Nice Shopping

Nice Shopping information

Best areas

Nice's Zone Piétonne, or pedestrianised zone, on Rue Masséna is just off the Place Masséna central square. High-end chain stores, one-off shoe shops, a glitzy restaurant or two and several boutiques cover the 500m long road. Rue Paradis, just off this street, is home to the most chic stores in town. Among them are Sonia Rykiel, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton. Avenue Jean Médecin is highstreet shopping heaven. Branches of Zara, H&M and Habitat sell goods at significantly lower prices than their British counterparts. Midway along is the Étoile shopping mall with its inexpensive shoe shops and high quality tailors. Their three-storey branch of Fnac sells CDs, English-language books and also acts as a booking office for most of Nice's music and sport events. Galeries Lafayette at the Place Masséna end of Avenue Jean Médecin is a department store par excellence. The most famous names in French and international fashion are on offer over its several floors, and you should have no problem finding whatever you're looking for - from fine gifts to take home, to the latest in designer wear as a present for yourself. One of the country's premier retail names, a visit to Lafayette is a lesson in French style. The Nice store is currently offering readers a fantastic offer of 10% off selected purchases. Click on the tag to the left to get your voucher. Aside from the many markets, Nice old town is home to numerous boutiques and art stores. Branches of Gaultier and Agnès B can be found close to the Cours Saleya pedestrianised hub. Modern art, classic painting and period furnishing can best be seen in the streets around Rue Droite, Rue Rossetti and Rue Saint Réparate. Spend an hour walking around the winding streets and you will come across home-made pasta, olive oil products, fresh bread, wine and stalls full of local produce. Those with the time and an eye for a bargain can head to the Cap 3000 complex at St Laurent du Var, just west of Nice airport. Buses 10 and 11 run there from Place Masséna, or take the train to St Laurent du Var from Nice-Ville rail station. The place includes huge sports shops and thousands of square metres of clothes and shoes. Cap 3000 makes a great stop if you have a few hours to kill before a flight.

Markets

The Cours Saleya area in Nice old town hosts the city's best market. Some of the most colourful fresh produce on earth is on offer at the food market (Tue-Sun 06h00-12h30), with organic produce as well as some fabulous ready-to-eat confections and tarts. A huge antiques market fills the area up on the food market's day off (Mon 07h30-17h30). The flower market (Tue-Sat 06h00-17h30, Sun 06h00-12h30) in the same area is also worth a browse. Several stalls selling food and fruit line the Rue de Marché and Rue de la Boucherie as you head into the old town. The fish market at Place St-François (Tue-Sun 06h00-12h00) provides an excellent photo opportunity if you're not buying, with some outlandish sea fish on show alongside crabs, lobsters and langoustines. If you're cooking for yourself it's well worth shopping here for a meal or two. Secondhand magazines, postcards, paintings and books, including some in English, are sold in the Place du Palais near to the Cours Saleya every Saturday (08h00-18h00). Three other great antiques markets are the Collector's Exchange Market in Square Durandy (Sun 08h00-12h30), the Place Robilante flea market (Tue-Sat 10h00-18h00) and the antiques fair on Rues Gaultier, Foresta and Philibert (Tue-Sat 10h00-12h30, 15h00-18h00).

What to Buy

Needless to say, the citizens of Nice enjoy the highest quality luxury commodities. This is one city that demands you leave a few pounds heavier, and a few pounds poorer. Nice has an extremely pleasant mixture of shops, and a blend of laidback south coast service and casual browsing makes buying anything from a Louis Vuitton case to a stove-top espresso maker a joy. Shoes and highstreet fashion labels are two things that Nice excels in and outlets all over town are considerably (and a little surprisingly) cheaper than in most other European cities. Art has become a growing speciality since Matisse moved down to the Promenade des Anglais 80 years ago. Over 50 gallery-cum-stores exist in the old town alone. The latest in fake merchandise from Gucci watches to Prada bags can be found in the Cours Saleya. The quality varies greatly. Just north of Nice is the village of Biot, which has a reputation as one of the leading glassware centres in Europe. You will find every shape, colour and design possible, and there's even a glassblowing factory that conducts daily tours. An ancient settlement believed to be over 2,500 years old, Biot is also famous for its earthenware.

Opening Hours

Shops are generally open from 09h00-19h00 Tue-Sat. Many stores are closed half day or all day on Mondays and some close between 12h30-14h30 for an extended lunch hour. Sales are held in January and July for up to six weeks.

Tax Refund

In France a sales tax (VAT) of 19.6% is levied on most goods and services. Following a visit to France, non-EU tourists can apply for a tax refund on goods bought. Most countries offering a tax refund specify a minimum amount that must be spent in a particular shop to claim a refund. In France, the minimum purchase to qualify for a refund is EUR175. To reclaim tax you need to request a VAT refund request form when you make a purchase, which states the amount of refund due. Customs officials must stamp these documents as you leave the country and the refund will be processed and sent to you. Alternatively, you can purchase goods from shops participating in the Tax-free Shopping programme (look out for the Tax-free Shopping logo displayed in the window). Simply show your passport when you make a purchase and you will be given a Tax-free Shopping cheque showing the refund you are owed. As you leave the country, customs officials will stamp your cheques. You can claim your refund from the Tax-free Shopping desk or have it sent to you.