You’ll come across flea markets and brocante fairs all over France. The French have all sorts of different brocante fairs: vide-greniers, dépôts-vente and braderies. Their brocante is our bric-a-brac and going to a flea market or brocante sale is part of a summer holiday. The only slight drawback? You’ll have to be pretty quick to pick up the kind of fabulous bargain you might have found in the past.

The French have discovered the attractions of those old tins, quaint farm implements and Art Nouveau china. Everything is here, including items you don’t even know exist. Browse stalls from antique and Art Deco to tin signs and breakfast bowls, from china to old books, jewellery to glassware.

But don’t worry; flea markets and brocante fairs are great fun and you can pick up the odd bargain. If you see something you fall in love with and it’s a bit more than you budgeted, well go for it anyway. You may never see such an item again.

Flea markets and brocante fairs are all-year round affairs but come high summer and they’re joined by vide-greniers (literally emptying the attics) when whole villages become one glorious rummage sale.

Paris Flea markets (Marchés aux Puces)

These Paris flea markets are world famous, and very crowded in high season (and pretty busy all year round). They take place at weekends, and the major ones are on the Boulevard Périphérique ring road. 

Saint Ouen

The big daddy of them all is Saint Ouen, better known as the Clignancourt Flea Market or Puces de Clignancourt. Founded in the 19^th century, it’s an enormous site. 14 distinct markets offer, well…everything from paintings and tapestries to antique musical instruments, from old photographs to vintage garments.
If you haven’t been there before, go to Rue des Rosiers where most of the markets are set up. Be prepared for crowds; this is the 4^th large tourist attraction in France.
It’s open Sat, Sun 9am-6pm; Mon 11am-5pm.
Metro: Porte de Clignancourt (ligne 4) / Garibaldi (ligne 13)

Puces de Vanves

Puces de Vanves is less famous and smaller, occupying two streets. It’s easier to navigate but if you want the best and the bargains get there early, around 7.30am. There are plenty of places to pick up a coffee and croissant. Around 350 stalls set up in Avenue Marc Sangnier and Ave Georges Lafenestre, Paris 14.
It’s open Sat and Sun 7am-2pm.
Metro: Ligne 13 to Porte de Vanves

Puces de Montreuil

Puces de Montreuil is more of a flea market where 500 stalls are piled high with a mixture of objects and quality. It’s not as popular with tourists as the other flea market, so you might be able to find a bargain. Alongside antiques are second-hand clothes, and designer copies, hardware and the odd gems like posters and prints.
It’s open Saturday to Monday 7am-7.30pm.
Metro: Ligne 9 to Porte de Montreuil

Vide-greniers

Many small towns and villages hold vide greniers in the summer. Some are good; some not so good. But they’re always fun. They’re usually a mix of locals emptying their attics or barns, and professional brocante dealers. It’s easy to tell which is which – the dealers have large vans, renovated furniture, better items and the best spots. Families often have children selling their toys and parents getting rid of well…pretty much everything.

I’ve found many bargains (or what I think are bargains) in my local vide grenier at Paulhaguet in the Auvergne: bistrot glasses, a whole slew of lovely mismatched plates and crockery, and old kitchen equipment that given a quick clean and polish now takes pride of place in my house.

A week or two before, you’ll come across hand made signs on the roads around the villages announcing their vide greniers, which often come with very local festivals, and the odd rustic dance and fireworks. Or go to the local tourist office which will have information on the sales in your area.

There’s also an excellent French vide-greniers website giving most of the sales by department so they are easy to find. It also gives local Christmas markets and special brocante fairs.

Dépot-ventes

The French flock to dépot-ventes, shops or warehouses where you can buy second-hand goods. They exist all over France; just look for the signs outside buildings. Many of them are commercial ventures, individually owned, but there are a couple of organizations that fall into the depot-ventes category with outlets throughout the country.

Emmaus

We came across an Emmaus store in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne but there are Emmaus outlets all over France.

The international Emmaus Movement was founded by L’Abbé Pierre (1912-2007), a French catholic priest who was a member of the Resistance in World War II then became a politician. Emmaus helps the poor, the homeless and refugees. The shops collect donations and then sort, sometimes repair/renovate the items and sell them on.

The shops are run by volunteers and can be pretty chaotic. They can yield the odd treasure, but can also be depressingly full of junk. You just have to take a chance. Having said that, I’ve bought collections of cutlery for a couple of euros, a collectable small Pernod jug, and a chair that may be full of woodworm but which is very beautiful.

You’ll need to check with the local tourist office for locations of the Emmaus shops. The website advises you in French about your local store, but it’s not an easy site to navigate.

Troc.com

This is another organization with depots all over France. Again, you take pot luck. You have to sort through an awful lot of stuff and they take new items from bankrupt shops or stock as well.

My latest haul included a wooden cradle with basket, a set of butchers’ hooks which double as coat hooks and a wooden spice rack. I rejected a rather battered wooden statue of Serge Gainsbourg in his early years looking pretty disheveled and have regretted it ever since.

Check the nearest troc.com at the local tourist office or search online for your nearest. Their website is more geared up to buying/selling on line and not very helpful.

