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Bargain shopping: The Best Flea Markets in Paris
If you’re addicted to the thrill of the hunt for cheap deals and interested in scooping up the bargain of a lifetime; flea markets in Paris have everything from modern art to used books, old records, collectables, fresh and prepared foods, and even housewares at fair prices.
According to one theory the origin of the term flea market is a common English calque from the French marché aux puces, which literally translates to “market with fleas”, labelled as such because the items sold were previously owned and worn, supposedly containing fleas.
The first reference to this term appeared in two conflicting stories about a location in Paris in the 1860s, indicating that flea markets have been in existence in Paris earlier than the 1860s.
The city of Paris is dotted with amazing flea markets, where you can find hidden treasures if you have patience and sometimes the flexibility to crawling around on your knees and poke through dusty boxes. This is where one man’s junk really is another man’s brag-worthy treasure.
Take a look at our round-up of the best flea markets in Paris;
1. Les Puces de Saint-Ouen
A vendor’s stall at Le marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen – Pixabay
Le marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen is the largest concentration of antique dealers and second-hand dealers in the world. This flea market covers seven hectares, has more than 3,000 traders, and up to 180,000 visitors each weekend.
The origin of Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen dates back to the 1870s, when, driven out of Paris, waste pickers came to settle on the other side of the “fortifs”. At this time the flea market was filled with broken bed frames, faded curtains, sofas with the stuffing coming out and other discarded household items.
Over time the market was reorganized and managed so that it became a respectable market which attracts millions of people with France and outside France. It has been organized into a series of enclosed villages, some entirely covered and others with open-air streets and covered boutiques for the antiques dealers. This marked the official date of birth of the Puces as 1885.
The main street of Les Puces is rue des Rosiers, and off these runs Marché Malassis (toys, vintage cameras and furniture), Marché Dauphine (furniture, ceramics), Marché Biron (expensive lighting, furniture and objects) and Marché Vernaison (more varied, with fashion, a gilding shop, books, prints and kitchenware).
Saint-Ouen Flea Market can be tricky to find, and once you are there it is not easy to navigate through the crowds, especially on warm sunny afternoons when you’ll feel squeezed like a sardine among hordes of other shoppers and can barely see where you’re going.
To assist first time visitors, the city offers special weekend insider tours of the flea market. These tours offer expert local guides who know the history and merchants, as well as how to bargain with them. Book this flea market tour with us for a thrilling experience at the world’s largest antiques market!
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen is at the top of the best flea markets in Paris because it is one of the oldest and longest-running flea markets in the world, where you can find everything from Nike knock-offs to Eames chairs.
Practical information
Address: 124 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint Ouen, France
Open: Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday from 11 am to 5 pm
2. Paris Puces de Vanves
A stall at Puces de Vanves – Wikipedia
Vanves Flea Market is the second largest Marché des Puces in Paris, after Les Puces de Saint-Ouen. It is also the only brocante flea market which takes place in intra-muros Paris. This marketplace has almost 400 merchants and stalls, stretching down Avenue Marc Sangnier and Avenue Georges Lafenestre.
Many people prefer Paris Puces de Vanves to Les Puces de Saint-Ouen due to more manageable size, arguably more friendly atmosphere and lots of the items fall squarely into the affordable price range. Here merchants set up tables and place boxes on the ground, filling up the pavement alongside two streets under the trees, and are not too pushy, so the market has a pleasant atmosphere.
Paris Puces de Vanves dates from the 1920s, when chiffoniers or rag-and-bone men resold goods and clothing found in aristocrats’ rubbish bins just outside the gates of Paris to avoid fees and taxes incurred within city walls. Consequently, the main flea markets sit on the rim of the city, close to the Boulevard Peripherique (ring road).
Vanves Flea Market might not be the best place for furniture or antiques, but there’s much to please the casual browser such as silver, glassware, China, vintage jewelry, French cutlery, mirrors, vintage clothing, and newer designer fashions, vintage posters, coins and medals, stamps, African and Asian art, old postcards, antique books, vintage toys, old fashion magazines, basically, everything you might imagine.
What makes this flea market worthwhile is that you can barter, and you stand a chance of finding a unique bargain, rather than being taken for a tourist and taken for a ride.
