So for each person on your list, be it the foodie or the hopeless lover of Paris, here are some suggestions for places to get inexpensive gifts.

Fashionista

The Marais has no shortage of vintage shops. Hop into the Vintage Désir on rue des Rosiers to rummage through the scarves, belts, or bags for under €10.  Other shops around the Centre Pompidou have all sorts of coats and accessories to explore with items as inexpensive as a few euros.  Mº St-Paul

Foodie

This might seem crazy, but for that special food connoisseur, head to Bon Marché’s Grand Epicerie, a veritable epicurean wonderland.  Normally people think everything in the store is overpriced, but there are cheapo options among the vast selection of locally-roasted coffees, condiments, hot chocolate, and holiday food if you look closely. No need for wrapping paper, either.  Just leave it in the shopping bag and you’ll be sure to impress. Mº Sèvres-Babylone

Inner child

Whimsical meets practical at Pylones, a design store that takes everyday items like ice cream scoops and dust pans and turns them into funky works of art. Take time to explore the whole store since every inch of counter space is filled with plenty of quirky and unique items. Bigger items can be a bit expensive, but most smaller items will still make you smile without spending too much. Check here for locations

Sweet tooth

For that insatiable sweet tooth, skip the chocolates and macarons and head to Epices Roellinger in the 2nd arrondissement.  The metal boxes of salted-butter caramels are only €5 and delicious.  Browse the shop’s spices and vanilla beans in case your sugar fiend likes to cook, too. 51 bis, rue Sainte Anne 75002

French fan

For that Francophile friend that has every possible Parisian item, check out one of the Fragonard shops for something unique but quintessentially French.  Perfumes, soaps, aprons, pillow cases, candles – they’ve got it all.  Consider the mini eau de toilette samples for guys and gals. It’ll cost less than Dior and it’s harder to find in the US. Check here for locations

Intellectual

For true intellectuals or that friend that adheres religious to geek chic, you can’t go wrong with an old fashioned paper book. Gibert Jeune by Place St-Michel has an amazing selection of travel and photo books that anyone will appreciate – even if they are in French. Used books and discount books are available throughout the store, so make sure you hit each floor. Mº St-Michel

Homebody

For someone who likes to stay home or just likes a well-decorated house, try Potiron for inexpensive but adorable home furnishings. Fun glassware, espresso sets, flatware, candles, and decorative boxes can all be bought for very reasonable prices. It’s like a Parisian version of Ikea with much cuter shopping bags. 57, rue des Petits Champs 75001

Can’t buy em anything?

If you have one of those friends who just can’t be bought for, fear not. The flea markets are a delightful alternative for inexpensive gifts from army surplus to decorative boxes and glassware. The weekend market at St-Ouen in the north of Paris is one of the biggest in Europe and is definitely worth a few hours of wandering. Even if they don’t appreciate the gift, you’ll have a great story to tell. Mº Porte de Clignancourt

Give us your suggestions

Who did I leave out, Cheapos? What other gifts can we get without going broke this holiday season? Tell us in our comments section.

The post Paris Gift Guide: Cheapo gift ideas for everyone on your list appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Step up to the Rue de la Paix

Charles Frederick Worth (the father of haute couture) was the first to open up shop, at 7 rue de la Paix. Others soon followed suit. Jacques Doucet (#21), Jeanne Paquin (#3), and Chanel’s mentor, Caroline Reboux (# 23) also kept in step by moving here. Schiaparelli started her business on the top attic floors of #4, before moving to the ground level and then finally to Place Vendôme. Sadly, by now most of these fashion houses have moved away, though some of their awnings, signs and plaques linger on.

Luckily, in Paris, when one door closes, another usually opens. Today, on the rue, you’ll find a whole new mix of shops. Among my favorites? The Repetto boutique at #22. (Take a peek at their towering cubbyholes stuffed with satin ballet slippers.) Thank Brigitte Bardot for asking founder Madame Rose Repetto to make a street shoe model of the classic ballet flat in 1956 during the filming of “And God Created Woman.” Rose obliged her with a sublime pair in red and the rest is history in the shaking.

And speaking of shaking, Harry’s New York Bar (at 5, Rue Daunou), once a treasured Hemingway haunt, was the birthplace of both the Bloody Mary and the Sidecar! George Gershwin sat here too, but at the piano . . . and composed the musical, “An American in Paris.” Cheapos, our love is here to stay!

Place Vendôme

Rue de la Paix spills into Place Vendôme. Schiaparelli “pitched her tent under the shadow of Napoléon’s column” at 21 Place Vendôme in 1935, opening one of the first prêt-à-porter boutiques! Although Schiaparelli’s shop closed decades ago, its awning still flaps above the sumptuous entryway. Her “Schiap Shop” resembled a giant gilded birdcage made of painted bamboo. A publicity maven, she sometimes launched her collections with circus performances in the middle of the square, complete with prancing elephants and daredevil tightrope walkers!

Pinching from Schiaparelli, “If the wind catches your hat and tantalizingly blows it farther and farther away, you must run quicker than the wind if you want to retrieve it!”

Fragonard Museum of Perfume in Paris

Getting there and one last sweet smelling thing…

The Métro Opéra main entrance will give you a panoramic view of the Opéra Garnier, and once there, the Fragonard Musée du Parfum is just a hop, skip and pirouette away at 9, rue Scribe. Sing a few praises to the Opéra, and then jeté across the street to the free fragrance museum. Here will you not only get an eyeful of their eclectic collection of vintage bottles, powder boxes and labels, but you’ll also learn how perfume is made in Grasse, the fragrance hubbub of the world. For more info, check out our post on this sweet smelling – and free! – musée.

Tips: Don’t miss the gift shop because it’s here where you’ll find exhibited several more of the museum gems. Look for my favorite: a candle-snuffer-shaped number called “Sleeping,” created by  Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938. Mad about Dada and Surrealism, “Schiap” frequently worked with artists like Jean Cocteau, Dali, and Man Ray. News Splash! The Fragonard shop is also full of affordable perfumes, soaps, and lotions, decked out in gorgeous boxes, all boasting French national monuments. Ooh, la la.

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The museum is housed in a gorgeous 19th-century townhouse that drips with romantic ornamentation. The house was built by Joseph Lesoufaché, a student of Garnier, for whom the nearby Opera Garnier was named. (When we say “nearby,” we mean it. The museum is less than half a block west of the opera!)

The Fragonard Museum provides free guided tours throughout the day. Learn how perfume has been made through the ages, and inspect the elaborate tools used in their production.

Just don’t be surprised if you’re inspired to buy some wares at the end of the tour!

Visiting Fragonard’s Perfume Museum

Le musee du parfum
9, rue Scribe
Metro: Opera
Tél: +33 (0) 1 47 42 04 56

The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM, Sundays and holidays, 9 AM to 5 PM.

For more details, visit the museum’s website.

Join us again tomorrow, as our “Grand Tour” continues in Prague.

The post Paris: Fragonard Perfume Museum offers free tours appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.