Ventimiglia market: the complete shopping guide

The Friday market

Every Friday Ventimiglia turns into a long maze of stalls following the seafront promenade and the bank of the Roja. You will find a bit of everything, often cheaper than across the border in France:

• clothes for adults and children;
• leather goods: bags, wallets, belts, gloves;
• shoes and sunglasses;
• scarves, knitwear and cashmere;
• bed linen and homeware.

For locals it is the weekly market; for many visitors it is a fun Friday outing. Stallholders are happy to let you try things on and many speak French and some English. Compare prices across a few stalls before buying, and keep some cash for small purchases.

Our tip: arrive early in the morning. The choice is wider, it is cooler in summer and you avoid the worst of the crowds and the traffic into town.

Counterfeit goods at Ventimiglia market

It is common to see designer bags, watches or clothes at unbelievably low prices. They are almost always fakes, often sold by street vendors on the edges of the licensed stalls.

In Italy it is not just the seller who is at risk: the buyer can be fined between €100 and €7,000, and the goods are confiscated. If you want genuine designer pieces, go to official stores in Ventimiglia, Nice or Monaco instead.

Ventimiglia covered market

The covered market is the other face of Ventimiglia: a historic food market, opened in 1922 as a flower market, a short walk from the station. Unlike the Friday market, it is open Monday to Saturday, mainly in the morning. It is the best place to stock up on Italian food.

Shopping in Ventimiglia

The rest of the town is worth a look too, on Fridays and other days. The shopping streets around the station and the centre are lined with clothes and shoe shops and stores selling local produce and Italian wine. On some Saturdays an antiques and flea market also sets up in the pedestrian streets.

How to get to Ventimiglia

On Fridays the town is busier and more chaotic than usual, so allow extra time, especially by car.

By car

Ventimiglia has its own motorway exit, just after the French border. On Fridays the car parks near the seafront fill up fast: it is better to park in the eastern part of town and walk to the market along the sea.

By train

This is the easiest option. Ventimiglia station is in the centre, a few minutes’ walk from the market, and it is where the French Riviera line meets the Ligurian line. From Nice Ville there are about 32 trains a day, almost all direct, taking about 1 hour. Until 11 December 2026, because of engineering works, no trains run between 10pm and 6am from Sunday to Thursday.

If you stay longer, explore Ventimiglia, its old town and its beaches. The tourist office is at Via Roma 3.

If you are staying in Bordighera, Ventimiglia is 5–10 minutes by train or about 15 by bus (line 2). On Thursdays there is also the Bordighera market.