Shopping in Paris: A teen’s perspective
All the girls (and maybe my cousin Sam) wanted to be sure we had some time set aside for shopping. We managed to get a good mix, visiting a French market, some trendy boutiques, high-end stores, and street stalls. My mom and aunt could give classes in shopping, and they’re making sure my cousin and I don’t let them down.
Rue Cler
On our first full day, and basically the only thing we did with our grandparents before the accident happened, we went to Rue Cler, a pedestrian street with a French market. My grandparents wanted to show us more of the ‘daily life’ of Parisians, and how they bought their food fresh every day. It was cool to see, but the street wasn’t just a market, it had some cute stores, where I bought some gifts for my parents (who would unexpectedly be there the next day), and some really good restaurants.
Teen Shopping Tour
Fashion is usually associated with Paris, so the Afegirls couldn’t leave without a shopping trip. My grandmother had arranged a “teen shopping tour” with a guide through Viator. The guide brought us to a neighborhood that had some great shops. She showed us stores that were supposed to be meant for teens. Some of the stores were awesome, and a few not so much. There was a great store called “Bonobo,” which is kind of like a French American Eagle.
Champs Elysee
We also went shopping on the Champs-Élysées. It has a ton of stores, but a lot of them are American (think the Nike Store). And I think the street is a better destination at night. It’s cool to see the Arc de Triomphe all lit up. Be careful walking over the grates on the sidewalk though — my cousin wasn’t paying attention, and her dress blew up to her ears. I thought my brother was going to wet his pants.
Montmartre
Toward the end of the trip, we had a night where the boys were exhausted, and didn’t feel like going out, so we headed out for a girls’ night. We went to Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. We took a funicular up to the top, where, in addition to the church, there’s a small village with really cool shops and restaurants. It’s at the top of a hill, so you have an amazing view of the city. And there are all these people just hanging out on the steps of Sacre-Coeur or on the patches of lawn in front of it. Kind of a street party. My favorite part about Montmartre was the artists selling their art on the sides of the streets. The gelato was a close second.
Think we’re funny? Or think I got a dope sense of style? Pin it for later!
Our trip itinerary has links to the sights we saw and our other blog posts for this trip.
Trip date: July 2015
Kids’ ages: Jonny 15 & Emma 13 (plus cousins ages 16 and 14)