The Best Paris Flea Markets and How to Enjoy Them


 

Paris is one of the best shopping destinations in the world for a reason – you can find anything here! Many visitors to the City of Light completely miss shopping at  Paris Flea Markets, or Marché aux Puces in French.

If you’re into bargain hunting, antiques, or just want an out of the box Parisian shopping experience, a visit to the Paris flea markets is a must! So here’s a guide to the best Paris Flea Markets and how to enjoy them.

Some Tips for Enjoying the Paris Flea Markets

Photo by Alice Pasqual on Unsplash

Before I delve into the best Paris flea markets, there are some things to keep in mind when visiting. These tips will help make your experience smoother, and certainly more enjoyable!

Paris flea markets tend to be a bit hodge podge and can get quite crowded with eager bargain hunters. Try to arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds and enjoy your shopping to the fullest!

Some of the Paris flea markets listed in this article are covered, some aren’t. So if you’re visiting in Spring or Fall especially, I would recommend checking the weather forecast beforehand. Markets are open rain or shine, so bringing an umbrella never hurts!

And don’t forget the haggling! Many flea market vendors have a price listed, but they expect you to negotiate with them. And I’m not going to lie to you, this will be a whole lot easier if you know some basic French. So before purchasing, chat with the vendor a bit until you agree on a price.

 

Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

Photo by Donatella d’Anniballe on Unsplash

The first up on my guide to the best Paris flea markets is also the most well-known of them all. The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is the largest flea market in the French capital and is located on the northern outskirts of Paris. But this market is still easily reachable via the metro and bus, and the journey should only take you about 20 minutes from the city center.

To reach the flea market, simply take the metro line 4 to Porte de Clignancourt, and head across the péripherique to the Rue des Rosiers. This is the center of the market!

The Saint-Ouen flea market (like most) has a little of everything. Or perhaps more accurately, a lot of everything. The market is further divided into 11 sub-markets, each of which concentrate on particular goods. The vendors here are specializing in everything from antique furniture to handbags to vinyls.

As one of the world’s largest antique markets, you’d expect nothing less from the Puces de Saint-Ouen. The setup is immense, and you’ll need to narrow down your search early – there’s no way to visit the market’s nearly 2,000 merchants in a day!

I’ve narrowed down the sub-markets for you, as each one has several hundred vendors, and it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate.

Marché Dauphine

Photo courtesy of Marché Dauphine – Sourced from their website

Located near the Metro station, Marché Dauphine is the place to go for books and vintage vinyls! You’ll find an impressive selection of libraries or booksellers, with everything from antique first editions to used copies of new hits. Same goes for the vinyl section! They have over 150 vendors, so you can also shop for antique furniture, home decor or art here.

practical information:
marché dauphine – 132-140 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen
metro station: porte de clignancourt
opening hours: open saturday – monday 9:30AM//6PM
Marché Biron

Photo courtesy of Marché Biron – Sourced from their profile on Wikimedia Commons

If you’re on a treasure hunt for some antique furniture or home decor, this is the Paris flea market for you. Located just off the market’s main thoroughfare, Rue des Rosiers, Marché Biron has over 200 antique vendors. Everything from porcelain sculptures to Belle Epoque furniture and black and white portraits can be found here.

practical information:
marché biron – 85 rue des rosiers 93400, saint-ouen
metro station: porte de clignancourt
opening hours: open saturday – monday 10AM//6PM
Rue Voltaire and Rue Marceau

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

While these two streets aren’t official flea markets, this is actually where the term got its name. Just off the Rue des Rosiers, these two streets are lined with garage-sale style vendors hawking their various wares. There are some good finds here, but you’ll have to do some hunting. And probably haggling too. But in any case, it’s worth the experience.

practical information:
rue voltaire et rue des rosiers,93400 saint-ouen
metro station: porte de clignancourt
open monday-friday dawn to dusk

 

Marché aux Puces de Vanves

Photo courtesy of Marché aux Puces de Vanves – Sourced from their website

The next stop on my guide to the best flea markets in Paris is clear on the opposite side of the city. While much smaller and lesser-known than les Puces de Saint-Ouen, I think you’ll find that Marché aux Puces de Vanves has a charm all its own. Situated on the southern edge of Paris, Marché aux Puces de Vanves is accessible via metro or bus in about 20 minutes from the city center.

While one of the best Paris flea markets, the Marché aux Puces de Vanves is also a local favorite for a little weekend treasure hunting. Since this market is smaller and nowhere near as overwhelming as our previous stop, you can visit all the vendors in a day.

Marché aux Puces de Vanves specializes in antique objects, decor, art and furniture from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Though, there’s some of everything mixed in if you look hard enough. This is one of the best Paris flea markets because there’s a great selection of goods, at reasonable prices. Basically, throughout the years, the market has expanded but the quality has stayed. So what are you waiting for? Go discover one of the best Paris flea markets!

practical information:
marché aux puces de vanves – 34 Avenue Marc Sangnier, 75014 Paris
metro station: porte de vanves
opening hours: open saturday – sunday 7AM//1PM

Marché aux Puces d’Aligre

Photo of Marché des Puces d’Aligre – Courtesy of Paris.fr

Heading to the normally low-key 12th arrondissement, you’ll find yourself at one of the city’s busiest markets! The Marché d’Aligre is actually a fully-fledged farmer’s market that takes place in the old-fashioned market square, Place d’Aligre. This is where locals and deal-hunters go to grocery shop. There’s an incredible selection of fresh produce, and a nearby covered market where you’ll find fishmongers, butchers, cheese shops, and charcuteries.

But this article is all about the best Paris flea markets, and Marché d’Aligre has that, too! The flea market usually sets up on the western side of the market square, and is open every day the regular market is. The Puces d’Aligre made it onto my list of the best Paris flea markets because of its variety and lower prices. The vendors offer everything from textiles, to cookware, antique books and vinyls, and all sorts of Parisian bric-a-brac.

The best part about this market is the low prices! As the market is closing up (around 1PM), vendors start lowering their prices, shouting out offers across the market, and making deals left and right. This is the best time to visit if you want to experience all the hustle and bustle of a classic Parisian market.

practical information:
puces d’aligre – place d’aligre 75012, paris
metro station: ledru rollin
opening hours: open tuesday – sunday 8AM//1PM

Bonus: Brocantes and Vide-Greniers

Photo by Alexander Adams on Unsplash

Now my guide to the best Paris flea markets wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the places Parisians go most often. On the weekends, various brocantes and vide-greniers pop up around the city.

A brocante is more of an antique market while a vide-grenier is more of a garage-sale style flea market. You can find all kinds of treasures at these markets, and it’s a great chance to explore new Paris neighborhoods as well. For a full schedule of these markets, have a look at this website.

And after you’ve finished your shopping, why not join one of our guided walking tours? You’ll get an insider’s perspective on the neighborhood, and there’s a lot of hidden gems to uncover in Paris.

So there you have it, my guide to the best Paris flea markets and how to enjoy them! Happy shopping and I hope to see you soon in Paris.

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