Feeling the Paris pinch? Take a stroll down the rue Saint-Placide in the heart of the tres cher 6th arrondissiment. At the end of the road, you’ll find one of Paris’s most famous department stores, Le Bon Marché, and foodie’s paradise, Le Grand Epicerie.But on your way to splash the cash, you can check out a street that’s a treat for bargain hunters.

No. 58 La Generale de Pharmacie sells many French cosmetics and beauty products at 40% cheaper than a normal drugstore. Look for Roche Posay, a French brand for sensitive skins — easily as good as Clinique and 1/3 price. Stock up.

At no. 45 is a clandestine chausseure operation, depicted above, going by the name of Moda. The exterior windows are stacked high with shoe boxes; the owner does not want any publicity because they have an agreement with the big names to keep schtum about their wares. Inside, you’ll find cute and colorful Marc Jacobs, Cacharel, Chloe loafers, and sexy Viktor and Rolf high heels. They also have men’s shoes, including Prada sneakers and good-quality formalwear shoes. All this at 50-60% less than normal price.

At no. 35, Pullsion sells cut-price classic French brand Petit Bateau, a brand for kids but worn by everyone from French teenagers to grandmothers, priced from EUR9 euros — a fraction of the cost at the shop on the Champs Elysées.

The Latin Quarter adopted its name from the early Latin speaking students that lived there and has been inhabited since the early Middle Ages. You will generally find artists, intellectuals, and others who have adopted a Bohemian lifestyle. This area include various Paris landmarks like the Musée de Cluny, the Institut du Monde Arabe, the Muséum National d’histoire Naturelle, and the Jardin des Plantes. At the heart of Latin Quarter, as its symbol, stands famous University La Sorbonne .

It’s a vibrant neighborhood with both historical buildings and fine shops. At night, enjoy the smoky pubs and jazz clubs. This quarter has a vast array of stores that are beautiful and with a good quality at a price that fits on our budget.

Directory of Flea & Antique Markets

Marché d’Aligre
Address: Place d’Aligre, 75012 Paris
One of the city’s most interesting markets, made up of the covered Marché Beauvau (open since 1777) and an open-air market in the surrounding square with produce as well as flea-market stalls. Aligre is both well supplied and typically Parisian. It’s a great place to get an insight into life in the capital, and shows off its cosmopolitan side with numerous Asian and North African shops located around the market. Don’t get there too late, or you’ll find all the good things have gone.
Hours: Tues. – Sat., 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ledru Rollin (line

Marché aux Puces de Montreuil
Address: avenue de la Porte de Montreuil, 75020 Paris / 93100 Montreuil-sous-Bois
Like one vast car boot sale, this market disgorges mountains of second-hand clothing, parts for cars, showers and sundry machines, and a jumble of miscellaneous rubbish from its dusty, grungy bowels. You’ll find little pre-1900, but there are fun collectables like branded pastis water jugs.
Hours: Sat. – Mon., 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Porte de Montreuil (line 9)

Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves
Addresses: avenue Georges Lafenestre & avenue Marc Sangnier, 75014 Paris
Phone: (+33) 06.88.64.82.77;
Every weekend of the year, 350 stall holders await you: furniture, trinkets, paintings, fabric, glassware, time pieces, jewelry, military objects, photography, music, and curios. In the heart of Paris, an exciting place that will capture your imagination. It’s the place to visit for flea market enthusiasts.
Hours: Weekends; avenue Marc Sangnier until 1 p.m.; avenue Georges Lafenestre all day.
Porte de Vanves (line 13)

Les Puces de Saint-Ouen
Address: 48, rue Jules Vallès (Marché des Antiquaires), 93400 Saint-Ouen
(between the Porte de St-Ouen and Porte de Clignancourt, just outside 18th arrondissement)
The world’s biggest flea market welcomes 200,000 visitors each weekend. You name it, this place has it: furniture, pictures, new and second-hand clothes – all at rock-bottom prices (especially if you’re adept at haggling). There’s a jovial fairground atmosphere, with the aroma of food wafting in the air and people crowding round the stalls, hoping to pick up a 1970s leather jacket or rare Louis XV chest of drawers. Make sure to bring cash, as stallholders seldom accept credit cards and the nearest available ATM always has a line.
Hours: Sat. – Mon., 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Porte de Clignancourt (line 4), Porte de St-Ouen (line 13)

