Eiffel Tower from Hotel George V

Paris: the city of light, of romance, of cliches. Paris boasts arguably the world’s best art galleries and museums - but for the dedicated shopper Paris has got to be high on their luxury destination list and not for the museums!

Whether your shopping list is haute couture, exotic chocolates, wine, unique antiques or art pieces Paris will have it. Paris has been doing fantastic food, magnificent hotels and really invented luxury shopping why settle for second best? And if Gautier, Yves St Laurent and Chanel are on your shopping list why not come to their home - Paris.

For a short break any time of the year three or four days of being based in one Paris’s best hotels such as the magnificent 5-star Hotel George V, central to the Champs Elysees shopping and just a quick stroll the cavernous Louis Vuitton store, could be just the luxury shopping break you need.

Or maybe check in to the Hotel Bristol which is popular where the Saturday Fashion High Tea is an interesting combination of cakes and pastries accompanied by a haut couture catwalk show from some of the big name fashion houses such as Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Lanvin, Hermes, Gaultier, Laroche and Versace.

The great shopping destination stores are well known: the designer stores on the Champs Elysees and the luxury department store Printemps. Printemps has now established a personalized shopping service - which given that the store now flows over three buildings seems like a good way to get started.

Paris Passage

Photo Credit: Todd Mecklam

Paris shopping is not all about the large stores on the Champs Elysees. The back streets of Paris have many gems: the trick is finding them, especially if your French is rusty. Although guidebooks usually have extensive listings in the “shopping” section, as anywhere the locals know the best spots. With this mind expatriot American Rebecca Mangiant launched her boutique shopping guide service Chic Shopping Paris.

According to Rebecca :

Our expert bilingual guides do not work on commission & can therefore offer you objective, unbiased advice. Our goal is to help you use your time in Paris wisely, whether it’s your first time here or your fifth. Rather than offer tours on a variety of topics, we organize shopping tours exclusively, focusing all of our attention on discovering new shops & trends for your benefit. Chic Shopping Paris’ private guided tours are devoted to helping you take back “Paris in your bag.”

Chic Shopping Paris skips the guidebook’s listing of restaurants, museums and shops - instead she takes you to the hidden corners of Paris with your own bilingual guide and personal shopper. What better introduction to Paris shopping?