6 Best souvenirs to bring home when travelling in France and guide to getting a tax refund

France is a country that has long been associated with art, culture, and style, making it a popular travel destination for tourists from all over the world. When travelling to France, it’s good to bring home some unique and memorable souvenirs for friends and families before leaving the country. From high-quality perfumes to luxurious hand creams, there is no shortage of beautiful items to purchase as a reminder of your trip.

In this blog post, we'll explore some best souvenirs to bring home from France and provide useful tips on how to save money by shopping tax-free with the Wevat tax refund app.

Best souvenirs to bring home from France

1. Chocolate

France is renowned for its high-quality chocolate, making it an excellent souvenir to bring home. Coming in various forms from chocolate bars to truffles, French chocolatiers offer various flavors, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. You can easily find a wide range of French chocolate in chocolate shops and supermarkets across France.

One of the most unique French chocolate shops is Le Chocolat des Français. They offer high-quality products that are creatively packaged with unique French illustrations such as Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and many more! These are definitely an ideal choice for gifting to anyone with a sweet tooth, with prices starting at only 6.5 euros for a piece and 9 euros for a gift box.

2. French tea

Not only is France known for its incredible chocolate, but French tea is also distinct from all that of the UK. Throughout the country, you can find delicious variations of black, green, and even decaffeinated teas. Some century-old French tea brands include Dammann Frères and Kusmi Tea, which offer a wide range of tea flavors, including fruity, spicy, and floral blends. Their tea is packed in beautiful and colorful tins, making it a great gift for tea lovers.

3. Wine

Of course, how could we forget about French wine? It’s a must-try for anyone visiting the country. France is renowned for its wine production, with numerous regions producing some of the world's finest wines. From the light and fruity wines of the Loire Valley to the full-bodied reds of Bordeaux, each region has its unique flavor and aroma that is sure to satisfy your taste buds. You can find a wide variety of French wines in stores and wine shops across France, check our recent article for the Best French wine regions to visit.

You can even bring home some of your favorite French wine as a souvenir, reminding you of the beautiful memories of your trip. The best part is, you can get a tax refund for your wine purchases, making it an even more worthwhile experience.

4. Macarons

Macarons are undoubtedly one of the most famous French desserts, renowned for their delicate texture and colorful appearance. In France, macarons can be found in countless bakeries and patisseries, each place having its own unique take on this classic treat.

One of the most popular places to buy macarons in France is 86 Champs-Elysées in Paris, a dessert boutique jointly created by Pierre Hermé, the macaron maestro, and L'Occitane en Provence. Here, you can satisfy your sense of smell and taste at the same time! The macaron gift box, priced at only €17 after a tax refund and beautifully packaged, is an excellent souvenir to bring home for family and friends for any occasion.

5. Perfumes

French perfumes are world-famous for their quality and variety, with each scent crafted using the finest ingredients to ensure an unforgettable sensory experience. So, it is a perfect souvenir for anyone who loves fragrances. You can find a wide range of perfumes in department stores and perfume shops throughout France, each with its own unique fragrance profile and brand. Read our recent article to learn more about the Best places to shop for perfumes in Paris.

One of the most traditional fragrances is called Fragonard, which is crafted in France's Perfume City of Grasse in the South, and is known for its delicate and complex aroma. It’s an authentically traditional French perfume that is difficult to buy anywhere else except in France.

6. Hand cream

France is a country that values natural beauty, and this extends to its skincare products. French hand cream is particularly renowned for its quality and effectiveness, and there are many brands to choose from. One of the most popular is L'Occitane, a well-known brand that sources its ingredients from the Provence region.

There are also some lesser-known but equally exceptional brands, such as Nanfa Manor. This brand is also born in Provence and is widely used by many French locals, and is particularly noteworthy for its natural herbal fragrance. Giving a practical gift such as a tube of hand cream is always appreciated, as they are small enough to fit in a handbag or pocket, making them perfect for on-the-go use.

The good news is that as non-EU citizens (including British travellers as a result of Brexit), you can take advantage of tax refunds on purchases made on a majority of items, including all the souvenirs above that you’ll take home to enjoy. With the Wevat tax refund app, you can easily obtain a VAT refund and save up to 13% on your purchases! Keep reading to learn more!

How to get a tax refund on your shopping for souvenirs

There are two main ways you can get a tax refund on shopping in France – using a traditional in-store paper method, or a mobile tax refund app like Wevat. The main perk of using a digital method like Wevat is the higher refund rates you can enjoy compared with the traditional in-store method, not to mention the convenience of not having to deal with paper forms ever again.

In the past, you’d have to bring your passport around with you when shopping and show it to the store every time you buy something to get a tax refund form. With Wevat, all you need to do is to ask for a purchase invoice addressed to Wevat at the till – no more hassle and waiting around at the checkout.

Another benefit of shopping with Wevat is that there are no partner store restrictions. When shopping at some local boutiques or souvenir shops that are more popular among locals than tourists, you might find they are not partnered with traditional tax refund companies to offer a VAT refund to tourists. However, by using Wevat, you can still take advantage of the VAT savings by asking for a ‘facture’ (’Invoice’ in French) when shopping for purchases made at stores not set up to issue a refund form.

And another huge benefit of shopping for souvenirs and gifts with the Wevat tax-free shopping app is that there’s no minimum spending required in a single store, as long as you spend a total of over €100 across all your purchases during your trip in France, you can claim your tax back!

When departing, traditional methods require you to undergo complicated airport procedures with customs, and you’ll have to wait up to 8 weeks to get your money back. Wevat’s scan-and-go system makes it much faster and easier, and you can track the refund progress from the in-app refund tracker or check with the friendly customer support team from the app. (See these articles to learn more about what you need to do at the airport, train station and ferry port you’re leaving from).

Recap of how to use Wevat

Follow these five steps to get your VAT back in a simple way with Wevat.

Download the app – make sure you have signed up and have onboarded before visiting the store
Request a ‘facture’ (invoice) - show the ”request an invoice” screen in the app to get a business invoice with Wevat's name and address. Make sure the invoice is not addressed to yourself!
Snap your invoice – upload it straight to the app, ideally immediately before you’ve left the store
Generate refund barcode – follow the prompts on the screen to get your digital refund form
Scan and go – visit the tax refund kiosk at your departure point, scan your refund barcode on the Wevat app, and off you go! Make sure to keep your goods on hand in case customs inspects the goods (in unused and original packaging).

Examples of a valid invoice and Wevat address can be found in the app. We also have helpful step-by-step videos on our YouTube channel.

Tips for getting an invoice:

Ask for a “facture” (Invoice in French) addressed to Wevat (Click our mascot on the app homepage to find the “request an invoice” screen. Simply show the screen containing Wevat’s address details to the store staff to get the right purchase invoice
Do not mention tax refund in the store, otherwise the sales assistant will issue you a paper tax refund form from a traditional tax refund company and you will not be able to use Wevat

About Wevat

Wevat is a digital tax refund app that makes it easy for travellers to save money on their shopping in France! We are a community of people who love traveling, shopping, and saving money. Since our launch in 2019, we've helped refund travellers from 88 countries more than €18 million on their shopping.

Compared with in-store VAT refund providers, Wevat gives you up to 23% more VAT back with no minimum spending requirements on each purchase. With Wevat, you can simply snap a picture of your purchase invoices and then generate and scan your barcode when you leave France. There are no paper forms, repeated scanning, or dropping off forms required with us. Our super-friendly, multilingual customer support team will be always on hand to support you throughout your trip via our app.

We are fully regulated by both French and UK customs and tax authorities.

Download our app now to start saving money on your shopping in France!

Download Wevat