What to buy in Paris? — 25+ must buy souvenirs, gifts & best things to buy in Paris

An actual Eiffel Tower key is a classic souvenir of Paris. You’ll find them in pretty much every single souvenir shop in the city, especially those in the center.

Macarons

Speaking of quintessential gifts, macarons are now one of the top Paris souvenirs, is a sweet meringue-based confection. These delicious little cakes, are a favorite among sweet cake lovers. Macarons are a cheap and suitable choice for buying souvenirs in Paris for everyone.

For food lovers, macarons are also a great suggestion for you when you don’t know what to buy in Paris. Famous as one of the quintessential French snacks, maracon cake in Paris is not only delicious but also has a very special flavor, enough to make you remember it forever after eating it once.

Ladurée’s maracon cakes are often wrapped in high-quality boxes, making them ideal for giving as gifts.

This is one of the desserts loved by many foreign tourists. Whether you are a lover of classic flavors or passionate about experimentation, this sweet cake will definitely satisfy you. Therefore, Macaron cake is on the list of gifts you must definitely buy as a gift after your trip to Paris. The cake is made from the main ingredients almond flour, egg whites and sugar. The wonderful blend of these ingredients creates an irresistible delicious flavor!

Maracons in Paris also have many types and flavors for you to choose from. But the most famous and loved by many tourists is still the perfect maracon from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée. Visiting the cake shops of these brands, you will feel like you are entering a maracon paradise, where visitors can find from raspberry flavored maracons, to milk or lemon maracons…

If you’d rather eat them than photograph them, you want the real ones, made in the city by professional bakers.

Ladurée on the Champs-Élysées is the most famous producer, but you will pay a premium. Ladurée – Another great place to get macarons in Paris is Ladurée. You’ll love their cute themed boxes. You can choose the size and design of your box and add your favorite macarons. You can instead opt for:

Pierre Hermé – Often the best macarons shop in Paris, these days you can find their stores all over the world, even online.

Coffee and Tea

As a favorite drink of many tourists when coming to Paris, you can also buy tea as gifts for family and friends. You can find organic teas that have a pleasant, aromatic flavor and are also beneficial to your health with many great uses. Place de la Bastille, Champ de Mars, Latin Quarter or L’arc de Triomphe are all interesting suggestions for you to bring this drink home.

Just one bag of Belleville Brulerie or Contume ground coffee beans will evoke the charming and romantic flavor of typical Parisian coffee. If you buy tea, buy it at Mariage Freres or some other fragrant tea like Noel a Paris, Nuit a Versailles or Jardin du Luxembourg.

Similar to England, our neighbor France is also a place that loves tea. So when you come to Paris, you will notice tea and tea shops everywhere. In particular, there are many different types of tea here with each type having its own flavor, making visitors easily attracted from the first taste.

However, if you are looking for places that provide the best quality tea, go to Comptoirs Richard, a chain of 8 famous tea shops in Paris. Or Mariage Freres, a tea shop with attractive varieties and unique teapots and tea-making utensils. Or you can also taste and buy some of your favorite tea flavors from shops near Place de la Bastille, Champ de Mars, Latin Quarter and L’arc de Triomphe.

Foods

Many people come to Paris to enjoy French cuisine for a few days, from baguettes to croissants to wine to smelly cheeses.

Tips for buying souvenirs in Paris with food: go where the locals are buying their food. Visit a supermarket and try cheese, spices, wine, sauce, sea salts, and sweets before deciding bring some home.

Sausage

As a delicious food in the rich and diverse culinary world of Paris, if you have had the opportunity to enjoy sausages, why not buy them as gifts for those at home? Chances are, you will be surprised because sausages in Paris can be made from pork, or sometimes donkey meat, beef, or even poultry. Sausages can be cooked or dried, try the French baguette with the sausages and enjoy this perfect combination. A must-buy if you’re wondering what to buy in Paris.

Carambar candy

A type of candy that has been sold in Paris for a long time, around 1954. Carambars are fun and addictive caramel chewy baton-shaped candy! Those who have enjoyed this sweet candy will definitely not forget its taste. This is also one of the gifts you should buy after your trip. The interesting thing is, inside each of these candies, you can find adorable stories about beautiful France!

