France is a country that is popular for the best wines, romance, love, gourmet food, and exceptional artwork. If you visit France, you might want to look for something to take with you as you head back home, and souvenirs come in handy. There is always so much to choose from when it comes to items you can take to remember your trip to France. One of the most exciting things about traveling to a new destination is getting some local goodies that you can discover each day. Every country has some of the popular items that are often associated with the said country. The French have wine, Italian’s olive oil, and so forth, these are items that give a country a charm, and they make a perfect give for those who are not there to experience your trip with you.
Purchasing souvenirs from France can be one of the most amazing experiences. You can buy them on your own as you want to remember how your trip to France was and all the exciting activities associated with it. Whether it is for your memories or you want to bring something to your loved ones at home or work, then French souvenirs can be challenging to choose from because there are too many options to choose from in the region. You might find it haunting to pick the best souvenir for your collection, however, here are the top-rated souvenirs you can purchase from France.
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Unique French Soaps
The French are known to be keen on fragrance, and they have perfected the art of making scented soaps. Whether you have a fresh or a sweet scent, then you are in the right place because you can have your hand-crafted soap in France within minutes. There is a vast variety of shops that do this, especially in southern France.
Marseille is widely known for soap making, and you can purchase one of the personalized soaps and enjoy authentic flowers from France. You can choose one scent, or you can opt for an assortment of fragrances so that when you reach home, you can explore different scent or give out to your family members as gifts. The French soaps are a perfect gift for anyone as they are welcome to any bathroom.
Eiffel Tower Statue
It is the most common souvenir. However, it is still the best because you can have it on your necklace or chain. The tiny Eiffel tower replica is the best gift to purchase and take to your family while in France or Paris. The statues often come in different shapes and sizes, and you can choose a size that you will like or one that you can get to critical chains costing you less than a dollar. Numerous vendors sell these replicas, and you can never miss getting the iconic French statue miniature.
These Eiffel Tower Statues will follow you during all your trip to Paris as they are pretty much the most popular souvenir to get. The most popular place to get them is right next to the Eiffel Tower, from both sides, especially on the famous bridge leading to the Eiffel Tower – there you will see a lot of local people selling all sizes of this souvenir and even some of them have lights on them. The price starts just from 1 euro, some people sell Eiffel Tower keychains which are even cheaper.
Cosmetics
Parisian are known for their elegance, beauty, and fashion sense; there are many reasons why French fashion is an icon to reckon with. There are more recognizable beauty brands such as Avene, Vichy, La-Roche-Posay. There are multiple products that you can choose from in the cosmetic world. Cosmetics are not only a perfect gift to yourself but also to your siblings or parents.
France and Paris especially is full of local cosmetics shops where you not only find locally known brands, but as well famous as Chanel, Yves Rocher and so on.
Traditional herbs
A common practice among the French is to prepare their fragrances from scratch, and you will find the herbs that they use in the making of perfumes in the Provence region. There are various dried herbs, and you can purchase some that you can use to enhance the ambiance of a room, cook, or make your fragrances.
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The herbs usually include savory, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, and thyme. When you blend these herbs, it brings aromatic value to your meals, and you will feel like a French gourmet chef as your meals will be very tasty. Herbs such as rosemary and thyme are perfect in treating congestion and colds, and if you are having issues sleeping, then dropping some lavender oil on your pillow will allow you to sleep like a baby.
You can get these herbs in many shapes: as a bouquet, in jars, in paper bags, and so on. Chose the one you like the most.
Herbs are usually found in local boutique shops and some souvenir shops.
Normandy Brandy
If you are going to visit Normandy and have an interest in gastronomy, you can check out the apple cider in Normandy. The cider route in this region covers over 50 kilometers of country roads passing through small villages. You will find manors that are centuries-old and distilleries that have been alive over centuries ago.
You can find a top brandy or apple cider (which is called Calvados) from distilleries such as the Pierre Huet family, which have been in operation since 1865. These are people who have vast experience in the production of Normandy apple cider or brandy. A gift of Normandy brandy or apple cider is a perfect souvenir that you can take home with you.
