30 Things/Souvenirs to Buy in Paris & Where to Find Them?
Paris is known worldwide as the City of Love! Most romantic couples make a trip to this city to celebrate their love. Whether you’re a romantic couple or not, traveling with family or backpacking across Europe, this City of Lights will surely mesmerize you with its beauty, grace, and charm. The Parisian way of life and hospitality will leave you wanting to come back for more.
A visit to any place is incomplete if you do not indulge in some sinful shopping for gifts and souvenirs from Paris. Get a gift or two for friends, family, and certainly for yourself to remember the wonderful and memorable experience in this beautiful city of Paris. I have compiled a list of the things you could purchase in Paris. If your many shopping bags are crippling you from shopping more, simply locate any one of our nearest Vertoe Pairs Luggage Storage stores, leave your bags with us while you go and shop for more! You might find it difficult and at times lost as to what to look for souvenirs in Paris. I have narrowed down a few items to help you shop for some of the best souvenirs in Paris. Here are some things you can purchase in Paris –
1.Eiffel Tower Souvenirs
When visiting Paris, the top attraction to visit is most definitely the Eiffel Tower and it also makes for the tackiest and most clichéd souvenir. Nonetheless, it makes a good gifting option. Also called the “Iron Lady” this famous spire attracts millions of visitors every year making it the most relatable Parisian souvenir. So go ahead and purchase a miniature replica of this iconic French landmark for your friends or loved ones. The Eiffel Tower is a great souvenir and a must buy.
Where to buy?
You can find them in almost any gift shop in the city.
2.The Beret
This was once considered the national cap of France and is often associated with Parisian artists. This is another clichéd memento item to bring home from Paris. The knitted black wool cap symbolizes France and is an excellent present to give your fashionable, trendy friends or family.
Where to buy?
You can find fancy, well-made berets in any good department store or you can pick up one from any of the many souvenir shops at reasonable prices.
3.Macarons
Macarons are a favorite French dessert and a quintessential snack too. They’re delicate French sandwich cookies with a creamy center of ganache, buttercream, or jam filling. Macrons have become popular outside of France and everyone enjoys this delicious sweet dessert. There’s a wide selection of flavors to choose from. The most popular flavors are Vanilla, Rose, Citron (lemon), and Salted Caramel. Bring back home a box of these sumptuous treats to enjoy the taste of Pairs a bit longer.
Where to buy?
You can get your perfect box of macarons at Ladurée on the Champs- Élysées or at Pierre Hermé. You can also purchase them from any patisserie and they will be equally delightful to the taste.
4.A Mariniére T-Shirt
The Mariniére T-Shirt is a classic piece of clothing that people everywhere relate to being French. It’s a typical striped long-sleeved jersey originally worn by the French Marine. Purchase one for yourself or friends to feel the French Connection.
Where to buy?
Available throughout Paris
5.A Souvenir from the Bouquinistes at the Seine
When in Paris, you should make a trip to the Bouquinistes. They are vendor stalls with little bookshelves lined up along the banks of Seine. Take a walk along the banks of Seine, browse through these little book stalls and discover hidden treasures in the form of second- hand antiquity books, vintage postcards, posters, and drawings or paintings of Parisian scenes. You could find a great memento or two to carry back home. The Bouquinistes have been registered as a UNESCO Site since 2011 so you know it’s a must-visit. Plus it’s a beautiful scenic location for a peaceful stroll along the banks of Seine.
Where to buy?
The Bouquinistes at the Seine
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6.French Wine
France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. Each region in the country is known for its own explicit and different types of wine. Grab a bottle of Red Wine, White Wine, or a Rosé; you will surely find something that quenches your thirst. It’s a great souvenir to bring home.
Where to buy?
You could purchase a variety of wines from any of the grocery stores for a cost-effective shopping budget.
7.French Chocolate
Who doesn’t love chocolate, right? If you’re a true chocolate fanatic, you will want to sample and bring back some for yourself and dear ones from your Parisian travel. Chocolate is the easiest and best selection for gifting ideas. French chocolate is traditionally darker and more heavily roasted but today you’ll find all sorts from milky to dark. Bite into them and relish each second as the chocolate melts in your mouth filling it with explosions of the sweetest taste.
Where to buy?
There are so many great chocolatiers in Paris but you could purchase some from mini chains like Maison du Chocolat or visit Debauve & Gallias for some of the best. If you’re looking to try top-quality chocolate, head to Alain Ducasse. There are only a few stores in Paris and one of them is located in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area at 26 Rue Saint-Benoît.
