What is the difference between a Vide Grenier and a Brocante?
Vide Greniers or ‘Vide’ (lingo for the locals) is really just a neighborhood rummage sale. It’s the weekend activity that Parisians love, and where you will often find eagle-eyed antique collectors carefully scouring the wares. Hint, if you want to spot the pro’s, they will usually be there the first morning before the vide is technically even open - in this case the early bird gets the worm.
A brocante is manned by a much more sophisticated seller (brocanteur / brocanteuse). These folks are well beyond hobbyists, this is often their business, and whether or not they have a physical location, they certainly know what they are doing. Finding a great deal here may be more relative to what you would pay elsewhere rather than finding a Picasso for 5 euros!
Tips for making your French antiquing experience a success:
- Always take small bills and change. While you may get lucky to find a brocanteur that has a credit card terminal, most times you will not. And at a vide grenier, you’ll find prices in the ‘petite monnaie’ range from 1 euro onward.
- Have your bags; if you think you may buy fragile items, you may want to get your own bubble wrap. At vide greniers, the spirit is that you are buying from every folk, extras like wrapping and bags are limited!
- Whether or not you are at a vide grenier or brocante, feel free to negotiate. Sometimes just for the sport of it - it is welcome and expected. Keep it reasonable though - there can be a bit of pride with the folks selling, especially brocanteurs and you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you insult them and they refuse to continue to negotiate! We’ve seen it happen.
- Your French etiquette applies even at the open market, so be sure to always start with a ‘bonjour’!
While we could ramble on and on about all of the different vides and brocantes we love, today we’re just going to focus on two of our favorites that we think you should definitely drop by should you be in France when they are taking place!
Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen
If you are in Paris over a weekend, look no further than the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, or, as it is affectionately known, Les Puces - Paris’ largest flea market.
Inside the winding alleyways lie around 1,700 merchants spanning across 7 covered markets and 5 shopping streets. It is the largest concentration of antique and second-hand dealers in the world! They welcome over 5 million people a year and are a must-visit for any thrifting aficionado out there.
To get there you can take line 4 to Porte de Clignancourt, inside the station, look out for the signs pointing you toward the exit for “Marché aux Puces”, and continue following the signs once outside!
You will find them open every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Learn more here!
Braderie de Lille
Did you know that Lille, a city located in located north of Paris, holds the largest flea market in Europe annually? And it couldn’t be easier to get to! Just a one-hour train ride from Paris, Gare du Nord, will take you to the city center of Lille.
If you are interested in visiting Lille during this highly sought-after weekend, now is the time to start planning. Fail to plan, plan to fail as you can expect more than 2 million people coming in to enjoy this fabulous city-wide event. Everyone will be lining the street with their wares, from the present-day boutiques to antique dealers to folks like you and me.
With over 10,000 stalls it is impossible to get around to everything (it would take a full 40 hours to cover all the streets where the Braderie takes place), so you will want to pick and choose. Consult the map posted on their website to target your area of preference.
- Go early! The morning of the first day is a sweet spot. After lunchtime, the city quickly fills with visitors from all parts of France and Europe to enjoy the weekend. The main alleys are so busy it can be difficult to get around.
- With the number of people in the city for the weekend, finding accommodation can be tough! If you want to make it a weekend visit, secure your accommodation as early as possible!
- If you can muster through a day trip from Paris, which is very much possible given the train frequency, this is a great option. Get in early, and have a train back to Paris by dinnertime
- Be prepared to walk. Walking is compulsory. The entire city center shuts to foot traffic. And when they say the entire city shuts, they mean it.
- While you are there, be sure to take part in the tradition by eating moules frites! If there is one thing our northern neighbors are known for, it is this fabulous dish and they will be everywhere!
They are consumed in such mass, apparently more than 500 tons, that they are thrown onto the streets of the city. Half the fun is watching them pile up. Our advice is to go early for lunch!
Head on over to their website for more information!