Reblochon cheese

Reblochon is known as a special type of cheese made from fresh milk with a wonderful flavor that you can only find in France. This type of cheese is produced from the Savoy mountains and is now commonly sold in most supermarkets and stores throughout Paris.

The price of Reblochon cheese is usually not too high, so you can easily choose some to take home. However, remember to keep them in sealed bags to ensure the smell of cheese doesn’t get on your clothes!

Chocolates

Paris is famous as one of the paradises of delicious and premium chocolate. Therefore, if you don’t know what to choose to bring back from the French capital, chocolate is always a sweet and perfect choice for you.

Paris chocolate has many brands with countless stores selling it. Among them, Debauve & Gallais is a chocolate shop established in 1800 with wonderful chocolates. And Maison Pralus is an extremely famous chocolate store, where you can easily find countless new and unique chocolate flavors.

Angelina chocolate: Angelina has been a famous Parisian brand since 1903. Angelina stores only sell its exclusive cakes and chocolate candies. With its unique and characteristic aroma and taste, the store is always crowded with tourists and locals enjoying it. If you still don’t know what to buy in Paris as a gift for those at home, try considering this suggestion to experience a different taste!

Besides some of these suggestions, the French capital is also where you can find many other meaningful gifts such as: Buly soap, candles, refrigerator magnets, vintage stamps, postcards or typical Parisian accessories such as silk scarves from Hermes. Each item has its own meaning and value, so you can consider and decide what you should buy in Paris as a gift.

Paris shopping tips

Avoid buying at souvenir shops around main attractions such as Notre Dame, Louvre museum or The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre… due to very high prices. You should buy at small retail stores in neighborhoods. If possible, ask the staff at the hotel you are staying at for cheap, quality shopping places. Most stores in Paris do not offer free gift wrapping. You can ask them to wrap your item carefully and securely to avoid breakage when bringing it on the plane.

In addition, learn carefully about the shipping regulations of your airline if you intend to bring fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and products such as cheese, meat… back to your country.

Know where you should go shopping

As a shopping paradise, Paris has a huge number of shops of all prices and styles to satisfy the needs of any tourist. Therefore, you should know which stores you will visit. For example, if you want to buy items with a youthful and modern style, a place to visit is the Beaugrenelle area, located quite close to the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower.

Le Marais is also a familiar shopping destination for Parisians thanks to the variety of products and prices, along with many interesting second-hand shops.

Visit the city’s markets and second-hand shops

If your budget doesn’t allow you to buy branded items, head to markets like Porte de Vanves, where many interesting homemade items are sold.

If you dig deeper, you will learn that many luxury items that are still in very good condition can be found at brocantes – second-hand sales or vide-greniers – second-hand sales in the neighborhood.

The friperies – second-hand shops, appear throughout the city of Paris, but are most numerous in the Le Marais or Abbesses areas.

Discount opportunities

For everyone who often goes shopping, discount occasions are always a highly anticipated and sought after time. When shopping at the City of Lights, visitors should pay attention to the following discount occasions:

• Soldes d’hiver starts in January and lasts until the end of February
• Soldes d’ete takes place over six weeks between June and July

For some large shopping centers such as Bazar de l’hôtel de Ville or Galeries Lafayette, there are discounts for tourists that you can find on the websites of these centers. Remember to print those discount coupons in advance and show them at the reception counters of these shopping centers with your passport.

Shopping at duty-free shops: French shopping malls all have certain duty-free shops. When shopping at these stores, the price will often be cheaper and you will be refunded when you return home, so don’t miss it!

Buy branded goods in 1 store: Shopping in France is often oriented towards branded products. So, if you buy many items at the same store, you can get a discount.

Tax refund in France

Tax refunds are a great opportunity to shop for less, but the process isn’t always easy to understand. Below is the information you need to know about Duty Free Shopping in France.

If your main residence is in a non-EU country at the time of purchase, you may be eligible for a VAT refund on goods you purchased in France. You also need to be at least 16 years old and in France for less than six months. The total amount of your purchase, including all taxes, must be greater than €100. They must be purchased at the same store and on the same day. At the time of purchase, ask the retailer for a VAT Refund Document, which must be signed by both the retailer and you. You also need to present your Passport at the store to do this step.

