My dad was in the grocery business so I grew up with an odd fascination with grocery stores. We'd…read moreoften visit supermarkets on family vacations, and this is a tradition I carry on to this day. I was pretty excited to see a huge Auchan supermarket near my hotel during a trip to Disneyland Paris!
This place is foodie heaven. Just wandering the aisles and looking at all the gorgeous fresh fish, cool European beauty products, colorful produce and more makes this places a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. As you'd expect in France, the champagne, cheese and bakery sections of the store are absolutely first class. No, make that WORLD CLASS.
The in-store bakery churns out fresh baguettes (four different kinds, who knew there were different baking styles and dough in plain baguettes). I couldn't decide which one to buy so I picked up two different ones that seemed to be the most popular with the locals, each priced at around 90 cents. There were plenty of prepackaged yet freshly baked pastries, croissants, fruit danishes and more (great for an early morning breakfast before hitting Disneyland park)!
The cheese section will make dairy lovers weep tears of joy, so many fresh, unpasteurized French cheeses. It was hard to choose just a few! (And don't miss the fresh French yogurt or butter, it's among the best on Earth)! We picked up some fresh butter to go on our baguettes to take on the train with us (along with a cheap bottle of Bordeaux) and it was seriously one of the best snacks I've ever eaten.
The champagne is showcased on several long aisles and you'll find some amazing deals here if you're willing to experiment. You won't find bargains on the big name brands with their snooty pedigrees, but take a chance on that $18 bottle and you will be handsomely rewarded. There were plenty of champagnes -- yes, real French champagne -- in the $3 (!!) to $25 range. For fun, we bought a cheap bottle and a super cheap bottle as well as a $2 Bordeaux and an $18 Bordeaux. I am a wine snob but I can honestly tell you that every single one of those wines was delicious. When in France, there's no reason not to drink the local vino and with prices like that, you can't blame your lack of budget! That's CHEAPER THAN DRINKING SODA!
Since our hotel had a cute little kitchenette, we bought a wide variety of snacks to have on hand. We even had an appetizer dinner in our room one night with a bunch of nibbles and local wine. We bought some sliced meats, a couple of packaged salads, homemade fried potato crisps, brie, fresh butter, baguettes, cookies, and more and spent less than $50 U.S.
I don't shop and eat at local supermarkets to save money, I do it out for the sheer joy of eating and perusing grocery stores. Plus, you can learn much about the local culture by shopping where the locals shop and observing what they buy as well as what the stores sell. It's fascinating, free to look, and a ton of fun. Warning: the checkout lines aren't for the faint of heart. French people can come across as aloof and unfriendly when it's just their general demeanor, but you can avoid some unpleasantries by having your money and your groceries ready to put on the belt as soon as it's your turn -- or get ready to hear a stern lecture in French! Expect the person in line behind you to start crowding your personal space too. Be prepared and you won't get flustered.
This market is located inside the large, modern Val d'Europe shopping mall. You have to go into the mall and down to the back lower level to access the supermarket. The mall is a quick walk from the local Val d'Europe train station and just a couple of minutes away by train from the main Disneyland Paris train station. The store is open until 9:30 pm on weekdays and Saturday (7 pm on Sunday), which is pretty late for France.
