Book a Flight and Head to Paris for Excellent Shopping
Okay, the economy is terrible, and many people are worried about finances. But that doesn't necessarily mean you should stop traveling. You need to know how to travel smarter because if you have some extra cash, now may the time to head to the City of Light for shopping and more. Airlines want to fill their planes and they're having a hard time doing that these days. If you surf the Internet, you'll find lots of deeply discounted fares, especially if you're able to be somewhat flexible with dates. Ditto for hotels. There are many websites offering last minute and discounted prices. One of Bonjour Paris' preferred hotel-booking sites is: Bookings.
If you need an excuse to visit Paris, shopping when bargains are real and plentiful is as good as any you'll ever need. The winter retail sales in Paris officially begin on January 7, 2009, and continue for six weeks. Stores discount their stock by up to 70%. And if you're leaving the EU, you're entitled to a tax rebate (up to 15%) if you spend a minimum of 175€ in the same store on one day. Gone are the days when you could accumulate receipts during a week and qualify for the sum total of the tax rebate.
The French are gunning for the tourist trade and have launched a website Shopping Paris that tells visitors what's hot and happening during the sales. Paris has 17,500 shops (many aren't much larger than a walk-in closet): Parisians, by nature, love shopping. There are 29 stores per 1,000 inhabitants. Once you're shopped out, there are approximately 10,000 restaurants to refresh the body, and 145 theaters to refresh the soul—and the museums are open, too.
It doesn't take much more than comfortable shoes to walk the streets and get some inspiration. Be sure to bring appropriate clothes. Even though it rarely snows (or if it does, it doesn't stick), a knit hat, scarf, gloves, and boots will undoubtedly come in handy.
Here are five new shopping itineraries targeted at different styles of dressing. Be sure to buy a Plan de Paris (a small book that you can carry with you, that notes every street and makes getting around Paris absolutely accessible and easy to understand). Another option is to use a GPS function if you're carrying a Blackberry or an iPhone. Check with your provider before leaving the U.S. about activating it and the costs you'll incur.
Paris Shopping Itineraries
Classic Paris Shopping Itinerary: If you want timeless elegance, head to these areas: Montaigne, Champs-Élysées, Place Vendôme, and Palais Royal.
Trendy and Cutting Edge Paris Shopping Itinerary: Le Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Haussman, Étienne Marcel, and Les Halles. Les Halles is a good bet if you're on a limited budget.
Bobo-chic Paris (or the charm of arty intellectual Paris) Shopping Itinerary: Sèvres-Babylone, Odéon, Charonne, and Canal Saint-Martin.
Creative and Young Designers Paris Shopping Itinerary: Try Bir Hakeim, Abbesses, Marché Saint-Honoré, and Saint-Paul.
Fusion Fashion World or Cultural Melting Pots Paris Shopping Itinerary: head to Belleville, La Villette, Olympiades, Ledru-Rolli, and Opéra.
Don't overlook the outdoor markets. Even though many of them concentrate on selling food, there are usually vendors of clothing. I've bought some terrific wearables at Paris Markets for a fraction of the cost I'd have to pay in a store.
Even if you end up buying nothing, walking these neighborhoods will teach you a great deal you probably don't know about Paris. Visitors forget how small the city really is until they walk it. In its entirety, Paris is only 41 square-miles and it's unlikely you'll have to walk all over the city. The Métro and the buses will move you from shop to boutique comfortably and quickly. What more could you want -- other than an all-day or all-week métro to get you around -- another great savings!
© Paris New Media, LLC
Karen@BonjourParis.com
