Shopping in France
A guide to French retail therapy: shopping, VAT, haggling, customs, and souvenir-buying in France
Whether you view a trip to Europe as just one long shopping trip or merely want to pick up a few souvenirs and the occasional hand-crafted product on your adventure, I've got some good tips and resources for you.
Whatever your shopping style or inclinations, this section will fill you in on what you need to know to be a smart shopper in France, from best buys and size charts to VAT refunds, customs concerns, duty-free shopping, and haggling hints.
Top shopping tips for a trip to France to help you bring home the best gifts and souvenirs from your French travels at the best price
I'm a size what? European clothing sizes measures and shoe sizes and how to convert American clothes sizes to European (and British) ones
VAT & tax refunds links
- Globalblue.com - Tax-free shopping
- Premiertaxfree.com - Tax-free shopping
- Taxfreeworldwide.com - Tax-free shopping
- Dfnionline.com - More than you ever wanted to about the world of duty-free—though this is a totally pro-Duty Free site, so take everything with a grain of salt.
- Moodiedavittreport.com - Another site devoted to the world of duty-free— and, again, very pro-Duty Free, so take everything with a grain of salt.
Customs & import limits links
- Cbp.gov - Everything the American traveler needs to know about what you are allowed to bring back into the U.S. and how much you can bring in tax-free.
- Travel.gc.ca - Everything the Canadian traveler needs to know about what you are allowed to bring back into Canada how much you can bring in tax-free.
- Gov.uk - Everything the British traveler needs to know about what you are allowed to bring back into the United Kingdom how much you can bring in tax-free—both from within the E.U. and outside the E.U.
- Smartraveller.gov.au - Includes links to the various agencies that control what you can and cannot bring (and how much of it) into Australia upon your return.
- Customs.govt.nz - Everything the Kiwi traveler needs to know about what you are allowed to bring back in New Zealand and how much you can bring in tax-free.