Hello Everyone!
Well we are taking the advice of nearly everyone here and only doing carry on for our six week trip next year. So, my husband has to leave his pocketknife at home and we will need to purchase a small one when we arrive in Paris for our picnic lunches. Also I would like to buy a curling iron instead of bringing mine from home.

On our last trip to Paris we stayed in the Marais and went into a nice dept store that was behind the Hotel De Ville on Rue de Rivoli. This time we are staying in an apt near Gare Montparnasse on rue Armand Moisant . Is there a department store in that area where we can purchase these two items?

Also, where is the closest grocery store so we can do all our shopping for the apt upon arrival? We have the flower shops marked on my map so I'm set with those. Must have fresh flowers for the apt after all.

Thanks for the help,
Michele

The BHV is where you purchased your curling iron the last time you were in Paris. This time there is a Darty very near your hotel which sells curling irons:

DARTY Montparnasse
68 avenue du Maine

Darty probably does not sell pocket knives as does BHV. There is a specialty knife shop near your hotel:

Coutellerie d´Alesia
181 rue Alésia

Thanks Sarastro, I will mark those on my map. If we have to we can go back to the BHV for the knife as I know where it is now.

For groceries there is a nice Monoprix right near the Gare:

31 Rue Départ, 75014 Paris

It was just redone not too long ago and has a great grocery section downstairs. They will also have small knives as well-not sure if they will have the folding type though.

That Monoprix used to be called Inno, I didn't know they renamed it. I mean I know it is the same company, but the name on the store was Inno for many years as I often stay in that neighborhood and shop there a lot. It's at the corner of rue due Depart and bd Quinet. It's a typical large Monoprix with a grocery in the basement. It certainly would have knives and hair dryers. I wouldn't use a pocket knife for food, not sure about that.

Rue Raymond Losserand has a number of small shops (hardware, toys, butcher, chemist, hairdresser, etc) as well as a supermarket near the Pernety Metro.

Casino, Monoprix, Franprix and Leader Price are all owned by the same company, but those names indicate the prices in descending order.

Thanks everybody. Great info.
Jpie, I've got the Monoprix marked on my map now. It's so close to the apt. Thanks.

Christina, we plan to buy a small knife for our picnic set and also a small pocketknife for my husband for our trip. He's feels 'naked' without one.

jsmith, I marked that street on our map also. It's nice to know right where to go instead of wasting time hunting around when you need something.

Thanks kerouc, I only remember shopping at the Casino and LeClerc stores during our last trip. I remember the first time we saw LeClerc near Amboise. We didn't know what it was...some kind of electronics store we thought. But we soon learned otherwise.

Now we can take care of our shopping upon arrival the first day and not have it interfere with our "Paris" time.

Thanks again guys!