ll more than likely want to just have a cocktail and a relax.

Facilities

Monaco is one of the richest clubs in France. It’s also in an idyllic location and the stadium takes advantage of the beautiful weather often experienced in that part of the world. The facilities are great and the views are pretty special from all over the ground.

As you’d expect from a club of Monaco’s standing, there are a number of excellent hospitality packages on offer at Stade Louis II. A private box is probably the top drawer option, with Le Club offering an elegant experience and Le Salon Honneur promising a slightly more down-to-earth location from which to watch the game. The most convivial choice of all is Le Pub Rouge & Blanc, an up-market take on a sports bar and pub.

The Stade Louis II is capable of holding any number of unique events aside from merely football. The stadium’s special and elegant lodges and rooms can be used for conferences, presentations, business meetings and more. If that’s something that you’re interested in then your best bet is to get in touch with the club directly.

Accessibility

Accessible parking spaces are located underground in P1, with direct access to the stadium, and are stewarded. The maximum height of vehicles is 2.05m.

Disabled fans can purchase tickets at the stadium turnstile on the day of the match and must present proof of disability (the orange card in France, which indicates a disability level of at least 80%).

For ambulant disabled fans, only full price tickets are available for European games.

Wheelchair User spaces: 34, located in section ‘réservée B’ on Level 3. Companion seating is located behind.

The spaces are protected from bad weather and sightlines are good unless fans in front stand up.

There are two accessible toilets, 1 male and 1 female, located 40m from the accessible seating area.

There is no signage for these toilets and they are not equipped with transfer bars.

History

The location of the current Stade Louis II is actually on ground that was reclaimed from the sea and is located very close to the original stadium of the same name. It opened for the first time in 1985 and features an indoor arena underneath the stands that allows basketball, volleyball and handball to be played. There’s also a large office section that houses the IUM, which is the International University of Monaco. On the 31st of May 2004 there was an explosion at the stadium. It was deliberate and did damage to the ground as well as nearby buildings. There were no injuries and no one ever took responsibility for it.