Paris Shopping: The Flea Market

The main Paris Flea Market (Les Puces de Paris) is located beyond the Porte de Clignancourt at Saint-Ouen, originally just outside the city walls. The Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market celebrated its centenary in 1985. Covering 7 hectares, the complex is the world's largest antiques market, with a dozen different "markets" within it, and there's a lot more sold there than just antiques.

When to go

Every weekend, between 120,000 and 150,000 dealers and members of the public converge on the Paris Flea Market in the hope of making a "find". We recommend going when the dealers go: early in the morning when you get the pick of the best stuff. The best day to shop is on Monday, when dealers want to unload all the weekend's unsold merchandise.

If you don't speak French and don't know your way around the Flea Market (it's huge, with many different areas, see links below), it's a good idea to go with someone who speaks the language, either a friend or a professional shopper who will negotiate for you, and in the case of the latter later help ship your treasures home.

Of course, it's also amazing and a lot of fun just to stroll round, and there are numerous restaurants there. But watch out for pickpockets, this place is Pickpocket Paradise!

Next page : The Different Markets in the Paris Flea Market complex