Based on my experience, here are a few tips on how to experience a guilt-free shopping spree in Paris.

Now, let’s tally forth!

Paris shopping tips for budget travelers

1. Timing is key

Bargain hunter to the core? Try to schedule your trip during one of the citywide sales. The “Soldes d’hiver” launch in January and continue through February, while the “Soldes d’ete” are on tap to woo for six weeks in June and July.

Also, during the sales the prices start to drop and keep on dropping, so it’s a judgment call as to whether to pounce early and get the best selection, or wait it out a little and get the best deals. To be perfectly honest, I do both.

O, my deer! Do consider a basic shopping kit prior to your trip. A scene from a Bon Marché window. Photo: T. Brack

2. Be Prepared

Prior to setting out, consider your basic shopping kit: water bottle, moleskin (for blisters), a snack, Métro tickets, maps with targeted shops circled, and coins for WCs. And don’t forget a sturdy bag for your treasures. Most French grocery stores sell them at checkout for just a few cents. Lightweight and good-looking, they make perfect souvenirs, too.

My sister Wendy suggests also packing a camera for self-portraits, and snaps of celebrities like Lenny Kravitz. “Are you going our way?” we recently cried as he sped past us on his bike, near the Opéra. I don’t think he heard us because, well, he didn’t stop.

Regarding rooftop selfies: #Holdontotheledge

Visualization always helps me narrow my Great Hunt. A scene from a Printemps’ window. Photo: T. Brack

3. Plan of Action

Have a “quest” in mind, since visualization will help narrow your hunt while increasing your chances of finding the object of your desire.

What’s missing from your closet? Ballet slippers? Trench coat? Both are timeless French classics. Or perhaps you covet a Longchamp tote? Heck, we’ve been there. How about just a nice pair of shoes? Nobody’s going to judge you. It’s Paris, after all. So grab a pen and create a wish list.

Are you going our way? If so, take the bus, Gus! A scene from a Galeries Lafayette window. Photo: T. Brack

4. Getting around

Time is precious. However, it’s possible to visit two fashion-related exhibitions, three monuments, four department stores, and five prime (and affordable) shopping districts—all in one day. Lean in, because it’s true. Mine eyes have seen the glory!

What’s my secret? Get on the bus, Gus. For the price of a Métro ticket, you’ll not only cruise between the shopping districts with the greatest of ease, but also boast about your first scores of the day while the panorama of Paris rolls by en route to the next shopping district. You can use the same ticket for rides on several buses taken within 90 minutes of the first time you get it stamped.

To cite just one example, there are several personal favorite shopping meccas along the “95” bus route: Montmartre-Abbesses, Boulevard Haussmann, the Opéra district rue de Rivoli, and rue de Rennes. Talk about wheeling and dealing!

My sister Wendy documenting the Eiffel Tower and favorite sacred shopping grounds at Place de la Madeleine. Photo: T. Brack

5. Favorite Shopping ’Hoods

I’m no diva, but I do like to shop-hop without a lot of hassle. Focusing not only on the place but also on the journey—i.e., on the experience of the visit itself—I’m always on the prowl for historic shopping zones as well as scattered districts where clusters of stores may carry similar items.

Here are a few more favorite shopping havens. I call it my T-Zone:

• Passage du Havre at Gare St-Lazare
• Magasin Décathlon at Place de la Madeleine
• Le Bon Marché at Métro Sevres-Babylone
• the whole stretch of rue de Rennes, along with Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Champs-Élysées, rue de Rivoli
• BHV at Hôtel de Ville.

Related: Our 10 favorite shopping districts in Paris

You’ll find a pocket of vintage clothing shops in the Marais. Photo: T. Brack

6. Paging Secondhand-Roses

Possess a mad penchant for collecting the garb of yesteryear? I’m with you, step by step. Paris still gives me a strong Proustian dose of solidarity with both past and present. Throughout Paris, you’ll find pockets of “friperies” (second-hand clothing shops) and “depôts-ventes” (consignment shops), but especially in Abbesses and the Marais.

Also, Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (BHV) now boasts a new vintage clothing department. Here you’ll find retro garb, along with gently used bags, scarves, hats, and shoes. During one of my recent sleuthing trips, I spied more than a few big name Catherine Deneuve-worthy trench coats here—but without their usual exorbitant price tags.

