Hitchhiker's guide - what you should know?
How to hitchhike safely and effectively - practical tips. Everything you need to know before you go on a hitchhiking trip.
France is a dream destination for many tourists! No wonder that we want to keep the magic of French elegance and chic for a long time after returning from a trip or give our loved ones souvenirs from our trip to the country of wine and fashion. We have prepared for you a list of the best souvenirs from France - check it out!
Categories:
Food
Macarons
$$$$
Macarons are types of french desserts and they kind of look like colourful little hamburgers or sandwiches. They are made from egg white, sugar and almond milk enriche with many colour extracts.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: dedicated shops, confectioneries
- 💰 Price range: 2 - 20 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse, kids
*One macaron may cost less than 2 euro and for the pack of 10 we would pay 15-20 euros.
Salt
$$$$
The most famous french salts are "Fleur de Sel" and "Sel de Guerande" - they are both equally fine.
- 📌 Region: whole France
- 🛒 Where to buy: grocery stores
- 💰 Price range: 5 - 10 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents
*Price for a small bag. The salt "Fleur de Sel" is usually more expensive.
Fois gras
$$$$
Food that may taste strange to some people, is a delicacy to others. It is made of duck or goose liver and can be purchased in many different forms depending on whether you prefer it on a sandwich, on a cracker or just by itself. It is heavily consumed during Christmas time.
- 📌 Region: whole France
- 🛒 Where to buy: grocery stores, food stalls, supermarkets
- 💰 Price range: 5- 20 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends
*Usually sold canned.
Cheese
$$$$
France has a huge selections of cheese to choose, over 300 with different flavours and many of them became the world's best ones. They are made of cow's, goat's and sheep's milk and they can be made by farmhouses or manufactured. There are three main groups of cheese: soft, blue and pressed. The Brie, Camembert, Comte, Roquefort, Munster and Gaperon are on the "must-try" list.
- 📌 Region: Normandy, Franche-Comté, Île-de-France, Auvergne, Burgundy
- 🛒 Where to buy: grocery stores, cheese shops
- 💰 Price range: 2 - 50 €*
- 💡 Pro tip: Buy it just before departuring home in order to keep it fresh. Read articles about french cheese selection which will help you decide what you might prefer.
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse
*Price vary very differently depending on the amount, cheese ripening period and type of cheese. For a 500 grams of cheese we would pay between 7 and 30 euros.
Mustard
$$$$
A bottle or a jar of French mustard might be a good idea for a souvenir to take home. A wide variety of high quality mustards are available in most local grocery stores or supermarkets. Very recognizable mustard is "Dijon" coming from a city of the same name.
- 📌 Region: Burgundy - Dijon
- 🛒 Where to buy: grocery store, supermarket
- 💰 Price range: 1 - 3 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents
*Price for one jar.
Lavender honey
$$$$
A honey that is made from local regional lavender can be found in food stalls. Beside lavender honey you can also try a thyme honey that are equally superb.
- 📌 Region: Provence
- 🛒 Where to buy: food stalls, markets, grocery stores
- 💰 Price range: 7 - 10 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse
*Price for a small jar(around 300 grams).
Beverage
Wine
$$$$
French wines are claimed to be the best in the world and what is more, France is the biggest wine producer.
- 📌 Region: Bordeaux, Champagne
- 🛒 Where to buy: grocery stores, restaurants, wine shops
- 💰 Price range: 15 - 100 €
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse
Cider
$$$$
Great Britain, Spain and France are leaders in producing and consuming this alcohol beverage made of fermented apples.
- 📌 Region: Normandy, Brittany
- 🛒 Where to buy: liqueur stores, supermarkets
- 💰 Price range: 4 - 10 €*
- 💡 Pro tip: Avoid cheap bottles of cider for around 1-2 euro.
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse
*Price for one bottle.
Kir Royal
$$$$
"Kir Royal" alcohol cocktail is made from Creme de Cassis and white wine, typically champagne. Creme de cassis is a blackcurrant liqueur, sometimes sevrved as a dessert. There is no universal bottle of Kir Royal so purchasing both, champagne and Creme de Cassis, is required to prepare this drink at home.
- 📌 Region: whole France
- 🛒 Where to buy: liquor store
- 💰 Price range: 7 - 12 €*
- 💡 Pro tip: Check the labels before buying Creme de Cassis, do not buy the ones with blackcurrant extract instead of common blackcurrants.
