I miss Costco; the convenience, the products, the samples, the nostalgia. I missed it so much that when we found out there was not one but two Costcos in France, we immediately decided to keep our U.S. Costco membership card so that we could visit our beloved store and see what a Costco in Europe is like. In the five years we have lived in Germany, we haven’t found anything remotely related to Costco, although I hear the equivalent in Germany is the store called Metro; however, there is none near us. We have only been able to visit Costco in France twice; so, let me give you an overview of what France’s Costco is like.
Note: The photos you see on this blog post are from two separate visits (2022 & 2023), so not all products may still be available during your visit.
Where is Costco in France?
There are two Costcos in France, and both stores are respectively located just right outside of Paris. I’ve read rumors there may be more being built in the future, but that has been a long touted rumor; although, I can’t wait to hear if more will likely be opened. The first store is located on the Southwest side of the outskirts of Paris while the second store is on the East side of the outskirts of Paris, south of Disneyland Paris. I will link the location further down the blog.
What’s the French Costco Like?
Visiting a Costco brings the nostalgia of being back home in the States and having all the comforting food and products at my fingertips. When we found out we were moving overseas, we weren’t banking on keeping our Costco Membership. However, upon further research before our move, we found out from our local Facebook group in a community we’d be moving to, that there was indeed two Costcos in France, and they were both about a 5 hours or less drive from us. We decided to keep our membership because we knew we’d eventually shop there for essentials we were missing. Here’s what our experience at Costco in France was like.
↠ We have visited this Costco store twice and have never had an issue entering and purchasing products with our active U.S. membership card! Just like any other Costco, we had to show proof of membership at entry, at checkout, and upon leaving the warehouse with our paid goods and receipts.
↠ The store is set up to look like any other Costco, with the same products being sold. You wouldn’t even know you were in another country, it felt like I was back in the States!
↠ However, not everything will be on the floor that you would normally see back home, just specific products. I didn’t see everything I wanted to buy, like some of my favorite coconut drinks and tortilla chips; however, it was still a good amount of products.
↠ The good news is you’re in France, so you’ll find French products you won’t normally find back home. Unique to their specific products are Madeleines, their large array of French Cheese, good French wine, fresh baguettes, fresh crepes, and more.
↠ Non-food items are similar to the ones in the States (but EU-compliant for voltage). I saw a Dyson vacuum, Sonicare toothbrushes, and blenders. Additionally, I saw a ton of American electronics and tool products like Dewalt, KitchenAid, Crockpot, and more.
↠ Food items are a mixture of U.S. goods (yes, they have the good rotisserie chicken here) and some French brands. Unfortunately, I haven’t found my beloved chicken salad. There were also food products from Canada, Tuscany, Italy, and Spain.
↠ Clothing, Furniture, Books (in French), Seasonal Decorations, and Outdoor grills were some of the few things we found there, similar to the States.
↠ Price: Similar, but perhaps a little more? I haven’t been back to the one in the States to compare.
↠ Not all products are the same quality as in the States. We go gaga for the Costco toilet paper brand and bought a pack last year. Unfortunately, the quality was not the same as what we were used to back in the States; that was one of the downfall.
↠ They also have a hearing aid distributor, optical shop, Tire auto & car batteries, food samples!
****Don’t have a Costco membership? I haven’t tried this, but I read on their online site for France that you can have a Day Pass to visit. Just inquire with the customer service when you arrive. **However, a Day Pass will not allow you to purchase products from their store. Find more here.
- You can walk around, check out their products, and sample their food.
- I didn’t see anyone asking for a membership card at the food court counter, so maybe you could also eat there?
- My sister mentioned that sometimes Costco will accept pre-paid Costco gift cards as a form of payment if you do not have a membership. It might be worth a shot; however, I am not sure if a U.S.-based Costco gift card will still work overseas. Additionally, I do not know if the France Costco sells the Costco Gift Card.
↠ The Food Counter surprisingly does not sell French food. However, the food that Costco is known for, their cheap hot dogs and pizza, is still the star of the menu! We ate as a family of four with three slices of pizza, a chicken/bacon bake, a hot dog with a drink, and an order of fries, all for around $14 (€13). We were not disappointed with the food; it tasted just like home.
↠ Language? We had no issues communicating with the staff. Some spoke English quite well or understood us well enough to show us what we were looking for. So don’t worry about not being able to communicate with anyone there.
Activity Ideas in Paris Near Costco…
Is it worth the visit?
