The best shopping areas in Paris
Paris - the city of love, the city of lights... and the fashion capital of the world! Paris is a cult and dream shopping destination for any fashion and style lover. From long-established luxury homes to up-and-coming designer boutiques and flea markets, the French capital offers a plethora of options... and we love the options! However, the choice can seem overwhelming, and it can be difficult to choose to design a shopping itinerary that meets your needs, especially if your time in the city is limited.
If you're trying to narrow down your shopping options, this list will give you a general idea of the Paris shopping scene so you can choose wisely where to go. Good shopping!
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most iconic avenues in the world, and also the most famous shopping district in Paris. The avenue stretches from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde and is famous for offering a diverse mix of iconic French luxury houses, shopping malls and well-known international and ready-to-wear brands such as as Levi's, MAC Cosmetics, Disney Store, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Guerlain, Hermès, Swarovski, IKKS, Éric Bompard, Abercrombie & Fitch, Emilio Pucci, Céline, Gucci, Chanel, Jil Sander, Christian Dior, Emanuel Ungaro, Valentino, Malo, Marni, Nina Ricci, Marché Montaigne, Chloé, Paul & Joe, Blumarine, Roberto Cavalli... and many others!
The stores along the Champs-Elysées are also known to be open until late at night and also on Sundays and holidays, when most of the other shops in the city are taking their leave. You can always count on the Champs-Elysées for a good shopping spree whatever the day of the week.
Right next to the Champs-Elysées, you will find the area known as the Golden Triangle, which refers to the buildings located in the triangle formed by the Montaigne and George V avenues with the Champs-Elysées. As you can probably guess, the area got its name from the large amount of luxury boutiques it brings together, as well as top-notch hotels and restaurants.
Shopping and window shopping around the Golden Triangle, mainly along the iconic Avenue Montaigne, is a unique experience, especially during the Christmas season when the luxury homes mingle with their lights and decorations.
This luxurious street is located between Place de la Concorde, Madeleine and Rue Saint-Honoré. Rue Royale is a bustling street with stunning views of the Madeleine Church and a mix of different types of shops: jewelry and watches, luxury fashion brands like Gucci, pastry shops like La Duration and Café Poushkine and top restaurants. range like Caviar Kaspia.
Also from rue Royale you will find access to a more intimate and less well-known street (or rather a passage) ideal for luxury shopping in Paris - the Galerie Royale. This picturesque alley brings together smaller boutique-style boutiques of traditional French brands.
Rue Saint-Honoré and Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré are synonymous with exclusivity. The are has a long history for fashion, having housed Coco Chanel's very first boutique for example, as well as most of the biggest workshops of French houses (and most of them still operate there!).
In rue Saint Honoré, you will find the most prestigious brands such as Hermès, Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent. If you decide to shop in this neighborhood, be sure to take a coffee break on one of the terraces like the one in Castiglione and take the opportunity to practice the favorite activity of Parisians: people-watching! Saint Honoré is full of stylish and trendy people, especially during Fashion Week.
Continuing east through Saint-Honoré, you will reach Place Vendôme, a high-end jewelry paradise. The most prestigious firms are located here, such as Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Chanel... this square is also home to the exclusive Ritz Hotel.
Rue de Rivoli is an emblematic street in Paris that stretches from Place de la Concorde to Place de la Bastille. On the stretch from Place de la Concorde to the Louvre Museum, you'll find plenty of tourist souvenir shops that we don't really recommend... we'll show you our favorite spot for souvenir shopping later in the next section!
On the eastern side of the Louvre, you'll find international retail brands such as Zara, H&M, Yves Rocher, Gap, The Body Shop and Mango. You will also find the famous BHV department store right next to the town hall and the Les Halles shopping center is just one street away. Just behind BHV begins the Marais district where you will find a good selection of thrift stores, many upcoming designer stores and galleries and some amazing restaurants.
Two of Paris' most famous department stores are located in this area: the Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps department stores.
Galeries Lafayette is definitely worth a visit for many reasons - the building was once a palace and the spectacular glass dome will not leave anyone indifferent! The rooftops of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are also not to be missed - you can access their terraces to enjoy an extraordinary view of Paris, perhaps with a glass of wine in hand in one of their restaurants. , like Parakeet.
The two department stores offer a clever mix of high-end and high street, French and international brands, as well as decoration, gastronomy and... souvenirs! We highly recommend that you visit the top floor of Galeries Lafayette for a good selection of high quality Paris-themed gifts that you can take home.
Finally, the Opera district where these shopping centers are located also offers a wide range of retail brands such as Mango, H&M, Zara, Apple, Benetton, Uniqlo and many others.
It is one of the oldest districts of Paris, a labyrinth of narrow, medieval streets where you can find countless boutiques for fashion, food, interiors and art shopping. Young up-and-coming designers can be found north of the Marais (NoMa) around rue de Turenne and rue Charlot. It should be noted that the stores in the Marais are open even on Sundays, which has led the district to become the essential place for locals to have brunch and go shopping in Paris.
Which Parisian street is your favorite for shopping?
Maria Pasca is the Communication & Marketing Director of My Private Paris. My Private Paris is an award-winning boutique travel agency that fully customizes high-end Paris tours and experiences with top local guides. If you are interested in becoming a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog to enhance your profile, please contact us.
