Stories
Marche aux Puces St. Ouen
Just north of the city limits, above Montmartre, lie the Puces St. Ouen, an enormous flea market. The puces are an endless treasure trove (and home to a lot of junk too), and if you’re willing to fight through the crowds, loud and pushy vendors, and junk, you could find some great deals. The unofficial market assails you just after you step off the metro. Here you can find lots of trendy jewelry, clothing, scarves, bags, and so on.
Don’t buy anything without trying to lower the price, because most of the vendors (with the exception of a select few who have set prices) don’t expect to get their asking price and it’s not too difficult to bargain here. Watch out for the guys selling fake designer bags and sunglasses, and stick to the actual booths. Further up, the official market starts, which is a maze of more established stalls, subdivided into categorized markets, with its own maps. The official market is mainly home to antiques, and you can find lots of interesting furniture here, along with old jewelry, vintage clothes, and old maps and advertisements. Good deals are to be found here too, but you have to look a little harder, because the prices are much more expensive.
Metro: Porte-de-Clignancort (18ème)
Website: www.parispuces.com
By Hannah L McDonald-Moniz
Stories about Marche aux Puces St. Ouen
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Around and About in Paris: The Saint-Ouen Flea Market
By Thirza ValloisErotica and a day out at Marché Dauphine in the Saint-Ouen Flea Market. There are certain places that lie on the other side of Paris, so unless there is a specific reason for me to go there, I tend to bypass them, even for a couple of years, and even if I like them very much. One such place is the main flea market, the Saint Ouen Marché aux Puces, which is also the largest in the world and covers a huge area on and beyond the northern boundary of Paris, exactly at the opposite side of the city from where I live. The last time I visited it was several years ago, when I was helping the BBC with a travel show. It was an exciting experience, especially as we also made it to the best antiques stalls, which are by no means a bargain, by the way: Don't let the "fleas" mislead you. The goods at the Puces can be as expensive as, or even more expensive than what you might find in town.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 November 2005 )