Related: Know you secondhand shopping vocabulary in Paris

Getting all Tête-à-Tête at the Porte de Vanves Flea Market. Photo: T. Brack

7. Flea Markets

Don’t leave Paris without at least one trip to the Porte de Vanves Flea Market. I’ve also scored big at the “brocantes” (antique/junk sales) and the vide-greniers (neighborhood-wide attic sales). Down through the years, I’ve found pink Valentino heels, black boots by Charles Jourdan, and a pointy brassiere by Maison Cadolle handmade in the 1940s. And none cost more than 30 euros.

Click here for the 2016 listing of brocantes, vide-greniers and marches aux puces.

Related: Shopping tips for flea market success in Paris

Keep your peepers peeled for pickpockets whist browsing through the bargain bins. Photo: T. Brack

8. Bargain Bins

I often find my bargain bin bliss at the Sympa shops on rue Steinkerque and along Boulevard de Rochechouart . Located at the foot of Sacré Coeur in Montmartre, the stock is always in rotation. Here you’ll find Kookai, Jennyfer, and Naf-Naf, along with Best Mountain, Etam, and Undiz, but at a fraction of their original cost.

Don your elbow pads, eat a hearty breakfast, and keep your peepers peeled for pickpockets. Game on!

Galeries Lafayette’s Belle Époque rocking dome has never failed to bring me to tears. Photo: T. Brack

9. Grand Magasins

Paris boasts four famous old department stores. Bon Marché, Printemps, and Galeries Lafayette are conveniently located along the Métro 12 line, while Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (BHV) holds court next to the Hôtel de Ville. Winding it back to the Belle Epoque, they’d lure the Cheapos of that day inside with displays of discounted silk remnants (a.k.a. “coupons”—literally “piece cut off,” from couper “o cut”).

Here’s how to get a few coupons of your own.

Don’t discount the tourist discount cards because every little bit counts. Photo: T. Brack

Tourist Discount Cards at BHV and Galeries Lafayette

Both BHV and Galeries Lafayette offer tourist discount cards, which knock off 10% on selected items. To score G.L.’s “Exceptional 10% Discount” card, present your passport at the information desk on the store’s ground floor near the rue Mogador entrance.

You’ll find BHV’s “-10% offer*” discount voucher on their website. Print it before leaving home and then present it at the welcome desk, along with your passport. It’s just that easy!

Department store house brands are often slashed by 20% to 50% during the big sales. A scene from Printemps. Photo: T. Brack

House Brands

Don’t miss the department store house brands. Affordable, well-made, and sporting souvenir-worthy labels, the collections feature bags, scarves, and sweaters. During the two annual sale periods (mentioned above), price tags are slashed by 20-50%.

Plus, Galeries Lafayette and BHV’s house brands are often eligible for the tourist discount. So do request your card. As my grandmother put it, “It all adds up.”

We always feel snappy and happy like room without a roof up on the rooftop at Galeries Lafayette. Photo: T. Brack

Rooftop Views

For years now, I’ve carried on a torrid love affair with the rooftop café at Printemps. Here, the wine is affordable and the panoramic view of the Tour Eiffel, the Opéra Garnier, and Sacré Coeur is free. The roof of Galeries Lafayette also sweetly tempts with its faux green grass and funky red plastic chairs and sofas.

But now, there’s a new roof in town. Not to be outdone in the potted plant department, Le BHV Marais now has its very own rooftop terrace. “Perchoir Marais” is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, after the store closes. It’s another win-sin.

As Oscar Wilde once quipped, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

I completely agree. Happy Hunting!

The post Paris Shopping Tips: How to save big on your shopping spree appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

1. Paris Plages
July 20 – August 18

From the banks of the Seine to the banks of the Canal in the 19e arrondissement, those looking for a bit of reprieve from the heat need search no further than Paris Plages. Kids and adults can enjoy the various activities (think line dancing) and relaxed atmosphere that are both so quintessentially un-Parisian. Bring a towel, a picnic, and some SPF as you relax on the imported sand beaches and imagine yourself on the Riviera at no cost.

Skip to the loo, then take a seat for “Cinema en plein air”. Photo: Fabrice Paulmier

2. Outdoor Cinema
July 24 – August 24

The Cinéma en Plein Air at Parc de la Villette offers everyone the chance to kick back at night in front of a giant inflatable movie screen. Picnic supplies and a blanket are a must. Films for the summer of 2013 include “Milk,” “The Social Network,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” and of course some French films that you may not know, but will happily become familiar with.

Note: Plan a bathroom break before hand, as meandering through the crowd in the dark is both difficult and, frankly, annoying.

