So you’re looking for French gifts from France for your friends, right? Eiffel Tower tour, French wine, songs of Édith Piaf and Zaz – hearts of people who love France just started to beat faster. And I totally get it!
Since I’ve finished a bilingual school where French was my second language, I’ve got some affection for this country too. So in this article, I made some research for you: here you’ve got a list of 29 ideas for gifts from France that you can present to your loved ones for Christmas or birthdays. All of them are original and creative. And will bring a smile to the face of a person you would like to endow.
This unique French gift guide starts with a quick list if you want to choose a French gift fast. If you’ve got some more time, you can carefully read all the descriptions and analyze every idea to choose absolutely the best one. To help you with the decision if you’re still undecided, at the end of this post, I list my own top picks. But it’s your choice, so let’s dive in!
Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. That means that if you click on them or make any purchase via them, I receive a small commission. But don’t worry, this will not cost you anything and in a few cases, you can even receive a special discount! And I will still be able to chase my dreams. So thank you!
Best gifts from France – quick answer
If you don’t have enough time to read all the descriptions, here is a complete list of French-themed gifts. You can click and check whatever sounds interesting to you and make a quick decision.
French gifts for francophiles:
- Famous French novel book
- A Year in the Merde
- Funny French mug
- French language course
- Vintage French postcards
Perfect gift in lifestyle & fun:
French gifts – 29 unique ideas
Ok, now it’s time to present you every idea individually. I hope this list will help you make the best decision!
Style I: French gifts for francophiles
#1 Famous French novel book
A person who fell in love with French culture, will for sure appreciate a piece of classic French literature. Books are perfect gifts for francophiles and you can choose among many various authors. The XIX century in France is associated with famous names, that would be a must-know for any book worm:
- Victor Hugo (the author of Les Misérables)
- Charles Baudelaire
- Honoré de Balzac
- Émile Zola
- Stendhal
- Gustave Flaubert
To just name a few.
The XX century came with other writers of great talents:
Victor Hugo Les Misérables
Françoise Sagan – Bonjour tristesse
#2 A Year in the Merde
One of the books about France, written from the perspective of a person of another nationality, that has become a world bestseller, is A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke. A bit pinching yet brilliant book perfectly shows how the love for France and its people can be born sometimes even from hate and misunderstanding. It’s a clever combination of sarcastic British humor and French deliberation.
#3 Funny French mug
We’ve already got books, now we need to create a cozy atmosphere to read. A cup of coffee or tea also can be a great expression of a person’s love for France. And thus mugs can become nice and funny French gifts!
On Etsy and Amazon, you’ll find plenty of various mugs with clever French sayings and quotes. Which one would fit better with your francophil friend? “I’d rather be in France” or “Everything sounds better in French”?
#4 French language course
What could be a bigger dream of a person in love with France than learning to communicate in the most romantic language of the world? If you want to hear a loud and honest THANK YOU!, you should consider purchasing a language course as one of the best French gifts ever.
The language learning application Babbel is a perfect pick, and they offer gift cards too. It’s a simple-to-use application that leads the student through the next steps of the language learning journey. It helps to maintain a habit of everyday learning size-by-size and reach the language goals, of any communication level.
#5 Vintage French postcards
If your Frenchie friend has a romantic soul, he/she would appreciate vintage gifts from France. Old-school classy postcards are amazing gifts made in France, that as a bonus, come with a bit of history! On some of the ancient postcards found on Etsy, you can still read the greetings to the person they were originally addressed to!
Style II: Ideas for travelers
#6 Guide book
A person who is not only fascinated by France but also plans or already regularly visits this country, for sure will appreciate good quality and informative guide book. Lonely Planet guidebooks bring a lot of inspiration in choosing new places to visit. They can also be an important tool in planning a trip to France.
#7 Map of French city
Travelers enjoy reminding their beloved places from time to time. Beautifully designed graphics presenting the map of a chosen city, for example, Paris, can be great Parisian gift ideas.
On Etsy, you will find many interesting and inspiring graphics like this. You can find there almost any French city map, and if the one that you are looking for isn’t currently available, it’s very possible to order the customized map according to your needs.
