Hi All,

I'm going to Paris very soon and have a few questions for you!

1. I want to get a nice gift for my Mom for her birthday!!! Are Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Baccarat items really cheaper in Paris? Which other luxury brands are cheaper there?

2. Any suggestions for romantic things to do/see in Paris?

3. Any suggestions for unique souvenirs/little gifts for under 10 euros (for my coworkers)?

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

Hi,

For cheap gifts, I would suggest the gift shops of museums like the Louvre or D'Orsay. Even homeware stores like Resonances have little cool things, like chocolate or patisserie flavoured incense sticks. Kusmi tea is Russian tea that's made in France, you can go to the food level of Galeries Lafayette for that.

For easy romance, hit a cute bakery or patisserie, sit down with pastries and coffees! Walk along the Seine and over Pont Neuf. Grab ice creams at Berthillon. Somehow, even window shopping is romantic in Paris. Or maybe it's just me.

I did find out that there's a Matisse exhibition on at Musee du Luxembourg until mid-June. I'm gonna go while I'm there!

As for your mum's bday, a silk scarf from Hermes is timeless. Always a good bet!

Have fun!

a nice gift is also french perfume not found in the u.s. I always see Fannie at Catherines on Rue de Casteligioni right next to Hotel Lotti in the 1st arr. If you know what perfume your mom wears, Fannie can help you pick out something special. Also beware of the euro since it is high and the exchange rate is not so great.
Romantic-
On Sunday go to Place de Vosage and there are musicians playing in the square classical music. I go there every time that I am in Paris. Boat ride down the Seine, Eiffel Tower. Just walking and being with the one you love is romantic enough being in the most romantic cities.

Paris and scarves just go together. If your mom wears scarves and Hermes is a bit more than you want to pay, try Galerie Lafayette and Printemp. They have just acres of scarves at all price ranges and the selection is amazing. I bought scarves for myself at Galerie and one in particular was not so cheap but all were boxed beautifully and wrapped with ribbon while I was at the cashier paying for them. You can also specify that it's a gift and it will be beautifully wrapped. I got cheaper scarves for my neice at Primtemps and they just put them in a bag. I didn't ask that they be wrapped. I don't know if it had anything to do with the amount of money spent or just a difference between the two stores. Galerie also has kiosks out in front of the store that feature inexpensive items. You might find something there for you co-workers.

I agree to that you should look at the kiosks in front of Galleries - I purchased several long and wide scarves in pashmina and silk for 20 euros each. I wear one every day (I live in upper mid-west and it is still cold here) and have received many compliments. In fact, I wish I had purchased several more as gifts. Oh well, next year, I hope.

Occasionally, the souvenir shops offer something that rises way above the norm. (I still recall from the early '90s and wish I had bought, the "collapsing" wooden Eiffel tower; push the bottom and it tumbled. Do you remember that kind of thing from your youth?) Lately, the best offerings have been a "tray" refrigerator magnet, set with a petit dejeuner -- coffee, croissante, bread and a copy of the newspaper France Soir -- and a great Eiffel tower pillbox. Try the Vaissellerie, 80 boulevard Haussmann, in the 8th arrondissement, and good luck!

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for your suggestions! =)

A friend of mine just brought me back a small box of macarons from the historic Stohrer from the rue Montorgueil in the 2nd!

Like hopeless_nomad said, gifts from the museum shops are excellent. I brought back some lovely Klimt postcards for my love from the Louvre gift shop and a Monet calendar for my mother. They loved them.

For something even less expensive, my favorite souvenir shop, which is very inexpensive, is La Maison de Paris on rue de Montebello at #5. I wrote about it here if you'd like more info:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/fadf5/