What city would be better to go shopping than the fashion capital? Paris is one of the most attractive European cities to make your credit card tremble. Despite its high prices, the variety, the quality and the originality of their products is such, that nobody can resist them. French fashion labels are expensive! Nonetheless, there are shops for all tastes and budgets. Whatever you wish to buy, you’ll find it in Paris.

You should know that the most of the Paris establishments open from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00am to 20:00pm, approximately. But the most traditional shops usually take a break between 12:00am and 15:00pm.

Now, you have to choose where you want to begin your shopping day… Do you want to have a walk along the famous Lafayette Galleries? Or maybe you’d prefer to have a look at the Haute-Couture boutiques? Although the vintage stores would also be a good way to jumpstart your shopping trip; but if you like markets, the Márches aux puces is one of the largest in the world.

Parisian department stores are the perfect place for those who have time and money to spend. In the Haussmann Boulevard you’ll find two shopping centres: the Lafayette Galleries and the Primtemps shopping centre. There you’ll find jewellery, shoes, expensive clothes and the prêt-à-porter latest tendencies …Food lovers, will find the best national and international delicatessen shops. Lafayette Gourmet has a wine store with 1800 bottles of the finest wines in the world. These galleries receive more than 20 million visits per year. It is the largest commercial area in the western world and the European department store with the largest number of shops. The Drugstore Publicis are small shopping centres with pharmacies, bookstores, gift shops, perfume stores and tobacconist’s. They are open until 2:00pm!

The Montaigne Avenue is synonymous of luxury and distinction. You’ll find here the best boutiques of some of the most well known Paris designers. This street stretches from the River Seine to the Champs Elysees. The Montaigne Avenue also has the most luxurious cafes, restaurants and hotels of the city. In addition, in the Marais neighbourhood there are the young Parisian designer’s shops.

The Paris markets are a huge spectacle, especially the Flea Market (Márches aux puces de Saint-Ouen). It is one of the largest markets in the world. It has more than 3000 stalls spread across 7 hectares. It opens Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10:00am to 18:00pm. The Flea Market receives more than 120,000 daily visits from tourists and Parisians! Here it’s possible to buy almost anything: from first and second-hand clothes, shoes, books and antiques, accessories, collectible items, music, pictures or the most absurd junk. Other important markets in Paris are: the Aligre Market and the Conventio Market.

What are you waiting for? Take the first flight to the French Capital and remember not to take too much luggage with you as you’ll be coming back with lots! Enjoy the best accommodation renting Paris Apartments at the best price.

Paris is the capital of fashion and design trends. For Parisians fashion and design is like a ‘walk in the park’, thus making Paris the reigning centre for trend-setting fashions. Making a list of shopping areas and boutiques in Paris is no easy task because all centres are almost equal in popularity.

Shopping is one of the main reasons for Paris to draw millions of visitors every year, and given below are some the leading shopping districts and shops.

1) Place de lopper & Boulevard Hausmann

These are two popular streets in Paris which hosts massively large departmental stores like Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. Like most popular stores they too feature designer collections, gourmet foods, household goods, jewellery, hardware and much more. The Printemps Department store also boasts of a large rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Paris. Visitors choose this shopping area as anything they desire is available here. Boulevard Hausmann is about 2.5 kilometres and is one of the tree-lined boulevards in Paris.

2) Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore

This is relatively a narrow street when compared to the rest in Paris. However, it is considered to be one of the most fashionable streets in the world because it hosts practically every single major global fashion house. It has a serious of high fashion stores and other exclusive establishments. Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore is an extension of Rue Saint-Honore. On this street at number 55 is the Elysee Palace which houses the President of the Republic.

