Europe - France - French Riviera : Your stay on the French Riviera

Shopping categories
French shops are split into three categories : large stores (or supermarkets), usually situated on the outskirts of towns, supermarkets mostly for food, large specialized shops (household appliances, sports goods, clothes etc...), and boutiques in town centers.

Opening hours
Shops are usually open Tuesday to Saturday, all day long from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some close between 12.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. On Mondays, some stores in town centers are closed. All shops, except a few food shops (bakers etc...) or crafts shops in tourist centers, are closed Sundays.

Local crafts and markets
Shops specializing in local crafts are mainly located in town centers and around Provençal street-markets. Visiting a Provençal market is something you certainly shouldn't miss ! Antibes, Grasse, Cannes and Nice have permanent markets proposing fruit and vegetables, flowers and local crafts. Most villages also have at least one market a day (Vence, Sospel, Vallauris, Cagnes-sur-Mer etc...).

Methods of payment
Payment in shops is accepted in cash, checks and all bank cards. The credit card is very widely used, though it is not accepted by all shop-keepers (especially the American Express type). Minimum amounts of 7,15 or 23 Euros are often stipulated. Travellers' checks are also generally accepted in all shops and hotels. You may, however, need to provide proof of your identity by showing your passport when you pay.

Sales
Sales are held in January and July for a maximum period of 6 weeks. However, special promotions are sometimes proposed by certain shops at other times of the year.

Duty Free purchases
Prices are always displayed with all tax included (VAT = 20.6%). Airport boutiques in the duty free area (international zone at Terminal 1, Nice Riviera Airport) are the only ones to propose items with no tax applied. Some shops are allowed to sell duty free items. This possibility is usually indicated outside the shop though this type of purchase is exclusively reserved for foreigners who can prove they will soon be leaving France (plane ticket to be shown). It is nevertheless very important to keep your bill and declare your duty free purchases at the customs when you leave the country.

Tips
In France, service is included in bars and restaurants. It represents 15% of the bill. If you are satisfied with the service you receive, you can leave an extra tip of about 10% of the bill. You can also leave tips for the hotel porter (1.5 Euros per item of baggage) and taxi-driver (10% of the cost of the ride).