Paris Shopping Trip to Galeries Lafayette and Jardin du Luxembourg

My trip to Paris last month was my fifth visit to the world’s most beautiful city, and yet until then I hadn’t been to the shopping extravaganza that is Galeries Lafayette…what I’d been missing! Unlike previous trips when we’d only been in Paris for a few days, this time we stayed for a whole week so we had more time to explore and visit new places.

The building itself is so beautiful, you can’t help but look up to admire the ornate architecture

Emerging from Saint-Lazare metro station, I didn’t really know where I was going, but finding myself outside Printemps (another luxury department store) I knew I was in the right area! It may come as a surprise when I tell you, but the main reason for going to Galeries Lafayette was actually to buy toys for my daughter! She’d been extremely patient travelling across Paris on a very hot day to catch a glimpse of me at various points during the marathon so as a treat I promised her a new My Little Pony toy. Of course, I had to check out all the fabulous clothes and accessories on display too, but as lovely as they are the magnificent stained glass dome outshines them all. The building itself is so beautiful, you can’t help but look up to admire the ornate architecture. I thought I’d died and gone to retail heaven!

The first floor is dedicated to top luxury labels… but you can also find high street labels such as Zara and Topshop so you don’t have to take out a mortgage to shop there!

There are three buildings: one for homeware and food, one for menswear, and the main building where you’ll find beauty, accessories, jewellery, shoes, womenswear and children’s clothes and toys. The first floor is dedicated to top luxury labels alongside up-and-coming brands in two special “laboratories”, but you can also find high street labels such as Zara and Topshop so you don’t have to take out a mortgage to shop there! It really is the most amazing shopping experience, even if you don’t buy anything it’s worth going just to look around. Despite its grandeur you’ll find plenty of people in casual dress, although I did enjoy watching the French ladies all dressed up wandering in with their dogs!

Here are a few interesting facts about Galeries Lafayette:

• The store is spread across three buildings covering 65,000 square metres.
• It’s the second most popular visitor attraction in Paris after the Eiffel Tower.
• The store carries more than 2,500 brands across womenswear, menswear, beauty and homeware.
• There are more than 20 restaurants and cafes, a Decleor spa, three hair salons and two Chanel treatment booths.
• There’s a whole floor just for shoes!
• You can download a geolocation app to help you plan your shopping trip.

All that shopping worked up an appetite so we headed over to the Jardin du Luxembourg in the afternoon, stopping off to buy bread and cheese for a picnic. We also took a couple of outfit photos which gave me the opportunity of wearing my new hat…well you didn’t think I’d go to Galeries Lafayette and come out empty handed did you?

Hat and jacket: Zara, jumper: Arabella and Addison, jeans: Gap, trainers: Nike.

I’ve got a couple more posts about my trip to Paris scheduled over the next week so stay tuned!

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