What to Bring from Paris — That isn’t a Beret or Eiffel Keychain

Paris doesn’t need a souvenir shop on every corner – the city itself feels like one. But if you’ve had enough of berets, Eiffel Tower trinkets, and overpriced tote bags, it’s time to dig a little deeper. The best souvenirs aren’t the ones gathering dust on a shelf – they’re the ones that bring you back to the moment: a taste, a scent, a texture, a story.

Here’s what’s worth making room for in your suitcase – small pieces of Paris that stay with you.

Discover with us:

🕯️ Scents to bring the city home

🍴 Everyday pieces for your kitchen

🍫 Chocolates and other small tastes of Paris

📚 A book to keep or give away

🎨 Art found by the river

🍷 A bottle to open later

---

Scents to bring the city home

Instead of a postcard, bring home the scent of the city. Choose a handmade candle that reminds you of where you wandered – rain on cobblestones, a warm café at dusk, or flowers from a neighborhood market. Light it later, and Paris comes back to you in a flicker.

Souvenir that lingers long after your flight home

Everyday pieces for your kitchen

Every French kitchen has a few essentials – a sturdy linen towel, a wooden spoon that’s been used for years, a small copper pan. Find something simple and useful, the kind of thing that makes even your weekday breakfast feel a little more French. It doesn’t need a logo or label to hold meaning. It just needs to be used.

Your kitchen deserves a little Paris too

Chocolates and other small tastes of Paris

Chocolate, jam, honey from a weekend market, or even a packet of tea – small things that taste like the city. They won’t last long, but maybe that’s the point. Sharing them with friends is like sharing a story: “I found this in Paris.” And when the last piece is gone, you’ll still remember where it came from.

Some memories are best eaten, not photographed

 A book to keep or give away

Walk into any Paris bookshop – even if you don’t understand the language – and you’ll feel it. The stillness, the dust, the sense that stories matter here. Choose a book that catches your eye. It might be something you read, or just something you keep for its cover and the date you wrote inside. Later, when you flip through it, you’ll remember that day: the rain outside, the smell of paper, the sound of the doorbell as you left.

Traces of other hands, other travels

Art found by the river

Street artists still line the Seine, sketching familiar scenes – bridges, balconies, and cafés that never really change. Take a moment to look through their work and find one that feels personal. Maybe it’s the way the light hits the river, or how a quiet street reminds you of your morning walk. A hand-drawn print is easy to carry, but it holds more than an image.

A quiet corner of the city, caught in pencil and air

A bottle to open later

Paris teaches you to slow down. To sit longer at the table. To talk while the glass stays half full. If you bring a bottle of wine or liqueur home, let it be one you discovered without planning – something you tried because someone poured it for you with a smile. Open it later when the night feels right, and you’ll remember the warmth of that moment.

Something to share on a slow evening at home

If this piece made you crave a croissant and a walk along the Seine, you’re in good company.

Paris has a way of staying with you, whispering reminders of everything simple and beautiful.

For more ways to experience France beyond the postcard, explore our blog – filled with local tips, walking tours, and guides that help you see the country like a true traveler, not just a visitor.

Keep wandering with us at @thewalkingparrot – discovering the stories, tastes, and corners that make Europe unforgettable.