When you leave the EU from France, you need to scan the barcode on your VAT refund form at the PABLO device (easiest way). You can also do the procedure manually, French Customs will stamp and return to you 2 VAT refund forms (you then send the stamped form to the retailer). You need to bring your purchased items for inspection by customs officers (This doesn’t always happen, but it can happen). Drop your tax refund form into the mailbox at the tax refund location. You will receive your refund within the next 30 – 90 days on the same credit card you used to purchase the item.

If you leave France by train, you must have your VAT refund form stamped by customs during the journey or at the border crossing station (at the EU exit point). If you leave the European Union from a Member State other than France: after inspection, the Member State’s customs authority will stamp and return your forms. When you return to your country of residence, you send the stamped form to the retailer.

Last but not least, some stores offer an “Instant Tax Refund” option: when you pay with your card, you directly pay the tax-deductible price. However, you still need to scan the form at the PABLO machine.

Discount

Sales in France are strictly controlled. Stores in France may have special promotions, but they are not the same. During “les soldes,” stores are allowed to sell inventory at a loss.

Winter sales (soldes d’hiver) start in January (usually the 2nd Wednesday of January), summer sales (soldes d’été) start in June (last Wednesday of the month) 6), both of which last for four weeks and have ongoing discounts throughout that period.

Safe

Paris is quite safe compared to other big cities. However, like in other tourist cities, there are thieves who target tourists. Usually, the concentration of pickpockets is much higher near tourist locations (airports, famous museums, shopping malls…), so be very careful, especially is on public transport or in crowds.

While shopping, always keep an eye on your belongings. Keep your personal belongings in your bag, tightly closed, and worn in front of you. Try to keep only a minimal amount of cash in your wallet and out of it when you pay. If you stay alert, you will be able to fully enjoy your trip and not have to face robbers. In case of emergency, the police number in France is 17. French emergency services are also available by calling the pan-European emergency number (112).

Returns, exchanges and consumer rights

Before leaving any store, always check at the counter to make sure all the products you paid for are in your bag. Then, if you discover a product is missing, it will be very difficult to prove it.

Under French Consumer law, you have the right to return your purchase within seven days if you change your mind. But of course perishable goods, audio/video and computer software, and magazines are not covered by this law. Keep all packaging and do not remove price tags, you will also need to present your receipt.

Generally, goods, such as electrical appliances, come with a warranty. This allows consumers to receive a refund, or the item to be repaired or replaced. Each seller or manufacturer is free to decide their own terms and how long these terms last.

Opening hours and holidays

The standard shopping day in France, Monday through Saturday, begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. Most major stores and shopping centers will remain open all day and close later. Most traditional stores, especially in smaller towns, will close for two to three hours at lunchtime. Sunday in France is still a day off for most people and most shops are not allowed to open, with the exception of the main shops and malls in Paris.

You already know that France is famous for its high number of holidays. But this can somewhat mess up your shopping plans when traveling to Paris, so check the dates in advance so you don’t miss the shopping opportunity: On Christmas, January 1, May 1, and July 14, almost all stores are closed (there may be some exceptions but if you’re planning to shop on one of these days, check carefully in advance).

There are several other holidays in France when many shops may be closed: Easter Day (April), May 8, Lundi de Pentecôte (early June), August 15, November 1 and November 11. Information online may not be up to date, so it’s best to contact the store first to be sure. Local/family stores are more likely to be closed during the school holidays (especially between Christmas and New Year, and during the Summer period).

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Paris you can refer to

• Paris Museum Pass
• Paris Pass with 1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
• Bruges Day Tour from Paris
• Paris Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours (Open-Top)
• Paris Open Tour Bus Pass
• Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Line Ticket
• The Louvre Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
• 4G SIM Card (Paris/Airport Pick Up) for Europe from Orange
• Disneyland® Paris Ticket
• Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Line Ticket
• [Sale] Seine River Sightseeing Cruise in Paris by Bateaux-Mouches
• Mont Saint Michel Full Day Tour from Paris
• Paris: 1-Hour River Seine Cruise
• Paris: Eiffel Tower Direct Access Tour to Summit by Elevator
• Disneyland Paris 1-Day Ticket
• Paris: 1-Hour Illuminations River Cruise
• Louvre Museum: Tour
• Paris: Moulin Rouge Cabaret Show Ticket with Champagne

Are you looking for more top things to do in Paris: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Paris travel blog — The fullest Paris travel guide blog for a great budget trip to Paris for the first-timers. And let’s check it out more here.