Just before noon on a brilliant Riviera day, two columns of guards line up smartly in front of the Prince’s Palace, gold braid glinting on their full dress uniforms, vivid blue helmets rivaling the azure sky.

A bell tolls as the guards put on what may be the world’s most glamorous shift change, marching and presenting arms with practiced precision as tourists Instagram the moment.

The best part? Watching this royal pageantry won’t cost you a sou.

Sure, Monaco’s known as the “millionaire’s playground,” with its multimillion-dollar penthouses and high-roller casinos to fleets of Bentleys and Ferraris. But you don’t have to break the bank at Monte Carlo to have fun in Monaco. Here are things to do that will cost as much as Monegasques (as the locals are called) pay in income tax. Which is to say, zero.Stroll

Home to about 32,000 people, Monaco is largely urban. But there are a number of parks where you can stop to smell the flowers or rest up on a convenient bench. The St Martin Gardens, just below the Monaco Cathedral, are nice to walk in after you’ve visited that building (2 Avenue Saint Martin, www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Gardens/St-Martin-Gardens). Come here for views of the Mediterranean and check out the statuary, including a larger-than-life rendition of Albert I as a navigator looking out to sea.

Another good place to find respite is the Japanese Garden not far from the Monte Carlo Casino. Inspired by Zen Buddhism, the garden includes a waterfall and stream (Avenue Princesse Grace, open 9am-sunset, www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Gardens/JapaneseGarden2).Drive

Monaco is a principality covering less than 2.6 square kilometers on the French Riviera, near Nice. (If you’re car-less, you can get here by the No. 100 bus from Nice for under US$2.)

Set on a narrow strip of land bordered by France on three sides and the Mediterranean on the other, Monaco can be reached by three scenic roads, the Basse Corniche (low coast road), the Moyenne Corniche (middle coast road) and the Grande Corniche (great coast road). Fans of the Hitchcock classic “To Catch a Thief” may recognize the Grande Corniche as one of the roads Grace Kelly and Cary Grant drive along. Tragically, Kelly, who famously married Monaco’s Prince Rainier and became Princess Grace of Monaco, died in a car crash near the Grande Corniche in 1982.Stamp

There’s no border checkpoint to pass through when visiting Monaco. But if you want an official memento of your visit, you can get your passport stamped at the tourism office, a short walk from the Monte Carlo casino. A cut above the bland insignias of many countries, the stamp is of the Monaco coat of arms which features two sword-wielding monks in honor of the wily Francesco Grimaldi.

Maybe you’ll go home feeling as cunning as old Francesco. After all, you’ve sampled the gilded streets of Monaco without parting with a copper.Pace

You’re going to need a rather expensive car, along with a few other requirements, to compete in the Grand Prix de Monaco held in May. But walking the course the rest of the year? That’s not going to cost you a dime. Stop by the Monaco tourism center, 2a Boulevard des Moulins, to pick up a free map of the route, a circuit of approximately 3.2 kilometers. The route passes the Monte Carlo Casino, the famous hairpin turn in front of the Fairmont, formerly the Loews Hotel Monte-Carlo, and the bottom half of the circuit hugs the coast with views of yacht-studded harbors.See

A key stop is the Prince’s Palace in Monaco-Ville, the old city perched on a rocky promontory known as Rocher de Monaco or “the Rock.” At 11:55am daily you can see the changing of the guard on the square in front of the palace. Line up early for a good view. As you walk into the square, look for the statue of Francesco Grimaldi, who dressed as a monk to lead a surprise raid on the castle in the 13th century.

Afterwards, follow signs to the Monaco Cathedral. You’ll find the tombs of past members of the ruling Grimaldi family including those of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace (4 rue Colonel Bellando de Castro; free admission outside of religious services 8:30am-7pm, 6pm in winter).

Another must-see is the Monte Carlo Casino. (Monte Carlo is one of 10 districts within Monaco.) Going into the gaming room will cost you 10 euros (US$13.79) and, incidentally, you’ll need to be well-dressed and carrying a passport to show you’re not a Monaco resident since they are banned. But it costs nothing to walk around the lobby, with its marble flooring, columns, sculptures and pictures (www.montecarlocasinos.com, open from 2pm daily).

Also free, taking a picture beside one of the posh cars parked at the ornate, Belle Epoque building. Check out the sculpture, “Sky Mirror,” facing the casino, a large mirror that reflects the building and nearby Café de Paris.

Travel info

Round-the-world trip starts soon

Ctrip has teamed up Singapore Airlines to introduce a 35-day trip around the world, which would take tourists on an adventure to countries on six continents.

The destinations include New York, Sydney, Paris, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Tourists will experience Brazil’s Carnival and the beauty of Iguazu Falls, and take luxury cruises ship to Antarctica and dine on Michelin-rated cuisines.

The tour is expected to start in February. It is operated by HHtravel, a brand of the leading online travel company.

The trip costs 575,000 yuan (US$92,741) and a tour group consists of 10 people, who will depart from Shanghai. It is operated only once in a year.

A smaller scale version of a 22-day trip, visiting four continents, costs 395,000 yuan. Reservations are now being accepted. Call 400-690-2323.

Garuda to fly B-777-300 to Jakarta

Garuda Indonesia Airlines will begin using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to operate on daily non-stop flights between Shanghai and Jakarta on November 7, the airline said. The new aircraft has 314 seats, including eight luxury first-class seats, 38 business class seats and 268 economy class seats. Garuda has launched new services for passengers on the new aircraft. First-class seats can turn into 180-degree flat, comfortable beds; a touch-seat control system adds to convenience, and an exclusive flight entertainment system is equipped with a 23.5-inch LCD screen for movies and live TV, music stations, children’s programming and news. The daily flight GA895 will take off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 10:05am and arrived in Jakarta at 3:25pm.

Juneyao flies Airbus 320 to Taiwan

Local Juneyao Airlines will open a direct flight between Shanghai and Kaohsiung on Taiwan Island on November 1. The flight will operate every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. A Shanghai-Taipei direct flight will open in December. Discounted return tickets are offered for early birds for 1,350 yuan excluding taxes. The private airline will use Airbus 320 to fly the route.

Flight HO1315/6 for Kaohsiung will take off at 11:40am and land on the island at 1:50pm. Flight HO1309/10 will take off at Pudong International Airport at 10:30am and arrive at 12:20pm, the airline said.

New discounts at Spring Airlines

Spring Airlines began offering a series of discounted routes beginning last Sunday for the new winter and spring flight season. The newly opened Shanghai-Kaohsiung flight to Taiwan will have a discounted ticket price of 199 yuan after passengers book on the airline’s mobile phone application. Flights to Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province will also have a discounted price of 199 yuan.

For international flights, a return flight ticket on the Shanghai-Jeju Island route costs 99 yuan, while the Shanghai-Bangkok ticket costs 599 yuan. The return ticket for flights between Shanghai and Ibaraki in Japan costs 598 yuan.