Annual Brocante Fairs

Brocante fairs have become famous in France. The best known is the 36 hour market in Lille, but there are brocante fairs in Amiens and the rest of France as well. Check them out, with their dates, in the Best Brocante and Flea Market Fairs.

Looking for antiques in Normandy

Le Perche in lower Normandy is a lovely area and less well known to visitors. But if you’re an antiques lover you must visit the area. It’s full of brocante shops so there’s a good choice. You’ll have competition; it’s a favorite area for Parisians who are always on the lookout for chic old items.

A really useful source for antiques in Normandy and Pays de la Loire is this facebook group. Lots of information on where to buy, what people are stocking etc. It was started by Cider Barn Brocante in Le Housseau-Brétignolles in Mayenne. Read the story about the founder and her move to France and a new life here.

Bellême has good antique shops and also holds an antiques and brocante fair each weekend. Check the shops at the tourist office.
Mortagne-au-Perche and Nogent-le-Rotrou have a good selection of antique shops.

Take the D923 south west of Nogent-le-Rotrou for 6.5 kms/4.8 miles and you’ll come to La Brocante de Brigitte. It’s one of the roadside barns full of tempting items in the area.

If you’re doing a serious antique shopping expedition to Normandy, take the car! Check out how to get to Normandy here.
More about Normandy
As you travel around France you’ll come across many more flea markets and brocante fairs, not to mention local vide-greniers. Happy rummaging!

More Shopping in France

Here’s information on discount and outlet shopping, as well as annual sales in France.

Provence Food Markets are some of the best in the world

More things to do in France in the summer

Events in France in July
Events in France in August

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There are a lot of discount and outlet shops in France and they’re easy to find. Discount outlets and malls are a growing business and you’ll find them all over the country.  

The two main players in France are Marques Avenue and McArthur Glen.

Marques Avenue shops stock mid-priced, mid-range high street names, both national and international. Marques Avenue has 7 outlets in France. Names range from adidas, Benetton and Carroll to Descamps, Geox, Pierre Cardin and Zadig & Voltaire. The main website gives you all the labels they stock, though the locations vary in size so you will need to go to the links to the different Marques Avenue locations if you’re looking for a specific label.

McArthur Glen is one of the big global players, stocking the same names as Marques Avenue but also a few high end French and international designer names such as Polo Ralph Lauren. McArthur Glen offers a better experience with more sophisticated shops, restaurants and a nicer atmosphere.

McArthur Glen has outlets in Roubaix, Troyes in Champagne, and in Provence outside Marseille. A new centre is currently being built in Normandy near Giverny and is due to open in 2021.

More discount and outlet shopping near the main malls

You’ll find other individual factory stores near these two main outlets. So it’s worth doing some research before you visit. It’s a good idea to work out how much time you’ll need going from discount mall to outlet/factory store in the same location.

To discover those extra nearby discount and outlet shopping stores, enlarge the map above. You’ll see what’s on offer, addresses and more details.

The numbers in brackets after the locations below refer to the department number.

Discount and Outlet Shopping near Paris

Just 35 minutes from central Paris and five minutes from Disney parks, La Vallée Village at Marne-la-Vallée (93), open daily from 10am to 8.30pm, has top luxury names, both French and international. You’ll find chains like Zadig & Voltaire as well as Paul Smith, Max Mara, Ferragamo, Sandro and a whole host of others. Plus all accessories.  It’s part of the Bicester Village company in the UK.
How to get to La Vallée Village from central Paris
By bus: Book with the Shopping Express leaving from the Place des Pyramides twice a day.
By train: Take the RER train (line A) from Gare Montparnasse to Val d’Europe station

L’Ile Saint Denis, Ile de France (75)
Marques Avenue: This is one of the easiest to get to from central Paris and is large. It’s open Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 8pm. You can get there by Metro Line 13 and a bus.

Aubergenville, Yvelines (78), north west of Paris
Marques Avenue. To get there it’s around 42 kms/26 miles by car taking around 55 minutes and 37 minutes by train from Gare d’Austerlitz with one simple change. Check out Google maps here.

Corbeil-Essones is a southern suburb of Paris in Ile de France (75).
Marques Avenue. It’s around 42 kms/26 miles by car taking around 50 minutes and 45 minutes by train from Gare St Lazaire. Check out Google maps here.

Discount and Outlet Shopping outside Paris

North and Central France

Calais, Pas de Calais (62)
At Coquelles, the Calais Channel Outlet Store, open Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm, has 50 factory outlets from France and abroad. Shop here for names from Adidas to Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger to Tom Tailor.
Calais is well known as a major shopping centre for the Brits who either stock up on their way back home, or come for a day trip to shop at Cité Europe, open daily 9am-10.30pm.
How to get to the Calais Channel Outlet Store

Roubaix, a suburb of Lille, Nord (59), Hauts de France
Roubaix was historically at the centre of the textile industry of France, so it’s not surprising that factory shops opened here.  
Try A L’Usine, open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and some Sundays. It stocks mid price French high street brands, many of them at the Galerie Lafayette outlet store.
How to get to A L’Usine