8.French Cheese
It is always nice to taste cheese from different parts of the world. The taste of cheese varies from region to region with its own distinct, natural flavors and each one is delicious in its way. French cheese is no exception. There are about 1,600 distinct types of French cheese. You can choose from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or buffaloes milk as well as stinky or mild, hard or soft. Whether you like strong flavors or softer ones, you will surely find one that satisfies your taste buds.
Where to buy?
You can easily purchase your cheese from the cheese chops called Fromageries.
9.A Scarf
A scarf from France is an ideal memento to give someone fashionable and chic. It’s a popular fashion accessory in Paris. It not only keeps you warm in the winters but also adds a flare of glamour and style to your outfit. Pick one that suits your style from feminine silk scarves, knock off designer ties, pashmina, or warmer and thicker ones.
Where to buy?
If you are shopping on a budget you can purchase one at affordable prices from the sidewalk vendors outside. Or get a Hermés silk scarf from their flagship store in Paris for a big splurge.
10.Madeleines
These are some of the most popular snacktime favorites of the people of France. It can be had for breakfast, or afternoon snacks or can be enjoyed with a good cup of piping hot tea or coffee. They are delicious little sponge cakes with a shell-like shape. They are usually made with almond powder and at times sprinkled with chocolate chips or made with lemon zest for a lemony taste. If you want a little piece of Paris back home, get a pack of them to carry with you.
Where to buy?
They can be bought from any good patisserie shop
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11.Fois Gras
If you want to relish one of the gourmet delicacies of France, then you must surely give Fois Gras a try. It’s a Christmas essential delicacy of France. It has become a festive custom to have it at Christmas and so is available only around Christmas or the end of the year. It is made of the liver of goose or duck and can be had raw, half-cooked, or cooked. You can spread it on bread, crackers, or even eat it as a side to a meal. It’s a good present to take for someone who loves the taste of duck liver.
Where to buy?
You can easily find cans of Fois Gras at grocery stores throughout Paris.
12.French Soap
When in Paris, take advantage of being here and get unique and amazingly scented soaps from French brands like Bioderma, La Roche-Posay, Avène, L’Occitane. Purchase a soap or two at an alluring price that you will never get outside of France. Soap from Marseille (Savon de Marseille) is also a very popular gifting item. Their soaps are hand made with natural oils and are good for dry skin.
Where to buy?
Savon de Marseille at 77 Rue de la Verrerie
13.Picasso Souvenir
If you are a Picasso fan, you should visit the Picasso Museum. It has the world’s largest collection of Pablo Picasso’s artistic works. Spend your day admiring the beautiful works of Picasso and before you leave, visit the gift shop and pick up the ideal souvenir for a Picasso friend or family. This is the perfect place to get a memory of Picasso’s work to take home with you. You can choose from a wide selection of gifts from paintings, scarves, cushion covers, etc.
Where to buy?
The Gift Shop at the Picasso Museum
14.Hot Chocolate
It’s a fact that everyone loves chocolate in all forms – be it as a sauce, an ice cream flavor, or cookies. Parisians love to savor this delicious flavor in the form of a hot drink too! Hence Hot Chocolate Drink was introduced and it has been a favorite of many, old or young. Get yourself a bottle of this hot delicious concoction or gift it to a chocolate lover.
Where to buy?
If you want to be in the best place for Hot Chocolate in Paris then head out to Angelina Tea House, a famous patisserie and cafe in Paris. It’s one of the most famous places to purchase this delicious hot drink. Made in Paris with love for hot chocolate lovers.
15.Shop for Antiques
If you have the time, you should visit a flea market and get transported back in time. Paris is a great place to hunt for antique treasures. You can purchase antiques from antique shops like Carre Rive Gauche and Louvre des Antiquaires or wander around the many flea markets for really good deals. Who knows, you might just find something quirky, or interesting, or valuable! If haggling is one of your strong traits you could successfully own ancient works of art, old toys, or even vintage notebooks at an amazing price. Explore weekend flea markets and you will find affordable trinkets, furniture, or art pieces. You need to make a trip to the flea market if you are looking for a unique gift and all kinds of goodies like vintage chic fashion, antique treasures, jewelry, and artwork.
Where to buy?
