Paris, the fashion capital with New York, London and Milan is the perfect place for shopping. Its numerous shopping centres, small boutiques and thrift shops will satisfy shopping addicts (at the expense of their bankers...).
To make your shopping easier we have put together a list of the best shopping galleries in Paris and the Ile de France. Enough to warm up your wallet!
Galeries LaFayette
One of the most famous places in the world for shopping is just 300 metres from the Opéra Garnier! Have you guessed? I'm obviously talking about the Galeries LaFayette on Boulevard Haussmann. The place is also known for being the place for event shopping and for its Christmas illuminations.
Anyone can go shopping there, the shops offer products for all budgets.
The 3,500 international brands in the 70,000 square metre shopping centre range from affordable to luxury. Fashion, jewellery, beauty, gastronomy and cultural events come together to provide you with a unique shopping experience. A varied choice of 25 restaurants is on offer.
What's more? The Ice Cube Bar (not to be confused with the Ice Kube Bar, at 5 Passage Ruelle, 75018 Paris) offers you an elusive view of the capital around tapas and a glass of champagne, on the 7th floor of the dome, under its 2 glass domes.
Le Bon Marché
Situated only 10 minutes from the Jardin du Luxembourg, and 15 minutes from the Tour Montparnasse you will find Le Bon Marché shop.
It is the pioneer of the Parisian department shops and has greatly contributed to the image of French luxury that we know today.
Don't be fooled by its name which sounds like a shop that is affordable, quite the contrary. But one thing is certain, even if customers pay a high price, they are very rarely (if ever) disappointed.
You can buy top-quality gastronomic specialities: from wine to cheese to the famous macaroons. But also clothes from world-famous fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs, high-end cosmetics and care products such as By Terry or La Mer, as well as jewellery from the prestigious Cartier house.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Paris every year with the sole aim of buying the products of these prestigious brands.
Beaugrenelle
It is the most environmentally friendly shopping centre in Paris and is recognised by the High Environmental Quality label.
It owes this label to its glass structure allowing light to enter and its composition of metal mesh allowing thermal self-regulation.
It is the most pleasant to look at and is in keeping with the idyllic setting of the Eiffel Tower, which is only 25 minutes away on foot.
Beaugrenelle is a shopping centre divided into three separate islands.
The first one is the Magnetic island which regroups mainly high-end fashion shops such as Aigle, Michael Kors, Zadig and Voltaire or Hollister accompanied by shops of big brands such as H&M, Celio or Zara. Followed by beauty and luxury boutiques such as Agatha or Guerlain, it is a paradise for fashionistas.
As for the Panoramic island, it groups together 14 restaurants as well as the 4-storey Mark and Spencer (offering clothing, decoration and purely British food).
Finally, the City block, located at the foot of the building, houses local services and shops such as La Poste and the CIC bank.
Its Pathé cinema offers numerous screenings in its 10 screening rooms, as well as a large number of previews, operas, concerts and ballets.
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