French chocolate: The best brands to buy in France and bring home with VAT refund savings

France has no shortage of delicious souvenirs, but chocolate may be one of the easiest to bring home. It fits neatly into a suitcase, makes an effortless gift and offers plenty of choice, from beautifully boxed creations by Parisian chocolatiers to simple bars made with exceptional cocoa.

The trick is choosing chocolate that will survive the journey — especially if you are visiting during the warmer months. And if you live outside the European Union, your chocolate shopping can also contribute to your VAT refund with Zapptax.

Here are some French chocolate names worth looking out for, plus a few tips to make sure your purchases arrive home in the same condition you bought them.

1. Choose the right French chocolate to bring home

If you are looking for a special gift, France’s renowned chocolatiers offer plenty of temptation.

Patrick Roger is a great choice when presentation matters. Known for his distinctive, artistic approach to chocolate, his boutiques are an experience in themselves. For travelling, however, chocolate bars or smaller assortments are generally easier to pack than the most elaborate creations.

For a classic Parisian gift, La Maison du Chocolat is difficult to beat. Its elegant assortments feature ganaches and pralinés and make beautiful presents — although delicate filled chocolates deserve a little extra care on the journey home.

Pierre Hermé is worth exploring if you enjoy more creative flavour combinations, with chocolates pairing cocoa with ingredients ranging from fruit to unexpected savoury notes.

Meanwhile, Jean-Paul Hévin is an excellent stop for chocolate lovers who want to explore a broad collection of chocolate bars alongside the maison’s other creations.

For something particularly easy to pack, look for bars from Valrhona or CLUIZEL. Both offer plenty for chocolate enthusiasts to discover, from different cocoa origins to a range of intensities and flavour profiles.

And you do not necessarily need to visit a luxury chocolatier. Gourmet food halls and larger supermarkets in France are also worth browsing for good chocolate at more accessible prices. Mixing one beautiful gift box with a selection of everyday bars is often the best of both worlds.

2. Pick chocolate that travels well

Not every chocolate is equally suited to a long journey.

If you are flying home, solid chocolate bars are generally the simplest option. They are compact, relatively sturdy and easy to protect inside your luggage.

Boxed assortments, ganaches and filled chocolates can travel well too, particularly during cooler months, but they require a little more care.

During warmer weather:

• buy your chocolate towards the end of your stay,
• keep it away from direct sunlight and hot cars,
• ask the chocolatier if insulated packaging is available,
• consider an insulated pouch for particularly delicate chocolates,
• pack boxes where they will not be crushed by heavier items.

If you are unsure, simply ask the chocolatier which products they recommend for travelling. After all, they know their chocolate best.

3. Turn several chocolate stops into one tax-free shopping trip

One of the pleasures of buying chocolate in France is that you do not have to choose just one shop.

You might pick up a gift box from one chocolatier, discover a few interesting bars somewhere else in Paris and buy more French favourites later during your trip.

With Zapptax, purchases from different shops in France can be combined towards the minimum amount required for your VAT refund. The current minimum is €100 across your combined purchases in France — it does not all have to be spent in one store. Find out more about the minimum purchase amount here.

So there is no need to spend €100 at a single chocolatier. Your chocolate purchases can contribute alongside other eligible shopping from your stay, whether you are also buying fashion, beauty products, souvenirs or gifts.

This makes tax-free shopping particularly useful for travellers who prefer discovering different boutiques rather than doing all their shopping in one place.

And if you would like an idea of what you could save before your trip, you can use the Zapptax VAT refund calculator. The exact refund depends on the VAT applied to each purchase and your total eligible spend.

One important point if chocolate is part of your tax-free claim: keep the goods you are claiming available until you have completed the customs process when leaving the EU.

Our advice? Buy one extra bar for the hotel room.

4. Claim your VAT refund with Zapptax

If you live outside the European Union, you are most probably eligible for tax-free shopping. Claiming your refund with Zapptax is simple.

When shopping in France:

• ask the retailer for an invoice with VAT made out to Zapptax, using the billing details available in the app,
• take a picture of your invoice and upload it to Zapptax,
• continue adding eligible purchases from different stores throughout your trip,
• your tax-free forms are then made available in the app,
• validate your tax-free forms with Customs when leaving the European Union,
• receive your VAT refund from Zapptax afterwards.

In France, Zapptax asks travellers to request an invoice billed to Zapptax rather than asking the retailer to issue its own tax-free form. You can find the full process in the Zapptax step-by-step guide.

Whether your suitcase contains an elegant box from a Parisian chocolatier or a collection of bars waiting for a tasting back home, Zapptax helps you make the most of your shopping in France.

Just remember one final rule: customs first, chocolate second.

Download the Zapptax app and make the most of your shopping in France.