Food Markets
A Paris food market is a circus of smells, tastes, touch, colors and even sounds of food.  Discover any of the 56 cheeses classified and regulated under French law.   The salty smell of fresh oysters and mussels from Brittany will make you take a deep breath and exhale with an “ahh”.  The burst of color from the blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and oranges on display light up the day.  Wait on line for a baguette, put it under your arm and enjoy the pageantry of a food market when taking a tour of Paris.

My favorite food markets are:

Marché Raspail.  Rue Cherche Midi/Rue de Rennes in the 6th.  Rennes or Babylone métro station.  It’s an organic food market on Sunday from 9 to 3.  On Tuesday and Fridays from 7 to 2:30 it offers a wider variety of products.   It’s easy to get to, the vendors are friendly and I have found items other than foods such as wicker baskets and flowers.   Follow up by stopping at an ATM and taking the short walk to La Grande Épicerie at Bon Marché, part of the famous department store (not open Sunday), a gourmand’s paradise. 

Marché Montorgeuil.  Rue Montorgeuil in the 2nd.  Located near the Les Halles métro.  This is a charming Paris street market from the good old days.  I like to go here to taste, touch and smell, then sit down at one of the many restaurants serving fresh dishes from produce purchased at the stalls.  Open Tuesday and Sunday until 6 pm.

Marché Mouffetard.  Some people like this enchanting market best of all, located in one of the most charming sections of the city.  It is crowded with cafés and bars. Some people think Marché Mouffetard is everything Paris should be.  Merchants offer local products and items from all over the world.  Even when the market is not open “rue Mouff” is busy with interesting boutiques, restaurants, and shops.  It’s open all week except Sunday afternoons and Monday. Métro: Place Monge or Censier-Daubenton.

Marché Bastille.  The diversity of this market at one of the crossroads of Paris makes this market so interesting, even when I take my groups on tours to Paris.  I’ve sampled Lebanese, African, Mid Eastern, Asian alongside plentiful local offerings.  Open Thursdays and Sunday until about 2 pm.  Métro: République

Flea Markets

There are quite a few flea markets all over Paris.  Bring cash and be prepared to haggle for the best price.  However, items at Paris flea markets are rarely bargains.  Watch for pick-pockets and scam artists.

Here are two of my favorite flea markets:

Les Puces de Paris
This is the mother of all flea markets.  Located on the fringe of the city, it might just be the largest in the world.  Open Saturday through Monday from 7:30 am to 6 p.m.  It is enormous, but savvy flea market shoppers go to the smaller market at Porte de Vanves. Website: http://www.parispuces.com

Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves
I prefer this more manageable flea market and the vendors at les Puces de  Paris can often be found here buying merchandise for their larger market.  Open weekend mornings.  Located on avenue Georges Lafenestre & avenue Marc Sangnier.  Métro:  Porte de Vanves.  

Specialty Markets

Flower and Bird Market
The flower market is Monday through Saturday and Sunday is for the birds.  It’s probably not practical to take home bulbs, bonsai trees, bird seed but I have always found uniquely French garden and pet knick-knacks to be perfect souvenirs for my friends back home.   It’s hard not to find the market – it’s right on Ile de la Cite between Notre Dame and St. Chapelle/Conciergerie at the Cite metro stop.

Les Bouquinistes (Booksellers)
When the tourists come out, so do the booksellers.  From their green boxes lining the stone walls of the Seine River, the main trade is old books, magazines, posters, and prints.  Most of the 250 or so vendors have expanded their inventory to include large picture books, postcards, mini-Eiffel Towers and other remembrances of your tour to Paris. 

Brocantes

Second-hand markets pop up randomly all over the place in Paris, usually on weekends.  It’s nearly impossible to tell when and where they will be held far in advance, but banners and posters along the streets announce an upcoming sale.  The merchandise quality and the merchandise itself varies wildly, but I enjoy bargaining with the vendors.  I found one near the Arsenal Marina near the Bastille and there is one held on a regular basis outside of St. Sulpice church.   I also happened upon a candy market outside the Pantheon one cold day.

Vendors at these markets are particularly camera-shy.  I’ve learned my lesson to be very discreet when taking photos at these specialty markets in order to avoid a severe scolding and hearing French words I’ve never heard before.  

A tour to Paris is incomplete without visiting a market.