When we asked our Paris expert friends to tell us their favourite shopping in Paris tips and their best Paris markets, not surprisingly the Paris flea markets were voted all time favourite shopping venues by both visitors and those who live in Paris – and we couldn’t agree more.
Food markets and flea markets are a way of life in France, a place to browse, socialise, wander, learn and get a great bargain and we hope to help you with our guide to the best of the Paris flea markets.
Top tip from Sharon Vinson from the UK is “The flea market of saint Ouen, it’s a short walk from Garibaldi station. It’s massive. Either end of the market is just tourist tat so just keep walking”.
VO Click Clack loves the Marché aux Oiseaux in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The flower and bird market has been held since 1808 on the Ile de la Cité at the Place Louis-Lépine and at the Quai de la Corse along the Seine and these are two of the more unusual markets in Paris. The flower market is open daily and the bird market is on a Sunday – it’s a lovely place to visit, very picturesque and very French!
Recommended shops included the iconic Bon Marché and vintage shop Celia Darling Vintage which Sandra Davis, a vintage clothes seller from the UK (PuffnStuff at depop.com) says is her favourite place to find amazing vintage couture pieces in Paris at a reasonable price.
Rue Mouffetard got several votes for its colourful market, and for being a fabulous place to sit and people watch – you’ll find it in the fifth arrondissement of Paris. Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris’s oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods, filled with restaurants, shops, and cafés, artisan bakeries and specialist cheese and pasty shops. It’s also home to a permanent open-air market at the Place Saint-Médard with some of the best fruit and veg stalls in Paris. Our top tip for visitors to this area is to go on a Sunday afternoon when it is particularly lively and street performers add music and entertainment for a vibrant atmosphere.
Top Tip: Paris Info, the main Paris tourist website has a list of markets in Paris that is really helpful as well as a great shopping guide – click on the category for Paris shopping and search for the downloadable Paris Shopping Book. They also have City Passport deals which offer unlimited Paris transport and sightseeing tours at a great price.
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