Overview of Nice Shops & Markets
Nice has great shopping and you’ll enjoy exploring it all. Nice’s shops and markets are all walkable and easy to get to from Villefranche. There is the “new” part or central downtown which includes the Ave. Jean Medecin (where the tramway runs), the pedestrian area at Place Massena where you’ll find Galleries Lafayette and many boutiques, and then across the Promenade du Paillon (a wonderful city park and a must to explore) is Vieux Nice, the Old Town which has many more shops and restaurants. You could spend several days exploring the shops and boutiques in Nice.
Markets
The king of markets is Nice. There are so many, but the two main ones you’ll want to visit are the well known Cours Saleya in the Old Town, which also has the Flower Market, and the more local but larger one called Liberation at Place Liberation. They are both worth going to.
Cours Saleya is located in the Old Town just off the Promenade. A great day outing would be to go to Nice for coffee, then stroll the market and purchase all sorts of fabulous items to take back to your apartment, and then have lunch and take the bus or train home.
Liberation is located past the Center of Nice in the beginning of Nice Nord. It is easy to walk from the center of Nice (or even the Old Town – a pleasant, picturesque and easy walk) or take the tram. There is a lot of market to explore here, plus the inside covered market. There are restaurants in this area but fewer than in the Old Town, although there is the really spectacular vegetarian one called Racines (you must book in advance).