Hidden gems exist in every nook and cranny of Paris, but have you ever been to one of its flea markets? Few places in the city can deliver the kind of fascination that you will experience at the Marché aux Puces. And yes, puce means flea! You’ll find vintage clothing, antique furniture, rare books, jewelry, and heirloom dishes and silverware. The photo above is one of my favorites from the Ouen flea market, as it totally captures the essence of what you can expect to see. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most popular flea markets in Paris, and which metro or bus line will drop you into a mesmerizing maze of nostalgia. And if you don’t have accommodations yet for your trip to Paris check out my Guide to Boutique Hotels in Paris. Many of these hotels are $200 or less per night.
Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (18th Arrondissement)
This market, also known simply as “Les Puces”, is the most famous flea market in Paris and one of the largest in the world. The grounds are about the size of 16 football fields. There are over 2,000 stalls, offering everything from antique furniture and art to vintage clothing and vinyl records. People flock from all over the world to these markets, including many celebrities. And they can get very crowded, especially in the afternoon.
Within this market there are twelve covered markets. Some of the more popular ones are Marché Dauphine, Marché Paul Bert Serpette, Jules Vallès, Vernaison, and Biron. Marché Dauphine is right on Rue des Rosiers (the main street going through the market) and is the largest covered market, with nearly 200 vendors. It’s easy to spot as it is in the building with the glass roof, not to mention the giant orange spaceship in the center area. You will find a variety of things at this market including fabrics, gilded frames, comic books, antique furniture, vintage clothing and crafts. You can even grab a coffee, Noir coffee roasters is onsite and they sell amazing coffee! There is also a lunch place near the back called Les Gastropodes that has really good sandwiches and salads as well as delicious home-made desserts.
Marché Paul Bert Serpette is the second largest of the covered markets and very popular amongst interior designers, both local and international. There are over 350 antique dealers here. You will find elegant mid-century furnishings as well as room decor, art and lamps. Some of the stalls are set up to look like rooms you might see in a beautiful mansion or chateau, and many of the items can be quite expensive. There are a lot of industrial type furnishings from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. And for anyone looking for designer items from labels like Chanel, Dior, or Hermes, be sure to go to Les Merveilles de Babellou. They have an amazing selection of vintage handbags and clothing. The popular bistro Le Comptoir des Puces is located in this market. It is highly rated and offers traditional French fare as well as cheese plates and desserts.
Marché Jules Vallès, founded in 1938, was the very first covered market within the larger Saint-Ouen Market. It’s fun to imagine what it must have been like back in 1938! You can find unique things here like ancient weapons and military artifacts as well as books, records and posters.
Marché Vernaison is a giant maze and so fun to walk through! Plan to spend hours wandering through its never-ending narrow alleyways. You can find just about anything here, from linens and tableware to toys and paintings. This market is really good for finding less expensive treasures including furniture. It is also a good place to find random things like antique ice cream scoops, old spools or vintage wine openers. If you’re looking for a souvenir for someone who would love to have a little piece of France, these types of items are perfect.
Marché Biron is not far from Marché Vernaison. It specializes in antique country style wood furnishings, including gilded Louis XV pieces. They also have beautiful Asian antiques and furniture. Interior decorators and collectors love this market, and they know what to look for. The rich and famous send their designers here to find those rare and often expensive pieces.
Within the larger market area there are several places to eat, but check reviews because some of them are not great. There are also several that closed during the pandemic and never re-opened. One really good one to note is La Chope des Puces, a jazz bistro that has been referred to as “mythical” and “legendary”. You can spot it by it’s large sign out front in the shape of a guitar. The food is very good and the interior is super fun and funky (the good kind of funky). Many jazz greats have played here and you can see some of their guitars on display. On Saturdays and Sundays you can listen to live jazz playing. They are located at 122 Rue des Rosiers, and are only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00AM to 7:00PM.
When planning your trip, keep in mind that August may not be the best time to visit this market. Many Parisians go on vacation for the whole month of August, and so some of the markets will not be open. Bring cash for the vendors if you can. You can find many things here for under 10€. Also, at this market in particular, unless you’re paying a vendor, keep your phones and wallets tucked into inside pockets or zipped tight in your purse. This is a less touristy part of Paris and there can be pickpockets that specifically target people visiting the market. It might not be a bad idea to plan your day so you are heading back into the city before it gets dark. Especially if you’re a woman traveling alone.
