France is the market of Europe -- a jumble of products, colors, crafts, and cutting-edge style. Though its retail reputation has grown through fashion and style, this is a country where shopping at the local produce market is a quasi-religious experience, where the dime stores are as much fun as the department stores (if not more), and where many of the best things in life can be found in a parapharmacie -- a newfangled concept that marries drugstore, health-care, and beauty products with a discount system.

Factory outlets are opening up droit and gauche. The old factories continue to sell wares straight from their hometowns (such as Limoges), and the new factories have opened boutique-like shops to hawk overruns.

Add to this a tradition of the finest antiques in the world (plus heaps of junk and what locals call brocante), and you have the makings of a spree even a nonshopper will love.

The Best Buys in France

Beauty Products -- Designer makeup at retail may be the same price in France as in the U.S. -- or even more expensive. But at a "duty-free" (non-airport variety) store or a discounter where you can qualify for dȳtaxe, you'll see anywhere from 20% to 45% melt off your bill. Paris offers the most duty-free stores and bigger discounts on name-brand goods, but any city with a tourist business, such as Nice, Cannes, Monaco, or Biarritz, has at least one discounter. If you know you'll be qualifying for dȳtaxe by spending 175€ ($228) or more, ask at each parfumerie you visit until you find one that has the selection you need and the dȳtaxe program.

Crafts -- The main faȹence (earthenware) cities are in the north, stretching from Rouen in the northeast to Quimper on the Atlantic coast. Moustier Ste-Marie in Provence is known for a type of faȹence with animals. You'll find tiles in the south; check out Salernes. Soap making is an art in the south, with soap makers dotting Marseille and Provence. L'Occitane, a Provenȱal brand, operates boutiques in Provence and Paris.

You'll find copper cooking pots in northern France, especially in the Normandy village of Villedieu-les-Poȴles, 35km (22 miles) south of St-LɄ, near Mont-St-Michel. Copper-lined cookware has been made here since the 1700s, and dozens of stores sell huge amounts of the stuff.

Northeastern France, near Strasbourg, is the home of Baccarat crystal, and Burgundy is known for its large hand-carved (and very heavy) furniture.

Fashion -- You can find knockoffs all over, at more than affordable prices, in the two major dime-store chains. Every major city has a Monoprix (owned by Galeries Lafayette), a Prisunic (owned by Au Printemps), or both.

If you can't leave France without buying something from HermȲs, the real news is that you may find better deals outside France; London has a better price structure (depending on the exchange rate). You'll qualify for a dȳtaxe refund if you buy a scarf, but you'll have to buy three ties or two ties and a pocket square to get a tax break.

Food -- You can bring cheeses into the United States that have aged more than 90 days -- that means hard, moldy cheeses, not soft, runny ones. No fresh fruit or vegetables are allowed. You'll be safer with mustard; Dijon brims with choices, but any French grocery store will have a large selection of the Maille brand.

You can buy chocolates in grocery stores, but if you want to know what everyone's raving about, save up a few euros and head to the chocolatiers in Lyon or Paris, preferably in the cooler months. You should consume handmade fresh chocolate within 3 days. In Paris, the big outlets are La Maison du Chocolat and Christian Constant.

Kitchenware -- Innovative kitchen appliances are promoted all over France, but their electricity requirements aren't compatible with North America's. However, the copper-lined casseroles and thick-walled roasters might last a lifetime once you recover from the shock of their prices. You can buy used copperware at almost any flea market. Copper polish is sold at markets as well. In Paris, hit rue Montmartre in the 2nd arrondissement (not in Montmartre) for a choice of kitchen and restaurant suppliers.

Perfume -- Note that French perfume lasts longer than the U.S. counterpart of the same scent (it's made with potato alcohol, not grain alcohol), and most new scents are launched in France before they come to the States. French perfume makers, especially the top-of-the-line designer names such as Chanel and Dior, are cracking down on the recent move toward discounting. Some stores will discount other brands and not these premium ones; some outlets will give a smaller discount on the big names.

If you don't qualify for dȳtaxe, you should be able to get a 20% discount in duty-free stores in Paris and in major cities. The airport offers a 13% discount. Don't buy American brands of fragrance in Europe, even at a duty-free shop -- they're more expensive than at home. If a store offers a 10% discount, ask what else you get -- the store may throw in free samples, a tote bag, or a promotional kit that the airport can't match.

Porcelain -- For delicate porcelains, head to Limoges (in the Limousin), where factory shops sell local wares and a few seconds. Note that factory shops are closed from noon to 2pm. In Limoges, look for Bernardaud and Raynaud; in Aixe-sur-Vienne, there's the Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges.

If driving to the provinces doesn't suit your itinerary, head for rue de Paradis in Paris, where you'll find suppliers with displays from all the big French factories. You'll eliminate any savings if you have to ship back to the U.S., but if you can carry a piece with you, you may save 20% to 25%.

Wine & Champagne -- Searching out unusual vintages from small vintners is great fun. Any wine outlet stocks an overwhelming selection from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, the RhɄne Valley, and Champagne. You'll find lots of sales outlets for exotic burgundies in and around Beaune, Brouilland, Montbard, and Gevrey-Chambertin, and any wine store in Dijon will be amply stocked. If bubbly is your thing, head for Epernay and Reims, where all sorts of champagnes are for sale at decent prices -- though they may be no cheaper than those in Paris or in the States, depending on promotions and the time of year.

While all the big maisons (stores) sell to visitors, they discount only a smidgen, and only for three or six bottles. Prices in the local hypermarchȳ (super-supermarket) or at the French wine-shop chain Nicolas may rival the maisons' prices.

Alsace, Provence, and the Bordeaux region retain thousands of cases of their local vintages for sale, at favorable prices. Bottles of unusual cognacs, often with labels scrawled in the shaky script of an old vintner, are for sale in out-of-the-way corners around southwestern France.

If after-dinner liqueurs are your thing, Calvados (the famous apple-based liqueur) is available throughout Normandy; Armagnac is a specialty around Auch, in Languedoc.

How to Get Your VAT Refund

French sales tax, or VAT (value-added tax), is 19.6%, but you can get most of that back if you spend 175€ ($228) or more at any participating retailer. You must be over 15 years old, and you must present a passport.

The name of the refund is dȳtaxe, meaning exactly what it says. You never really get the full 19.6% back, but you can come close.

After you spend the required minimum amount, ask for your dȳtaxe papers; fill out the forms before you arrive at the airport, and allow at least half an hour for standing in line. All refunds are processed at the final point of departure from the E.U., so if you're going to another E.U. country, you don't apply for the refund in France.

Mark the paperwork to request that your refund be applied to your credit card so you aren't stuck with a check in euros. Even if you made the purchase in cash, you can still get the refund on a credit card. This ensures the best rate of exchange. You can get cash in some airports, but if you don't take the cash in euros, you'll lose money on the transaction.

If you're considering a major purchase, ask the store policy before you get too involved -- or be willing to waive your right to the refund.

Shipping It Home

Shipping fees can double your cost on goods; you'll also pay U.S. duty on the items if they're valued at more than $50. The good news is that dȳtaxe is automatically applied to any item shipped to a U.S. destination -- no need to worry about the 175€ ($228) minimum. Some stores have a $100 minimum for shipping. You can also walk into any PT&T (post office) and mail home a small packet of goodies.