Les Puces de Saint-Ouen: The Most Famous Flea Market in Paris
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen is France’s most famous flea market; some claim it’s the largest flea market in the world. To locals, it’s simply referred to as Les Puces. It’s actually home to 14 individual markets comprised of over 1,500 stalls and vendors (antique dealers, pickers, second-hand dealers).
Visiting Les Puces is a true Parisian experience. It can be overwhelming because of the size and the number of visitors each weekend. According to Visit Paris Region, as many as 120,000 people visit each weekend. But don’t let that scare you away. It rarely seems that crowded. And since it’s spread over 14 different markets, it’s very manageable.
A little history of Les Puces de Saint-Ouen
Back around 1870, the rag-and-bone men scoured the streets of Paris looking for household items people had thrown out on the streets. They collected these pieces and began selling them in the city center. However, they were chased from the city center to the outskirts of Paris. That’s when they decided to set up a market, which is the origin of Les Puces.
Getting to Les Puces
Les Puces is located in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine in the 18th arrondissement. It is a suburb of Paris, just north of Montmartre.
The flea market is accessible by the Metro – Metro stations: Porte de Clignancourt (Line 4) and Garibaldi (Line 13). From either of those stations, it’s a five to 10-minute walk.
If you’re staying in the heart of Paris, it’s around 15-20 minutes by Uber or taxi. If I remember correctly, the charge ranged from about €15 to €20, depending on the time of day.
When is Les Puces open?
The markets are open year-round on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.
- Saturdays and Sundays: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm for the general public
- Mondays: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (some of the dealers are closed on Mondays, and some close earlier in the day)
The markets are open on Fridays but primarily for professionals (dealers, designers, and architects). Although we have visited on Fridays and haven’t had any problems getting in.
Making Les Puces manageable
You can find flea markets or brocantes in almost every city, town, or village in France. Whether looking for a one-of-a-kind piece of furniture or many small but memorable treasures, the flea markets are a fun experience and give you a chance to immerse yourself in the culture.
Many people who visit Paris don’t have the time to travel to other towns and cities, and that’s okay; you will have a lovely experience at the largest flea market in Paris. And while the small and memorable treasures are not as plentiful at this flea market, you won’t find a lack of inspiration or people-watching at its best.
We do find a few treasures here, but it’s not where we buy the bulk of our products. But the inspiration we draw from here is real and enjoyable. Although we have found copper here that is in unusually good shape along with a few good vintage chore coats and other small items like plates, ashtrays, and other things.
If you only had time to visit one market here, I would suggest Paul Bert Saint-Ouen flea market.
Paul Bert Serpette is one of the markets located at Les Puces Saint-Ouen. It is a collection of antiques, furniture, pottery, vintage clothing and fashion, vinyl records, carpets and tapestry, art, lighting, dishes, linens, copper, and almost anything imaginable. You’ll also find pop culture and Art Deco items here.
Vintage enamel lamp shades and sconces
Teapots, French copper, porcelain canisters
Vintage rattan baskets and jewelry
Make sure to stop at the café
Chances are, when visiting Paul Bert, you will need either a break or a little sustenance. You can have a meal or just a coffee or a glass of wine. I love how the French have a glass of wine at 10 o’clock in the morning.
Where to stay when visiting Les Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market
Well, of course, you could stay in Paris proper, but we recommend staying at Mob House Hotel, that’s a two-minute walk from the hotel to the market. It’s a beautiful hotel and one that we will return to every time we visit Paris. You can read more about the hotel in this post. If you are determined to stay in Paris, we love Hotel Therese and have stayed there quite a few times. You can read more about it in this post from our sister website.
