French markets Sarah Crocker French markets are heaven on earth for food-lovers, and they're just a day trip away. Here's how to make the most of them, with tips on where to go, what to bring back and how to blend in with the locals.

In this article

Where to shop Open-air and covered markets Hypermarkets

What to buy Shopping tips

Getting there What you can bring back

There are three main types of market in France. The marchés découverts are the open-air markets, usually running once or twice a week. The marchés couverts (covered markets), often called Les Halles, are normally open daily. A little less fun but still full of promise are the hypermarkets or hypermarchés, those gargantuan edifices such as Auchan, Carrefour, E Leclerc, Intermarché and Rallye where prices are often up to 40 per cent less than local grocers or specialist shops. They are always on the outskirts of town and most are only accessible by car, but they are open late six days a week.

It's best to visit the open or covered markets in the mornings (most have packed up by lunchtime) and get as much fresh seasonal and regional produce as you can carry. Northern markets are especially good for local vegetables, berries and stone fruits, all of which will be lusciously ripe. You're likely to find a good selection of local cheese, charcuterie, breads, pastries, homemade jams, honey and nuts. Some markets are dedicated purely to seafood - the choice is staggering.

You can then head for the hypermarkets to pick up your wine, beer and spirits and anything you couldn't find at the market. They tend to have more choice in terms of patisserie, breads, cheeses, ready-prepared meals and condiments such as oils and vinegars. You'll also be able to buy organic fresh produce and products - look for a green label marked "biologique".

Auchan has more French shoppers and is better for promoting regional producers (look for blue/green labels with a white bird and the word "partenaire"). It's also better for patisserie. Carrefour is favoured by the British for its choice of wine and beer and tends to have a better organic range.

Practically everything is cheaper than in the UK, so it's easy to get carried away. Most of what's on sale is seasonal. Look out for:

• Garlic You'll find fat, juicy, pink-tinged fresh bulbs everywhere. It's excellent for roasting or barbecuing and spreading on hunks of bread or served with meats.
• Breads These are a great buy whatever the season because there's so much variety and they all freeze well. Stock up on brioche, croissants, baguettes and flavoured breads (look for more unusual ones such as beer-flavoured, sourdough bread or loaves peppered with bacon lardons and Emmental).
• Dairy produce This is a must - again, most of it freezes well, apart from soft cheeses. The cheese counters at the hypermarkets stretch for miles so look for your favourites, but also pick up a few local specialities. The north is famous for Maroilles, a pungent cheese that is washed in beer while ripening, and Mimollette, which is similar to Edam.
• Patisserie It's best eaten fresh so only take what you think you can eat in the next couple of days, no matter how enticing it all looks!
• Jars Other good buys are regionally prepared dishes such as confit de canard and coq au vin which are sold in big screwtop jars for about £3 to £4. The words "4 parts" on the label means it serves four. The jars store well and make easy meals.

Note that organic produce isn't as obviously available in France, simply because produce here is farmed without the extensive use of chemicals anyway so there isn't such a demand for it.

1. Travel mid-week if you can to avoid the crowds. Saturdays are the busiest and queues in the hypermarkets can be unbearable, with two or three trolleys per person. Most open markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
2. Take your passport! It's easy to forget, but necessary for the journey.
3. Bring some cool bags for carrying chilled things such as cheeses and pâtés.
4. Although credit cards are accepted widely in most markets and hypermarkets, it's good to have some euros on you for parking meters, trolleys (€1), tips in cafes and so on.
5. Speak the language. Even if you can only manage some very simple phrases, the vendors will appreciate the effort and warm to you immediately. Take a good guidebook with food-specific vocabulary. Lonely Planet's World Food France or Cadogan Guide's Short Breaks in Northern France are both excellent.
6. "Shopping lists pinch the imagination and close the eyes to what is on display." Sage advice from Glynn Christian, the author of Edible France. If you can't be inspired by the likes of what's on offer at a French market, you may as well hang up your basket and head back across the Channel. Leave the list at home and let your senses take hold.
7. The hypermarkets have so much choice it can be a little daunting, but talk to the staff - they're a lot more numerous than in a typical British supermarket, and they're also extremely knowledgeable about their product. Don't be afraid to ask to taste things before you buy - it's the done thing.
8. Look out for signs saying "Soldes" (sale) or "Promotion" (special offer). There are often promotions on wine and beer. You can pick up decent wine for as little as 90p a bottle and crates of bottled beers for about £3 for 24.
9. When you return home with your purchases, resist the urge to do anything more than the simplest preparation so you can really enjoy the flavours of the fresh ingredients.

By sea:

Hoverspeed www.hoverspeed.com
P&O Stena Line www.posl.com
SeaFrance www.seafrance.com

Other ways to get there:

Eurostar www.eurostar.co.uk
Eurotunnel www.eurotunnel.com

Contact the HM Customs and Excise National Advice Service for up-to-the-minute information on 0845 010 9000 or visit the website at www.hmce.gov.uk