Read more: Trip from Paris – Auvers-sur-Oise: following the last paths of Van Gogh
#8 French guided tour
What gift can be better for a traveler than a trip to the place that he likes the most? By purchasing a gift card on Get Your Guide, you can present to your friend original French gifts in a form of beautiful experiences and memories.
This card allows the gifted person to purchase any trip, workshop, or guided tour anywhere in the world (not only in France!) and choose the experience that will bring him the most fun. You can choose the value of the gift card and it’s active for more than a year.
#9 French wine region trip
One of the most popular tours in France is of course those considering vineyard trips and wine tasting. On Get Your Guide you will find some interesting trips and guided tours in different regions of France, well-known for their wine production.
#10 Accommodation French gift cards
If you’re looking for truly practical French gifts for travelers, you should really consider purchasing accommodation gift cards. A person who plans to visit France (or any other place) for sure will make good use of a card like this. Just read carefully the rules of redeeming such a gift card, since they might be working only upon some specific conditions.
Style III: Gifts from France for foodies
#11 French wine
France is a country well known for its high quality and value wines. So if your friend is a fan of good alcohol, presenting him bottles of fantastic wine as gifts from France is a great idea. Some of the most popular French gifts wines are Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In this article, you will find a quick guide to French wines that might give you some more hints about which bottle to choose.
#12 French cheese
Brie, camembert, roquefort, comté. France wouldn’t be the cradle of good culinary taste without the hundreds of types of cheese. If you’re looking for some proven French gift ideas, you can definitely go for this product. Many of them are exported worldwide, so it should be easy to find some delicious cheeses even online.
#13 Wooden board
If someone is really fascinated by French culture, it’s a big chance that this person adores good food as well. And kitchen accessories like a solid wooden board are really nice French food gifts ideas for them. So do your research and check if a person that you would like to endow, is already equipped with a nice and capacious wooden board to serve delicious French food at the parties. If not, then you already have your French gift idea.
#14 French jams
One thing that I personally love about French food is their jam production. Apricot, fig, strawberry, prunes, rhubarb, all of them are delicious! French people love jams so much, that they produce them even from exotic fruits like coconut jam in the Caribbean kitchen.
Some of the most popular French jam brands are St. Dalfour and Bonne Maman.
#15 French food gift basket
If you’re thinking about a French food gift basket as gifts from France for your gourmand friend, you actually have a great idea! Every person that enjoys good food will for sure appreciate a French food basket or even a Parisian gift basket filled with any kind of delicacies. Cheeses, sausages, fruits, jams, sweets, in a basket like this you receive a whole bunch of tastes and culinary experiences. Definitely a great idea!
#16 Macarons
What kind of sweets can be more French than famous cute macarons? These sophisticated cakes require a lot of skills and patience to bake. So they became number one of French good taste in the sweet world. Colorful macarons come in almost any taste that you can imagine. And they will definitely be great French food gifts.
#17 Croissants
Another sweet delicacy that is associated with France all around the world is a tasty and delicious croissant. A typical French breakfast consists usually of coffee and a freshly-baked croissant eaten on the way to work or school. If you wish to present your friend a truly French experience for breakfast or lunch, croissants will be awesome French-themed gifts.
#18 Wine carafe
If you’re looking especially for French wine gifts ideas, then a beautifully designed wine carafe might be an original idea. A piece of glass art like this can be as well a creative position on a list of French wedding gifts.
#19 French cookbook
What can give more fun to a French food lover than cooking his own fancy French dishes? If your friend is a person that loves to cook for the whole family and experiment in the kitchen then a French cookbook with inspiring recipes might be a great idea for gifts from France.
#20 French chocolate
France is well-known for a kitchen that surprises the gourmands with the culinary experiences in every kind of dish. French chocolate tasting, next to the Belgian and Swiss one, is one of the most sophisticated and fancy sweet sensations in Europe. Presenting elegant chocolate French gift boxes is a beautiful way to say “thank you” to a person that you like and respect.
