Which are the best cities to shop in? Writer Ellie Clare, has been to five cities around the world to find out. This week she writes about Paris.
I went to Paris in June. It's a lovely city for sightseeing at that time of year, but it's also a great place to find high-quality fashion. I started in the speciality stores and visited all the top names, including Cartier, Chanel and Christian Dior. I've never seen such beautiful things, but they are, of course, very expensive. I bought some perfume and moved on to the huge department stores in Paris. Two of the most famous are Primtemps and Galleries Lafayette and they are definitely good places to visit. One place I found disappointing was the Champ-Elysees, the most famous street in Paris. In the old days, it was a great place for fashion, but now there are too many fast-food restaurants, banks, airline offices, shopping centres and cinemas aimed at tourists. Don't waste your time there!
After the shops I tried the markets. One of the most famous places to find treasures in Paris is the flea market. There are three main flea markets — each selling an unbelievable range of old and second hand goods. They are located around the old gates to the city. I spent hours walking around these fascinating places and while I was there I discovered the meaning of the name 'flea market'. Hundreds of years ago, the royal family gave away their old clothes, which were then sold by people at these markets. But the clothes were full of little insects — fleas of course! One of the stall sellers told me that the best time to find treasures at the market was before the crowds arrived, usually between 5am and 6am. But that was a bit early for me. I was enjoying the Paris night life too much! There are also open-air markets all around the city where you can buy flowers, clothes, pets, food and many other things. And if you want to buy a book, visit the rows of bookstalls along the River Seine. You can find some great bargains there, or you can spend hours just looking.
If you want to buy half of Paris or if you just want to walk around and look, you'll love the experience. Paris is a great place to shop!
