Shopping Finds
Here are some ideas of unique souvenirs and great deals in Europe: flea markets, Italian leather, Venetian glass, Bavarian Christmas ornaments, Turkish carpets... So much shopping; so little time!
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great pottery and etching shop
Certaldo, Italy. We made an unscheduled stop in Certaldo and took the tram to the old town area. There, I discovered an artists's workshop with wonderful pottery and etchings. You buy directly from the artists at great savings. I saw the same products in Sienna for much higher prices.
Nora Cromley
Redmond, Or USA 04/11/2008
Memories from Ireland
If you're looking for woolens & are in Dingle, head to McKenna's, a corner store on Main Street. Wide selection of Irish-made sweaters for HALF the price you'll find anywhere else.
Louis Mulcahy's Pottery on Dingle Penninsula is breath-takingly beautiful. Much is quite expensive but many of the smaller items are in most people's budget.
Natalie
Oconomowoc, WI USA 04/08/2008
Cuckoo Clock
I really wanted to get a cuckoo clock while on our trip. And after checking prices in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, we found the best price in Fussen, Germany (the little town near Neuschwanstein Castle). It was in a souvenir shop off the pedestrian shopping area. We were shocked! (We thought maybe it was because it was March and before "high season", but the town was crawling with tourists!)
They did want 40 Euros to ship it, though...
Lauren <email>
Ft Walton Bch, FL USA 04/07/2008
Vintage shopping in London
On my first trip to London we stayed in Greenwich. Still central enough to get anywhere you want but just a bit quieter. Still expensive - until I stumbled accross a very neat vintage store and "splurged" on a fancy sheet dress from the 1960/70s for £ 5. One of my favourite souveniers ever ;-)
USA 03/29/2008
Caftans in Tangier
Djellaba/caftan in Tangier Beautiful custom made Moroccan clothes At the Place de France in the center of Tangier(where the cannons are), face the ocean and take the first pedestrian street to the right. Continue down the street to the Caftan D'Or on the right. The tailor willmeasure you and tell you how many meters you will need for your caftan. He also has many different examples of his embroidery trims available. Now do the REALLY Moroccan thing and go to the kissaria on Rue de Fes, one block up the hill from the Boulevard. There are many fabric shops on the street. Choose your fabric, bargain hard. Bring it to the tailor, and he will have your caftan ready for you in about 5 days. Really beautiful work. Ask Moroccan women for their advice about fabric, something they love to give.This is one of the pleasures of being a woman in Morocco.
Janice Williams <email>
Dudley, MA USA 03/06/2008
Shops in Galway
When in Galway I always check out Roches, Dunnes, Pennys, Fallars and Treasure Chest on Shop Street. I usually wait until the end of my trip for any shopping and can usually get everything I need from these local shops.
claregirl02 <email>
westminster, md USA 02/08/2008
Hallstatt shopping
I found great gifts for Christmas in Hallstatt. Alot of what I found in Europe was stuff I can get in the states. But in Hallstatt they had handicrafts and a bath accessories store. I got the cutest matching kitty cat flower pot holders (I shipped that back).
Tricia <email>
FL USA 01/21/2008
Irish Woolen Goods
Looking for great deals on Irish Woolen items skip the "big" chain and go off the beaten path. Foxford Woolen Mills in Foxford, Co Mayo had a lovely selection. Priced more reasonably. Even seconds that, for half the price, my daughter won't even know that the blanket she throws on the floor is a second.
Judith S. <email>
Cleveland, OH USA 10/16/2007
London Shopping
London - Primark Dept. Store. Found a cashmere sweater for 10 pounds ($20 U.S.) Not high end quality but for trendy stuff - can find good deals.
Deborah
Plymouth, MI USA 10/08/2007
Italy Purchase Planning
For anyone planing to visit Venice & Florence, Italy... make sure that you visit Florence first, if there's any way that you can. Simply because Florence has many of the same purses, clothing, accessories, & gift items as Venice, but much less expensive.
Otherwise, visit Venice first and buy much less... save your money for the more negotiable vendors and shops in Florence.
Happy travels!
Ben William Van Raden
Portland, OR USA 09/11/2007
Rome souvenirs
For low priced and unique Rome and Italian souvenirs, check out EuroCity in Rome (225 Via Cavour, near the Colosseum). It's like a Dollar store with everything in the store costing only a euro. We picked up some great Peroni beer glasses, Italian soccer star action figures, and a picture book. If you're backpacking, they also sell everything from detergent to toothbrushes.
Craig Cornwell
Lexington, KY USA 08/04/2007
Rothenburg Shop
There is a very reasonable shop across from St.Jakob's cathedral that has gifts at a lower price, they even took dollars and lowered some prices to make up for the exchange rate. It is called Jurgen Friese
Renee Kelly
Brandon, Fl USA 06/29/2007
Classical music in Europe
This isn't exactly a "shopping find" in the usual sense, but I can find no better place to post something that has mattered a lot to me. It's a real find to see how classical music is treated by most of the music stores in Europe.
Growing up in the U.S. and loving classical music as I do, I was (and am) always dismayed to see the genre shoved to the back of the store, or downstairs in the dank basement, or anywhere else the management doesn't care about. Classical here is treated as an afterthought--if it's treated at all. As a child I was picked on, laughed at, and even beat up for loving classical music when everyone around me loved Journey, Led Zep and AC/DC.
