Grocery Shopping

As lame as it sounds, yes, grocery shopping.

Depending on your length of stay in Nice I just thought you’d like to know where you could quickly pick up some of the essentials to perhaps stock up your hotel fridge or to have on the go while you are sightseeing.

Don’t get me wrong; I love eating at the many great restaurants to choose from in Nice, I’m just trying to give you the option of saving a bit of money as well.

 

You will be amazed at the variety of food products you can buy in the grocery stores in France.  And Nice has a large number of grocery store chains to serve you, along with smaller, usually family run shops all over the city.

Whatever you had in mind, there is a good chance you will see it or find something better than you’ve had before.  You will come across a lot of familiar looking North American brand foods; just some of them might also come with their own unique flavor.

 

If you are staying in the city center, one place I would suggest you try out is the Monoprix at: 42 avenue Jean Médecin.

Monoprix

It’s a large building that has a clothing department on the upper level and a combined drug store, deli, bakery, liquor, groceries, etc., all on the main level.  Everything you would regularly go grocery shopping for in North America can be found here.

I find this store very reasonably priced, that goes for the vast wine and hard liquor selection too.  And naturally there is a fresh array of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meat and seafood.

I am hooked on the little pre-packaged pasta and green salads.  You can also pick up freshly pre-packaged sandwiches incase you wanted something to snack on while at the beach or on a road trip.

While making your way around the Cote d’Azur, you will likely come across another chain of stores named Casino.  They are in size from SuperCasino to Petit Casino so depending on which one you go to the selection will vary.  Most I have found are just as good for shopping as Monoprix.

SuperCasino

Carrefour is another chain of stores that can be found in and around the city of Nice, if you are going out to one of the stores in the suburbs, you’ll find they can be quite big.

Carrefour

Galeries Lafayette at Place Masséna also has it’s own gourmet food supermarket in the lower level.  It seems to be very popular, as many times when I have gone, some of the basics near the end of the day will be sold out.  But they still have a great overall selection of items.

What I am always pleasantly surprised about is the quality and variety of foods available in these stores, lots of healthy choices too.  And the prices, to me, don’t seem outrageous.  And don’t forget to bring your own bag to carry your purchases in or some stores may charge you for one.

If you are on a budget, don’t necessarily shop where the tourists do, shop where the locals go and you’ll be much further ahead.

Banks & ATM's

As with any planning of a trip to a foreign country its always best to take some of that currency with you before you arrive.  In France, it's the Euro and I've found it goes quite far in Nice and the rest of the Riviera.

The rules seem to keep changing in regards to credit and debit cards every time I go so I like to make sure they are up to date and with what works in the ATM's in France.

This last time in September 2010 (and also in 2011), I made sure all of my cards had an updated chip and a new four digit PIN, as in most cases now a PIN with more than four digits won't be accepted in machines there.  

Before my trip, I contacted the banks that I use to let them know when I would be traveling, where and for how long so that they wouldn't put a hold on a card while I was away thinking someone had stolen my cards and were attempting to use them somewhere else.

It's also a good idea before you go to do some research on how much transactions and withdrawals will cost you while away to help with your financial planning.

I remember the days of the traveler's cheques and what a hassle they were, especially if you were trying to get funds for the amount you wanted, and how much those currency exchange places would take as a cut for themselves.  Now I barely see those places around Nice.

Dealing with the banks in Nice is a whole lot easier.  Most banks there are open from 10am-1pm and then from 3pm-5pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays.  My friends in Nice (along with myself) seem to prefer banking with HSBC for their service.  Barclays Bank and Banque de France I would also recommend.

For more information, their links are as follows:

HSBC

Barclays

Banque-France

ATM's are all over Nice.  Look for the symbols from Plus or Cirrus as they are part of the bigger international networks and stick with bank run ATM's for security and the best exchange/transaction deals.  You will also find that most machines give you the option on whether you want to do your transactions in French or English.

Exchange rates are more favorable if you pay with credit cards and the more you withdraw at once with your debit or credit card, the less you will have to pay in accumulating exchange/transaction type fees.

Nice Tramway

If this is your first time in Nice, taking the tram is a cheap and efficient way of getting to know the layout of the city.  At this time there is only one tramline that runs through Nice but it seems to hit all of the major arteries.

Nice Tramway 

Since the tramway first went into operation in late 2007, you can see a remarkable difference in the way it has revitalized various neighborhoods in Nice.  Areas that seemed previously unexplored appear to be much more vibrant and alive.

I recall avenue Jean Médecin, one of the main locations where the tram now goes through, being a major route for all sorts of traffic before and quite honestly, in the early 1990’s that avenue seemed polluted and dare I say even grimy at times. 

Well that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, avenue Jean Médecin is now far more pedestrian friendly and clean.  If this is what “going green” is all about for the environment, then I’m all for it.

