Good deals can still be had at some of the smaller shopping areas.

St.-Ouen. The name made me shudder. Whenever visitors asked me to take them to that vast set of flea markets just north of the Paris city line, I did my best to divert them elsewhere.

For me, getting to the March aux Puces de Paris/St.-Ouen was exhausting. It meant a ride on the No 4 Mtro line to the Porte de Clignancourt in the 18th Arrondissement and 15 minutes of jostling through a bazaar of cheap clothing, fabrics, leather goods, trinkets, cellphone covers, pots and pans.