Are you looking for unique French gifts for French lovers? And did you struggle to think of cool presents beyond French cheese, wine, and baguettes?
Then you came to the right place!
I mean, there is nothing wrong with wine or cheese gifts for France lovers. I am pretty sure that a delicious French cheese will satisfy any Francophile. But if you want to find more original French-themed gifts. If you want French-inspired gifts beyond brie, check out the next 25 ideas I gathered for that friend or relative, who never shuts up about France.
Are you short on time? Check out the editor’s top three French gifts by budget.
- Large budget: French petanque game set (#1)
- Mid budget: France scratch map (#16)
- Small budget: Fun book about French people (#25)
Table of Contents
Fun fact about France lovers
Did you know that there is actually a word for people who love France?
Yeah, they are called Francophiles!
I had no idea that this was even a word, but apparently, these French-themed gifts are made for francophiles.
Save these French gift ideas
Don’t forget to save these gifts for France lovers on Pinterest, so you’ll know where to find inspiration for gifts next year!
The absolute best gift for France lovers
before we get into the real list (with affordable French-inspired gifts). Let’s start with what’s the actual best French gift ideas.
A trip to France!
If you can afford it, head over to Skyscanner and book a flight and hotel straight away. Or if the recipient already has a flight booked to France, check out Viator and find fun tours in France, for example, a food tour in Paris.
Alternatively, you could also let the recipient decide and go for a Global Experiences gift card which allows them to choose from Viator activities around the world.
Unique French gifts for large budgets
#1 Metal petanque game set
Boules or pétanque is one of the most popular games played around France. So I am sure your Francophile has also heard of it, and perhaps even played it him or herself.
How awesome would it be if they can actually start practicing the game at home? So next time when they visit France, they will amaze all the locals with their game skills.
Oh in case you have no ideas what pétanque is, a short explanation. It’s a game with heavy metal balls (see image), and you have to throw them as close as possible to a smaller white ball.
You need two balls per person, so with this boule set, four players can join.
#2 French cheese
I know I said forget the brie. But come on, can you really ever forget cheese?
I guess I’m a bit biased since I am a huge cheese lover, but I’m pretty sure that any French lover, will also love this cheese assortment (assuming they love cheese).
It includes four different kinds of French cheeses; including goat and blue cheese.
#3 DIY French Madeleine cookies
Madeleine cookies are delicious spongy cookies from France. They were especially popular in the royal court back in the 18th century. And with this DIY kit, the recipient can make these historical cookies at home.
The only things they need to add are eggs and butter, the rest is included in this kit.
For more fun DIY food kits, check out these 25 international-themed kits.
#4 French perfume
I’ll admit, perfume may not be one of the most original French gift ideas, but still, who doesn’t love a good perfume?
And why not pick one of the beautiful French brands for a true Francophile?
Obviously, perfume is usually a bit more of an expensive gift, but it’s one that always works (unless you pick a perfume that they don’t like, but let’s assume you won’t).
Some French brands you can think of are:
#5 A cheeseboard
This is one of the best French gift ideas for cheese lovers if you want to avoid having smelly cheese at your home.
Imagine wrapping a yummy blue cheese and placing it under the Christmas tree! Now that would be a smelly French Christmas gift.
Anyway, back to the cheeseboard.
You can find rather luxurious ones such as the one in the photo, but if you want to keep it smaller, check out these cheaper options. Alternatively, you could get a personalized cheese board on Uncommon Goods.
#6 French food gifts: a crepe maker
If they can’t travel to France, why not bring France to them?
This is why this crepe maker is such as great French-themed gift for foodies.
This crepe maker even comes with a recipe book, so they can try them all out!
In case the person you are getting this French gift for already has a crepe maker, you could also just go for a crepe recipe book.
#7 A French language course (or book)
French is the language of love (or so they say), so what a loving gift it is to give someone access to a French language course.
Perhaps online on Udemy, or you could simply get a French-language book from Amazon to get them started.
Or check out these awesome gifts for language learners.
#8 French food basket
Are you looking for gifts for French lovers who miss the food?
Then this food basket with typical French items and food is the perfect solution!
Unique French gifts for mid-budget
#9 French champagne glasses
A true Francophile enjoys his French drinks in a glass that matches the drink. So if you want to get great gifts for French lovers, get them champagne flutes!
However, if you want to give a truly personal touch to this gift, you can also order engraved champagne glasses from Personalization Mall, it’s a great gift for newlyweds too.
#10 French beret
Whether all French people actually walk around with a beret or not doesn’t matter for the fact that it is a classic French gift idea. You can find berets on Amazon in all price ranges.
But if you want to go the real French way, you may want to get your friend (or whoever you are getting this gift for) a more classic (read more expensive) beret, such as the ones from Laulhere.
