Shopping in Nice
What you need to know about French shopping protocol, along with tips for the uninitiated. Sales, returns and exchanges, how to get your VAT tax back, customs limits, how to ship your treasures home, and links to size conversion tables.
Vintage, Second Hand and Thrift Store Shopping
If vintage shopping, discount designer labels, and second-hand chic is your thing, you’ve come to the right place!
French Flea Markets: the Vide Grenier It’s the neighborhood equivalent of a local swap meet in the US or a ‘car boot sale’ in the UK, here’s how to find the village Vide-Grenier nearest you, and what to expect when you get there!
From flowers to fish, arts to crafts, antiques and flea markets, old books and antique postcards, there is an open-air market for it. Here is a rundown of the morning and night markets, daily and weekly markets, and of course the famous markets in nearby Italy.
Food finds in the Old Town
- The best shops for wine
- Best bakeries
- Ice cream, chocolate
- Olives, cheeses, fresh pasta
- Meat markets and fish mongers
Here’s what you need to know to avoid the steely stares of the cashier and those waiting in line… Plus the lexicon for buying organic.
Getting your VAT tax back, and Shipping Stuff Home
Getting your VAT back is like getting a 20% discount… here’s how to do it. Bought too much? Here’s how to get it home…
Nice Gift Guide If you’re feeling nostalgic for Nice or know someone who is, here is your holiday gift guide to bring the Cote d’Azur a little closer…
Annual French Sales The twice-yearly France-wide blowout sales dates.
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Photo credits: Hermes Kelly Bag from Hermes France, Flower Man by Mary Payne, Vintage and Euros by Best of Nice Blog.