It may be worth the visit if you are visiting Paris near one of the two Costco, especially if you have an active Costco Membership. We were in the area twice when we visited, and since we still had our U.S. membership, we thought it worthwhile to shop there. Just bring a good cooler with you :).
Don’t have a membership and still want to visit? A Day Pass may still be worth the trip so that you can see what a Costco in France is like. However, just be mindful you may only be able to purchase items with a membership card. But just meandering the aisles and sampling the food samples will still be worth it. Also, as mentioned earlier, no one asked for our card membership at the food counter when we ordered food to eat at the food court, so it might be worth the shot to enjoy the meal if you can.
Disclaimer: I have not tried the Day Pass; you will have to ask the service counter for the proper way to visit Costco without a membership card. Again, this was on their French website: find it here.
If Costco is not your thing, then I wouldn’t think to waste a trip to visit.
Practical Information
Costco Locations in France:
1.) Costco Villebon-sur-Yvette:
- Address: 3 Av. de Bréhat, 91140 Villebon-sur-Yvette, France
- GPS location: https://goo.gl/maps/VYMy9TRjYsVmnVYSA
2.) Costco Wholesale Pontault-Combault: (this is the store we have visited twice)
- Address: Zac Les 4 Chênes, 35 Rte de Paris, 77340 Pontault-Combault, France
- GPS Location: https://goo.gl/maps/rqq4sH1GF292Sn5n7
Costco France Website: Find it here
Other Costco Locations Overseas
You’d be surprised to know that Costco is located in many other countries worldwide! Here are the lists of countries that have Costco stores.
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- United States
- Puerto Rico
- Mexico
- Spain
- France
- Sweden
- Iceland
- Mainland China
- Taiwan
- Australia
- South Korea
- Japan
- New Zealand
Final Thoughts
So there you go, Costco in France. It is absolutely a wonderful nostalgic visit and brings back some of the comforts of home while also introducing some of the French delicacies. I hope you’ve found this brief overview of France’s Costco helpful. As much as we wish we could visit Costco more often to make keeping the membership worthwhile, I think we’ll keep our membership for now and visit as often as possible. Let me know in the comments if you’ve visited a Costco and your experience!
Until Next Time Friends! A la prochaine fois les amis!
***Disclosure: All views expressed in this blog post are my own and do not represent the opinions of others, and by no means an affiliate to any of the companies discussed. I receive no compensation for this post.***
Hi, we are Americans living in the Antwerp region of Belgium and we visit France quite a bit. When we heard there was a Costco, we decided to go and visit. It was no problem getting a Costco card. We showed them our Costco cards from the US and our residence cards for Belgium. No problem! Hot out cards right away and have had our membership now for 4 years. We have only shopped at the Costco on the south end of Paris, the first one built. Most products are similar to the US Costco, but there is no pharmacy and less household furniture. The fruit and vegetables are much better than what I can get in Belgium, and the meat as well is of good quality. The first year I shopped here, there were a couple of things I bought that I have not seen again (Bounce fabric softener and a Martha Stewart kitchen mat), but that happens in the US as well. The staff are friendly and helpful and there is enough English speaking staff to get buy. On a side note, I went back home to the states last year and was able to use my French Costco card. Just had to inform them at the front desk and then at the cash register. Lucky for us, we are being transferred to Paris this next school year. We won’t have the 4.5 hour long drive to go back and forth!
Hi Robin! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I find this helpful, especially for others looking to use their membership overseas and vice versa! I’m so glad Costco was so helpful for those abroad! And, thank you for taking the time to read the blog! :)
Bonjour Mo!
My wife and I are living in Nice, we are long-stay Visa hoping to live and retire in France. The article on Costco was great with the exception of the one question I can’t find the answer to… (not even on the Costco Paris website)
Does Costco Paris deliver to other parts of France? We have a membership, but the drive would be a bit much for regular supply. If they do, is it free or fairly priced?
Maybe we will get one in Nice, someday!
Bonne journee!!
Jerry and Lisa
Hi Jerry! Thank you for reaching out and taking the time to visit my blog! Unfortunately, I tried looking for the answer to your question, but I was not able to find it. We reside in Germany currently and only visit Costco when we are in the area. Next time we visit the Paris one, I will be sure to ask and update you. I apologize. Thanks again for reading the blog!
Hi there! I was just following up on the gentleman aboves question. We live in Strasbourg currently and would love to know if Costco will ship to other parts of France.
Thank you for your comment, and I apologize I’m just now seeing this! Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer to this question as we live in Germany. If we happen to return next time, I’ll be sure to ask and let you know!