Shopping in France
Fashion Shopping in France…
The major towns in France all have small boutiques and individual shops in its town centres with pedestrian walkways. These are very attractive and can be fun to visit even if you don’t buy anything. The large supermarkets, hypermarts, furniture stores and DIY hardware stores are located on the outskirts of town as they are not as aesthetically appealing but a good place for bulk shopping at reasonable prices. It is of course more interesting to visit the town centres where you can find souvenir shops alongisde delicatessens and patisseries. Markets are also a good place to visit for handmade regional goods.
The different regions of France are famous for different products. Breton is known for its lace, Limoges, porcelain, Provencal, its fabrics and Grasse, its perfumes. Paris of course has an exceptional range of shops from expensive fashion houses in the 8th arrondissement, particularly around the Faubourg St-Honore to the grands magazins or affordable and chic departmental stores. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are two such department stores which are both located on boulevard Haussman.
When shopping in Paris, decide first if you just want to look around or if you actually want to buy something. Some shoppers might want a fantasy experience while others just want the one address that will give them the most value. For touristy shopping, the St-Germain-des-Pres Metro stop has shopping areas on the Left Bank It’s also a very young, hip and busy scene with stores like Etro, Emporio Armani, Sonia Rykiel and Shu Uemura. On the Right Bank, the first arrondissement is a prime shopping area with several high-rent neighborhoods. Fancy designer boutiques can be found on the rue du Faubourg St-Honore and some wonderful boutiques line the rue St-Honore. Here is also where you can find tourist-trap heaven, some of the best museum shops and the Louvre. The Jardin du Palais Royal is a wonderful place to shop and stroll. The most famous street in Paris is of course Champs-Elysees which is also one of the most crowded parts of Paris. The stores go from the ridiculous to the sublime including the Virgin Megastore, Disney Store and Monoprix. A few big-name designers also have their stores here including Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Montblanc. Take a break from the shopping and sit in the tearoom of Laduree to enjoy the most heavenly macarons on earth.
The heart of every French town is its market and shopping for fresh produce there is one of the real pleasures of holidaying in France. The markets start early in the morning and close at midday, with the best of produce being available early in the day. Markets are a riot of color and bustle and have everything from flowers to domestic animals. Local cheeses, honey, wine, pate and other specialities are often offered for tasting to encourage browsers to buy. Antiques or second-hand markets are also found around the provinces and flea markets can also be a fun place to look around. The biggest flea market in the world is Les Puces de St-Ouen at Porte de Clignancourt in Paris, opened Saturday to Monday 6am to 7.30pm.
Around the country, many wine producers and farmers have degustations or tastings where visitors are invited to try the wines and other produce. This is a good way to try before you buy and sometimes includes a visit to a wine cellar. Farm produce can be more expensive than in the supermarkets but are also a lot fresher.
