When you come out of the Metro you will find it difficult to see any signs for the market. However, you should see a large general market to your left. Keep this on your left - there is nothing in this market that will interest you and it is the first of many places where you may be hassled - so walk on the opposite side of the street until you are able to go under a motorway and one of the main flea markets will be in front of you. If you come with an idea of what you want and a reasonable idea of price then there are bargains to be had. Also if there appears to be a lot of window-shopping and people are not obviously buying then bargaining is a good idea.Finally, whatever advice you get to be on guard against thieves, just double it!!! I thought I had things under control with a light-weight shoulder bag and was ready for people trying to tamper with its zip fasteners. But I wasn't so ready for someone to actually slash a hole in the side of the bag with a very sharp blade. Although I felt people were too close to me and held onto my bag more tightly I didn't immediately realise what had happened. I was lucky! I didn't challenge my knife wielding thief nor did I lose anything but you might not be so lucky!! The best advice is to put your wallet or purse into a pocket and keep your hand in there too. Be on your guard and don't enter into crushes of people. There are a number of road-works around the various markets and people deliberately block these narrow approaches so that crowds build up as people try and funnel through. So avoid bottle-necks like the plague.None of this is intended to put you off going - its interesting and worth a visit - just be careful.
Enormous flea market! More like a small city. I have never seen anything like it. You could stay a week and not see it all!
We live in Paris and have made a number of trips to this amazing market. You can find almost everything here, and there is room for a little haggling of price, especially if you pay in cash and are taking the item abroad. Very difficult to see the whole market in one day, but definitely worth a visit if you like looking at gorgeous things!!
We spent severals hours here on a Sunday, I think this is a must-see for everyone travelling to Paris. Our favourite markets were Vernaison with all sorts of fantastic and peculiar second hand articles and Dauphin with tons of vintage clothes and books. You can find a lot of information and a very useful map from http://www.marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com/9en.aspx?sr=2There are a lot of places to eat, sit down for a beer and many clean bathroom facilities.
We, Aussies came to buy but have nothing to show for the effort. We love markets but this is a shopping centre surrounded by rubbish market stalls. Would not bother particularly in the afternoon.
We just returned from our Paris vacation and the worlds largest flea market was quite an experience. The official name of the flea market is Les Puces de Saint-Ouen but more known by Les Puces (the fleas). On the metro map we took the RER A (red) train to the Chatelet Les Halles Station and the took the metro 4 (purple) to the very last stop which was Porte de Clignancourt. The flea market is just a short walk down the street. The markets are open on Saturdays (9 to 6), Sundays (10 to 6), Mondays (11 to 5). Many shops close at noon on Mondays and many are not open at all on Mondays. Being the largest flea market approx 120,000 to 180,000 visitors will attend every weekend. You must remember a few very important points! The first being to be extremely careful of pick pocket artists. Do not take your passports. Remember to negotiate. We have been here many times before and many of the dealers are ok with letting you walk as they are comfortable with waiting for the next customer. Be careful of antiques as they may not be as old as you think, or presented. It is a great experience but you must be on your guard. Keep your wallet in your front pocket with a hand on it. This does not mean that you will have to ruin your day looking over your shoulder but just be aware of your surroundings.Rich and Dr. Linda W
Flea Markets were excellent but the number of beggars hastling visitors was quite scary. We felt very threatened when not inside the antique shops.
A fun experience to view everything from bulk candy to antiques of every kind to military surplus to new shoes and clothing.If you are thirsty be aware that sitting at an outdoor cafe means €5 sodas. Bring or buy bottled water, go to a standup/take away vendor. I had a wonderful espresso for only€1.50.
不论喜不喜欢古董旧货都可以来开开眼界。我十几年前曾经来过这里。我觉得这区算是巴黎治安最糟的一区。除了提高警觉随时注意自己的财物,也建议于中午之前抵达。
It can be overwhelming, but with fortitude it's totally worth it. Once you pass the clothes and get into the antique area one thing is more beautiful than the next. I really had to talk myself out of this fantastic chandelier (retro 50's). There was just no way I could walk it back to the metro and then get it back to the states. It was reasonable given it's fabulousness. There are restaurants which dot the alley ways. Wonderful guy from Bretegne making crepes. You need to wear comfortable shoes, and comfortable clothes. And if you don't speak fluent French it's a lot harder to get a bargain. But do try, it makes it more fun.