#21 Crêpe pan
Another popular dish in French houses, that gives you a lot of energy for starting your day, is crêpes. Those are very thin pancakes, served with different kinds of extras. In sweet version: with cream, jam, fruits, Nutella. In dry version: with different kinds of meat, sauces, and vegetables. Preparing crêpes in your own home gives a lot of fun and is super easy with a dedicated crêpe pan which you can buy online. Your friend who admires French food will thank you for sure.
Style IV: Perfect gift in lifestyle & fun
#22 Savon de Marseille
If you’re looking for original gifts from France, then here’s a great idea for you. The soap Savon de Marseille is one of the oldest types of soap known in the world and is used till today. Its original formula is known already for centuries, making this one of the most timeless beauty products in the market. People who love to enjoy the moments spent in the home SPA will adore this effective and delicate soap, especially because you have hundreds of scents to choose from. Savons de Marseille, are great, especially as French gifts for her.
Read more: Zero Waste Beauty Routine Made Easy! Your Proven Ultimate Guide
#23 French luxury perfume
France for centuries has been the cradle of fashion trends and good taste in terms of lifestyle. Also, it’s the origin country for many famous French perfumes, which can become luxurious gifts from France. Some of the most popular French brands in the perfume world are Lancôme, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Chloé, and Diptyque.
#24 French candle
And what do you think about the idea of inviting the French scents into your house? Beautiful candles that smell like France are nice French gifts online since you can purchase them on Amazon or on Etsy. Sensual scents of French vanilla, lavender, chocolate, or even French baguette! The choice is really ample.
#25 Vintage French poster
Original vintage posters are another French-themed gifts that will bring a smile to the face of a person who enjoys French culture. The posters whose design was born in the century of art nouveau are especially popular. And beautiful in my humble opinion. The posters like this can be also great French wedding gifts ideas.
#26 French home decor
Among French-inspired gifts, you can find many kinds of general home decor as well. Many manufacturers can send you gifts from France directly from their country. So you will be sure that the piece of decoration that you order is really handcrafted in France. On Etsy, you can even find original vintage objects like beautiful cutleries, porcelain, fabrics, decorative signs, and many more.
#27 Pétanque
If you’re looking for French gifts for him, the most popular and traditional game might be a bull’s-eye. I mean here the game called les pétanques. The rules of this game are simple: you place the smallest plastic ball on sandy ground. Then the players try to throw the steel balls as close as possible to this small ball. The one that gets the smallest distance wins the game. It’s a perfect game to play on a picnic, garden party, or camping when you want to spend some fun time with family and friends.
#28 Photos of Paris
A romantic soul will definitely appreciate some charming old photos of Paris. A small collection of old photographs of France’s capital is an original choice among vintage French gifts ideas. They can become a beautiful decoration of a French lover’s house. You can find some photo bundles on Etsy, and they are for sure one-of-a-kind gifts from France.
#29 Funny French T-shirt
The last idea for French gifts on this list is a well-proven gift that can be nicely customized for a person who’s in love with France. A funny or inspirational T-shirt is always a good idea. And if it shows the interests of a person who wears it, even better. On Etsy, you can find some cool T-shirts with cute and fun French sayings and quotes. You can also customize them according to your own idea!
Gifts from France: my top picks
I know that making a decision after reading about so many great ideas for gifts from France might be hard. That’s why here I list my top picks – the gifts that I would probably choose to make my Frenchie friends happy.
- French food gift basket – I think that a delicious basket like this is a perfect idea if you’re not quite sure about the exact interests of the person you would like to endow. You might not know what books did this person already read, but some delicious treats won’t get waste and are always a great idea.
- Savon de Marseille – similarly to the French food gift basket, this is quite a non-binding gift. And since this soap is truly unique to France, it will be a nice symbol that you knows about the French interests of the person.
- Get Your Guide gift card – it’s a wonderful gift because even if the gifted person won’t go to France for a long time, he/she can use it on any other trip, even close to the hometown. It doesn’t require from you the customization, so you will be sure that your friend will use it as he/she likes. And it guarantees beautiful memories.
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Dominika is a founder of Sunday In Wonderland and she recently switched her life to be local independent. She aims to travel the world and admire all of its wonders. She is much focused on sustainable life, self-development and making this world a better place.
