It’s a weekly ritual for many Parisians, but there’s no reason that the casual tourist can’t stock up on a few snacks or picnic supplies as well.

Here’s our guide on how to tackle the often intimidating world of outdoor food markets, along with a few of our favorite picks.

Related: 50 Ways to save time and money in Paris

Where and when

There are dozens of markets all over the city on different days of the week. It’s best to consult the city’s official guide for the nearest one or check out Secrets of Paris which has extensive listings. They usually open early in the morning, by 7 am and begin closing around 1 pm, though it all depends on the market.

Many shoppers want to head to the famous Raspail Market or to one of the fancy organic markets — but the prices usually keep me away. Instead, head to some of the more budget-friendly ones.

The most popular markets are the Marché d’Aligre open daily except Monday. The covered market attached to the outdoor stalls houses a beer stand, cheese shops, and a specialty olive oil store. The market on Richard Lenoir by Bastille, open on Thursday and Sunday, is enormous and full of every imaginable food product. Real Cheapos will head to the Belleville market on Tuesday and Friday to brave other Parisians looking for some of the cheapest produce around. Here’s a guide to our favorite

Preparing for a trip to the market

Come to the market ready, armed with the necessities. First, don’t come too hungry or else you’ll want to buy too much. Be smart about it!

Do come with enough bags to carry everything home. Markets are still using small colored plastic bags for individual items, but it’s best to have a larger canvas bag or basket to put everything in afterwards. Having ten plastic bags cutting into your fingers is not the lasting impression we want at the market.

Related: 10 Tips for shopping at Paris markets

Also come with spare change. While some market vendors do accept credit card, most prefer cash. It’s best to have lots of loose change to get as close as possible to the right amount, because busy sellers don’t have time to do lots of math when the clients are queuing — but they are really, really good at fast math.

Market etiquette

So once you arrive at the market, where do you begin? I like to do a few laps to spot the items I want, to check out prices, and to enjoy the atmosphere before I start buying. Some merchants will be cutting up pieces of fruit to sample while others will beckon you to their stalls. Be friendly, but don’t feel pressured to buy anything you don’t want.

Related: 10 French phrases to help you save

When you approach a stall to purchase, don’t immediately touch anything. Most of the cheaper markets (read: any that I go to), allow you to choose your own tomatoes and lettuce. You take what you want in a plastic bag and they weigh it, then you pay for all of your items.

Some sellers, however — and you’ll know which ones I am talking about — are a bit fussier. At these more pristine stands, food will be a bit more orderly and the seller will choose for you. It’s normal, and if you see them putting a bad apple in the bag, you can speak up about it. They’ll weigh it and you’ll pay. Just be careful if you’re not aware of how heavy a kilo is. It’s better to say you want a few handfuls of spinach than a kilogram, which may not end up fitting into your shopping bag.

Buying produce

When it comes to the food, there are things to remember. The French are into seasonal eating, so strawberries in February will be costly since they are coming from a greenhouse somewhere. In the springtime, the market sellers are practically giving them away. So look for items that match the season, and also those that were grown in France, which haven’t traveled so far and are thus probably relatively seasonal.

Related: Shopping success at outdoor food markets in France

Of course some items are never grown locally — limes, pineapples, or bananas — so don’t go crazy. Buy what you need, and as little or as much as you want. You can just buy five apples if that’s all you want from a stand. That’s five less that the sellers will have to worry about at the end of the day.

Fresh seafood at a stand at an outdoor market in Paris. Photo: Erica Firment

Other foods

Markets are also full of stalls selling cheese, seafood, eggs, meats, wine, bread, pastries, prepared foods, even pizzas and coffee. Plan on going for lunch and walk away with a baguette, slices of cheese and ham, and a bit of fresh fruit, but bring an extra bag for a few bottles of wine or packages of olives for later.

Again, there’s no reason to buy ten kilograms of cheese. Just get a little slice of two or three cheeses to experience them — the cheese monger will usually indicate how much he or she is going to cut, and you simply say more or less.

Final tip: Shop like a local!

If you are in Paris for a while (or even a few days), try to create a rapport with market vendors you appreciate. My veggie guys always throw in a few extras since I’m a faithful client, and that bit extra helps make the experience that much more enjoyable. Heading to the market is a much better way to engage with Paris than just stopping by Monoprix – and it’ll end up being cheaper! Now let’s get out there and shop. Here are a few of our favorite places…

A guide to the best markets for Cheapos

Marché Bastille
Métro: Bastille or Richard Lenoir
When: Thursday and Sunday, 7 am -2:30 pm

One of the biggest and most popular markets in the city, this is a must-for anyone who wants to stock up on produce with the rest of Paris. Seemingly endless stalls of fruits, vegetables, and cured meats dominate the market, while several stands selling prepared dishes like fresh paella and sandwiches are great lunch options

Marché d’Aligre
Métro: Ledru-Rollin
12th aar
When: Tuesday – Sunday, 9 am -1 pm

A local market that guidebooks made famous, Marché d’Aligre attracts those interested in a more sedate market experience without sacrificing quality — or quantity for that matter. The unique feature is a covered section with specialty products like flowers, olive oil, and craft beer.

Marché de Belleville
Métro: Belleville
When: Tuesday and Friday, 7 am -2:30 pm

In the culturally diverse Belleville, this market is popular among the neighborhood’s many Asian shoppers. Marché de Belleville may not be the most photogenic market, but the cheap prices and plentiful produce make it a solid option for budget seekers.

