musttravel15

where can i find cheap and good shopping within Europe. Kindly suggest places i'll encounter in my below mentioned route. And even places that we would come across on our way from one city to another.
My travel Route:
Karachi to Milan (Plane)
Milan to Munich (Train)
Munich to Rust ( Car)
Rust to Paris (Car)
Paris to Interlaken (car)
Interlaken to Innsbruck( Car)
Innsbruck to salzburg ( Car)
Salzburg to Munich (Car)

tonfromleiden

I would keep my shopping to the last, in München. Germany is relatively cheap and in München you'll find anything, from the moderately cheap to the outrageously luxurious. I'm sure there will be websites to guide you.

nytraveler

Shopping is not really cheap in any of europe - the bargains they used to have on quality goods are long gone. Agree that Germany is less expensive than many other countries - but it all depends on what you want to buy.

Rather than low price it's better to look for unique items that you can't find at home - and accept that high quality is never cheap.

nytraveler

Caveat: This is from the American point of view. Most everything is cheaper here than in europe - often even goods from europe - since we have sales and discounts at all times.

Pegontheroad

I've met two young men who made trips to the US specifically for the purpose of buying clothing. One was from England, the other from South America--Brazil, I think. He had two large new suitcases, which he'd filled up with clothes he bought here in the US.

WeisserTee

What are you shopping for?

There actually is a lot of cheap shopping in Switzerland for books, kitchenalia, esp ceramics and glassware, framed artwork and other things for the home. All you have to do is visit the "brockis" (second-hand shops) in your area. Brockis in German-speaking Switzerland are a haven for finding unique dishware and ceramics from the late 19th century onward, including some hot mid-century modern items that cost a lot more in boutiques in the U.S. Many items are small and easily packed.

The best bets are the brockis run by charities like the Salvation Army (Heilsarmee). For example, you can get beer glasses from the various Swiss and other beer brands for about 1 franc each. Or nice "salt glazed" mugs etc for a few francs. Interesting ceramic pieces run from a few francs to about 30 francs. One of my favorite finds was a large, beautiful, hand decorated ceramic platter. It came from the famed Siebenthal cookware store in Gstaad (still had the Siebenthal label on it). At Siebenthal, it would have cost about 350 francs. I bought it at a brocki in Bern for 19 francs. I've also bought Baccarat wine glasses for a few francs each (the Nancy pattern; on eBay they run between $70 and $120 each) and a set of seven Lalique water glasses for a total of 21 francs.

If you're looking for new goods, like bags or shoes, try local brands not as well known in NA. Voi is a good, moderately priced German bag manufacturer. The German, Austrian and Swiss prices for Paul Green shoes are much, much less than what they are in the U.S. (I paid 130 francs for PG shoes that cost $300 at Nordstrom's). There is a designer discount mall near Salzburg. I don't know what that one is like, but I've shopped at lot at the Foxtown designer discount mall in Mendrisio, Switzerland, and scored some great buys -- Loro Piana scarves for less than half the Neiman Marcus price, for example. Ferragamo flats and wallets, and Fendi and Prada bags, ditto.

These are just some ideas, but you really need to give more info about what kind of shopping you have in mind.

Odin

Aside from some US brand clothes, shoes, US brand cosmetics and meals in restaurants, there is not much else that is cheaper in the US.

tomboy

As an example, I remember 2 years ago seeing in a store window in a French town: a pair of Levi jeans, for $80.
When NOT on sale in the USA, they'd have been $49. When on sale (which occurs about every month or two), they'd have cost $29.

But then, maybe things cost even more in Pakistan. So maybe that French town would be RELATIVELY cheap, by comparison.

pariswat

I bought stuff from Abercrombie & Fitch in the US Mall.
According to my wife, the stuff I bought for 1000 $ thre (during a sale) was about 2500 € worht at the time...).

Mvg.

Wine is cheaper in France.