For more upmarket shopping, visit McArthur Glen which has 70 stores in its outlet in Roubaix.
How to get to Roubaix McArthur Glen

Troyes, Aube (10), Champagne
Another of the 3 McArthur Glen discount and outlet malls in France with over 100 stores.
How to get to Troyes McArthur Glen
There’s also a large Marques Avenue mall here.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Lyon, Rhône (69), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Opened in 2019, The Village – Le French Outlet stocks 120 upmarket French high street names plus international names, at up to 70% discount. Located in Villefontaine, it’s built around water features and is another attractively designed outlet. You get extra discounts with the Lyon City Card. Eat at any of the excellent cafes/restaurants or splash out at the new Paul Bocuse restaurant Rendez-Vous (well, this is Lyon, France’s great gastronomic city). Shops open 10am-8pm; restaurants Monday to Saturday 10am-10pm.

Anneyron, Drôme (26)
Directly south of Lyon, the Lafuma outlet sells products from the group which includes Lafuma, Eider, Oxbow, Millet, Wonderbra, Aubade, Clark’s shoes. The emphasis here is on sports clothes, hiking shoes, mountaineering as well as sleeping bags, backpacks and accessories. Special clearance sales in April, August and December for 3 days. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm.

Romans-sur-Isère, Drôme (26), near Valence in the Rhône Valley.
There’s a big Marques Avenue outlet with brands such as Nike, Levi and Puma and Le Petit bateau.
The town is also known for its shoe makers who have banded together to make shoes for the Factory Show Store Made in Romans. You’ll find it in the Cité de la Chaussure. It’s large and has a factory attached which you can visit. And it’s next to the Tourist Office which is convenient.

Southern France

Nailloux, Haute-Garonne (31), 20 minutes drive south of Toulouse
More than 150 brands in 90 shops at Nailloux, an upmarket mall. Names include Calvin Klein, and Tara Jarmon and luxury stores stock Christian Lacroix, Montana, Pierre Cardin and Arrow. There’s also a Galeries Lafayette outlet store here. It’s open Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm.

East France

Talange, Moselle (57), near Metz, Grand Est
There’s a Marques Avenue outlet featuring 66 brand-name outlet shops selling men’s, women’s and children’s wear and household goods. It’s a 10-minute drive from Metz.
There’s a Polo Ralph Lauren outlet and Levi store here also.  

Factory Shops

You have to keep your eyes open for factory shops as they are not as widely known as, for instance, in Italy. Try asking at your local tourist office, but remember that factory shops will only be in or near big cities.

Here are just a few I’ve discovered.

Try the Limoges Magasin d’Usine for fine china. It’s open Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm and is part of the main Museum (well worth a visit it you’re interested in china). It’s at 54 rue Victor Duruy, 87000 Limoges.

More ceramics on sale at the Gien Faïence shop in the Loire Valley. It’s part of the museum at 78 Place de la Victoire, 45500 Gien.

Every keen cook has at least one Le Creuset cast iron cooking pot. They’re very expensive and very heavy but they last forever and once you’ve cooked with one, you’re  hooked.  The original factory began in Fresnoy-le-Grand in north France in 1925 and manufacturing today is exactly the same.
The factory store is the place for end-of-season, overstock, etc. It’s at 880 rue Olivier Deguise, Fresnoy-Le-Grand (near St. Quentin and about a 2-hour drive from Calais), 02230 France. Tel: + 33 323 06 22 45. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am-12.30pm and 2pm to 6.45pm. The website I have included shows all the Le Creuset discount shops, many also at McArthur Glen and Marques Avenue outlets.
Every November there’s a special sale.

At the Atelier de Soierie (Silk Trade Workshop) in Lyon (69) you can watch how silk has been made over the centuries, then shop for one-off items in silk from major French designers. It’s open Monday to Friday 9.30am-1pm & 2pm-6.30pm. Saturday 9am-1pm & 2pm-6pm and you must book. It’s at 33 rue Romarin, Lyon (a few metres from the place des Terreaux, near Hotel de Ville)

Repetto, Saint-Médard-D’Excideuil, Dordogne (24)
Repetto is famous for its ballet shoes. It then branched out to other styles like BB and Zizi shoes but remains the go-to place for many aspiring ballerina and fashionista. Its factory outlet store at Saint-Médard-D’Excideuil sells overstock items, last season’s styles, end-of-series articles and some with faults. Each year from October to December, there’s a special sale. It’s open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am-6pm and is north east of Perigueux.

Sales in France

Sales in France are government regulated and controlled. Official winter sales usually start on the second Wednesday in January; summer sales normally start mid June and run until the end of July. But there are exceptions to this in six departments near the French border: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges, Landes and Pyrenees-Atlantiques.

Shops can also run special promotions at other times of the year. Keep an eye open for signs in shop windows advertising Promotion (deal) or Soldes exceptionnels (exceptional sales).

More about Shopping in France

Here’s an article about flea markets, brocante shops, second-hand stores, and places where you can pick up vintage and antique bargains.

Check out the Top Markets in Provence

More about France

More on the departments in France
Getting to France by Ferry from the UK

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