Guide to our favourite French markets
This is a guide to our favourite French markets. Since we started our travels in 2018 we’ve spent over 6 months travelling around France. We all love food and discovering new foods and dishes as we travel, so here’s a list of our favourite French markets. We’ll continue to update this list as we find more.
Please note, these markets are not our favourites because they are huge and full of choice. Some are impressive markets, such as the market at Sarlat, which has a large tourist audience. Others are local markets, and we have found their size fluctuates depending on the time of year.
We’ve tried to give a little description of what we loved about each one and when we visited to help you decide if you like the sound of them. If you’re not familiar with markets in France it’s worth knowing they are all in the morning unless stated – most close up by 12/1pm. You’ll also find them plotted on the map above.
Unfortunately I don’t have many pictures of markets due to chasing two small children around…
Brantôme Market
Region of France: Dordogne
Location: Around the area of Place du Marché, Quai Bertin and the bridge across to the Mairie.
When: Friday
Favourites: A great stall just selling onions; a nice basket stall; bakery stall.
Parking in a motorhome: Along Chemin du Vert Galant is various motorhome parking.
Anything else: Brantôme is just a lovely place to visit and wander around, we especially enjoyed it ‘out of season’ and not full of tourists. We enjoyed a hot chocolate and pastry at Pâtisserie Pierre Feillant on Rue Gambetta.
When we visited: November & December
Thiviers Market
Region of France: Dordogne
Location: The place and streets around Rue Jules Sarlandie, Rue Jules Theulier and Rue Jean Jaurès.
When: Saturday
Favourites: An excellent cheese stall selling a locally made Gouda, we loved the cumin flavoured one; some excellent vegetable stalls.
Parking in a motorhome: We parked for free in a small car park opposite the fire station on Avenue Dujarric de la Rivière.
Anything else: An excellent all-round market.
When we visited: December
Josselin Market
Region of France: Brittany
Location: Starting at Rue Georges le Berd, heading down the hill along Rue Olivier de Clisson, and some of the roads coming off it (e.g. Rue des Remparts).
When: Saturday
Favourites: Delicious galette and crêpe stalls; stall selling a variety of Brittany onions; organic vegetable stall on Rue des Remparts; raw milk and dairy stall.
Parking in a motorhome: We found parking on the road along Rue Saint-Jacques, but there is also a motorhome aire off Place Saint-Martin.
Anything else: We took hot galettes and wandered down to the river and ate them at the old ‘Lavoir’.
When we visited: January & February
Neuville-de-Poitou Market
Region of France: Vienne
Location: All around Place Joffre in the centre of Neuville-de-Poitou, and down Rue Victor Hugo down to the indoor market (also very good).
When: Thursday & Sunday
Favourites: A stall selling excellent mushrooms and greens like watercress and mâche; a good cheese stall and the one inside the covered market.
Parking in a motorhome: There is a car park on Rue Michelet but it has a height barrier, so we parked on the wide pavement just outside it with no problems.
Anything else: This was a lovely market at Christmas, and we enjoyed visiting the Boulangerie Renaud.
When we visited: December & January
Sarlat-la-Canéda Market
Region of France: Dordogne
Location: Radiating out from Place de la Liberté.
When: Saturday
Favourites: Too large to name any!
Parking in a motorhome: We used Park4Night to find a suitable spot.
Anything else: Definitely worth a visit if you love French markets.
When we visited: November & previously in June
Bagnères-de-Bigorre Market
Region of France: Pyrenees / Occitaine
Location: All around Les Halles des Bagneres and surrounding roads.
When: Saturday
Favourites: Locally grown flowers; excellent and interesting food stalls; beautiful herbs.
Parking in a motorhome: Sorry can’t remember! But there’s a number of options on Park4Night.
Anything else: One market I would really like to return to. It had a kind of alternative / eco vibe to it that I really liked.
When we visited: July
Combourg Market
Region of France: Brittany
Location: Stretches from the church on Place Saint-Guilduin along Rue Notre Dame to Place Albert Parent.
When: Monday
Favourites: Galette and crêpe stalls (what better way to start the day in Brittany than with a buerre sucre crêpe?!); friendly butchers stall; small cheese sellers; and a man selling excellent eggs.
Parking in a motorhome: We found parking on the road along Boulevard du Mail.
Anything else: In January it was a quiet and small market, but in April it was much bigger with many more stalls.
When we visited: January & April
Pontorson Market
Region of France: Basse-Normandie (edge of Brittany)
Location: Rue de Tanis, Place de L’Église, Place de L’Hôtel de ville, and Rue Saint-Michel.
When: Wednesday
Favourites: Excellent cheese, butter, raw milk (best we’ve had in France) and dairy stall (try the blue goats cheese!) on corner of Rue de Tanis/Place de L’Église; delicious crêpe van as enter Place de L’Église; organic veg stall on Rue de Tanis; and an interesting selection of organic breads and cakes on a tiny stall on Rue Saint-Michel near the roundabout with the main road.
Parking in a motorhome: We found a small car park on Rue Ambroise Pincé (off Voie de la Liberté), there was also on road spaces on Voie de la Liberté.
Anything else: This was a really excellent market in our experience.
When we visited: February & April
Also worth a mention
As a final word, I’m going to mention Pezenas market held on a Saturday (we went in May). I’ve not included it in full because whilst it is a large lively market full of good food and products, it’s not one of my favourites. Why? It just lacked something that I felt the above markets had. So definitely check it out if you are in the south of France.
If you’re travelling to France, especially in a campervan, check out all our posts so far here on >> France <<
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