3. Picnic with the locals

It goes without saying that Paris is a giant picnic in the summer. Along the river or in any of the gorgeous parks like Buttes Chaumont or Montsouris, there is no better way to cozy up to the locals than to pack some bread, cheese, and charcuterie. Bring a bottle of wine, but “forget” your opener – it’s the perfect excuse to talk to that oftentimes-attractive group of Frenchmen/women next to you.

Get to the sales early and don’t forget to hydrate! Photo: Galinette

4. Soldes!
June 26 – July 30

Those looking to do some shopping in Paris should wait until the biannual sales, or “soldes,” that take place in the winter and the summer. But this shopping is not for the faint of heart. Hydrate well and bring an attitude as you’ll be scrambling among more seasoned Parisian clients who are used to the huge lines and scattered goods.

Check out smaller boutiques near the Canal St. Martin or in the Marais and avoid the department stores if you’re not a crowd person. (More tips on making the most of Paris’ bi-annual sales.)

5. Off-Broadway in Paris
June and July

Opera and ballet are great, but sometimes expats and tourists yearn for a good old-fashioned American musical. American Musical Theater Live! is introducing the Off-Broadway genre to Paris with “Edges” and “The Last 5 Years”, both debuting this summer. They are in English, with international casts, and tickets are affordable for musical theaters (try getting a €20 ticket in the West End easily!). The shows will play at the Auguste Théâtre in the 11^th arrondissement and are definitely worth checking out.

6. The Titanic Exhibit
June 1 – September 15

Twenty-one passengers boarded the Titanic when it docked at Cherbourg, and 16 survived the sinking. The boat’s story, however, is intriguing to all nationalities, and the traveling exhibit of artifacts is coming to Paris. On Monday, tickets are cheaper than the rest of the week. It may not scream, “Summer in Paris!” but excitement is subjective, right?

Music performances, planned and otherwise, take to the streets throughout Paris during the Fete de la Musique on June 21. Photo: Boklm

7. Music Festivals
All summer

Summertime turns up the soundtrack in Paris with multiple festivals. While not all are a free, the Fête de la Music on June 21 allows musicians to play all over the city into all hours of the night.

Also check out the Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral (June 8 – July 28) or get tickets to either Solidays (June 28-30) or Rock en Seine (June 23-25) for more contemporary artists. Read more about the city’s music festivals.

8. Frozen treats

When it’s hot, well, we want something cold. Sure, you can wait in line at Berthillon for some classic French ice cream, but there are plenty of other options:

• A new frozen yogurt boutique, Baci Bisous, has opened by the Canal just in time for summer. (25 rue des Vinaigriers, 75010)

Hurry up, it’s melting! Photo: cameronparkins

• Try the various flavors of Chacun ses Goûts and add toppings to your own yogurt creation as you wish. (4 rue Geoffroy l’Angevin 75004)

• In the Upper Marais, Mary’s Gelato (1 rue Dupuis 75003) is whipping up some of the best Italian sorbets you’ll taste, just down the street from equally delicious Pozetto (39 rue du Roi de Sicile 75004) and their signature chocolate-hazelnut or pistachio gelato.

Read more of about Paris’ best ice cream and gelato options.

9. Bastille Day
July 14

From the Firemen’s parties (“bal des pompiers”) to the military parade down the Champs Elysées, July 14th is a huge party in Paris, even if it celebrates the beginning of an unfortunately bloody revolution. But fireworks! Bag a non-alcoholic picnic (they check bags for spirits – let’s keep it family-friendly) and head to the Champs de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for one of the most stunning spectacles ever. Just don’t be in a rush to get out afterwards. The thousands of spectators are very carefully funneled through controlled exits, so it takes a few moments – or hours. But it’s worth it!

10. The Great Exodus: Parisians leave
August

In August, the migration begins as locals ship out and Italians, Americans, Russians, and just about any other nationality interested in Paris fill in the café seats left behind. It’s an odd feeling to see so many local places closed while major tourist addresses are inundated, but it’s also refreshing. A week or two of calm in most non-central neighborhoods does a person good. Head to the 19^th, the 17^th, or the 15^th during this time to see what a Parisian ghost town feels like! (Read more about visiting Paris in August–without Parisians.)

Your favorite reasons for visiting Paris in the summer?

Have something to add to our list? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Also in our guide: If you are planning to head to Paris this summer and looking for an affordable place to stay, be sure to stop by our guide to recommended budget hotels. Our editors have inspected, reviewed and photographed every recommended hotel in our guide.

The post Paris: 10 reasons to visit Paris this summer appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.