Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [172]
RUE ST-HONORÉ
A fashionable set makes its way to Rue St-Honoré to shop at Paris’s trendiest boutique, Colette. The street is lined with numerous designer names, while on nearby Rue Cambon you can find the wonderfully elegant Maria Luisa and the main Chanel boutique.
DEPARTMENT STORES
Au Printemps (64 bd. Haussmann, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 9e | 75009 | 01–42–82–50–00 | Station: Havre-Caumartin, Opéra, or Auber) is actually three major stores and has everything plus a whopping six floors dedicated to men’s fashion. Le Bon Marché (24 rue de Sèvres, St-Germain-des-Prés, 7e | 75007 | 01–44–39–80–00 | Station: Sèvres-Babylone) is Paris’s chicest department store, with an impressive array of designers represented for both men and women, and home to La Grande Épicerie, one of the largest groceries in Paris and a gourmand’s home away from home. BHV (52–64 rue de Rivoli, Beaubourg/Les Halles, 4e | 75004 | 01–42–74–90–00 | Station: Hôtel de Ville), short for Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville, has minimal fashion offerings but is noteworthy for its enormous basement hardware store and household items.
Galeries Lafayette (35–40 bd. Haussmann, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 9e | 75009 | 01–42–82–34–56 | Station: Chaussée d’Antin, Opéra, or Havre-Caumartin) is dangerous—the granddaddy of them all—everything you never even dreamt of and then some under a gorgeous Belle Époque stained-glass dome.
BUDGET
Monoprix (21 av. de l’Opéra, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–61–78–08 | Station: Opéra | 20 bd. de Charonne, Bastille/Nation, 20e | 01–43–73–17–59 | Station: Nation | 50 rue de Rennes, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 01–45–48–18–08 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés), with branches throughout the city, is the French dime store par excellence, stocking everyday items like toothpaste, groceries, toys, typing paper, and bath mats—a little of everything. It also has a line of relatively inexpensive basic wearables for the whole family and isn’t a bad place to stock up on French liqueurs at reasonable prices.
MARKETS
The lively atmosphere that reigns in most of Paris’s open-air food markets makes them a sight worth seeing even if you don’t want or need to buy anything. Every neighborhood has one, though many are open only a few days each week. Sunday morning until 1 PM is usually a good time to go. Many of the better-known markets are in areas you’d visit for sightseeing; here’s a list of the top bets. Boulevard Raspail (Between Rue de Rennes and Rue du Cherche-Midi, Quartier Latin, 6e | 75006 | Station: Rennes) has a great organic market on Tuesday and Friday. Rue Mouffetard (Quartier Latin, 5e | 75005 | Station: Place Monge), near the Jardin des Plantes, is best on weekends. Rue Montorgueuil (Beaubourg/Les Halles, 1er | 75001 | Station: Châtelet Les Halles) is closed Sunday afternoon and Monday. Rue Lévis (Parc Monceau, 17e | 75017 | Station: Villiers), near Parc Monceau, has Alsatian specialties and a terrific cheese shop. It’s closed Sunday afternoon and Monday. The Marché d’Aligre (Rue d’Aligre, Bastille/Nation, 12e | 75012 | Station: Ledru-Rollin), open until 1 PM every day except Monday, is a bit farther out but is the cheapest and probably most locally authentic market in Paris.
On Paris’s northern boundary, the Marché aux Puces (Station: Porte de Clignancourt), or flea market, which takes place Saturday through Monday, is a century-old labyrinth of alleyways spreading for more than a square mile packed with antiques dealers’ booths, junk stalls, and world-class pickpockets; arrive early. On the southern and eastern sides of the city—at Porte de Vanves (Station: Porte de Vanves) and Porte de Montreuil—are other, smaller weekend flea markets. Vanves is a hit with the fashion set and specializes in smaller objects—mirrors, textiles, handbags, clothing, and glass. Arrive early if you want to find a bargain; the good stuff goes