Where to Shop in Paris: Paris's Best Shopping Neighborhoods

Looking for the best shopping in Paris? From high-end mega stores to small boutiques, you can find it all in Paris, and I've rounded up the best shopping neighborhoods in Paris for you!

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Shopping in Paris: All it's cracked up to be?

Yes.

There's no experience quite like strolling Paris's stunning boulevards, and if that ramble ends with a few purchases, we can call it perfect! And what's better - there are *so many* gorgeous neighborhoods offering all different sorts of shopping around Paris, no matter what manner of experience you're in the mood for.

Massive branches of every luxury store you've ever heard of? They've got 'em - and they probably even started here in France. Small boutiques you've never heard of? They've definitely got 'em - and they aren't half as intimidating as they sound. 

If you are feeling intimidated by shopping in France, or by dealing with Parisians, check out How to Charm the French, to learn some simple tricks to ease social interactions in France!

Shopping in Paris: Finding the best neighborhoods

How do you find the best shopping neighborhoods in Paris? In addition to looking at a lovely list, for ideas, it's a matter of determining what you're looking for.

If you are coming to Paris in search of glittery, fancy shops with tens of attendants to wait on you - we can certainly find you that! If you want to pop into small boutiques, that's easy! Knowing what you're looking for will help you avoid wasting time in places that aren't a fit. I'd recommend exploring several areas, to get a sense of the city, but as far as actually making a special purchase, it's good to be intentional about where you shop.

Where to Shop in Paris: Le Marais

Winding streets, delicious food, and gorgeous buildings...not to mention the best shopping in Paris! Much more accessible than the "high-end" luxury shopping toward the Western end of the city, Le Marais's shopping areas offer more "normal" shops, where you might actually buy something (though there's certainly something to be said for both types of shopping!). The majority of the shopping in Le Marais is (outside of food), mid-priced "high-street" retailers and small boutiques. It's definitely not "intimidating" shops, but there is some higher-end stuff around as well. 

​Le Marais is, hands down, my favorite neighborhood in Paris.
Very accessible, no matter where you've coming from, you'll almost certainly be visiting Le Marais for historical/tourism
​- why not add some shopping to the list?

Place des Vosges, Le Marais

Where to Shop in Paris: Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Hermès, Rue de Sèvres

Another of my absolute favorite spots in Paris is Saint-Germain-des-Prés, on Paris's Left Bank. Combining higher-end shopping (including an Hermès branch built in a former hotel swimming pool), with those stunning, sweeping, Haussmann boulevards we all love, Saint Germain is a postcard-perfect section of Paris. 

While it certainly attracts tourists, it doesn't have the "touristy" feel of the Champs-Élysées.

Where to Shop in Paris: Champs-Élysées

No post on shopping in Paris would be complete without discussing the Champs-Élysées! Widely regarded as the most luxurious street in the world, the Champs-Élysées has branches of every luxury brand, doors guarded by intimidating security guards, and more tourists than you've ever seen.

The Champs-Élysées is a "must-see" in Paris, but honestly, if you're looking to buy, even luxury goods, I'd buy elsewhere. The stores are absolutely packed with browsers and the salespeople are focusing on the biggest of the big spenders (and there are more of these than you would have though existed). Even if you're one of those spenders, you'll get better attention elsewhere in Paris. 

But, you've got to visit, especially if you're a blogger like me, looking to take pictures in front of Laduree, so enjoy the Champs-Élysées for what it is - a spectacle. And...don't grab lunch/dinner here. Venture elsewhere for better and more reasonably priced food.

Worried about looking chic in Paris? Check out What to Wear in Paris for all my tips!

Where to Shop in Paris: The Golden Triangle

If you're looking to make a luxury purchase in Paris, or to venture into a luxury store where you can actually hear yourself think, venture south of the Champs-Élysées to Paris's "Golden Triangle," where the luxury brands have second, and frankly more luxurious, locations, just off of the Champs-Élysées. I know, it sounds crazy, but when you're the most glamorous city in the world...it happens! For reference to the area, I've included the location of that Louis Vuitton location (and you can see how close it is to the Champs, directly north).

Where to Shop in Paris: Madeline/ Rue Saint-Honor​é

If you're looking for more middle-of-the-road/a few bits of higher-end shopping, including the original branches of some of the shops now lighting up the most expensive real estate marquis on the Champs, head over to Madeline - the area surrounding the Church of the Madeline, and close to our hotel, Maison Astor, Paris. 

Check out my Paris Neighborhood Guide for more on these great spots!

Where to Shop in Paris: Opera Neighborhood

About a 15-minute walk north of this area is the much more crowded "Opera" neighborhood, near the world-famous Palais Garnier.

​Here, you'll find Galeries Lafayettes, one of Paris's most well-known department stores, and a must-see on many people's to-do list. There is a lot of other shopping in this area - think huge Apple store. It's a bit like Oxford Street in London. Personally, I'd pop in and see the Galeries Lafayettes, which is stunning, whenever you visit the Opera Garnier, and then keep on moving. It's crowded - people handing out advertising pamphlets, school groups, tour buses - not good crowded.

Bon voyage!

Thank you so much, as always, for stopping by. Enjoy shopping in Paris - it's one of my favorite activities in the world, unsurprisingly, and truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! xx 

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