Paris Shopping

My Favorite Department Stores for Paris Shopping

There are several excellent department stores in Paris from which to choose. Galeries Lafayette and Les Printemps are located adjacent to one another so you can easily spend the day shopping without having to walk far or get on the metro. Les Printemps Paris is noted for having the largest beauty department in the world. Do not miss the panoramic views of Paris from their roof-top terrace.

You can arrive via Metro stop Havre-Caumartin (the stop closest to Les Printemps) or via Chaussée d’Antin-La Fayette (the stop closest to Galeries Lafayette) or choose from the lines listed below.

Les Printemps Hours of Operation:
Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday 9:35 – 8:00pm.
Thursday 9:35 – 10:00pm.
Galeries Lafayette Hours of Operation:
Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday 9:30 – 8:00pm.
Thursday 9:30 – 9:00 pm.

• Directions
  metro lines 7 and 9 Chausée d’Antin-Lafayette, lines 3,7 and 8 Opéra, line 12 Trinité

Another favorite Paris shopping spot for me is BHV. Tucked behind the Hôtel de Ville at 36 rue de la Verrerie you will find 7 levels of shopping to entertain you. This department store is at the intersection of rue du Temple and rue de Rivoli not far from the Metro line 1 or 11 Hôtel de Ville.

BHV Hours of Operation:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:30 – 7:30 pm.
Wednesday 9:30 – 9:00pm.
Saturday 9:30

While you are near BHV, don’t forget to check out Le Kilo Shop on 69-71 Rue de la Verrerie where you purchase vintage clothing and accessories by weight and not per item!

 Le Kilo Hours of Operation:
Monday 1:00pm-8:45pm
Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 am-8:45pm
Sunday 1:00 pm-8:45 pm

Forum Les Halles

Paris Shopping at Forum Les Halles in the 1st arrondissement has been a shopping mecca since the 12th century. Covered with a glass and iron structure to shelter the merchants it has long been known as the “belly of Paris”. Why? Because of the food market held here. Standing here, you are at the geographical center of Paris.

In The Belly of Paris (Le Ventre de paris) by Émile Zola (1873) you will find clear descriptions of the once thriving food market. The description is sometimes disturbing in nature as the  air was filled with “the insipid odor of the meat”.

The market was disassembled and moved to the suburbs for hygienic reasons. IThe RER station, Chatelet – Les Halles, and a “new market” replaced the old food market. One writer describes Paris as having been turned upside down – a park, Jardin du Forum des Halles, now replaces the market and below ground is the train station and 4 level shopping compound.

This new market, Forum Les Halles, is  a multi-story shopping and commercial center. The shops are open 10a.m. to 8p.m. with the 23 cinemas having extended hours. From the Fountain des Innocents to Rue Montorgueil is exclusively a pedestrian area. Fortunately it is no longer quite as crowded as it was at the turn of the 20th century.

Les Halles Market at the turn of the 20th century

The new Forum Les Halles Shopping Center – only a fractional view of this enormous center

Additional Explorations

While you are in this area, be sure to visit the gothic Église Saint Eustache and Jardin du Forum des Halles. Exit Jardin du Forum on rue du Roule for an easy walk back to Pont Neuf and the Ile de Cité where you will find Notre Dame . If you choose to wander down rue Rambuteau towards the Pompidou Center, you will discover a plethora of choices. Galleries, bistros and wine shops are waiting for you to explore on rue Quincampoix, Passage Molière and rue aux Ours.

Le Bonbon au Palais

My Favorite Bon Bon Shop

Located midway between Metro stops Maubert and Cardinal Lemoine, Le Bonbon au Palais is an easy walk from the Sorbonne, or Notre Dame or even St Gervais in the Marais. Read more about Le Bonbon au Palais.

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