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Additional resources

Shopping in Paris (Part 1 of 2)

If you are on a budget, check out the echelon of the stores and malls that you're visiting.

If you know Paris will have you exceed your spending limits, do your browsing elsewhere.

But if you just want to peek, and keep your credit cards firmly locked away, check out the chic and the expensively unique, simply for your entertainment!

Before you even step out the door of your hotel, you should have an idea of what you want to buy, how much you're willing to spend, and whether you're getting value for your money.

Paris is no different than any other cosmopolitan centre, where tourist traps abound. (You might even want to compare the value of your currency against the Euro.)

Since many visitors plan their trips around vacation times, it's handy to know the dates and holidays on which commercial establishments are closed.

In Paris, these include: New Year's Day, Good Friday (March-April), May Day (May 1), Victory Day (May 8), Ascension Thursday (May), Seventh Sunday after Easter (May), Seventh Monday after Easter (May), Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption Day (Aug.15), All Saints Day (Nov.1), Remembrance Day (Nov.11), and Christmas Day (Dec.25).

For a general idea of when you can shop, look to see the larger stores open from mid-morning to about 8 PM without closing for lunch. Department stores may stay open as late as 10 PM but only on Wednesday or Thursday.

Smaller shops/stores and supermarkets open as early as 8 AM but close from 1-3 PM and open again until 8 PM. There is limited Sunday shopping, usually in the Latin Quarter, Marais, Bastille or Ile de la Cité sections.

There are key shopping districts... [Continued]