I (and my husband) are another set of non-shoppers. We don't much like it in the U.S., and a lot of the stuff, you can find in the U.S. as well. And I'd rather spend my time looking at art or drinking wine at an outdoor cafe.<BR><BR>When in Paris last year, I wanted to buy some playclothes for my young daughter &amp; son (but not spend much time or money doing so). In the two places I looked, many of the clothes were manufactured elsewhere (including the U.S.). Everything I found for my son either looked exactly like what you'd see in the states, or had printing in English on it!<BR><BR>Stuff that I do buy: 1 Christmas ornament. Placemats - the tacky plastic ones with pictures - the kids LOVE them, they're cheap and easy to transport. And normal everyday stuff, but foreign brands - shampoo, soap, notebook paper.<BR>

We 'shop' at the street markets or flea markets for fun things to use at home, but usually we schedule such an activity only once or twice per weekly visit. I don't do 'high-end' shopping at home or while traveling, not in the budget.<BR>Some fun things we bought for ourselves;<BR>- a bell hanging from an Dutch canalhouse that I use at the back door to 'call' my husband inside<BR>- one of those 'ding-a-ling' bells on our bicycles (sounds like Amsterdam every time we go riding)<BR>- &quot;tapestry&quot; pillow covers from Paris that I fill at home and now have a collection on the sofa<BR>- French eggcups that I give my friend for her collection<BR>I might pick up some soaps, notecards or something light or flat that easily stores in the suitcase, to give at Christmas, but I don't shop from a list or take requests from other people.

hi Keila, Join the club! I hate to shop at home (for anything and everything) and I certainly don't on vacation...<BR><BR>OK perhaps a few tacky souveniers, postcards, or an emergency (like when it was an unexpected 98 degreesF in Switzerland last summer and I needed a pair of shorts!).

I love to shop around in other countries but find it really hard to decide what to buy...I usually end up spending a good part of my trip looking for gifts for my family, and never end up buying myself anything...I usually later regret that i came home with next to nothing for myself, but I have started buying silver jewelry and i really like it...The odd time I find a unique sovernier that I just can't resist, but alot of things end up in the garage sale box.....My husband collects unique masks to hang on the wall...We love to travel and by the time we pay for the trip, we don't have alot of money left for shopping!! Having said all of that, I still love shopping abroad....It sometimes turns out to be a cultural experience!!

I went to London, and bought nothing. I am going to Rome, Venice and Florence and don't plan on buying anything. I've never seen bargains or even anything unique...why spend my time shopping instead of sight seeing.

This post brings back such fond memories. I can remember going to Farmacia Santa Maria Novella in Florence two years ago and spending $500 on bath products in 20 minutes. On that same trip I bought a $1500 Ferragamo coat for only $450, plus tax refund. You can find bargains if you try.

My wife and I like to look in the shops that sell &quot;knobs and knockers&quot;, lighting fixtures, kitchen utensils and bathroom fixtures. We consider it a cultural experience and occasionally we buy something. Last year it was a nutmeg shaver in Paris (the soups taste so much better) and a few years ago a pot rack in Copenhagen at Den Permanente (the VAT savings paid for the shipping).<BR><BR>We've also collected posters (the first from a 1958 exhibition of modern art in Paris) and the most recent last week at the London Transport Museum. We have a collection of roof boss replicas from cathedrals we've visited in England (added Worcester this month). We've also accumulated a number of William Nicholson prints from the 1890s and a few limited edition lithographs in our travels. Every day these treasures brighten our lives.<BR><BR>Other than tee shirts, the only item of clothing we can recall buying was a mantilla in Barcelona.<BR><BR>

Nope I absolutely HATE to shop overseas... I usually get a lovely color guidebook from each historic sight visited.. but thats it!!! I can't stand packing my bags with junk... and after years of lugging useless souveniers home for friends who had no where to put them.. I stopped even doing that. I choose to spend my money doing things, and having nice meals... I certainly don't relish wandering around shops! Which is not to say that others do not share this opinion.. Shopping is fine.. but truthfully, when people start asking, where is the best place to buy.&quot;such and such&quot; my eyes glaze over... couldn't care less.. but to each their own.

