Fodor's Paris 2011 by Fodor's

Author:Fodor's [Fodor’s]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307928573
Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications
Published: 2011-03-27T16:00:00+00:00

Department Stores

For an overview of Paris mode (style), visit les grands magasins, Paris’s monolithic department stores. Size up the sometimes ornate architecture, compare prices, and marvel at the historical value of it all—some of these stores have been around since 1860. Most are open Monday through Saturday from about 9:30 to 7, and some are open until 10 PM one weekday evening.

Au Printemps (64 bd. Haussmann, 9e, Opéra/Grands Boulevards | 01–42–82–50–00 | Station: Havre Caumartin, Opéra, and RER: Auber) is actually three major stores: Printemps de la Maison (home furnishings), Printemps de l’Homme (menswear—six floors of it), and the brilliant Printemps de la Mode (fashion, fashion, fashion), which has everything from cutting-edge to the teeny bopper. Be sure to check out the beauty area, with the Nuxe spa, hairdressers, and seemingly every beauty product known to woman under one roof. Fashion shows are held on Tuesday (all year) and Friday (April–October) at 10 AM under the cupola on the seventh floor of La Mode and are free. (Reservations can be made in advance by calling 01–42–82–63–17; tickets can also be obtained on the day of the show at the service desk on the first floor.)

BHV (52–64 rue de Rivoli, 4e, Beaubourg/Les Halles | 01–42–74–90–00 | Station: Hôtel de Ville), short for Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville, houses an enormous basement hardware store that sells everything from doorknobs to cement mixers and has to be seen to be believed. There’s even a hardware-theme café, where how-to demos are held. The fashion offerings are limited, but BHV is noteworthy for its huge selection of high-quality household goods, home-decor material, electronics, and office supplies. If you’re looking for typically French household items (those heavy, gold-rimmed café sets, gorgeous French linen, or Savon de Marseille), this is your ticket.

FNAC (Forum des Halles, 1er, Beaubourg/Les Halles | 01–40–41–40–00 | Station: Les Halles | 74 av. des Champs-Élysées, 8e, Champs-Élysées | 01–53–53–64–64 | Station: Franklin-D.-Roosevelt | 136 rue de Rennes, 6e, Montparnasse | 01–49–54–30–00 | Station: St-Placide) is a high-profile French “cultural” department store. Parisians flock here for the huge selection of music and books, as well as photo, TV, and audio equipment.

Galeries Lafayette (35–40 bd. Haussmann, 9e, Opéra/Grands Boulevards | 01–42–82–34–56 | Station: Chaussée d’Antin, Opéra, Havre Caumartin | Centre Commercial Montparnasse, 14e, Montparnasse | 01–45–38–52–87 | Station: Montparnasse Bienvenüe) is one of those places that you wander into unawares, leaving hours later a poorer and humbler person. At the flagship store at 40 boulevard Haussmann, a Belle Époque stained-glass dome caps the world’s largest perfumery. The store bulges with thousands of designers; free fashion shows are held Friday at 3 PM in the upstairs café (advance reservations are a must: call 01–42–82–36–40). A big draw is the delectable comestibles department, stocked with the best of everything from herbed goat cheese to Iranian caviar. Just across the street at 35 boulevard Haussmann is Galeries Lafayette Maison. The Montparnasse branch is a pale shadow of the Boulevard Haussmann behemoths.

Fodor’s Choice | Le Bon Marché (24 rue

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