Where are you based and which language(s) are you comfortable doing business in?
I've got an online brokerage account with
DKB in Germany and can buy/sell Accor shares on seven or eight different exchanges.
In the UK I used to have a
Halifax Share Dealing account and could access stock exchanges in New York and Europe (Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Brussels).
I'm sure there are many other options.
Prices can vary by 5% or more between exchanges and it's worth doing comparisons. Limit orders are essential protection against unfavourable prices in thin markets. Trading fees also vary widely: the last time we bought French shares it made sense to pay 50 EUR higher commission in order to buy in Paris and save 500 EUR on the share price.
You should also research and consider tax implications and requirements to report dividend income and/or brokerage accounts. I'm taxed in the US and the paperwork involved in owning "foreign" shares would not IMO be justified purely in order to own 50 Accor shares.
Mods: maybe this topic is worth splitting off into a separate thread in order to keep the FAQs concise?