#11 French-themed passport cover
This is one of the best French gifts for people who travel a lot; a passport cover in France style.
There are over 500 different designs on Zazzle, or you could go for this vintage one for people who love Paris.
#12 Crème Brulee burner
I do realize that a lot of the French gifts on this list are related to food, but let’s be honest.
Isn’t that why most people love France in the first place?
Because they have amazing food.
I am just going to assume that the Francophile you are getting this gift for, also loves France for the food and drinks. And if that’s the case, this crème brulee burner is another perfect French-inspired gift!
And they can actually use it for other food too, such as roasting veggies, searing steak, glazing ham, and a lot more.
#13 French-themed tumbler
This is one of the best French-themed gifts for coffee lovers; tumblers with a French design.
You can find nearly 3500 different options on Zazzle, or go for this funny one with “Oui, oui, baguette.”
#14 Funny French gifts: shirts with captions
Shirts come in all types, prices, and styles. So I guarantee you will be able to find the perfect gift for French-loving friends here.
My favorite was the “I speak French fries” shirt, but you can check out Etsy for all sorts of shirts.
#15 Travel guides
Lonely Planet: France
This is the best gift for someone who going to France soon and who travels on a budget! With this guidebook, they will be able to make the most out of their trip and stay within budget.
The most beautiful villages of France: Discover 159 charming destinations
Of course, any France lover knows their sh*t about France, but perhaps not everything, You could find a guidebook of an area they haven’t covered yet, such as this one with all the cute French villages.
Fodor’s Essential France
Fodor’s guidebooks are great for all types of travelers and therefore this would be the safest option if you are not sure what kind of traveler the recipient is.
#16 Scratch-off map of France
A map is always a cool item to hang on the wall. Especially, if it’s a scratch map from your favorite country. So if you are looking for gifts for France lovers or someone going to France soon, this map is a great idea!
#17 French wine map
If you are looking for French-themed gifts for a wine lover, a regular map might not be interesting enough.
And well, they probably already tried plenty of French wine. Plus, giving French wine is not really one of the most original idea.
So a better alternative is this wine map that shows all the wine regions in France.
#18 French city maps
Alright, this is the last map on the awesome French gift list. But I just couldn’t resist all these cool maps.
If you are getting a gift for someone who loves a specific French city, then this is the perfect gift.
Obviously, Paris is the most common map you can find, but there are other options too.
For example
#19 French beauty books
Now, this is a great gift for your beauty Francophile. The French Beauty Solution is a book full of French secrets to looking and feeling beautiful.
#20 French gifts: beauty sets
Another great French gift idea for a beauty lover is this gift set by La Chatelaine.
But you can find gift sets of all kinds and from any French brand.
Famous French beauty brands include the ones I mentioned earlier when we talked about perfume. But here is a list of other French brands you could get cool beauty gifts from.
French gifts for small budgets
#21 French drinking book
This book is one of the best French-themed gifts for people who enjoy a drink every once in a while.
This book will teach them how to make delicious French drinks themselves. And if you’re lucky, the recipient might even share these drinks with you.
#22 French cookbooks
The ultimate French cookbook: 111 dishes from France to cook right now
Cookbooks make great gifts for French lovers. Plus it will hopefully bring some great French food to you too. Obviously, there are plenty of French cookbooks, so you can find one within any price range. This one, for example, is great for small budgets.
My Paris kitchen: recipes and stories
This is the best cookbook for someone who is obsessed with Paris.
Mastering the art of French cooking
If you really want to give a gift that helps them master the art of French cooking, then Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a must.
#23 French-themed travel journals
Diaries, notebooks, and travel journals are great gifts for someone going to France soon, especially if they have a French theme, such as this Ultimate France Travel Planner + Journal.
Check out these 25 travel journals if you are looking for awesome journals which work for any country.
#24 French picture dictionary coloring book
This is one of the best gifts for France lovers who are learning French.
It’s a picture dictionary which is a visual way for them to learn new words. But because they can also color these pictures, they will remember the French words even better.
#25 Funny French book
I will finish off this list of French-themed gifts with one last funny book. I guarantee that even if you would buy this gift for someone who doesn’t love France, they will love it. It’s a book called “Sixty million Frenchmen can’t be wrong: why we love France, but not the French”.
Basically, the book answers the question:
Why are the French like that?
And it’s a must for all French lovers.
Save these unique French gifts ideas
Did you save these French gifts to Pinterest yet?
Final note on the French gifts
Alrighty, that was my list of French gift ideas. Let me know which gift you picked and how they liked it!
And remember, do you need help finding the perfect gift, feel free to shoot me a message and we can brainstorm together, as two heads are better than one!
Also, check out the editor’s top three if you need more inspiration.
- Large budget: French petanque game set (#1)
- Mid budget: France scratch map (#16)
- Small budget: Fun book about French people (#25)
