The Best Flea Markets (Brocantes) in Paris

If you’re traveling to Paris and looking for where to find the best antiques, you’ll want to sets aside some time during your travels to visit a few of Paris’ famous flea markets, known as brocantes. The Paris brocantes are famous world-wide for selling the best French antiques and other antiquities, with 100s of years worth of history at your shopping disposal.

If this is your first time researching antiques in Paris, you should know that although the city does have some brick and mortar antique stores, the majority of antiques in Paris will be found at one of the flea markets. These flea markets are hosted mostly on the weekends (so be sure to have travel dates in Paris on Saturday and Sunday), and are where you will discover the best French antique furniture, antique dishware, and antique art in Paris.

TIPS for visiting the flea markets of paris

Before diving into the Paris flea markets themselves, here are a few tips to keep in mind before your visit:

1. You will want cash on hand, as many of the market vendors won’t take card. There are normally ATMs in some proximity to the markets, however, it’s best to go in with cash before hand just to avoid the added stress.

2. Bargain! Don’t ever take the first offer from a vendor. They’re usually ready to sell whatever antique item you’ve fallen in love with, so give them a respectable price below what you want to pay and see if you can get them to meet you at your desired price.

3. If possible, bargain in French. Tourists make up a huge portion of the antique vendors’ customer base, and they know they can rip you off a little. However, if you know enough French, try to bargain in French and you’re likely to get a better deal.

4. Walk away if the price is too high. After bargaining a little, if you’re not happy with the price, you can walk away and try to come back later. Of course, you might risk losing your beloved treasure, but you also have the potential to make the vendor give in at the last minute.

5. Go in with some sort of idea of what antiques you’re looking for. The flea market setup can be a bit overwhelming, and it’s helpful for your eyes and mind to process everything if you know what you’re seeking out.

6. Consider how you’re going to get the object home. If you live in Paris and don’t have a car, you can book an Uber van to transport you and your oversized items home. If you’re traveling and only have a suitcase, you’ll of course need to consider what objects can fit into your suitcase. Here are a few luggage friendly antiques to purchase:

   • Small mirrors

   • Small framed art

   • Old prints that could be rolled

   • Antique Dishware

   • French linens

   • Antique decorative items (candlesticks, jewelry boxes, pots and vases)

   • Antique jewelry

Le Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen

Le Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen is located north of the city (you can access it by taking the metro line 4 all the way north) and is one of the best flea markets in Paris. The market is the largest concentration of antique dealers and second-hand dealers in the world, totaling more than 5 million visitors a year. The dealers range from curated, high-end antiques (frequently shopped by celebrities and designers) as well as more “flea-market” style items.

Le Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen is one big destination made up of 12 covered markets and five shopping streets which makes the market quite vast and overwhelming. Nevertheless, if you’re in search of an antique painting, beautiful French mirror, or various other knick-knacks to bring home as a souvenir, you’re sure to find it at one of the booths.

From experience, Le Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen is a great flea market in Paris if you’re searching for a very specific antique (and aren’t necessarily worried about the cost). With the antique market being the largest in the world, and the number of visitors it attracts, the vendors know they likely have a buyer for their product somewhere in the crowd and they’re less likely to cut you a deal. Additionally, the vendors at the market don’t have to pack up their goods after the weekends as they have permanent stalls, meaning they feel less necessity to get rid of the items.

Regardless, you can still potentially find a diamond in the rough at one of the 12 markets within Le Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen, and my personal favorite areas to shop are Marché Jules Vallès, Marché Vernaison and Marché des Rues.

You can find all the details on how to access the market as well as hours and vendors here.

For when you inevitably get hungry, grab the petite gourmet burgers from Térèse, located at 19 rue Paul Bert, 93400 Saint-Ouen.

For when you need some more caffeine, grab a cup from La Crème Cafe (located in the Paul Bert Serpette Market) and sit on the terrace for a view over the market, or if inside Marché Dauphine, grab a cup from the Noir location towards the back.

Les Puces de Vanves at portes de vanves

If the previous market sounds a bit too overwhelming, yet you still want to find that French treasure, every weekend you search through similar antiques at the Les Puces de Vanves market. The market is every Saturday and Sunday, year-round, and features 380 merchants.

I much prefer this market to the Saint-Ouen market above. That’s because the Les Puces de Vanves market is a true Parisian brocante, made up of the vendors lining the streets with the various antiques and knickknacks. As you’re strolling past the tables, you feel like you’ve entered into one big Parisian yard sale and you truly never know what you will discover.

Les Puces de Vanves is also the best Paris antique market to make a bargain. With the vendors having to pack up their goods every evening, they’re more likely to want to get rid of that item you’re eyeing, meaning you’ll get a better deal. I purchased both of my French antique mirrors at this market at amazing prices (one for 200 euros and one for 160 euros), mostly because I know the vendors didn’t want to have to keep hauling the mirrors around!

weekend BROCANTES

As you’re wandering around the city on a weekend, you might get lucky enough to stumble upon one of the various brocantes that happen throughout the city. These flea markets pop up in every arrondissement of Paris, and it’s not always easy to know when the next one is happening. You can check this website for upcoming brocante dates or just google “Paris brocantes this weekend,” for results the dates of your travels.

foire de chatou (ILE DES IMPRESSIONNISTES)

Twice a year, just outside of Paris on the Île des Impressionnistes, antiques vendors from all over France come together to create the historic Foire de Chatou. The antique fair is hosted both in the Spring and in the Fall (usually in the months of March and September) and features 100s of authentic antique dealers selling their goods from enchanting little white tents.

Visiting the Foire de Chatou is one of my favorite things to do in Paris and I always look forward to when the next one is in town. The fair has food vendors on site as well, meaning you can make a day of your visit and spend your time searching through the antiques.

The fair tickets cost € 10, which you can pay for by card on site. I would again recommend bringing cash just in case, although from our experience we’ve been able to use a card when purchasing.

You can access the market either by car or by metro from Paris, via the RER A.

The dates for the next Foire de Chatou are March 8 to 17, 2024.

SELENCY

I can’t talk about brocantes in Paris without sharing about my favorite online antique store, Selency. Selency literally calls itself an online brocante, and is made up of vendors from all over France selling antiques to people just like you and me. You can search for whatever specific antique is on your list and there are hundred of items available to purchase.

As Selency is an online brocante, if you only have a few days in Paris, you likely won’t be able to receive your product in time. But if you find yourself in Paris for a few weeks or longer and have an address for your items to be mailed to, you could easily snag a few antiques from Selency during your stay in Paris.

Our coffee table from Selency

Our antique wardrobe from Selency

STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE

Need help planning the rest of your trip?

If you’re exploring more of Paris, be sure to check out the complete guide to Paris, our roundup of boutique hotels in Paris, and where we like to sip coffee in Paris. You can also find guides to the best day trips from Paris, if you want to visit Château De Fontainebleau, Château De Chantilly, or Monet’s Home and Gardens in Giverny.

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