HI
I'm thinking of going to this flea/antiques market, finally, after many visits to Paris.

Any opinions or tips would be appreciated.

It's worth the trip! There have been many articles on the flea markets- google Paris flea markets to find some.
I do not speak french, but had no trouble going to te markets by myself last year. If you plan to bargain (and you should!) bring a pen and a small pad of paper. I can order a meal, get from point A to point B and find a bathroom in almost any language, but deal with money/ bargain? No way!
If you are truly intersted in a piece, ask for the "best price" (could someone please add the french translation on a later post). And have the dealer write it down for you. If you want to go lower, write your number and mention cash.
Wear go shoes, don;t dress up, bring a sturdy bag for loot, don;t wave your cash around and if you love it and it makes your heart race faster buy it on the spot. I don't regret any of my purchases- only those I passed up!

Hi elaine!
We have been to the flea markets a few times and really enjoy them every time. Although finding a bargain has become a real job, just looking and soaking up the atmosphere makes it well worth the trip.
We take the Metro, walk about 2 blocks, and there you are!
If you find something you like, do not be afraid to haggle and you will be amazed at how easily the dealer remembers his English when he haggles back
Have lunch there, if you speak any French, it is fun to listen to all the dealers and their chatter while they eat.
I have no idea where the card is with the name, but there was a wonderful poster/print shop that we spent a really long time in. The owners were very friendly .
If you get there early, it is better..we left after lunch and still had a full day doing other things.
Have fun~

i only saw the open air stalls but apparently there is a larger section where the stalls are permanent and lockable.i dont know what they sell in there maybe someone from here can tell us. The part i saw spans a large area and after a full morning it got tiring and repetitive. not much different from usual flea markets except the MiddleEastern pipe smoking stalls and the 'do it in my van while you wait' custom Parisian style street sign maker.

It is huge. You can get a map so you can find all the different markets that make up the entire flea market.
They sell just about anything you can think of, furniture, lights, garden things, indoor things, outdoor things, tins, dishes, you name it you can find it there.

There are also antiques, jewelry, buttons, vintage clothing...

Watch out for pickpockets between the métro and the market itself. I went there with Parisians who kept on insisting on it.

Michael makes a good point about the pickpockets; apparently the place is quite infamous for that activity. I would also echo the thoughts of those who say make sure you work your way back into the market, because it is a lot more interesting. There is a lot of junk up front and you can waste a lot of time before realizing that is a much more substantial market than your first impressions may lead you to believe.

yes, skip the junky stuff you'll first see when you cross the street from the metro and keep on walking!! Before you go look at a map for a rough idea how far you'll need to go. If you see a fake LV handbag in sight, keep walking!! You're not there yet.

Yes definetly go. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have gone twice in the last 2 years and yes bypass all the junky stuff unless you're in need of great looking sunglasses of which I got a great pair for 5 Euros. My head spins each time I'm there. This time I bought a gorgeous chandelier. It's even wired for the north american market and hung it looks like I have my own little piece of Versaille in my dining room. I bought it at a stall called Art et Cristal Stand 7 allee 1.
Even though the shop keeper spoke very little english he was very nice and we managed just fine. He even reduced the price by the tax and the best of all was that he was so helpful and accomodating that he even delivered my chandelier to my hotel room on my last night in Paris(which was 2 weeks after I bought it)all boxed up and ready for transport. If you're into china I found a wonderful place there too. Franck Berge , Art de la table 142, rue des Rosiers Stall 123&127. He speaks very good english and he will ship anywhere in the world. Enjoy, I can't wait to go back next summer.

thanks all
anyone know an on-line source for a map?

Scarlett, any recommendations for lunch?

Here is a map of the flea market:

http://www.les-puces.com/plan.html

When you leave the metro at Port de Clignancourt, walk under the Peripherique. You will pass lots of junky stuff, which must be the part that littilesthobo got bogged down in. This is not part of the real flea market.

After you cross under the Peripherique, turn left on rue des Rosiers. The Marche Vernaison, the oldest part of the flea market, will be on your right as you walk down that street. Enter on your right and you will see a maze of alleyways filled with stalls, mostly tiny and each specializing in one or two types of items.

If you continue on rue des Rosiers without turning into the Marche Vernaison, you will come to rue Paul Bert on the left, which leads to the Marche Paul Bert. There is a restaurant (called, I believe, Paul Bert) at the entrance to the market. I have eaten there twice. The first time it was very good, the second time less so. The first time I went it was filled with dealers. Many of the dealers, however, eat lunch on tables they set up in the alleys, with wine and food for dealers from nearby stands. And their dogs.

The Marche Paul Bert has slightly larger stores, slightly more permanent looking than the Marche Vernaison. These are both outdoor markets. These are the two markets in which I found things which were affordable (at least as compared with the expensive antiques in the windows at some of the indoor markets). I have not really explored any of the other markets.

I have done this both on a Saturday and on a Monday. Monday was disappointing, as many of the booths are closed. The restaurant, which was full and busy on Saturday, was empty and service lackadaisacal on Monday.

Cool, Nikki
We went the first year on a Friday, thinking that was when they opened, lol, we were wrong. Went back the next day~
The cafe is on the street that runs down the middle of it all I will see if I can remember the name, if I ever knew it. Sorry, it is on the corner..not so helpful

These are my notes from my visit .
March
e Biron All
ee 11, stand 29 for silver, carriage clocks, crystal.
Marché Serpette, Allée 6, stand 6 vintage bathroom fixtures,
Marché Paul-Bert, Allée 2(he sold to Pierre Deux)
For glazed pottery at Michel Morin,
Vintage Linens ar Janine Giovanni
A second but great cheaper market is Vanves, in the 14th.

Elaine, when you get back, will you let us know what you bought?

oh poo! i had a feeling i missed the good part. i had a copy of that map in a brochure of the market i got from the hotel but i didnt read it untill just now.it has photos of each market.these markets look more like stores which open out into the street & squares full of stuff.i was hungry & tired after seeing montmartre that morning and the market i was in was packed & full of teenage punks so after a bit I decided to go back to the hotel.

a prime example of spontanity and lack of planning before visiting an attraction which led to a disappointing visit.

Well, littlehobo, you will have a fine excuse to go back to Paris now

Last year I visted the Marche aux Puces in St. Ouen and had lunch at Chez Louisette in the back of the Marche Vernaison not far from Avenue Michelet. The food was ordinary but the atmosphere was carnivalesque and so much fun. The waiters and cooks were screaming orders at each other while the accordionist played and sang old Edith Piaf type chansons.

The first time I went to Cligancourt I did the exact same thing as littilesthobo. I saw a lot of "junk" thought what's this and left. THEN I found out I hadn't walked far enough. Wow. Well that was a while ago...

Here's an article I found on how to "do" the market
http://www.rudymaxa.com/article.php?ArticleID=101

and it mentions making lunch reservations at a place called Chez Louisette restaurant (331-4012-1014), "an institution tucked in the depths of the Marche Vernaison..."

The article also has links to other webistes with info. I'm jealous