Christina

yeah, wine is cheaper in France, for decent quality. French wine is especially cheaper there, and I like it.. Even if it were only clothes, shoes, meals, etc that's a lot of stuff. But in my experience, although not on shopping trips, lots of other things are cheaper in the US than the places I go in Europe. Just minor stuff you buy at places like Kmart, target, etc. in the US -- minor electronics or household goods, pharmacy items, etc. And even some French-brand cosmetics are cheaper in the US than in France. Not to mention all the other global/US brands of toiletries. But I presume the OP isn't going on major shopping expeditions in Europe for shampoo or deodorant. I bought some Dr Scholls foot products in Paris a couple months ago, and it was 10 euro in a pharmacy, and the exact same product was about US$8 back home in a pharmacy, for example. That company is owned by Bayer, which is a German company.

we get a lot of international travelers where I live, and it isn't uncommon I find them in malls buying lots of stuff, I remember one French couple remarking how cheap luggage was or something like that.

Some higher quality European brands are more expensive in the US, such as German-brand shoes or something like that. Labels like Mephisto are cheaper in Europe. Longchamps bags are, also. So I think those are the kinds of things it makes sense to buy abroad, luxury brands that are made in those countries.

PalenQ

Europe's typical VAT - Value-Added-Tax of up to 25% in some cases and 15-20% ordinarlily makes European goods more expensive than at home often even with the strong dollar.

bvlenci

I've seen Italians looking for bargains in Italian designer clothes at Century 21.

nochblad

PalenQ - if OP is from outside of the EU which seems to be the case then he can recover the VAT on those items he takes home.

For equivalent quality top level Italian wines are cheaper than French but I do not think that wines are an item on OP's shopping list - transport back to Pakistan and import restrictions?

It would really help to know what OP is after.

Also comparison with US prices is pretty futile considering where OP is from.

Cathinjoetown

Yes, there is VAT, but if you're a dedicated shopper from outside the EU, you can claw back about 70% of VAT. I used to consolidate as much shopping as possible in one store, Printemps in Paris, for example, make one stop at their tax office and get the VAT refunded, less a fairly stiff service fee.

I haven't done it in awhile so don't know what the current store minimum amount is to get refund--climbing toward 200€ I think.

nochblad

Cathinjoetown - many stores, outlets etc use a dedicated tax refund service which charges generally 30% of the amount of the VAT (hence your figure of 70%). The dirty secret is that these processing companies share part of the 30% with the store.

I have done a lot of tax free sales in the past and with certain stores I have been able to avoid the tax free agencies and have directly handled the reclaim thereby getting back 100%. The process is a little more complicated but worthwhile for a substantial purchase.

Gretchen

Aside from some US brand clothes, shoes, US brand cosmetics and meals in restaurants, there is not much else that is cheaper in the US.

Yeah, really? We were caught by a cold snap in Limoges one time and went shoppping for a sweater. In the department they were selling Hanes sweat shirts made in Winston Salem, NC. In fact the logo on the front of the purple sweat shirt was HANES with Winston Salem NC 27603 under it. Cost $75!!
We bought a GREAT looking sweater for $45 or so!!

Cheap is so relative--if it is worth it to the OP, then it is "reasonable". Whether it is cheap, who knows. Buy something you will enjoy. I think there are relatively few "cheap" bargains in Europe any more.

bvlenci

Jennifer has just joined Fodors and has spent her morning reviving very old topics with succinct comments like, "Really?", "Where?", and, "Spain is a very beatuiful city."

nochblad

bvlenci - I trust you have reported her to Fodors for evaluation as I have done.

mes2525

The U.S. is generally cheaper for clothing and shoes. In NYC there is no tax on any item under $100. Macy's, Century 21 Dept. Store, Lord & Taylor, etc., have discounts all the time and are full of foreign tourists leaving with big shopping bags. Italian shoes for example are usually cheaper in NY especially when we have our frequent sales.

I buy things in Europe but it tends to be jewelry in Greece, espadrilles in Spain, chocolates in Belgium, kilt in the UK, etc. (stuff that is hard to find in the US).

bvlenci

I thought maybe she was a teenager trying to practice her English, or her geography.