3) Mistigriff

Mistigriff is located on Rue St Charles is a store that might have a ‘budget-style’ look, but sells genuine clothes at attractive discounts. Women’s apparel and accessories are available for a very small price. You will need to spend some time in this store to find a Couture garment from a famous label. Mistigriff is listed as one of the popular shopping stores in Paris.

4) Shoes at Andre

Andre is a major French shoe brand and there are many shops in Paris and France. Visitors will find very trendy shoes at reasonable prices here, and they also offer limited edition shoes in collaboration with young and talented designers. Each season Andre takes pride to invite hot fashion designers like Katherine Pradeau and Bali Barret to create exclusive shoe and handbag collections.

5) Cosmetics at Viseart

Viseart recently opened their make-up bar on Rue Charlot, 3rd Metro Republique and is the latest tip for good-value and quality cosmetics. This store is well-known within the fashion and film-world. The assistants are professionals who will help you to test and choose your product. They will also give you a 45-minute makeover by appointment.

6) Saint-Ouen Flea Market

This is one of the famous flea markets in Paris officially known as Les Puces de Saint-Ouen but known to everyone as Les Puces (The Fleas). The Flea Market is located in a city close to Paris and is about six hectares in extent. It is open on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays and is estimated to welcome over 70,000 visitors every week. It has over 2000 shopping selling almost everything and is one of Paris’ most famous shopping venues.

7) Avenue des Champs-Elysees

This is the most prestigious avenue in Paris, France and is a very famous tourist destination. There are cinemas, cafes and luxury speciality shops located amidst clipped horse-chestnut trees. It is one of the most famous streets universally as well and is the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe. It is also known as “The most beautiful avenue in the world”.

Avenue Montaigne

Originally this street was called Allee des Veuves (widow’s alley) because women who were in mourning gathered here, but the street has changed since the early days of the 18th century. Avenue Montaigne now boasts of many stores specialising in high fashion, such as Dior, Chanel, Valentino and Ralph Lauren. Jewellers such as Bulgari are found on this street as well.

9) Les Helles

Les Helles is one of the most important shopping centres in Paris. It is named after the large central wholesale marketplace which was demolished in 1971 and is now replaced with an underground modern shopping precinct. This area contains sculptures, fountains, museums etc and is very popular amongst visitors.

10) Rue d’Alesia

Rue d’Alesia is another major street in the south of Paris. It is the best place to find shops selling last season’s fashions at a discount. This street is frequented by visitors who are keen on bargain deals for clothing.

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If Paris did not have any monuments museums or galleries, it would still be worthwhile going there for its shops. Paris has some of the most exquisite shops and well known designers in the world. In short it is a shoppers’ paradise.

One of the important places where you can spoil yourself is the flea market. Paris has three major flea markets. One of them is the Saint Ouen flea market in Porte de Clignancourt, while the other two are found at Porte de Vanves and Porte de Montreuil. You can get anything and everything that you want here. In order to bargain you must visit the place before the influx of shoppers (preferably from 5 am to 6 am).

It is unfair to leave the place without buying a bottle of perfume. Paris is celebrated for its fine perfumes. You can visit the perfumeries or have a perfume custom made especially for you.

For a pleasurable shopping experience tourists must visit the departmental stores in the city. The famous rivals are Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. A five storey shopping complex located at Les Halles is La Samaritaine. Le Bon Marche is a departmental store that includes a roof garden and a food court. You get all kinds of stuff ranging from furniture to auto parts at these stores.

If you are an avid book reader, you are in for some disappointment as most books in Paris are expensive, particularly foreign books. However, you will find a row of book stalls, overlooking the river Seine that is worth a visit. They are known as les bouquinistes. You can also visit book stores like Brentano’s and Shakespeare & Co.

If you like to shop for clothes and designer wear you can visit giants like Chanel, Hermes, Vuitton and Dior. For stylishly crafted jewelry you can step into Cartier, Piaget or Chaumet. A connoisseur of arts wouldn’t like to leave the place without visiting an antique store. Puces is a famous store dealing in Louis XIV furniture, vintage jewelry, mirrors, silver and much more.

Bo Derek, an American actress once remarked “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping” and there couldn’t be a better place than Paris to go shopping.

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