The problem in Paris is trying to escape the souvenir shops rather than finding them – especially around the major tourist landmarks. Around the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur prepare to be propositioned by the multitudes of merchants illegally selling miniature replicas for as little as €1 a piece. Remember that it’s very easy to bargain your way to a better deal.

Official boutiques line the rue de Rivoli, vending everything from tea towels, chocolates, mugs, scarves and posters all with various souvenir prints. Prices are reasonable (you can walk away with a Parisian memento for as little as €5) though quality can be questionable and the mark up considerable. You’ll find a similar range of tokens at both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and kiosks in the major train stations.

Museums are the best bet in regards to tracking down quality souvenirs. Commonly on offer are coffee table books, CDs, artist biographies and reproduction posters alongside the usual assortment of key rings and less useful paraphernalia. The Carrousel du Louvre at the Louvre offers an enormous selection in its various boutiques.

Perhaps surprisingly some of the more interesting mementos can be found in boutiques not typically considered souvenir shops: chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin creates miniature chocolate Eiffel Towers; a speciality boulangerie, Au Pain Bien Cuit on blvd Haussmann bakes Eiffel Tower-shaped baguettes which can be eaten or preserved; Hermes sells classic scarves and Galerie Lafayette has a new specialist souvenir space on the sixth-floor which it claims to be the largest dedicated souvenir store in Paris.

As for customs restrictions, these exist mainly in regards to produce and alcohol. Most nations outside the EU will not allow you entry with cheeses and items such as foie gras unless vacuum sealed (and some don’t permit them at all), while limits on alcohol also apply.