The most useful Paris souvenirs are the ones you use on the trip, then keep at home: a tote bag, a silk or cotton scarf, a water bottle or a fan from a museum shop, a French pharmacy product and a notebook. These are not the touristy souvenirs you see near the Eiffel Tower. They’re less photogenic, but you’ll actually use them.
It all started with a water bottle. A few years ago, I was in New York and I bought one, even though I already had one at home. I wanted something I would actually use after the trip, something that would remind me of that city every morning when I fill it up. 3 years later, I still use it. That’s the filter for everything in this article: useful on the trip, still useful at home!
TL;DR:
Buy a tote bag on your first day: you’ll carry bread, water and pastries all trip long, and Merci, Monoprix and Galeries Lafayette all sell nice ones.
Get a silk or cotton scarf: the Paris weather changes fast (plus, many churches ask you to cover your shoulders).
In each museum shop, pick one small, useful thing: a water bottle, a deck of cards, or a fan (on many metro and bus lines, there is no air conditioning!).
In a French pharmacy, buy a thermal water spray in summer, and a lip balm and hand cream in winter.
Write a few lines in a small notebook each day: it becomes the souvenir you’ll reread the most!
Paris Tote Bag: Buy It on Day One
A Paris tote bag is the souvenir to buy on day one, because you’ll need it almost immediately. This is a city where you end up carrying things: a baguette, a bottle of water, a scarf you just bought, the pastries from the bakery you passed on the way to the metro. A tote bag is practical from day one, and it's a souvenir you'll actually use at home.
Paris has beautiful ones, at every price point. Merci, a concept store on rue Molière, is worth a visit for the shop itself, and they have lovely bags. Monoprix on avenue de l'Opéra is simpler and more affordable. Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is a good option if you want something with more character.
Buy a French Scarf in Paris, You'll Use It Every Day
A silk or cotton scarf, or a lightweight stole, is one of the most useful things you can travel with in Paris. Paris has a temperate climate, and the weather can shift faster than you'd expect. Even in summer, a sunny morning can turn cool by afternoon. Most major Parisian churches, Notre-Dame included, also require covered shoulders.
Look for something in silk or fine cotton. Museum boutiques sometimes have beautiful ones (the Orsay Museum boutique is worth a look). For a wider selection at every price point, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Monoprix are both reliable options.
Paris Museum Boutiques: One Useful Thing Per Visit
In Paris museum shops, buy one small, useful thing per visit: a water bottle, a deck of cards or a fan for example.
When I travel, I always spend a little time in the museum shop after the visit. In Paris, the boutiques of the major museums are really good, and you can find souvenirs that are useful right away, on the trip itself.
Start with a water bottle. You'll fill it up every day, and back home, you'll think of Paris each time you use it. A deck of cards is another good pick, it's perfect for an evening at the hotel or a long line, with or without kids. And find a nice fan: on many metro and bus lines, there is no air conditioning, so you'll use it a lot from spring to summer.
French Pharmacy in Paris: What to Buy for the Trip, By Season
The best French pharmacy products for a Paris trip are a thermal water spray in summer, and a lip balm and hand cream in winter.
Here's what I recommend, depending on the season. In summer, the thermal water spray, from Avène, Evian or La Roche-Posay. You'll be standing in queues in the sun, walking for hours. Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse is another summer favorite: a dry oil for skin, it smells delicious. In winter, the cold dries out your lips and hands quickly. Nuxe makes excellent lip balm and hand cream, in several lovely scents. Caudalie also makes very good lip and hand products.
Paris has pharmacies in every neighborhood: look for the green cross sign. Most of them sell Avène, La Roche-Posay, Nuxe and Caudalie. For other beauty shops worth a visit, my app Paris on the Spot lists the best ones around the main Paris monuments. It’s available on iPhone and Android.
A Paris Notebook: The Souvenir That Fills Itself
A small notebook becomes your best Paris souvenir once you fill it with a few lines about each day of your trip.
I always recommend writing a few lines about each day of your trip. What you did, what you ate, what surprised you. When you get home, you'll be so happy to read it again, because those small details are the first thing you forget. And Paris makes it easy: sit on a bench in a garden or at a café terrace, and watch the city go by. Write down what you see, what you hear, the name of the wine the waiter recommended... You'll find beautiful notebooks almost everywhere: in museum shops, at Galeries Lafayette, and above all in Paris bookshops and stationery stores. Take the time to step inside one, they're full of lovely things!
One last thing: I hesitated a lot before leaving the umbrella off this list. It's an absolute must in Paris, remember what I said about the weather. But I wouldn't take the risk of waiting to find a pretty one here, one you'd love enough to keep as a souvenir. You might need it on your very first day, so pack a compact one from home. And, btw, check the weather app I recommend for Paris each morning before you head out.
Planning a trip to Paris? I made an app for that.
