Hello,
I will be in Paris in a couple of months, looking to buy LV bag and maybe wallets. I already checked the LV website and the exchange rate from euro to USD, it is still cheaper to buy them in Paris. Now, my question is which LV store to goto in Paris? How many stores are there?
I have heard the Champs-Elysees flagship store is the biggest, but the sale people are very nasty, and there is a limit on how many you can buy?

Also, another problem is, after Paris, I'm going to Italy, so what should I do with the VAT return? get it done in Paris airport or Italy? Do I have to carry the bags with me to the plane?

thanks

I have bought from the new LV shop on Champs-Elysees. I did not find the store clerks to be rude at all. But they are very busy. You will likely have to wait for someone to help you. As far as the VAT, I think it is Global so just have it stamped and mail it from your departing airport. Ask at the LV boutique to be sure. And, YES, carry the bags on the plane with you. Do not put them in checked baggage or you may not see them again.

There are stores in St-Germain and on ave Montaigne in the 8th arrondisement, and some boutiques in Bon Marche and Galeries Lafayette. Yeah, I think they have a limit due to foreigners who buy them for purposes other than personal use. Why do you care, how many do you intend to buy?

I bought a bag at the LV shop on Champs-Elysees a few years ago. They had a system that I'd never experienced before, where you needed to wait in line for assistance, and they definitely did NOT like it when I wandered around the store on my own and picked up the merchandise to look at it or find a price tag. Once they communicated the system to me and I complied they were pleasant enough, but before I understood what was going on I did not feel exactly welcome. Not sure if the process is still the same...

Louis Vuitton bags are passe.

If you want to look chic, you should carry:

Proenza Schouler PS1 bag
Givenchy Nightengale bag
Balenciaga Arena bag
Linea Pella Foldover tote
Jerome Dreyfuss Franky bag
Alexander McQueen Faithful bag
Tory Burch leather studded bowling bag
Alexander Wang Trudy bag

Thin

I'm off to google all the bags on Thin's fabulous list! I'll be in Paris again in October and will need a "souvenir" to take home with me!

In May, I was in the Louis Vuitton store on rue Bonaparte across the street from the eglise St. Germain des Pres and was the only customer among the hoard of bored looking sales people. Sizewise, it doesn't compare to the flagship store, but at least you won't have to wait in line!

thanks for your replies. The store in St Germain, they carry all the bags right? just not as big? I guess I will check out the flagship store, if it's too crazy i will buy it somewhere else.

so the VAT is not a problem? and I mail it out at my final destination before heading back to US right?