Shopping · 3 min read
Shopping and Photography in Paris: Routes from Your Front Door
Department stores, the jewellers' square, Left Bank boutiques, and passages and gardens empty in the early morning. Starting from the heart of Paris, a shopping and photography route you can do entirely on foot.
When shopping in Paris, location is everything. Stay close and you can go out in the quiet of the morning, take your finds home before setting off again, and go back out to take photographs in the early evening, when the light is at its best. The routes below all start from the heart of Paris and can be done on foot.
The Right Bank: starting from the 2nd
The 2nd lies at the centre of Paris and is the ideal starting point for shopping on the Right Bank.
- · The department stores of boulevard Haussmann: the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are the two classic department stores of the Right Bank, where a single visit covers a great many brands. The painted glass dome of the Galeries Lafayette is a fine photograph in itself.
- · Place Vendôme and rue de la Paix: the windows of the finest jewellers and watchmakers are gathered here, and the symmetry of the square lends itself to wide shots.
- · Rue Saint-Honoré: lined with fashion and accessories houses, a street to explore at leisure.
Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Élysées are in the 8th, a little further from the 2nd; they are easily reached by metro or taxi, and are worth a dedicated trip.
The Left Bank: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Shopping on the Left Bank is quieter and more discerning: designer boutiques, bookshops and galleries, concentrated around the churches of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Sulpice. Nearby, Le Bon Marché is a refined department store, suited to travellers who want to find everything in one place without the crowds.
When you are tired, sit for a while at the Café de Flore, whose red awning is one of the most classic images of the Left Bank.
Photography: early morning and early evening
Most of the best photographs of Paris are taken in the early morning, when there are few people about and the light is soft. The following places are all in the heart of Paris, within walking distance:
- · Palais-Royal: the black-and-white striped columns of Buren and the arcades, for clean compositions.
- · Galerie Vivienne: the mosaic floor and glass roof, with the best light in the morning.
- · Opéra Garnier: the main façade in the early evening, its gilded statues striking in the setting sun.
- · Luxembourg garden: the green metal chairs and the Medici Fountain, for a quiet Paris.
If you must photograph the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro and the Pont Alexandre III are the classic viewpoints; we suggest going in the morning.
Home, and out again
What matters most on a shopping day is being close to home. Finish your morning shopping, go back to the apartment, set everything down, rest a little and head out again. Our apartments have two to four bedrooms, are all air-conditioned, and have spacious living rooms and ample wardrobe space. Our concierge service runs seven days a week and can book restaurants, arrange transfers and handle last-minute requests.
The city becomes our concierge. To browse the apartments by neighbourhood, see the neighbourhood pages, or view the whole collection. To plan a full four-day trip, see our four days in Paris itinerary.
The ACT 3 Team