Luxury Paris: Jewellery Houses, Haute Couture and a Quiet Address Nearby

There are purchases worth travelling to Paris for. A watch chosen in a salon on place Vendôme. A bag from the historic boutique on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. A dress tried on in a house on avenue Montaigne. Such things are not bought in a hurry, between two sightseeing tours. They need time, calm and a place to come back to.

Place Vendôme: the jewellers' craft

The square designed by Mansart under Louis XIV is still one of the most perfect in Paris. Around it, the leading jewellery houses have gathered: Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Chaumet. It is best to come in the morning, when the square is quiet and there is time for conversation in the salons.

From the 2nd, the way here is simple: from the Opéra, rue de la Paix leads straight to the square.

Saint-Honoré and Montaigne: two manners

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is restrained and very Parisian. Here is the historic Hermès boutique, and nearby Goyard, a house that has never sought advertising. A classic for those who value discretion.

Avenue Montaigne, in the 8th, is by contrast open and grand: Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, one couture house after another. It is an address to visit, not to live next to; from here it is easy to return to a quieter neighbourhood.

The department stores: everything under one roof

On boulevard Haussmann stand the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, the classics of Parisian shopping. Under the stained-glass dome of the Galeries Lafayette, it is worth lingering even without buying anything. On the Left Bank, Le Bon Marché, calmer and more refined, on the edge of Saint-Germain.

Where to set out from

ACT 3 chooses its addresses across Paris. Here are three neighbourhoods at its very centre, each suited to a different kind of shopping.

• · The 2nd. Closest to the Opéra, the department stores and place Vendôme. Nearby is the Galerie Vivienne, the most elegant of the covered passages.
• · The Upper Marais. Concept stores, designers' workshops, young labels. Merci, a shop in a former industrial building, is worth a visit.
• · Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The Left Bank: bookshops, galleries, boutiques on quiet streets, and Le Bon Marché.

Our neighbourhood guides will help you choose the neighbourhood before the apartment. All the apartments are air-conditioned, with two to four bedrooms and a spacious living room where you can sort through your purchases at leisure.

Privacy and concierge

An apartment gives you what a hotel does not: your own front door, your own space and quiet. Our concierge works seven days a week, and the team can be reached at any hour: a restaurant table, an airport transfer, a last-minute request. The city becomes our concierge.

On tax refunds (tax free): ask in the shop at the time of purchase and keep your receipts. The rules and thresholds are set by the shops and customs.

Live the city, not a hotel

See the collection or the page for the 2nd. When you book direct, you get the best available rate with no service fees added to the price, and free cancellation more than 30 days before arrival. If you are planning a longer visit with your family, read our guide to long stays.

The ACT 3 Team