Getting to the the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is pretty easy. You can take the metro or the bus. For the metro, I like jumping on the line 4, board the trains towards Porte de Clignancourt. You can get on this line at many stops in Saint Germain, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Odéon, or Saint-Michel, also from the Marais, Chatelet, Les Halles, Réaumur-Sébastopol, and then you get off at Porte de Clignancourt. I recommend putting Marché Dauphine into Apple or Google maps to make sure you’re going the right way. Note that you have to walk under the Périphérique, the big concrete highway, to get to the market. And if you take this metro line back into Paris make sure you board the trains going towards Bagneux. You can also jump on the line 13 at Montparnasse, Invalides, Saint Lazare or Clichy, plus others in between to get to the markets. If you take this line get off at Garibaldi, walk across the square that runs alongside the church and then turn right on Rue des Rosiers, its just under a half mile walk from there. If you go back to Paris on this line board the trains going towards Châtillon.
You can also take the bus! I love taking the bus because it’s above ground and you can see where you’re going. If you’re nervous about the metro the bus is a great option. Bus 95 from Saint Germain on the left bank. You can get on the bus at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Louvre, Pyramides or Clichy stops. Use Google or Apple maps to find the bus stops, type in Marché aux Puces de Ouen as your address. I like to keep the directions open the whole time I’m on the bus. That way I can clearly see when I’m passing all of the stops, and when my stop is coming up. Be sure to ring the bell to let the driver know you’re getting off at the next stop. Bus 85 also goes to this market, and will get you closer than any of the other options. You can board this bus at Bourse, Louvre-Étienne Marcel, Réaumur on the right bank. Make sure you’re on the right side of the street, bus should say it’s going towards Saint-Ouen – Les Docks. This is one of my favorite routes to Saint-Ouen. You can use your Navigo pass or metro tickets for the bus. You can also opt for a guided tour of the market. These small group walking tours are great because the guides know all of the fascinating fun facts about each market. It’s like getting a little history lesson on something that is so importantly woven into the fabric of the city. They know these markets like the back of their hand. They can steer you in the direction of whatever you might be looking for and help negotiate with the dealers. The guided tour is also a great way to meet other travelers.
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen are open the following days:
Saturday & Sunday 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Monday 11:00Am to 5:00PM
Marché aux Puces de Vanves (14th Arrondissement)
This market has been going since 1905. It is located at the bottom edge of the 14th arrondissement. It is much smaller and much less crowded than Saint-Ouen. I absolutely adore this arr and love coming to this market to walk around and browse. The Marché aux Puces de Vanves has an eclectic mix of things. I’ve seen things like antique binoculars, clocks, tableware, vases, and a lot of old pictures, framed and unframed. This is a great way to find a cool, old frame for a print that you may have purchased at a gallery.
You’ll definitely want to go early to this market because some of the vendors, like the ones with the really awesome vintage jewelry and clothing, pack up and leave around noon.
You can take metro line 4 from the 6th arrondissement. Get on the train going towards Bagneux – Lucie Aubrac and get off at Porte d’Orléans, follow the signs out of the metro to Blvd Brune. It’s a 15 minute walk from there. You can also take metro line 13 from Clichy, Saint Lazare or Montparnasse metro stations (and those in between). Get on the train going towards Châtillon, get off at Porte de Vanves and follow the signs to Blvd Brune out of the metro station. Its a 10 minute walk from here. If you prefer the bus, line 58 goes to this market, and you can catch it at Châtelet, Saint-Michel or Saint-Germain/Odéon, and Musée du Luxembourg stops, plus others in between, just make sure you’re on the right side of the street, bus should say its going towards Vanves – Lycée Michelet. Use Google or Apple maps to make sure you’re going in the right direction.
4 Avenue Georges Lafenestre, Paris, 75014
This market is open Friday through Monday but some vendors don’t open on Monday.