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, friends, spouse
*The 750 ml bottle of Creme de Cassis costs around 8-12 euros.
Home decor
Eiffel tower figure
$$$$
Might be obvious while visiting Paris but still try to consider purchasing the smaller version one of the most popular landmarks in the world - the Eiffel Tower. They they are made from metals typically in bronze colors.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: gift shop
- 💰 Price range: 25 - 40 €*
- 🎁 For whom: gift shop
*Price depends on the size of the figurine.
Ceramics
$$$$
Kitchenware and pottery - main themes of French ceramics. It can be found across the whole country but the signature ones are in the region of Provence.
- 📌 Region: Provence
- 🛒 Where to buy: dedicated shops
- 💰 Price range: 50 - 100 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, spouse
*Price depends on the amount and size of ceramics.
Linen
$$$$
If you are looking for some high quality home decors then linen wares from Nice is where you will find colorful tablecloths, towels and beddings.
- 📌 Region: Provence - Nice
- 🛒 Where to buy: dedicated shops
- 💰 Price range: 8 - 100 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, spouse
*Price depends on the linen product, beddings are the most expensive and can reach over 100 euro.
Clothes
Béret
$$$$
No hat is so distinctive like French beret which became a source of many stereotypes. It is typically made of wool and has a small tip at the top. Nowadays it can be a very stylish addittion to your wardrobe, desinged to both for men and women.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: clothing stores
- 💰 Price range: 60 - 200 €*
- 💡 Pro tip: Watch out for the cheap chinese imitations.
- 🎁 For whom: friends, spouse
*Price depends on the material, the ones made of cachmere will be the most expensive.
Marinière
$$$$
Historically was this t-shirt was worn by French sailors. What is unique about it is that it has characteristic blue and white stripes all over it.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: clothing stores
- 💰 Price range: 30 - 80 €
- 🎁 For whom: spouse
Garments
$$$$
"Capital of Fashion" is the term often reffered to Paris - a home to many luxurious clothing brands such as Arpenteur, A.P.C. or Louis Vuitton. The more affordable ones may be Claudie Pierlot, Maison Cleo or Musier.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: clothing stores
- 💰 Price range: 50 - 500 €*
- 🎁 For whom: spouse
*Price depends on the brand prestige.
Cosmetics
Soap
$$$$
French soaps can be found across the whole country but the ones you should be really after, are those from Provence region. They are handmade from natural oils and they are perfect skincare cosmetics.
- 📌 Region: Provence - Marseille
- 🛒 Where to buy: supermarket
- 💰 Price range: 2 - 4 €*
- 🎁 For whom: grandparents, parents, spouse
*Price for one bar of soap. Five bars cost around 10-15 euro.
Perfumes
$$$$
The most famous and recognizable around the world french brands are Channel No. 5, Dior, Chloe and Yves.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: drugstores, perfumeries
- 💰 Price range: 40 - 150 €*
- 🎁 For whom: spouse
*Price for a small bottle of perfumes.
Collections
Asterix Comic Book
$$$$
Not everyone knows the person who created famouse Asterix&Obelix comic books was french - Rene Goscinny. To date, there has been released a ton of different comic books, cartoons and even movies describing many different adventures of Gauls.
- 📌 Region: Île-de-France - Paris
- 🛒 Where to buy: dedicated shops, libraries
- 💰 Price range: 5 - 30 €
- 🎁 For whom: friends, kids
Pétanque boules set
$$$$
A set of Pétanque boules will definitely remind of this national french sport. This practical souvenir may even become your new favourite hobby.
- 📌 Region: Provence - Marseille
- 🛒 Where to buy: dedicated shops, workshops
- 💰 Price range: 50 - 80 €*
- 💡 Pro tip: Make sure you have enough space in your baggage to pack this set.
- 🎁 For whom: parents, friends, spouse
*Price for one set.
Handmade
Plush stork
$$$$
Storks are magnificient birds, very common for the region of Alsace, where they spend summer and then fly away to Africa at winter. Locals claim it brings good luck and fortune so consider buying this plush toy as a souvenir.
- 📌 Region: Alsace - Strasbourg
- 🛒 Where to buy: gift shops
- 💰 Price range: 5 - 15 €*
- 🎁 For whom: friends, spouse, kids
*The price depends on the size of a bird.
Macaroons, wine or a beret - whatever souvenir you choose, with this guide, you'll be sure to choose the best gift for your budget!
