De beste plekken om te winkelen

De Franse riviera is an international destination for shopaholics. It has a plethora of malls and markets, both indie and designer boutiques, jaw-droppingly expensive bags, hand-made one-offs, flea and food markets, En huge shopping sale events.

Zowel hooggehakte schoonheden als gebruinde locals kopen hun eten en drinken bij kleurrijke marktkraampjes en gaan vervolgens met een jus-press of espresso in de hand naar deze winkels. Zoals deze slimme shoppers weten: wat je shoppassie ook is, je vindt het neusje van de zalm aan de Franse Rivièra.

Winkelen aan de Franse Rivièra vereist enige lokale kennis om de beste boetieks en uitverkooppunten te vinden. Als je voorbereid bent, vind je aan de Franse Rivièra talloze unieke items die je nergens anders vindt. Hier zijn de beste plekken om te shoppen:

Shop the Streets of Cannes

Our favorite city for shopping is Cannes, because of the outdoor setting, the sheer number of stores, and the mix of both cool indie fashion labels, mid-range aspirational brands, and high-end fashion houses. A true slice of Parisian elegance and opulence on the Côte d’Azur, Cannes keeps in well-heeled step with the most sought after high-end retail shopping districts in the world.

The compact center of town makes it perfect for a short stopover, as you can take in all the most prestigious shopping precincts within an entirely walkable area. So serious are they about their luxury retail culture that Cannes dedicates an entire festival to it every year, in spring – with four fashion filled days of haute couture shows, entertainment and a slew of other related events. The ‘Cannes Shopping Festival’ is held every spring in March or April and the ‘Sales and the City’ shopping festival is held each January. Our evenementenkalender has all the details.

Discover Cannes’ unmistakable glamour and opulence through the city’s best places to shop: Check out our guide to shopping in Cannes.

Luxury Shopping in Monaco’s Shopping Centers

If you’re bound for Monaco in search of bargains, I’m going to have to disappoint you. True, there are a few ‘affordable’ shops in the Condamine/Port district. But key Monaco shops (mostly in Monte-Carlo’s Cercle d’Or district around Place du Casino) clothe, bejewel and otherwise complement the costliest bodies on the planet. Still, if you look hard enough you can find occasional deals. Check out our guide to shopping centers in Monaco.

French Flea Markets (Vide-Grenier)

Europe doesn’t do Garage Sales, preferring neighborhood flea markets, known as Vide-Greniers, which literally means “empty your attic”. Each village usually does one or two a year, spring and fall, and each family fills a table with all manner of fascinating finds, from the most hilarious junk to the most interesting antiques.

The prices at these bric-a-brac free-for-all’s are a fraction of the prices at weekly antique markets, and bargaining is the way to go… if you don’t speak French, start with ‘bonjour‘ and a smile, then just point and use the calculator on your smartphone to make your offer!

Bekijk onze complete list of all French Riviera’s flea and antique markets.

Food, Flower, Artisan & Antique Markets

De markten in de oude steden van de Franse Rivièra vormen in feite het kloppende hart van elke stad. Het zijn levendige plekken waar de lokale bevolking hun dagelijkse boodschappen haalt en "Bonjour!" roept tegen hun buren, terwijl enthousiaste toeristen nieuwsgierig toekijken naar de dagelijkse activiteiten van de lokale bevolking en de sfeer van het dagelijkse leven aan de Rivièra proberen te proeven.

Those of you with a sweet of tooth will find the Côte d’Azur to be your kind of heaven. Nearly every town has its own specialty: candied fruits in Nice, nougats in Vence, marrons glacés in Collobrières, orange-flavored chocolates called grimaldines in Cagnes, and creamy tartes tropéziennes in St-Tropez.

That said, it’s important to know which markets are good, and which are mostly selling junk made in China. Check out our guide to the best French Riviera markets so you’ll know which markets to shop at for the specific items you want — and which to avoid.

Looking for sales? Check out our guide to the best yearly sale events on the French Riviera.