Practical information
Address: 4 Avenue Georges Lafenestre, 75014 Paris, France
Open: Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 1 pm
3. Puces de Montreuil
Vintage portrait photography collection at Puces de Montreuil – Wikimedia Commons
The Puces de Montreuil is a relatively large flea market at the border between the 20th Arrondissement and Montreuil. It is the place to go for antiques and everything retro, from comics and LPs to old furniture and decorative pieces. This is where real folks rifle for antiques nowadays; mostly because it’s off the beaten tourist track, so you can still get a bargain and find the occasional treasure.
Montreuil Flea Market is one of the oldest flea markets in Paris, founded in 1860 on the eastern outskirts of Paris, and stretches between Porte de Montreuil and Porte de Bagnolet along the périphérique. This open-air flea market is long and narrow and follows the peripheral road.
Today Puces de Montreuil hosts around 500 booths and makeshift tables, that looks more like a huge swap meet filled with a lot of knick-knacks. Wander through the twists and turns of the Montreuil flea market and find different objects at different prices; there is something for everyone.
This flea market makes it on this list because you can find a mix of collectables such as militaria, medals, coins, stamps, old postcards and photographs, comic books, rare books, vinyls, trinkets, as well as second hand furniture and light-fittings at reasonable prices.
It is not limited to antiques as the central section of the Market is the Mecca of new clothes and shoes, sportswear, jeans and auctioned goods.
Still on antiques, check out the Best Antique Markets in Paris here.
Practical information
Address: Avenue du Professeur André Lemierre, 75020 Paris, France
Open: Saturday – Monday from 7 am to 7.30 pm
4. Marché Dauphine
An alley of the Dauphine market – Wikipedia
The Marché Dauphine is the largest covered market of the Saint-Ouen flea market. Under a glass roof of 3000 m², it brings together 150 dealers of all specialties. The market is filled with specialized merchants, deploying an eclectic and cutting-edge offer to the avant-garde, while developing services and a unique flea exhibition space.
Marché Dauphine was built at the start of the 1990s. It is where the first vintage Hi-Fi stand was set up, prefiguring the Espace musique, the first stand for old tools, the first stand to show textiles, then the first contemporary art gallery. It is also here that the first Carré des libraires ever laminated at the Puces was formed. Such a rich and diverse history can be found within this prestigious market.
Browse through the ground floor which counts quality classic items. Upstairs, on the second floor, the space is entirely devoted to old and ancient books. Vinyl records, old photos, postcards and prints are accessible at great prices. You can also find vintage video games as well as old toys stores. It also hosts an international transport company, a “bistrot gourmand” and a large exhibition hall.
The market is worth a visit as you can find 20th century furniture, collection watches, jewelry, galleries and contemporary art galleries, on the ground floor; While the first floor gathers music collectors, booksellers, vintage fashion and more.
Practical information
Adress: 132-140 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen, France
Open: Friday from 9.30 am to 3 pm, Saturday–Monday from 9.30 am to 6 pm (closed Sunday–Thursday)
5. Les bouquinistes de Paris
Book stand at bouquinistes de Paris – Wikipedia
Les Bouquinistes, riverside booksellers, is an enormous ‘open-air bookshop’ located on the Right Bank, from Pont Marie to Quai du Louvre, and on the Left Bank, from Quai de la Tournelle to Quai Voltaire.
In 1992 the river banks of the Seine with the Bouquinistes of Paris were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The River Seine is ‘the only river in the world that runs between two bookshelves”.
The tradition of the second-hand booksellers began around the 16th century with little market peddlers. A lizard looking at a sword is the traditional emblem of the second-hand booksellers. Today, the 900 green boxes of the Bouquinistes are a part of the Parisian landscape and cultural heritage, adding to the charm of the Seine riverbanks.
These timeless, fixed second-hand booksellers of Paris have inspired booksellers in other cities such as Ottawa, Beijing and Tokyo.
This book market is a must-visit as you can find a rare 1649 editions of the “Virgile travesti en vers burlesques” by Paul Scaron (€1200) or original copies and re-edition of Saint-Exupéry, Zola, Victor Hugo, Baudelaire with leather binding.
Book lovers will also love this; 10 Unmissable Bookstores in Paris.
Practical information
Adress: Bords de Seine – du Pont Marie Au quai Voltaire 75004 Paris
Open: Open every day from morning to dusk
From busy flea markets to upscale French dining restaurants, trendy neighborhoods and artsy shopping streets, Paris offers you more than an adventure. Book any of these tours in the city with us to explore all there is.