Montmartre is the best place in Paris for cheap shopping to get the best deals in a flea market. Also, find the best places to store your bags with Vertoe Paris.
16.Parisian Tea
Like their British neighbors, the French also love their tea. You will find good quality tea with different flavors that are exclusive and tempting. Without a doubt, Mariage Frères is the store to be in if you’re looking for an exquisite tea experience in Paris. It’s a classic high-end elegant tea shop in the city established in 1854. They have a collection of a variety of unique tea blends. Purchase a pack of tea from this store in Paris as a perfect present to give your tea connoisseur friends or family while you get to experience the fundamentals of tea at the store at an additional cost. You’ll find that Paris is a place of Tea and Coffee.
Where to buy?
Mariage Frères at 30 Rue du Tibourg
17.French Champagne
Champagne is French sparkling wine. It’s a drink that originated from the Champagne wine region of France. Champagne is associated with festivities and celebration – the celebration of life and special occasions. It makes for the perfect souvenir for anyone who loves to celebrate. Pick up a bottle of this bubbly drink of French origins to treat your friends or family to the taste of the good life.
Where to buy?
Dilettantes at 22 Rue de Savoie,
18.French Perfume
Paris is famous for its delicate smelling perfumes. Many popular scents worn all over the world had its origins in Paris. A Parisian perfume or a scented candle or home fragrance is a perfect gifting idea to bring home to friends or family. It’s a good souvenir to add to your shopping list. Pick up a bottle of fragrance from any of the local perfume stores in Paris or head to well-known classic French brands like Fragonard and Guerlain. Fragonard has several stores all around Paris but the original shop has a museum demonstrating how the perfume is made. Soaps, mini scents, and solid perfumes are the most popular products sold here. Guerlain is another famous perfume store. It is located in a glitzy Paris shopping street and has the most iconic collection of fragrances.
Where to buy?
Fragonard Museum and Store at 9 Rue Scribe
Guerlain at 68 Av. des Champs-Élysées
19.Miscellaneous Paris Souvenir Collection
It’s a great idea to collect and keep random miscellaneous items from your travel or trip. Items like your metro tickets, museum entry tickets, your transports map, etc. can be kept as a classic souvenir for yourself. It surely will not cost you any more extra euros and will bring back pleasant memories of your wonderful time in Paris. It’s a nice Parisian souvenir to bring back for yourself!
20.A Parisian Fridge Magnet
It may be one of the most basic souvenirs to purchase but it makes sense to get some of the famous landmarks of Paris captured in a fridge magnet. Get one of these fridge magnets of the places you visited for yourself or friends or family. They will also own a piece of Paris beauty or iconic building or museum to adorn their fridge. Plus it makes a beautiful magnet to pin your grocery list or to-do list as well as a reminder of your awesome time in Paris.
Where to buy?
Souvenir and Gift Shops
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21.A Louis Vuitton Handbag
If you have a slightly bigger shopping budget and are a fashion enthusiast then you must visit the Louis Vuitton store here in Paris. It’s a French fashion house and luxury goods company and is one of the world’s leading international fashion houses. The largest Louis Vuitton store is here in Paris. You will find all their best products here ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, handbags, sunglasses, and books. Get an authentic Louis Vuitton bag and be a proud owner of an elegant French Luxury Brand or gift it to someone you love.
Where to buy?
Louis Vuitton at 101 Av. des Champs-Élysées
22.Buy a Chanel No. 5
Chanel is another French Luxury Brand with its origins in France. It’s a French fashion house that focuses on women’s high fashion and ready-to-wear clothes, luxury goods, and accessories. But it is most popular all around the world for its perfume, Chanel No. 5. It is often considered to be the world’s most famous perfume. Purchase a bottle of this world-famous perfume to gift it to someone special.
Where to buy?
Chanel Store at 38 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore
23.Lancôme Cosmetics
Lancôme is another French luxury perfume and cosmetic house. It is part of the L’Oréal Luxury Products division. The company provides products ranging from fragrances, skincare, and makeup. Their most famous product is their mascaras. Select a lovely gift box of makeup items to give that one friend or family who loves makeup or a good fragrant bottle of perfume.
Where to buy?