Marché Barbès
Métro: La Chapelle
When: Wed,  7 am – 1 pm, Saturday,  7 am – 3pm

Marché Barbès has all of the hustle and bustle of a North African souk, so don’t go bother being too polite. Shoppers shove and snake their way through this dense market where you can find random collections of food items — potentially expired butter, for example — but don’t worry, those are just “sell-by” dates. Right?

Marché Maubert-Mutalité
Métro: Maubert-Mutalité,
When: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday,  7 am – 2:30 pm

The Left Bank has markets, too, and this tiny one, not too far from Notre Dame, is one of the oldest. Go to Marché Maubert-Mutalité for the fresh produce and other random goods hawked here, like scarfs or binoculars. The market’s backdrop is a textbook example of French shopping with a boucherie, charcuterie, poissonnerie, fromagerie, and boulangerie all lined up nice and neatly.

The post Paris: Tips for shopping at the best outdoor food markets for Cheapos appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But we have watched one too many tourists wander through the dreary aisles of a French supermarket scavenging like lost urban seagulls for industrially made scraps when all of Paris is there for the taking in its competitively priced gourmet food shopping glory.

Follow our tips on how to get more value and quality for your money and turn that in-room picnic into a memorable meal you couldn’t get at home.

Why the Supermarket Should Be Your Last Resort

Note that while American supermarkets have become more glamorous and high quality in recent years, Paris supermarkets just don’t try that hard. Even larger chains like Monoprix with their own deli counters and more extensive offerings can’t give you the same quality that you can find elsewhere. And if you are going to make a meal of wine, bread and cheese, which are usually accompaniments to the main meal in France, remember that life is short and you have better options than the inferior mass-market variety.

A Paris Farmers Market for Every Day of the Week

Another obvious one-stop destination for in-room picnic supplies is the Paris farmers market. Paris has 82 farmers markets in every neighborhood of the city, meaning you have your pick of locations any day of the week.

The lively markets of Paris are entertaining and life-affirming. Not only can you find fresh whole foods, you can also find more exotic but still affordable pre-prepared offerings like warm freshly made paella, choucroute or roast chicken and potatoes, or even a plate of shucked oysters (just ask) that you can enjoy with a glass of wine, some made-in-Brittany butter and fresh bread in your room, no cooking required.

Because the food is not pre-packaged, you can buy only as much food as you need, like a single roasted chicken thigh with a handful of roasted potatoes, instead of a whole chicken, or any sized morsel of cheese, which will save you money on wasted food.

Specialty Shops and Traiteurs

Don’t be intimidated by cheese shops, wine shops, fruit and vegetable sellers, butchers (who sell ready to eat cooked meats and pates as well), fish shops (which sell the aforementioned oysters or already cooked shrimp or smoked salmon) and other specialty shops, which may look fancy but aren’t necessarily more expensive.

The traiteur is the name for a gourmet take-out shop or deli where you can buy prepared foods. This is not a budget option per se, although if you want to sample gourmet dishes prepared by French hands without paying for a sit-down restaurant meal, there are savings to be found. Also be aware that even apparently upscale wine shops will have plenty of perfectly drinkable wines priced at well under €10, and the staff is trained to help.

Pick up bread, pastries, sandwiches, quiches and more at a boulangerie. Photo: meminick

Boulangeries and Patisseries

There is no point buying pre-packaged supermarket pastries when the city is jam packed with patisseries where you can buy anything from a single macaron to a slice of tart for the price of a pack of industrially made cookies at the supermarket.

It should go without saying that the boulangerie is the cheapest place to buy the freshest bread. But the boulangerie is also a reasonably priced place to pick up sandwiches, quiches, desserts, salads and in some cases hot meals packaged to go (if you want your meal heated, just ask).

Pretty much every boulangerie offers a fixed price menu option (or three) that can save you money on a sandwich/quiche/pizza/stuffed bread plus a dessert and a drink. (But be sure to do the math in your head first since in some cases you can save by buying separately.)

Remember not to buy more bread or pastries than you plan to consume asap, as items are baked fresh and not injected with preservatives to give them a shelf life.

If you want fresh bread but don’t want your baguette to go stale (which it will, often in a matter of hours), don’t go for those overpriced mini breads they sell like candies at near the cash register. Instead, ask for a “demi-baguette,” and you will pay half price for half of a full-sized baguette (this generally works only for standard baguettes, not ones made with special flours or whole grains or added ingredients like nuts or olives).

Microwave Meals

If your hotel has a microwave, we have two words for you: Picard Surgelés. This ubiquitous chain has been selling flash frozen foods and upmarket TV dinners to French citizens since the early 1970s, and now has more than 100 locations in Paris alone. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, taking a stroll through the chilly aisles provides a fascinating sociological glimpse into the modern French palate. Plus you can try French specialties like escargot, duck stuffed with foie gras and more without paying restaurant prices.

Take Out and Delivery

More and more Paris restaurants offer take-out (à emporter), which isn’t necessarily a low cost way to go, especially since tipping is included in the price of items. Some restaurants, like the hipper than thou organic pizza makers Pizza Flamingo, knock €1 off for take-out. And there are mediocre sushi restaurants all over Paris that offer food to go.

Delivery (livraison) is also increasingly popular in Paris, but you will wait an hour and quality to price ratios are not necessarily givens. Be sure to check first with your hotel if you decide to go the delivery route.

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