Besides art, culture and museums, shopping is another term that springs to mind when mentioning Paris. The City of Lights is famous the world over for its never ending shopping possibilities. Some of the city’s specialties include wines, cheeses, haute couture fashion, perfumes, fashion accessories and jewellery and exquisite antiques.

In Paris there is variety: from the most glitzy and luxurious boutiques to large department stores, flea markets and second-hand stores, everyone is sure to find something to their taste here.

High Fashion and Haute Couture: Those focusing on haute couture will have to go to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honré and Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement, where top emporiums and boutiques are found, including Cartier, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Van Cleef & Arpels and Christian Lacroix, among others. Yves Saint Laurent is located in the 16th arrondissement while other parts of town also carry the latest fashion and top quality leather goods, perfumes, jewellery and other top label accessories.

French Department Stores: For those who enjoy shopping in department stores, you will not be disappointed in Paris. Two of the larges (and most famous rivals) are Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, which are located side-by-side on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. Other department stores in the city include La Samaritaine, Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville - BHV, Le Bon Marché.

Flea Markets of Paris: A more budget-oriented choice would be shopping at Paris’ renowned flea markets. As some of the most famous open-air markets in Paris, these gatherings draw hundreds of people a day. There are three main flea markets operating in Paris, generally set up at the ancient city gates (porte de Vanves or Saint-Ouen).
Flea markets are actually called that because of how they originated. Centuries ago, it was common for royalty to do away with the clothes they no longer wanted, and these were usually full of tiny insects, namely fleas. Nowadays, flea markets offer a lot more than flea-ridden garments. There are all sorts of articles and items to sort through and very likely to hit upon some sort of treasure. Just keep an eye our for pickpockets!

Les Bouquinistes: For those who are bookworms at heart, take a stroll along the River Seine where you will come across the typical bookstalls containing second-hand volumes, as can be seen in the photo above. These bouquinistes, as they are referred to in French, add a charming feature to the Paris landscape and are apt to have just that title you were longing to find…

There is a wide range of places to chose from when it comes to shopping in Paris while in town for your French Language Course.