Lancôme at 40 Boulevard Haussmann, Etage : Rez-de-chaussée du magasin principal
24.Maille’s Mustard
Another unique gift to pick up from Paris is Maille’s Mustard. They do not sell regular mustard found in your kitchen but make assorted varieties of flavourful mustard combinations. They go well with salad dressings, fried foods, sandwiches, and marinades. Take a jar of Maille Mustard which come packed in their signature ceramic jars wrapped in Maille’s signature black paper. The whole package looks so elegant and beautiful that it makes it perfect as a gift.
Where to buy?
La Boutique Maille at 6 place de la Madeleine
25.Carambars
Carambars are chewy caramel candy from France. They are extremely delightful and chewy. What makes the experience of these chewy sweets more delightful are the poorly written jokes in French found inside each individually wrapped Carambars. Despite their bad jokes, there is now an expression in French “blague Carambar” meaning “Carambar joke” which refers to a bad or childish joke. Carambars are the perfect sweet gift to give someone with a sweet tooth and a good sense of humor to keep the bad joke as a souvenir.
Where to buy?
Any departmental stores
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26.French Jams
You should try the heavenly jams here in Paris. They’re absolutely delish. The famous ones to try out are from Christine Ferber, La Trinquelinette, and La Chambre aux Confitures. Christine Ferber Jams are so loved that they disappear in no time from the counters. Grab a jar of her tasty jam before they finish. La Chambre aux Confitures is a small shop but they sell fabulous jams. They sell delectable flavors like apricot and lavender, blackcurrant and violet or strawberry, and rose. Plus their packaging is lovely for gifting family or friends back home. Their jars of jam come packed in pretty little sacks with a spoon tied at the top. La Trinquelinette also sells yummy jams and they can be got from the large inexpensive grocery store, Lafayette gourmet, Poilâne bakeries.
Where to buy?
Christine Ferber Jams are available at Herme and Bon Marche and also at Lafayette Gourmet and at da rosa on 62, rue de Seine.
La Trinquelinette in the Marais at the boulangerie Au Levain du Marais (32 rue de Turenne) and also at specialty food shops
La Chambre aux Confitures at 60 Rue Vieille du Temple
27.A Sweet Jar of Honey
Another gifting idea from Paris is a sweet jar of honey. You can find some of the best honey in La Maison du Miel. They have different varieties of honey-like acacia, chestnut, lavender, etc. They have a beautiful gift box with five different jars of honey that makes it an ideal gift to take for friends or family. They also keep honey from around the world. Find the best selections of honey from around the world like Eucalyptus honey from Spain, Mexican Avocado Honey, Brazilian Coffee Honey, Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey. Les Abeilles is another sticky, sweet shop where you can purchase a great range of honey. Purchase a jar of sweet honey for a sweet friend or family.
Where to buy?
La Maison du Miel at 24 Rue Vignon
Les Abeilles at 21 Rue de la Butte aux Cailles
28.Fluer de Sel
Fluer de Sel simply translates to “flower of salt” in French. It is a salt that forms as a thin, delicate crust on the surface of seawater as it evaporates. It is a gourmet salt and you can find the best prices here in Paris. Get it in little pots, bags, or bottles to give your gastronomic friends or family.
Where to buy?
You will easily find it in grocery stores, at Galleries Layfayette in their gourmet food section. You will also easily find convenient storage locations to store your bags in Paris with Vertoe.
29.Buy a Buly
Buly 1803 is a brand founded by distiller and cosmetician Jean-Vincent Bully. If you love to care for your skin then this is the place to go. It is a unique cosmetics boutique in Paris with beautiful interiors. You will find water-based perfumes, vegetable oils, common oils like lavender and tea tree, but also more rare, exotic oils like prickly pear and carrot. Also available are body butter, soaps, facial toners, and even nail polish and toothpaste. Also offered are home fragrances in the form of candles, potpourri, or “fragrance stones.” What makes buying a Bully product even more special and unique is that they have an in-house calligrapher who so beautifully pens your name and product on the packaging of every item you buy.
Where to buy?
Buly 1803 at 6 Rue Bonaparte
30.The Saucisson
The Saucisson is a dry-cured sausage that is similar to salami and is typically made of pork. It is one of the most loved foods of the French and goes really well with a Baguette. Buy yourself and some for friends or family to relish a bit of French cuisine back home.
Where to buy?
It is best bought from small weekend markets in Paris if you want to enjoy the authentic and pure taste of the Saucisson.
These are some of the most popular souvenirs to buy in Paris. I hope I was able to help sort your shopping list and you found this list helpful. Now go grab a shopping bag and start shopping! I know I am!
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