Les Puces de Paris
Antiques lovers put on your walking shoes and get ready to spend the day at the biggest flea market in the world! The Marché aux Puces is any bargain-hunter’s dream, and if you love to barter, then you’ve come to the right place. The more knowledgeable you are, the better the deals you’ll make. Vendors love to talk about what they’re selling, but what they love even more, is a customer who knows and appreciates what they have to offer. (Most shopkeepers do speak some English in case your French isn’t up to par.)
Beware, however, it doesn’t mean that everything you see is worth the asking price. That’s where the gift of negociating comes in and there will be plenty of deals to make! There are nearly 3000 stalls and shops to choose from, so don’t start buying as soon as you arrive at the market. Wait until you get to the Rue des Rosiers, which is the main street; but if you do happen upon something that you just can’t seem to live without, then by all means go ahead! You may not find it on your way back.
For larger and fragile items, many shops make shipping arrangements for you. The market is a hodgepodge where you can find just about anything and everything; from valuable antiques to plain and simple junk! There are way too many to mention, but, as the saying goes, “Some people’s junk are other people’s treasure.”
There are restaurants and cafés, so you won’t go hungry. It’ll be a day of fun and by the time you leave your arms will probably be full of your treasures. One word of caution, there are over 100,000 visitors each week-end, so be careful; it’s a haven for pickpockets. The market is open Saturday to Monday, from around 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (The best time to make a deal is Monday afternoons.)
Métro: Porte de Clignancourt, walk north to Saint-Ouen.
Bargain: Something you don’t need at a price that’s too good to pass up!
Photo Credits: Flickr
Tags: b5media, City-of-Lights, france, les-puces, les-puces-de-Paris, les-puces-de-Paris-Saint-Ouen, marché-aux-puces, paris, Paris-Traveler, puces-de-Clignancourt, Shopping, the paris travelerRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Family Fun, Fun & Quirky Places, Getting Around, Great Walks, Outdoor Activites, Shopping, Things To See & Do
7 opinions for Les Puces de Paris
Clara
May 16, 2007 at 10:50 am
I will definitely be at the Marché aux Puces on my next trip to Paris. Feeling excited already.
lynnrodz
May 16, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Oh Clara, I get the feeling you are not going to want to leave! You better go on Saturday, take a sleeping bag and a tent so you can sleep over until Monday! (I’m teasing! But I’m sure you’ll have fun!)
Place des Vosges
Jun 1, 2007 at 5:58 pm
[…] help but come out of there with stuff you don’t need! (What did I say about bargains on my Les Puces de Paris blog?!) “So, where is this shop?” you ask. Let me just say this, you can miss it […]
Ten Street Markets in Paris
Jun 27, 2007 at 1:01 pm
[…] an entire post to this flea market, which happens to be the largest in the world, you can link here for more […]
The Best Of…
Jul 16, 2007 at 1:24 pm
[…] Flea Market - Marche aux Puces This is the biggest and one of the best flea markets in the world! From beautiful antiques to bric-à-brac, it’s a shoppers paradise. Read more about this great place here. […]
behop31
Jul 24, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I just returned from Paris where I took 11 other people for a great adventure. We spent one day at Les Puces off of Porte de Clignancourt, and everyone had a blast! Unfortunately for me I had to spend too much time looking for a student (13 yrs) who wandered off, so I didn’t get as involved in shopping as I had hoped. I did manage to get some great buys and haggled a lot, teaching my students how to do so in the process (getting two articles for the price of one in many instances). If you haggle you will do well, if not… well, you will make the shop-keepers really happy!
I did have a question, though; I bought a great sweatshirt with a label of “chaitanya” which I cannot locate a site for. The piece is a great little garment, and I wish I had had more time and money so I could buy more, but… if anyone knows about this company and can help me locate an online vendor, I would appreciate it.
Lynn
Jul 25, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Hi Behop, Chaitanya is made in India, but the designer for much of the label is a French woman, so there’s a crossover between the two cultures and therefore has a wide appeal in France. There are a number of websites that sell Chaitanya garments from eBay (.fr) to individual venders. This will take you to a number of different sites.
http://www.google.fr/search?hl=en&q=vetements+chaitanya&meta=
I hope that helps!
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