This fashion-forward city offers the ultimate shopping experience for visitors, with its legendary fashion houses like Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Semi-couture or more affordable ready-to-wear fashions is also on the rise. Not to mention that Paris has the most memorable markets in Europe, where shoppers can find clothing, pottery, old books and just about anything else. Here's a shopping guide for the modern tourist in Paris. If you can't afford runway fashion but still want to enjoy the quintessential Parisian experience, then this guide is for you.

Department Store Shopping. Even Paris has department stores. Of course, the French version is nothing like Walmart on a weekday. For those that can afford accommodations on the Right Bank, you can take an easy stroll to Haussmann Boulevard where both Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are located. Galeries Lafayette has a shoe department that makes Nordstrom's pale in comparison and Printemps has the largest beauty department in all of Europe. If you're more of a Left Banker, then the Le Bon Marche is for you. Nestled amidst the prolific coffee houses and quaint holiday rentals, Le Bon Marche is known for its affordable ready-to-wear fashions.

A Market For Everyone and Everything. Paris is replete with markets. Each arrondissement (district) has one and they make the perfect place to spend an afternoon or a week wandering and exploring. There is even an old book market called Le Marche aux Livres Anciens. If you're an avid reader or just a collector you'll have no problem losing track of time in this market, centrally located in the Parc Georges Brassens. If gourmet food is more your speed, check out the old-fashioned food hall Marche d'Aligre.

Neighborhood Nooks. Every Parisian neighborhood has its own unique shopping axis. If you want to shop like the locals do, then you must find that axis. In northern Marais, check out the Soho of Paris situated along the rue Vieille-du-Temple. This once working class area is now pulsing with the designer boutiques, vintage shops, trendy art galleries, affordable hotels and of course, cafes.

If you want a more traditional Parisian shopping experience, go to the Golden Triangle, the three-pointed area carved out by Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V and the Champs-Elyses. The heart of high-end shopping in Paris, the Triangle has also seen a number of newer (read: more affordable) stores move into its midst in the past decade.

The Left Bank even has its own Golden Triangle, framed roughly by Boulevard St-Germain, Rue de Rennes and Rue des Saints-Pares. Known more for its quirky charm than its Hermes, the Left Bank is Paris little Bohemia, replete with indulgent cafes, bookstore/red wine bars, and quaint hotels (called pensiones by the French.)

When to Shop. You will often find smaller and family-owned businesses closed for a mid-day break, usually between noon and 2 pm. They are also likely to take a three-week long vacation every August. Department stores, Champs-Elysees shopping and flea markets are usually open 7 days a week, until 6 p.m. or later, in the summer.