Saturday & Sunday 7:00AM to 2:00PM
Marché d’Aligre (12th Arrondissement)
I discovered this market when I was meeting a friend at one of her favorite wine and oyster bars, Le Baron Rouge. (A local neighborhood bar very near this market where, on Saturdays and Sundays, you can enjoy freshly shucked oysters from September to April).The market is about a half mile walk from Place de la Bastille. This market is a combination of a traditional outdoor market, a covered market and a flea market. The covered market, has permanent vendor stalls, and is one of the oldest in Paris, it was built in 1779. This is the market where the chefs from some of Paris’ best restaurants come to purchase food for their menus. Photographers love to come here just to take photos of the vibrant colored and meticulously arranged produce (if you want to take a photo be sure to ask first!). It’s definitely mainly locals here. Then, on Tuesday through Sunday the streets fill up with vendors for the outdoor market. Between the indoor and outdoor vendors, they sell almost every food you could imagine! As with most markets in Paris, the vendors will call out to you to get your attention. I love this about the market! Make eye contact with the vendor that’s calling to you, he’s probably holding out a toothpick with a bright red cherry tomato on the end of it. Go get the tomato! You don’t have to purchase anything, just smile and say merci! This is part of the experience. I always bring cash and try to buy a few things here and there. You really could do just about all of your grocery shopping here without having to go to another store. What makes the area even lovelier is the street outside of the market. It is lined with cute little fromageries, patisseries, boucheries, and boulangeries, so be sure to check those out too.
While this one is more known for its food, there is a flea market as part of the outdoor market. You can find vintage clothing, antique tablewares, books, posters, and lots of shoes. Since this market is much less touristy, I don’t worry about pickpockets as much.
For people who like to walk everywhere (like me!) you can easily reach this market by foot from many areas in Paris. It is about a mile and a half from the Marais, 1.5 miles from Notre-Dame or the Latin Quarter, and about 2.5 miles from the Saint Germain or the Louvre. For the metro, you can take line 8 to Ledru-Rollin. Bus lines 76 and 86 also stop nearby.
Marche d’Aligre, 25-11 Rue d”Aligre, Paris, 75012
The outdoor markets are open Tuesday through Sunday 8:00AM to 1:00PM. The covered market is open Tuesday through Sunday 8:30AM to 1:30PM, and Tuesday through Saturday it re-opens from 3:30PM to 7:30PM.
For all of the markets, it’s best to get there early in the morning, that way you can walk around freely before it gets too crowded. Also, don’t be afraid to negotiate pricing, I find that the vendors quite often are willing to go lower than the marked price. And don’t forget to get some euros before heading to the market, most vendors prefer cash and many don’t even have a credit card machine. Watch your valuables as there can be pickpockets, especially at Saint-Ouen.
The flea markets in and around Paris are definitely a mishmash of history and culture. But they are genuine treasure troves, full of French trinkets and knickknacks. If you want to bring a piece of Paris home for a friend or family member, I think you can find something much more interesting here than a magnet or a T-shirt. (Although a vintage T-shirt from a Paris flea market would be super cool) If you’ve never been, you should definitely check them out on your next trip to Paris.
If you’re interested in exploring other arrondissements outside of the core tourist areas then be sure to check out my Neighborhood Guide to the 17th arrondissement as well as my Insider Edit to a Hidden Side of Montmartre .
I’ve recently discovered the ticketing site Tiqets and it’s an amazing one stop shop for pretty much everything you want to see and do in Paris especially if you’re wanting to hire a guide. For basic entry tickets, for the Louvre for example, current rates are around $25 per person and you should purchase these from their direct site. I tell people to use Tiqets for guided tours, where you’re paying a little extra for the guide. These guides are experts in their field and well worth the extra money. The first time I went to the Louvre I had no idea where I was going, I kept backtracking and wandering around in circles, even with the map, it’s very confusing because it’s so huge. The guide knows the museum inside and out and they know all about the artwork, they can take you where you want to go and tell you what you shouldn’t miss. You can find guided tours on their site for things like Père Lachaise Cemetery as inexpensive as $20. You can buy curated experiences here but also the $27 Eiffel Tower tickets which can be an option if your dates are sold out on the towers direct site.
For a list of my favorite boutique hotels and where to stay in Paris check out my Guide to Boutique Hotels in Paris as well as my Guide to Booking Hotels and Apartments in Paris.
If you’re planning to travel outside of Paris, click below to read about some of the most sublime villages in France.
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One Response
It looks like one could buy lots of stocking-stuffers at these flea markets. Christmas is always just around the corner. 🙂