In Europe I found classical music in the front windows of most music stores. Department stores have whole classical sections--huge ones, too. And I mean *real* classical--Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Mahler, Shostakovich, Chopin, Bartok, Stravinky, Berg--not pop music made over as classical or "Greatest Hits" albums. Clerks are educated about the music, and the customers include everyone from gray-haired old ladies to young kids in designer jeans with backpacks. In some stores you can listen to anything--just break open the shrink wrap! Posters advertising concerts and musicians are all over, and conductors and solists are local heroes. How many Americans can name the conductor of their hometown orchestra, if indeed they have an orchestra in their hometown? Tell an American youngerster today that once upon a time the conductors of Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Chicago were as well-known as ball team stars and you get a look of non-comprehension.
I understand this is "their" music and will always be more popular in Europe. Still, it wouldn't hurt Americans to get a little more familiar with music beyond dinosaur revival bands and this year's American Idol winner. Europe brings a whole new perspective and makes us realize just how musically-provincial we are in the U.S.A.
John Grabowski
San Francisco, CA USA 06/17/2007
Best creams in Florence
Bought the most effectivee Calendula face moisturizing cream and 'ALMOND PASTE' hand cream in Florence. All of the jars are hand dated. It smells SO fresh of the natural ingreidents used (no overpowering perfume smell). My face and hands are so happy, they drink it up and leave no greasy residue whatsoever. Address is Via della Scala, 16, in Florence, name is Officina Profumo - Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. The door is not obvious, and this used to be a church or monastery. It's a 5 to 10 minute walk from the Florence TRAIN Station. They also have a wide selection of soaps& creams & perfume...
Melissa
San Francisco, CA USA 06/01/2007
Shopping in Charity Shops
In England we discovered "Charity Shops" that are thrift stores named various things depending on what charity they support such as OxFam, cancer research etc... Nice antique Fine bone china pieces for a few pence to a few pounds, books that are sold in museum shops, 100 year old prints of the english countryside framed and matted for 5 pounds and so forth.
Lyn Lewis <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 05/22/2007
A huge store in London right on picadilly called lilly whites has amazing deals for sporting goods
julie
USA 05/20/2007
Rome and purses!
We had a wonderful time in Rome. Look for a hotel, B and B ,or apartment in the Piazza Navona area, preferrably off of the Via Coronadi. Much quieter area than in the 'city' areas and Much more quaint and romantic! We woke to beautiful church bells each morning, not traffic noise. I love purses. In Rome, you will see some pretty good Prada copies for sale near the Vatican, on the sidewalks, displayed by the vendors--they are just 'here and there' and do not have shops. We found one man who bargained like crazy and I go two bags for a wonderful price--just be ready to walk away and look somewhere else! You should not purchse more than 3 of these to bring back into the USA though, as larger amounts could be considered for resale and you could have to pay a fine. I did not buy them as 'fakes', but as nice purses I will enjoy carrying!
JLeigh <email>
Houston, Texas USA 05/17/2007
Corkscrew gifts from Florence
We found some very nice Le Sommelier #25SH corkscrews at a small store in Florence. Name on their business card is "Mesticheria", Lucio Tondo. via Nationale, 65R. About 2 blocks from train station on same side of street. (very small storefront with odds and ends in the window. Almost like a hardware store). They were marked 11 euros but he agreed to 10 euros each for 4 pieces. Saw the same, exact one at a street vendor for 16 euros and they would not bargain. The handles are wood and they are very well made.
Wayne Hoffman <email>
Fairview Park, OH USA 04/10/2007
Mustard ??
At discount stores tubes of mustard are cheap & interesting in appearence and taste . I think make nice gift better then mailing post card that cost almost a dollar and half with postage. buy at end of trip not lite.
john Brangwin <email>
bellevue, Wa USA 03/27/2007
No Italian souvenirs in Milan
I returned from Italy a few days ago. We had a layover in Milan Malpensa International Airport . My boyfriend's son wanted an Italian flag so we searched allover the airport to find out that the only Italian-specific "souvenirs" they sell in that airport are Ferrari and Soccer items. Why?
We had to get him the flag back in New York in Little Italy.
Beth R. <email>
Brooklyn, NY USA 02/27/2007
Postcards
My fianc and I were in Europe this summer and have decided to make that wonderful experience part of our wedding. We were hoping to use postcards from the cities we've traveled to as our placecards. Does anyone know how I could get postcards from Interlakken, Florence, Cinque Terra, Paris, Monacco, Rome, Barcelona, London, Sicily, Naples, Sorrento (we were there for a month so we saw a lot!) Any suggestions would be such a huge help! Thank you!
Annie <email>
Baltimore, MD USA 01/23/2007
Shopping at Camden Market
Anyone traveling to London should definitely make a trip in Camden market. You can find pretty much anything from antiques, jewelry, funky clothes, accessories and a whole lot more. It is also great for people watching! After Westminister and Buckingham go and experience a very different side of London!
Ashley
utah USA 01/17/2007
Umbrella Heaven
Anyone visiting the UK, I highly recommend this. I bought a fantastic new type of fashion umbrella from "Umbrella Heaven" in Leighton Buzzard in the UK. (They also have a website and will ship here www.umbrellaheaven.com) This is the latest fashion craze in the UK. They have a unique and very distinctive shape and also have a new wind-resilience technology.
Roberta McAlinden <email>
New York, NY USA 01/08/2007