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Vintage Shopping 101 at the St-Ouen Flea Market

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Instant confirmation E-Voucher

Activity Schedule

  • When does it run?

    Saturday, Sunday & Monday

  • Duration

    3 hours

  • Start time

    Saturday & Sunday - 2pm

    Monday - 1pm

  • Meeting Point

    You’ll find the tour group in front of your favourite yellow arches (yes, we mean McDonalds) at 79 Boulevard Ornano, 75018, Paris. Park up outside 10-15 minutes before the tour starts – and try your best not to eat all the French fries. See you there.

Key Highlights

  • Did someone say shopping?: St-Ouen has more than 2000 vintage stalls on-site
  • Bargain hunt like the best of them: Guides take you to favourite local spots and share the tricks of the vintage trade
  • Discover the history of collecting: Partake in an intrinsic Parisian pastime that goes back centuries
  • Go beyond the old city walls: See the sights of Paris they don’t write love songs about (but should)

Overview

Let’s have it right: shopping in Paris goes far beyond the Champs-Élysées. In fact, (dare we say it), the best shopping in Paris can’t be found on any avenue or in any department store – but at flea markets. The marketplace that you’ll explore on this tour (hosted by Meeting the French) is the cream of Paris’s crop.

Across this three-hour guided tour, you’ll experience St-Ouen like a local. With an expert guide leading the charge, you’ll uncover the best genuine vintage finds – from 20s haute couture to 17th-century antique furniture – learn to bargain the French way, and hear of the intriguing 150 year-old history of St Ouen, which saw the market go from rag-and-bone street peddlers to one of the leading destinations for collectors around the world. Come with comfortable shoes and full wallets – you’ve got a lot of ground to cover.

About your guide

Despite our incessant grilling, there’s not a question that guides from Meeting The French can’t answer (about their chosen subject, that is). Their tours offer an insightful look into many charming facets of French life, and they’re a heap of fun too.

Here’s the plan…

Meet your guide outside those unmistakable golden arches (you know the ones), opposite the Porte de Clignancourt Metro station. From there, you’ll stroll to the St-Ouen Flea Market, just beyond the former city walls of Paris. Here, you’ll explore the largest flea market in the city, learn of the murky circumstances and the rag-and-bone hustlers that brought it to life way back in 1870, and meet the stallholders keeping its spirit alive today.

More than 2000 stalls are grouped into 15 marchés (markets), selling everything from 17th-century furniture to 80s vinyl. There’s a lot to wade through, but your guide steers you towards the shops most loved by locals. Your guide will happily make your biddings for you too, should your French only extend to “hi”s and “how are you?”s, like ours.

After sifting through the best furniture, textiles, ceramics, glassware, lighting, prints, vintage clothing, bags and jewellery (you name it and a stall likely sells it here) for two and a half hours – you’ll have earned yourself a little refreshment. Chez Louisette – a kitschy, retro cabaret cafe – is just the place for a pitstop. After a drink, your guide will say their goodbyes. You’re left to sit back, take in the vocals of a talented Edith Piath-style singer, and contemplate whether it’s worth running back to grab those shoes you spotted earlier (yes, always).

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions

  • Professional guide
  • Guided tours are available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Chinese
  • A hot drink or infusion at Parisian cabaret café, Chez Louisette

Exclusions

  • Personal expenses (you’re going to need them)
  • Transfers (we’ll see you there)
  • Tips (oh, go on)

Please note

No need to print! You can show your voucher on your smartphone or other devices.

The confirmation voucher includes the local activity operator’s contact details. They’re a nice bunch, and will happily answer any logistical questions you may have. Please give them a call at least 48 hours before your organised tour to reconfirm.

the access conditions of the sites and their rate policy. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted if there are any updates.

You’ll be traipsing around vintage markets for a solid three hours – comfortable shoes are a must.

Some boutiques tend to shut up shop during French holiday periods, so if you’re taking this tour in August or around New Year’s Eve, be aware that a few stalls may not be open. Never fear, there’s always plenty to see and discover at this vast flea market.

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