Recently been to France? I need your eyes..

regina, my dad ( born and rasied in Paris) ,, who is now 74 , but still returns to Paris once every few years or so ( trips are getting farther apart) , still brings back to Canada, the one thing he has yet to find here that is as good as it is " at home" ( Paris). Beleive it or not, it is a dried up smelly , but yummy saucisson.. there is nothng like it here.
He also likes that Mont St Michel Cologne you can get at Monoprix, or is it Franoprix he still dumps it in his bath on occaison,, LOL

No idea what you son is interested in. If he's sort of into recycling and the environment, get some Monoprix shopping sacks. Useful, lightweight.

Does he like cars ? French auto magazine subsciption or a t shirt or whatever with LeMans or Formula 1 race imprint. ( maybe from Renault or Peugot store in Paris) or one of the other race themed things. They have gobs of guy things in those shops.

Music- I'm sure there are French bands or singers that you dont typically find here in the US. If you know what he listens to...

Unfortunately you can't send him a real French Boulangerie, now THAT would be a truly useful gift !

You could ask your son if there is any food he likes that he can't get in the States. For Americans abroad that missing item is often peanut butter. Sealed cheeses are supposedly allowed into the USA.

On my recent return from France I brought home several pounds of French chocolate and (10) French pop music CD's.

(Neither of these are available in US)

What I really liked when I first moved to Germany was getting the hometown paper and I also had a subscription to Ohio magazine and to Columbus magazine. I loved reading those as it kept me up to date on everything. If you have a Paris mag, get him a subscription or at the minimum buy him some or some daily papers. Treats are always good, maybe you have something in cans which are usually allowed in, except for those pesky meat products. Otherwise pate' would be good.

My friends smuggled some saucisson for a French friend living in the U.S. It was the one thing he requested but I really don't think it is actually legal to bring this in. I could be wrong. I do love the saucisson you can get at the markets in Provence.

My next door neighbors just hired a beautiful 19-year-old Parisian girl as an au pair. I think if you sent him one of those, he'd be very happy!!!! :)

How about Vahlrona Chocolates?

Cookies. European cookies are wonderful. I just returned from Alsae Lorraine and my gifts to many were store packaged cookies. Most of them we cannot get here in California. cinnamon, butter types etc are wonderful and easily purchased and allowed by inspections.

our "exchange students" really liked getting candy (chocolate bars) from home and also home movies (CD) of family just being themselves at home or at family events--nothing special! Also bread is not the same in the US and was missed.

Poilâne - if he likes this bread. I have taken an entire rond back home. Mom froze it in sections and ate it for several months.

Thanks Bill (Raleigh), I never would have thought of the Monoprix shopping bags, but with everything going green and with disposable plastic shopping bags becoming increasingly "unpopular" or in the case of SF, illegal, I think they would make an excellent gift and make a statement at the same time.

I do admit to also smuggling some saucisson back into the country...but that was before they started using dogs to check all bags in the SF international terminal reception area.

After living in France and returning to the United States, we missed the following
French items: fromage blanc, baguettes, any French pastry, raw ham, fresh air, nice and helpful French people. onion soup, tea towels that pictured storks, crepe makers with the flat pan and the wooden "T" stick, large continental sized forks ....... I could go on and on. We really wish we could move back to France. It was wonderful and we miss it!