Paris flea market- only 1 chance to visit
 

Hi, Can anyone out there advise which flea market should I visit in Paris? I was trying to choose between St Quen & Vanves.
Thanks!

For people to recommend one, I think you should say what you are hoping to buy. It does make a difference, as they are very different.

I'm not a big flea market fan and didn't find either one very fulfilling (didn't buy a thing at either one). The one at Vanves is pretty much the same flea market you find all over France -- people selling old postcards and perfume bottles, misc. bric-a-brac, some furniture that was really nothing special at all (probably dated from the 50s). But, I think a few people on here have liked it. St OUen is more permanent antique shops and the place you'd go if you are really serious, I'd say. You have to know what you are looking for and how valid prices are in comparison to what you'd pay elsewhere.

If you don't really have anything in particular to buy, just want the experience, I'd probably recommend St Ouen as it is really wellknown and more special. I thought Vanves was just a waste of time.

Take the Metro Line 4 until Porte de Clignancourt. there is a large flea market there on weekends ( I believe). You can look it up in any guidebook or Google it.

The porte de clignancourt flea market is the same as St. Ouen. The other one is the metro station name and theother one is the actual marketplace´s name. Watch out for your purse over there. It´s crowded and tourists are easy prey for pickpockets.

Puce de St Ouen is fronted by stalls of cheap, tacky goods...keep walking to get to the REAL flea market..There are specialty shops, antiques, but also 'brocante' and 'junque' that spills out onto the ground in front of some areas.
Lots of info at: <u>http://www.parispuces.com/</u>

I have only been to the Vanves market once, and I agree with Christina's assessment. I have heard many people say they prefer it to the larger and more permanent market at St. Ouen, but I don't get it. At least on the occasion I was there, it was very hit or miss. There are several types of things that I am interested in, and there were only one or two examples of each spread out randomly throughout the market. At St. Ouen, there is a much larger selection, and different shops and stalls specialize in different types of objects, so you are much more likely to find the things that interest you.

Yes, Vanves IS hit or miss--most flea markets are to those of us who love them. The thing about Vanves is that is is doable in a couple of hours. Marche aux Puces is not.
Another possibility is to look in Pariscope for the time you are there and see if there will be a brocante somewhere in Paris. I find these are the most fun/productive.

Ooops, meant to add, if there is a brocante, you could do Vanves and that one probably.

I think that many people who take the metro to Clignancout/St Ouen never get to the heart of the market on the Rue des Rosiers.
They just see all the junk stands near the metro exit and assume that what they see there is it.
You have to walk under and a block or so past the peripherique and and make a left on the Rue des Rosiers.

Is this market only on weekends? I always see design magazines featuring great homes and much of the stuff is always credited &quot;from the Paris flea market.&quot; I would love to take a trip to Paris just to go there!!!!!

Yes, it's weekends only, and it probably has the world's largest collection of antique furniture and accessories, together, in one place.
There are specialists in many different types of furniture, fireplace surrounds, lighting fixtures,outdoor funiture,as well as paintings, prints,posters, china and glass, etc. In other words, anything and everything for the home.

This is a little off-topic, but I vaguely recall reading about a &quot;flower market&quot; (Ile de la Cite?) and a &quot;bird market&quot; (Sunday only?). We're going in October and I would like to check them out. Can someone provide more information?

The flower market is on Ile de la Cite, and on Sunday there are birds. It's OK to walk past on your way to Notre Dame or Sainte Chapelle, but unless you are in the market for a bird, it just seems like a big outdoor pet store to me.

OK, I'm not so crazy about birds either.

But would you mind telling me where to find the flower mkt? Is it every day?

It is near the Cite Metro stop, over toward the river.

I believe the flowers are every day, the birds just on Sunday. Both in the same place.

The St. Quen Flea Market is open Saturday, Sunday and MONDAY....9am - 6pm. However, I would think Monday would have less vendors.

I have been to St. Ouen on Monday and it was very sparse, many shops closed.

Very sparse indeed. Most of these vendors have shops in Paris proper.

Any suggestions on a good flea market to bring children to? My duaghter wants to go, but probably does not have the attention span for a long day.

Thanks,

Karen