What should you buy in Paris? The French capital is a city full of points where you can buy many wonderful souvenirs.
Knowing what to buy in Paris is not easy since the Ville Lumière is one of the world’s tourism capitals and presents an immense offer of products for its visitors.
Famous all over the world are the luxury shopping spots, such as the Galeries Lafayette or the boutiques along the Champs-Elysées, as well as the famous souvenir shops in Montmartre.
Paris is a city where purchases are a real way of life, so it’s no wonder the number of proposals available. Here’s how to choose the selling points that best suit your tastes when you visit the Ville Lumière.
Those who arrive for the first time in the city and want to know what is best to buy in Paris can start from a visit to the markets. Virtually every arrondissement of the city has one daily, which will not make it difficult to find stalls for some shopping. The Marché d’Aligre or that of Bastille, two of the best in the city, offers a wide selection of typical products: cheeses and wines in the first place, but also meats, vegetables and much more. Flea markets, including the one in Saint-Ouen, on the northern outskirts of the city, one of the largest in Europe, are also very interesting.
If you want to make some quality purchases and do not know what is good to buy in Paris, the shops of the so-called Triangle d’Or are the ones that are right for you. In this part of the city, there are some of the most exclusive and expensive boutiques in the world, with products of the highest quality. Along the Champs-Elysées and the nearby Rue Saint-Honoré, the shops of the most exclusive world brands, such as Armani, Luis Vuitton, and many others, dominate from above with prices not exactly suitable for all budgets.
One of the most touristic and well-known areas of the city and of the whole of France is Montmartre, probably the best to buy a souvenir or a gadget. The specialized shops are hundreds, while the show offered by the artists at the foot of the majestic Basilica of the Sacred Heart makes the atmosphere jovial and magical. Those who want to secure some antiques can opt for the numerous street vendors along the Seine, the bouquinistes. Among the works on sale, there are books, postcards, and vintage newspapers.
Addresses:
- Marché d’Aligre: Rue d’Aligre et place d’Aligre (Metro Ledru-Rollin) – Tuesday to Friday, 7.30am-1.30pm ; Saturday & Sunday, 7.30am-2.30pm
- Marché Bastille: Boulevard Richard Lenoir (Metro Bréguet – Sabin) – Thursday, 7am-2.30pm; Sunday, 7am-3pm.
- Marché Saint-Ouen: Avenue Georges Lafenestre (Metro Porte de Vanves) – Saturday and sunday from 7am to 7.30pm