A Bottle of Champagne
The French are known to be the best champagne producers, and what is more appealing than having a bottle of champagne from the masters as you head home? A souvenir champagne bottle will always remind you of France and your trip to the amazing country.
Best place to find different Champagnes in France? Of course in the Champagne region (this is where the name comes from). Only Champagne coming from this region has the right to be called Champagne. Do not forget to visit Epernay where you can visit the famous Champagne street where multiple brands of Champagne companies have their headquarters.
Macarons
If you are planning to visit France, one of the items that should be top on your list is French macarons. You should devour some macarons in France so that you can tell the difference between the original and some that you have ever tasted across the world. You will be amazed by the colorful bites that will leave sensations on your tastebuds. You are guaranteed to enjoy them, and you can take some with you to your family or friends.
You can purchase them at the local supermarkets and bakeries or in Ladurée bakery in Paris. The macaron boxes are decoratively packed, and they might not reach their destination if you are not careful because they are so sweet and addictive.
French really put an effort to pack your macarons as beautifully as possible so it is a really good souvenir – looks very fancy and tastes as heaven. Buy macarons as a souvenir, and your friends and family will enjoy them.
French cheese
It is imperative to note that there are over 400 types of French cheese, and you can choose a variety that you want to try. There is a possibility that you will find one that is very intriguing, and you will want to take it home. Some of the French cheeses are characterized by robust flavors, and you can ask for the best from the locals and try it.
The French cheeses available across the world may not taste as original as those made by the local people. Therefore, indulge and choose your favorite cheese that you can take with you home.
Local cheeses you can pretty much find in any small local shop in any city in France, but some places have specialized shops which I highly recommend visiting. You will be blown away by how many different cheeses they have. If you thought that there was just one blue cheese, you will be surprised. In some local shops they allow you to do some tasting so you can choose the best one for you.
The most smelly cheese is not always the best one for you and for your luggage during the long trip, so be aware. Cheeses have as well beautiful packages, so it is a very nice souvenir.
Madeleines
It is one of the delicious sweet souvenirs that you must take with you as you head back home because it is one of a kind. The small cake is packed with irresistible flavor, and as the French bakers do not joke with the quality of their products, you are sure that the mini sponge cake has something that will keep you awake.
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The shell shape with distinctive tapered edges differentiates this type of cake from others you will find in stores. In most cases, these cakes are consumed while they are hot in the markets in France.
Fancy beret
When foreigners think about Parisians, one thing that comes to mind is wearing a little scarf, a mariniere, a beret, and a baguette in his or her arm. It is a common stereotype, and although it may seem so many Parisians tend to look like this. The first mass production of berets began in France, which is why it has become an iconic fashion item in France.
Berets are classy and stylish, and you should take one with you. You can take one with you as a souvenir, and it will cost you from five to eight euros. But if you are looking for something more fancy and historical, check out Laulhere company.
Pick sweet Carambars
Carambars have been in the market for over a century, and they are characterized by their chewy caramel candy-like style. They are addictive and a delightful compound that you should try. You can purchase them anywhere in France or Paris. Since they are many, you can be enjoying your sweets as you reminisce about your trip to France.
Elegant French lingerie
French lingerie is known to be classy, elegant, sexy, and still comfortable. You can take notable brands such as Aubade or Passionata, these firms provide delicate yet fancy collections that will enhance the curves of your woman or you as a woman. You can take lingerie as a souvenir for your partner of your life. The elegance that comes with it is all that matters. You will remember your romantic trip by purchasing a lingerie souvenir.
Take your metro ticket with you
The French metro ticket is one of the essential elements while you are in Paris and you are moving from one point to another. While on your visit to Paris you will use the metro system a lot and you will be part of the locals who use the metro ticket. The metro ticket can get you from one location to another, take with you this ticket to your country and engrave it as a souvenir to remind you of your trip to France.
In summary, there are so many items that you can buy as souvenirs from France. It all comes to the taste and preference of an individual, you can explore all your choices and choose an item that will give you good memories of the country.
What is really good is that the biggest majority of cities and villages in France will have a local cheese shop, a local bakery with macarons, a local souvenir shop with berets, and so on. Getting something nice and memorable will be easy all over France.
