The MonteDam Swing Roadtrip

Perhaps the most exciting news for live European players was the cross-promotional work of PokerStars and the World Poker Tour for the Montedam Swing. The back-to-events give players a chance to compete in world-class events and an opportunity to see a good portion of Europe.

Amsterdam and Monte Carlo are about 900 miles apart (1,400 km) in an almost perfect north-south stretch. There are a few options for the trip; ranging from red-eye flights to the leisurely drive with friends.

Catch a Flight

There are between six and seven direct flights a day from Nice to Amsterday. Nonstop flights run just under two hours but with one stop it stretches to over three hours. Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Air France and KLM are the best bets for major airlines out of Nice.

Ride the Rails

Traveling aboard trains can be a uniquely enriching European experience, unlike the rail lines Americans are familiar with on the East Coast. There are a couple different routes available and they’ll take about 24 hours.

Make sure to note if you’re booking a sleeper or couchette ticket – a sleeper car usually has two beds and a washbasin where a couchette compartments have four to six flat bunks with little expectation of privacy.

Gumball 1,400!

The Gumball 3,000 found fame as an open race in 1999 as a race from London to Rimini, Italy and inspired countless of not-stop trips through Europe. Grab a rental car, an extra driver or two, a case of Red Bull and a nonstop haul should get you from Monte Carlo to Amsterdam in about 15 hours.