Shopping

Cannes
The Cannes shopping district is easily found between the areas of La Croisette and Rue d’Antibes. Top designers such as Gucci and Chanel abound on La Croisette. Just off the main drag is the arcaded Gray d’Albion. Among the stores here is the French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. Fill your fancy with delightful delicatessens, chocolates and other confections on the Rue d’Antibes. Try the tasty specialties of the Riviera such as crystallized fruit and marron glacés at Chez Bruno on 51 rue d’Antibes. Homemade chocolates can be found at Maiffret on 31 Rue d’Antibes.

If bargain shopping is your bag then head to Rue Meynadier. This street makes a good starting point, with many other streets branching off it that offer equal shopping opportunities. The shop Cannolive has a great selection of souvenirs and it is located on16 rue Venizelos. For a memento from the Cannes Film Festival, Ciné-Folie on 14 Rue des Frères Pradignac where they have a selection of festival posters.

Marché Forville (Forville Market) is a lovely market that sells local produce and flowers. Forville Market is near the railway and town hall. Fishermen’s fresh daily catches are also sold here. Vendors are open Tuesday to Sunday from 7am to 1pm.

Stores in Cannes are open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 12am and then open again from 2:30pm to 7:30pm. During the city’s peak tourist season shop usually stay open during lunch. You can expect a 19.6% tax on luxury goods. This is only refundable on purchases over €175, for visitors outside the European Union.

Avignon
Rue de la République is the main shopping thoroughfare in Avignon’s inner city. It begins at the old city walls directly in front of the Centre-ville train station and leads you through the center of Avignon’s signature shopping area. Well-known international brands and large department stores, such as Monoprix and FNAC line Rue de la République. On both sides of Rue de la République is the pedestrian district of Avignon’s city center. Browse the boutiques with ease in this ideal shopping location. The main intersecting roads are Joseph Vernet and St. Agricol. While there is a selection of luxury and designer stores, there are also a variety of places that sell Provençal goods such as pottery, fragrant lavender essence and soaps and traditional patterned linens. Other side streets in this area include Rue des Fourvisseirs, Rue de la Bonneterie, Rue du Vieux Sextier and Rue des Marchands.

Just below Place Pie, at Les Halles, there are morning markets on Tuesday and Sunday. Other markets include a food market at Rempart St. Michel on the weekends and a colorful flower market at Place des Carmes on Saturday that changes on Sunday to a flea market.

International and department store hours are 9am to 7pm, Monday through Saturday. Smaller, local shops have abbreviated hours of 9am to 12pm, then open again 2pm to 7pm. Also, local shops are closed on Monday mornings.

Vinon sur Verdon
The quaint hilltop towns Gordes and Roussillon have many boutiques that sell a selection of Provençal gifts. It is not hard to find colorfully painted Provençal fabrics, olive oil and tapenade, lavender products and soaps. Roussillon is famous for its surrounding ochre cliffs. Signature canisters of ochre in a variety of colors can be purchased at many of the local shops.

Nice
Since the Middle Ages, Cours Saleya has been the heart of Nice’s market square. Every afternoon until 1pm markets still rule the square with vendors selling beautiful fresh flowers, gifts, produce, spices and other Riviera specialties. This market has the best prices on flowers and gifts in the city. Jasmine, carnations and roses are the specialty flora of the Riviera. Fresh seasonal produce includes zucchini, mushrooms, white asparagus, and strawberries. Other specialty fares are sun-dried tomatoes, olive varieties and aromatic spices. On Mondays, this same market switches into an antique market. Cours Saleya is conveniently located right off the beach in Old Nice.

Place Garibaldi is another location for shopping. This area is lined with beautiful buildings that make shopping a pleasure. The boutiques here offer another opportunity to pick up gifts from the French Riviera. There is also a mall in Place Garibaldi called TNL Commercial Center. The shops in this center have a selection of brands ranging from pricey to inexpensive.