Information
Paris Hotels
Paris Airport
Paris Tourism Guide
Paris Basic Info
Paris Shopping
Paris Tips to
traveller
Top
Destinations
Paris Travel Guide
Tokyo Travel Guide
Beijing Travel Guide
Madrid Travel Guide
London Travel Guide
Toronto Travel Guide
Houston Travel Guide
Bangkok Travel Guide
Frankfurt Travel Guide
Las vegas Travel Guide
Singapore Travel Guide
New York Travel Guide
Amsterdam Travel Guide
Hong Kong Travel Guide
Los Angeles Travel Guide
Shopping
London Shopping
Tokyo Shopping
Beijing Shopping
Madrid Shopping
Berlin Shopping
Toronto Shopping
Houston Shopping
Bangkok Shopping
Frankfurt Shopping
Las vegas Shopping
Singapore Shopping
New York Shopping
Amsterdam Shopping
Hong Kong Shopping
Los Angeles
Shopping
|
Paris Shopping
SHOPPING
IN THE CITY
For reasons that elude
most of us, Parisians seem to make impeccable fashion sense look like a
walk in the park. It's no surprise, then, that Paris remains the
reigning center of all things haute couture. After museums and
monuments, shopping is one of the main reasons city draws millions of
visitors each year.
While the city is studded with great places to shop, these top
shopping districts are guaranteed to satiate discount-hunters, designer
divas, window shoppers, and fashion victims alike.
Faubourg
Saint-Honoré
Best for: Crème de la crème designer fashion,
chic home furnishings, and quality cosmetics The Faubourg
Saint-Honoré district is the pulse of city's design and
fashion. Wedged between the Louvre and Opera, the
Saint-Honoré fashion district is occupied by classic
designers like Versace, Hermes, and Yves Saint Laurent, but also houses
resolutely avant-garde boutiques like Colette.
Paris
Department Stores District - Boulevard Haussmann
Best for getting lost in city's prestigious-- and dizzying-- department
stores (grands magazins) are famous for being
worlds unto themselves. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, and
department stores dominate Boulevard Haussmann with real Belle Epoque
grandeur, concentrating top designer collections for men and women,
gourmet food shopping, home design, jewelry, and even hardware into a
labyrinth of consumer delights.
The
Marais
Best for eclectic fashion, unique jewelry, antiques and fine art. The
historic Marais quarter is prime stomping ground for shoppers with an
eye for the unique and finely-crafted, not to mention antique and art
lovers. Try antiques or fine-arts shopping on the Place des Vosges,
jewelry shopping at boutiques like Satellite on Rue des
Francs-Bourgeois, or explore boutiques featuring up-and-coming
designers on Rue des Rosiers.
Avenue
Montaigne
Best for Designer shopping, trendy chain stores, Sunday shopping.
Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Elysées form one of
the city's hottest fashion junctures. Ave. Montaigne is fast
outstripping Saint Honoré in notoriety, with legendary
designers like Chanel and Dior lining the street.
Saint-Ouen
Flea Market
Best for Antiques and oddball items, discounted and vintage clothes and
shoes
The Saint-Ouen flea market (or "puces"-- literally, "fleas") is the
city's largest, and dates to the 19th century. Located at the very
northern tip of Paris, les puces are an essential shopping stop. Come
here for a few hours to browse the antique furniture, odd objects, or
vintage clothes. You may not come away with a masterpiece painting (as
once was the case), but a find you are likely to make. Weekdays are
preferable to avoid the inevitable crowds, though.
Saint-Germain-des-Près
Best for Chic classic design, books, home furnishings. Once synonymous
with the famous intellectuals who haunted local cafés,
St.-Germain-des-Près has acquired several shades of chic and
is now a preferred spot of BCBG's (yuppies). Sonia Rykiel and Paco
Rabanne have boutiques here, and the famous department store Le Bon
Marché includes a gourmet market that all foodies should pay
a visit to.
Les
Halles and Rue de Rivoli
Best for major chains and trendy boutiques. Once the locus of "the guts
of Paris"-- an enormous outdoor food market, the area around
Châtelet-les Halles was transformed into a major shopping
area in the 20th century. At metro Les Halles is a monstrous
underground mall, where global chain stores reign. Rue de Rivoli is
much the same. In the Rue Montorgueil area, quirky contemporary
boutiques abound, including Barbara Bui and young cutting-edge
designers.
The Champs Elysees Avenue is a shopping mecca for high fashion and
expensive name-brand goods.
Pastry shops are available throughout city, however, the Quartier
Latin is perhaps the best place to find the most delicious
pastries. Take the time to enjoy a cafe au lait with the
French pasty of your choice!
Many visitors enjoy shopping near the Place de
l'Opera. There are a number of large department stores in
this district.
Paris Hotels
Paris Airport
Paris
Tourism Guide Paris
Basic info Paris
Shopping Paris
tips to
Traveller
|
