You won’t waste your time in Paris with these store addresses for the bag of your dream.
Last week, I had some friends visiting Paris from Asia, and they asked where to buy a few Chanel bags. Before we knew it, we were standing in line that wasn’t moving outside of the Chanel boutique in Galerie Lafayette. Being a local and an avid fan of Chanel, I immediately called the boutique that I always go to see if there was any line outside of that particular store, of course there wasn’t any. So I thought this article might be helpful for travelers who typically don’t have enough time to waste on standing in line for 40 minutes solely for Paris Chanel boutiques.
Before going further, let’s explain why there are always massive lines outside of these luxury boutiques in Paris with most of the buyers being Asia. First, because of the high demands of luxury items in Asia, prices of the same products will priced higher in most boutiques in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Also, by purchasing luxury items in Europe with a non-European passport, there’s a 13% detax (if purchased by a credit card,) or 11% (if purchased by cash.) If you do the math, a USD $1,000 bag would be a USD $130/USD $110 discount. Not bad of a deal, simply with a passport.
The key to avoid long lines and elbows for the bag of your dream is to stop by boutiques that aren’t inside a mall which are swarmed by tourists on a normal basis. So here are a few boutiques that are a bit off the beaten path to save you an hour, so you can shop comfortably then still have time to grab a drink at an outdoor cafe:
25, rue Royale
Metro: Madeline, line 8
This Chanel is near Place de la Madeleine, where you’ll spot other luxury boutiques nearby. It’s one metro station away from Galerie Lafayette, but less high-profile in terms of its location so you’ll be less likely to encounter a huge line outside. The store is smaller, but it’s where I always go for its intimate customer service.
31, rue Cambon
Metro: Concorde, line 1
The rue Cambon location is the most historic of any Chanel boutiques in the world. After Gabrielle Chanel’s success as a hat maker, Chanel opened her first hat shop down the street at 21 rue Cambon in the most fashionable part of Paris. By 1918, she acquired the entire building at rue 31, with the first floor featuring her collections and her apartment on the second floor. The third floor is the studio where Karl Lagerfeld now works. Although historic, this boutique isn’t bombarded by massive tourists as the boutiques inside Galerie Lafayette or Printemps.
51, avenue Montaigne
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt
If you feel like the service at rue Cambon isn’t as friendly (as some travelers have encountered,) then this location might suit you better. With a wider selection, 51, avenue Montaigne boutique might be slightly busier, but tour buses are less likely to be lined up outside dropping off floods of tourists to snag the bag you’ve been eyeing for.
42, rue Montaigne
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt
The great thing about avenue Montaigne is that the street is filled with endless luxury brands. So much so that there are two Chanel boutiques that are practically across the street from each other. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at 51, then hop over to 42 for other options.
