I am off to Rome on Friday and I am wondering if anyone could answer a few questions :
- How much can you bring back duty free ? Without paying ?
- Has anyone been to the Prada oulet near Florence ? I am staying in Rome and wondering if I can go directly from Rome to the small town ( Montevarchi ?) or do you need to go to Florence and back track to Montevarchi ...sorry sounds confussing . Also is this trip worth it ?
Thanks !

The amount that you can bring "back" duty free depends on where " back " is.

Hi Lola

For travelers returning to the US, you can bring in $400 worth of stuff, 1 bottle of wine and 1 bottle of spirits per person duty free.

Duty is about 10%.

Ira, please. Do your homework first.

Here's an excerpt from the U.S. Customs website:

"Your duty-free exemption is $800 if you are a returning U.S. resident and the items you acquired abroad accompany you. This duty-free exemption may include:
<sum> 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes. (Products of Cuban tobacco are prohibited entry into the United States unless the product was purchased in Cuba in accordance with Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulations [31 CFR 515.560]).
<sum> One liter of wine, beer, or liquor if you are at least 21 years old.

The duty-free exemption is $600 if you are returning directly from a Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act country. The exemption is $1,200 if returning from American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Articles imported in excess of your exemptions will be subject to duty. If your purchases and acquisitions exceed the allowable duty-free exemption plus $1,000, you must itemize in writing these purchases/acquisitions on the back of the declaration form. Sales slips, invoices, or other evidence of purchase will be helpful when you complete your Customs declaration.

If you are visiting the United States, your exemption is $100. Visitors are eligible, however, for the same duty-free exemptions just described regarding cigars, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. The prohibition on Cuban tobacco products applies to both visitors and returning U.S. residents."

Check the website for further details. Almost everything has changed this year.

It really IS informative to browse "that website" - - which was unnamed, in the post above... namely:

http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/travel

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks, Rex. I had to take a call and couldn't get to the website to copy and paste the url. I pulled that quote from my Word Document -U.S. Customs file. Plus, U.S. Customs is easy to Google and you know how I dislike lazy people.

You can either change in AREZZO for Montevarchi or go to Florence and backtrack. The Arezzo route is normally quicker (and cheaper) but it depends on your departure time from Rome.

For timetables see
www trenitalia.it

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi guys,

I apologize. As NYC says, I should have looked it up first.

Mea culpa.