Who doesn’t love a good bargain? No matter where you are traveling too, you can do a little bartering and haggling to save some money. If you are traveling to certain countries, like those in Europe, it’s important to know the right and wrong ways to try to save a buck. Here are some tips to successfully bartering and haggling your way through France.
Bartering And Haggling At The Right Places
One of the keys to bartering in France is to barter in the right places. For larger stores it probably won’t happen. However, if you are buying in bulk or there is a lot of the same merchandise on display, you may stand a chance. The best way to do it is to say if I buy “xxx” amount of this, will you throw in that. It’s important to make it worth their while to give you something for free in exchange for buying something they have on hand.
Flea markets are great places to haggle prices and do a bit of bartering. There are hundreds of brocantes markets all around France. In Paris, the most famous flea market is Saint-Ouen which is open on Monday, Saturday and Sunday.
Dress The Part
If you walk into a shop dressed in your best clothes, chances are that a shop owner may not want to negotiate prices with you. They can probably spot you a mile away and will know that you can afford to pay full price and that you will if you really want an item. Dress modestly, with little jewelry and don’t give off the impression that you have money to spend and are just trying to get a good deal.
Mind Your Manners
It probably goes without saying, but you can get a lot farther if you are nice to the shop owner. If you are rude or act like they should automatically give you a good deal then they probably will not only turn you down, but make you leave the shop. Be friendly, smile and make eye contact. Even if they say no to your bartering or haggling, still be polite when you leave. They may just end up running after you to try to get you to stay and negotiate a sale.
Speak The Language Fluently Or Bring Along Someone With You That Does
It’s pretty hard to haggle or barter in France if you don’t know what the person you are negotiating with is saying. Even the best translating apps probably won’t be that helpful if you are doing some serious negotiating. If you don’t speak the language fluently, bring someone with you that does. This will lessen the language barrier for all parties involved and help make the terms clearly known for the items that you are trying to purchase.
For good pricing without having to bargain, look for outlet centers. For example, just 35 minutes outside of Paris (new Disneyland,) you can shop at La Vallee Village which is a large discount shopping and outlet mall with 90 stores including Armani, Diesel, Guess, Zadig & Voltaire and Marni. For a huge stock of discounted past season designer stuff, a lot of Moschino, Alberta Ferretti, Narciso Rodriguez, and a couple of other brands manufactured by AEFFE visit Le Mouton a Cinq Pattes in Paris.
While France can be expensive you can still get a great deal if you know how to haggle and barter properly. Even if you don’t have any luck at the first place you go to, keep trying. You are bound to find someone who’s willing to barter with you or do a little bit of negotiating with in order to give you a fair price and make a deal that the both of you can live with.
Bartering in France and other European markets is a nuanced skill. Our advisors’ guide to Common Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Europe covers all the cultural knowledge you need to navigate Europe like a seasoned traveler.