How nice to see a gathering of NON-Shoppers. I never buy anything except postcards and an occasional guide book.

I am primarily a backpacker and only buy post cards. And if I was a traditional traveler I still would not buy anything to bring home.

$500 on bath products is a bargain?<BR>I will admit to dropping a lot of money in Lush, but never $500 worth.

I always shop on vacation, but only on things I can't buy in the US or things that are cheaper outside the US. I just came back from London on 3/30 and I brought back:<BR>5 British Magazines<BR>Nestle Flakes candy bars (can't buy in the US)<BR>Rolo biscuits (can't buy in the US)<BR>Locket cough drops (can't buy in the US and my sister swears they are better than Halls)<BR>4 cannisters of Whittard of Chelsea teas (can buy in the US through mail order, but they are not fresh)<BR>Twining Lemon tea (hard to find the lemon tea in the US)<BR>Souvenirs for the kids at my son's daycare<BR>Lush bath products (the only Lush store in the US just opened in San Fran and I live in NJ)<BR>...oh and 4 McDonald's apple pies for my sister. They still fry the apple pies in European McDonald's and my sister insist they taste better than the baked ones served in the US!!

Wow Erin! How do you get those Cadbury's flakes back to the US in one piece?! They are soooo crumbly! (mmmmm, now I fancy some choc!) :O)

Angeleno, you obviously don't know how much the products of Farmacia SMN are marked up outside of Italy. If I bought those same products on Walton St., London, or Lafco, NYC, it would have cost 3 times as much.

Keila, are you still around? Have you shopped on your travels? :)<BR><BR>I am with Patrick on this. I loathe shopping, but, then, like Patrick, I do it for a living. :) <BR><BR>It is fun to find an original oil painting or ceramic, however, and I have lots of those. But, to browse department stores...just doesn't trip my trigger. <BR><BR>BUT! The exception was made while in China a couple of weeks ago! WooHoo, talk about finds! I bought more than a dozen sets of pearls for friends, great knockoff Gucci bags, and silks, and tea sets...well, you get the picture. It was fun, chaotic, and really a fun experience. It's delightful to give these presents to friends and family now that I am back home. <BR><BR>I look at this as a rare experience, however... :) <BR><BR>Anyone else?

Some time ago a poster on this board suggested pencils as a good souveneir. Now the only things I really look for are pencils and postcards. They are cheap and available everywhere. I've enjoyed them more than the useless knick knacks I used to buy. Shopping is not my thing on vacations to anywhere.

We are not shoppers either (well, I could kind of be, but it's pretty much a quick in and out when your husband won't even go in the door, and instead stands outside the door waiting for you). We like to visit the more rural areas and smaller towns so we always end up renting a car. Each trip we always make it a point to stop at one of the mega sized grocery stores set on the ourskirts of towns. We always spend an hour or two browsing the aisles for different foodstuffs particular to the country we are visiting. It is always fun to find various small jars and tins of things to bring home, and they're akways at a much cheaper price than you can find such things in the US. It is amazing to see the different types of items available. We also always stock up on snacks for the trip while in these stores.

I have been away from this board for a long time and laughed when I saw the title of this thread.<BR><BR>I have had trips when I have purchased nothing and then there was that trip to Italy about 7 years ago that was, well, sort of centered on shopping.<BR><BR>I do not go to Europe to shop, but, then, hate impulse shopping in the US as well. If I go to a Mall, I get what I came for and leave before I waste money on things I don't really need. Sometimes, I just run into things that I decide to purchase, but I really go to Europe for the historical sites, museums, and entertainment I cannot get at home.<BR><BR>There is no wrong and right way to take a European trip. One thing I will tell you: If someone asks me to buy something for them, I tell them straight out that I am going on vacation for myself and not to run around buying specific items for friends. Having said that, if I run into the item with no inconvenience to my itinerary (as in I see it in a shop window passing by on the way to a museum), I will pick it up. And, I never ask people to buy anything for me--except that my daughter (who lives in Europe) may be asked to purchase eye medication I use in France (much cheaper). I just do not want to bother people. After all, they are going to Europe on vacation.