Saint-Ouen flea market

The largest antiques market in the world, spread over fifteen markets

Area Saint-Ouen
Type Market
Time needed 2h

Saint-Ouen flea market — Photograph: Shadowgate / CC BY 2.0

The Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen, just beyond the northern boundary of Paris at the Porte de Clignancourt, is the largest antiques market in the world, with roughly 1,700 dealers spread across about fifteen separate covered markets on a few streets. It grew out of the rag-pickers' trade on the old fortifications in the 1880s and is now mostly serious furniture, art, textiles and decorative arts, with prices to match. It trades on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with Monday the quietest day and many stands shut; Tuesday to Friday it is essentially closed, though some dealers open to the trade.

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Getting there

Porte de Clignancourt, the terminus of Métro line 4, is the usual station, about ten minutes on foot from the market proper; from Chatelet it is roughly 20 minutes on line 4. Garibaldi on line 13 is a similar walk from the other side and often a pleasanter approach. Come out of Clignancourt, cross the boulevard périphérique bridge, and keep going up the rue des Rosiers; the markets begin where that street crosses the rue Jean-Henri-Fabre.

What you see

The individual markets each have a character, and knowing which one you are in is most of the skill. Marché Vernaison is the oldest, a warren of small wooden huts and alleys with bric-a-brac, glass, toys and linen, and the easiest place to buy something small. Marché Biron is the grand one: wide aisles, carpeted stands, eighteenth and nineteenth-century furniture, chandeliers and gilt at dealer prices. Marché Paul-Bert Serpette is where the decorators and stylists go, strong on twentieth-century design, industrial pieces and mid-century furniture. Marché Dauphine is a two-level hall with books, prints, posters, cameras and vinyl, and is the best bet in rain. Marché Malassis, Marché Antica, Marché Cambo, Marché Jules-Vallès and Marché L'Usine fill out the rest, running from militaria and African art to stripped-down architectural salvage.

What to pair it with

This is a half-day on its own and sits awkwardly with central sights. Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur are the sensible pairing, four stops back down line 4 to Château Rouge and a walk uphill. The Marché Dejean food streets around Château Rouge, and the Marché Saint-Pierre fabric shops below the Butte, both suit the same kind of afternoon.

When to go

Saturday is the fullest day and the one to come for if you want everything open; Sunday is busy with visitors rather than buyers; Monday is thin but calm and better for haggling. Get there in the morning, from opening until about one o'clock, before the aisles fill and dealers start drifting off. Many stands close over the August holidays. Rain pushes everyone into Dauphine and Vernaison's covered lanes, which makes them unpleasant.

What is hard about it

The single biggest problem is the walk in from the Métro: the stretch from Porte de Clignancourt up the rue Michelet and the start of the rue des Rosiers is lined with stalls and shops selling cheap clothing, trainers, phone cases and luggage, nothing to do with the antiques markets, and a great many people conclude this is the flea market and turn back. Push on past it. It is also a known spot for pickpockets and for aggressive street sellers and three-card tricks around the bridge, so keep your bag closed and do not stop. Prices in Biron and Paul-Bert are professional, not bargain; genuinely cheap finds are rare and reproductions are passed off as period. Haggling is expected and is harder without French. Shipping bulky purchases home is expensive, though the bigger markets can arrange it. Toilets are scarce and the covered markets are hot in summer.

Common questions

How long do you need at the Saint-Ouen flea market?

Two hours covers two or three of the markets. Doing the whole site with any care takes a full morning.

Which days is it open?

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with Monday much reduced. It is effectively closed the rest of the week, so do not arrive on a Wednesday.

Is the area safe?

The markets themselves are fine in daylight and busy. The approach from Porte de Clignancourt attracts pickpockets and street hustlers, so keep valuables out of sight and walk straight through.