French Flea Markets

A new book is published on 11 June 2009 – a Guide to The Flea Markets of France by Sandy Price (“marche de puce”) :

A visit to a flea market can be the highlight of a trip to France: a lively encounter with everyday French culture, an exciting way to spend a few hours, and a chance to pick up a unique souvenir or add to a collection. The Flea Markets of France is the indispensable tool for getting the most out of your visit, whether you’re a first-time visitor or an experienced shopper. Conversational and comprehensive, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about exploring markets all over France. Descriptions of markets and their specialties, as well as practical advice on visiting them, is augmented by notes on regional items, tips on bargaining and collecting, a glossary of relevant French phrases, and a useful rating system which gives an overview of each market. Much more than a simple listing of French flea markets, Sandy Price’s warm suggestions of things to do nearby, places to eat, food specialties of the area, and local amenities are complemented by bits of history and cultural observations. Armed with this comprehensive guide, visitors to France will feel they are in good, reliable hands.

I remember a long hunt for an old-fashioned Ricard water bottle, which was eventually successful in the delightful town of l’Isle -sur-Sorgues in Provence – before it became famous as a mecca for antique dealers and hunters who arrive by the coachload. It also led to discovering a few other gems in the midst of the piles of dross. A guide to where to find flea markets would have been useful.

Amongst the flea markets feature are Annecy (74 Hautre-Savoie), Antibes (06 Alpes-Maritimes), Arles (13 Bouches-du-Rhone), Avignon (84 Vaucluse), Bordeaux(33 Gironde), Belfort(90 Terrotoire de Belfort), Cannes(06 Alpes-Maritimes), Carpentras(84 Vaucluse), Grenoble(38 Isere), l’Isle-sur-Sorgues(84 Vaucluse), Lyon (69 Rhone), Menton(06 Alpes-Maritimes), Montpellier(34 Herault), Nantes (44 Loire-Atlantique), Nice(06 Alpes-Maritimes) , Orleans(42 Loiret), Paris (75 Ile de France), Rouen(76 Seine-Maritime), Strasbourg (67 Bas-Rhin), Toulouse (32 Haute-Garonne), Tours(37 Indre-et-Loire) – and many more.

For more info see a Guide to The Flea Markets of France