Open markets in France : marchés

When do they take place ?

It depends on the size of the city. If you live in a big city, there might be several markets from Tuesday to Sunday. Food markets start around 7 / 8 until 1 PM.

If you want to find low price vegetab les, just go shopping on a Sunday around lunch time, sellers just try to get rid of the fruits and vegetables they haven’t sold yet and don’t want to keep until Tuesday.

If you live in a small city or  if you’re looking for a specific kind of market (organic food « produits biologiques », « marché bio ») then it might take place just once a week, still in the morning.

How can I find an open market ?

If you want to go to an open market in France but don’t know where there’s one close to your place ; you can search on the web. Just type the name of the city + « marché ». If the city is big enough to have a website, you will find this information. If not, go to the « mairie » and ask.

If it’s a small village, the marché will take place on « la place », the heart of the village and maybe only once a week.