What to buy a Francophile for Christmas

If you're looking for a present with a certain 'Je ne sais quoi' but you're finding yourself thinking 'Je ne sais pas', fear not. We've put together some ideas from our own wish lists to inspire your French-themed gifts this year...

For the wannabe Parisian

• Nothing beats the romance-factor of a real-life trip to the capital, with Eurostar tickets from £69. Gift apps for smartphones, such as the Lonely Planet guide to Paris, make nifty additions.
• Throw in some background reading to help them get excited about their trip. Paris City Lit is a collection of extracts from classics like Proust and Hugo, along with contemporary Francophile Brits Joanne Harris and Julian Barnes, and popular young writer Faïza Guène. Paris Revealed is a humorous look at the reality behind the clichés by bestselling author of 'A Year in the Merde', Stephen Clarke.
• Good holiday reads (or armchair travels) include Claude Izner's detective series set in late nineteenth century Paris. We also like American writer Cara Black's modern-day crime series based around locations in the city.

For the culture vulture

• This year's crop of French films on DVD includes Audrey Tautou in Beautiful Lies, animation The Illusionist (from the director of Belleville Rendez-vous) and our favourite, comedy of the sexes Potiche, starring icons of French cinema, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.
• Membership of the Institut Français costs from £45 including two free cinema tickets and concessionary rates for events. Tickets for wine tastings at the Institute can be bought as gifts, starting from £30.
• Your Francophile friend may have read the complete works of Balzac, but what about current French bestsellers? Guillaume Musso has sold more than 11 million books worldwide and his latest romantic thriller, The Girl on Paper, has just been translated into English.
• A signed special edition of Muriel Barbery's bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog makes a decidedly elegant gift for just £12.99.
• The Culture Trip website groups books and films by country. They've put together 'travel bags' with themed selections such as 'Outsiders in Paris' or 'France: a Regional Outlook'. 

For the gourmand

• We love these retro Camembert plates - £25 from John Lewis.
• This clock and bee-motifed carafe from culturevulturedirect.co.uk recreate the old-fashioned bistro feel.
• Every serious French foodie needs a weighty reference tome on their shelf: Larousse Gastronomique is comprehensive. Larousse also produce an equally definitive wine guide.
• For a British Michelin-starred restaurant take on French dishes, try the new Galvin Cookbook de Luxe.

What would you buy for the France-lover in your life?