The current line runs in a U-shaped route from Comte de Falicon (Nice Nord) then down through the city center (avenue Jean Médecin) to as close as a couple of blocks away from the beach (Masséna Station) then back North to Pont Michel.  Stopping at a total of 21 stations, running almost 9 kms long.

You can purchase your ticket for the tram at any of the stations along the route from one of the automated ticket stands (in a variety of languages) for 1 euro, one way.  Tickets are also cheaper if you buy them as a weekly pass.

A monitor above the station will indicate the route the tram is going and approximately how long of a wait you will have, they do come by quite often and start running from 5:10am until 1am.

Always hang on to your ticket, once you step on board the tram, validate it at the automated ticket box usually located near the doorways inside the tram.  It is important you do this as ticket officers routinely come on board and will check that your ticket is valid, if not you will get fined.  Also, do not buy your ticket from someone on the street.

I have found the tram useful for when I want to get to the train station quickly or if I am heading off to a club at night, plus it’s cheaper than a taxi.

The tram is a safe way to get around Nice.

Update:

As of March 2, 2011 you can now purchase a Carte Azur for 45 euros for a month pass which gets you unlimited use of the buses and tram regardless of distance traveled and as often as you want.

If you plan on staying a year, you can purchase a Carte Azur for 365 euros, which breaks down to 1 euro per day.

This pass is good for 27 municipalities around Nice, 16 municipalities around Antibes and the Principality of Monaco.

Also, after I’m sure much debate on costs, etc., a second tramline will be constructed.  The route will connect the airport to Place Masséna; it will also head part way underground to Nice Port and up to the city’s northern suburbs.  Construction of the second line is due to be complete by 2016.


Update 2013:

As of May 3, 2013, the cost to take the tram or the bus goes from 1 euro to 1.50 euros.  Still not a bad deal when comparing that price to other cities.

Nice Train Station - Gare de Nice Ville

Nice’s train station was completed in 1867 and although not as grand as I’m sure it’s early days, it still holds it’s character and is quite the center of activity for the city. There has been talk for a while that renovation work will be taking place over the next couple of years.

If you are arriving by train to Nice for the first time, I will give you a quick run down about the station.

Basically, when you step off of the train on to any of the few platforms around, walk towards the lower stairwells which all lead to the same tunnel.  Proceed through the tunnel to the end where you will see another set of stairs leading up and into the main lobby of the station.

Once you are away from the platforms and tunnel you will now be in the main part of the station lobby where you can exit the building.

That being said, if you are entering the train station to leave Nice, the lobby area of the station is where you can buy things like snacks, magazines and purchase your train tickets from one of the ticketing machines.  In a later post I will provide more details on how to use the train ticket machines, but rest assured, they are very self-explanatory.

In the lobby, before you head for the train platforms, there is an automated train schedule board above the glass doors looking towards the platforms.  Here you will find out which train is heading where, which platform it will be located at, and for what time. Schedules, and which platform you should be at can change so do your double-checking here.

Once you have confirmed your destination information, validate your ticket in the little automated yellow boxes before heading to the platform.  It’s very important you do this because if you get caught on the train without your ticket being validated, you will get a fine.

Go down the stairs towards the tunnel, inside the tunnel itself will also be monitors telling you which set of stairs leads to your platform.  On the platform itself are even more monitors.

It’s all actually very easy so don’t worry, just expect at high season for there to be more crowds of people.

If you have arrived by train to the station, have made your way to the lobby and are now about to leave the train station.  Here you will be able to choose your choice of transportation to where you would like to go.

Taxis are readily available out front of the train station, as are city buses. 

Alternately, since the train station is located on avenue Thiers, walk left along the station and follow avenue Thiers to the very popular avenue Jean Médecin which is a very short, maybe 3 minute walk away, here you can catch the city tram.

The tram only costs 1 euro (purchase ticket at street station, validate on board tram) and with only one tramline, it’s easy to use.  Again, it depends on where you are going.  Here is my link providing more information about Nice’s tram system: Nice Tramway

Otherwise, I have found the area around the train station to be safe.   I recall in the early 1990’s the area could feel a bit sketchy at times, usually at night, but I have personally come and gone from the train station at all hours without incident. 


Like with any city, take the usual precautions.

I’m also the kind of person that likes to walk everywhere, so if you were trying to gauge time, for myself, a walk from the train station down avenue Jean Médecin to the beach takes me about 20 minutes.

Enjoy the experience.

Update: February 20, 2012
  
Plans have been revealed about the massive upgrades and renovations to take place at the train station and area.  The look of the project is a mixture of traditional and modern design.

There will be a complete overhaul to the station itself, the platforms, interiors, and underpasses all with the aim to improve upon passenger comfort, security and safety.

A large square will replace the current car park to encourage pedestrians to walk or take the tram located 250 metres away from the station.  I like that idea!

As a popular tourist destination, the hub accommodates an impressive seven million passengers each year to various destinations across the country and Europe. It’s also the heart of the Riviera’s rail network, providing accessible routes to Italy, Monaco and Russia.