Just curious - I'm in France now, where the shops in the smaller towns (not Paris) seem to all close from noon - 2pm (and all day Mondays); I know it's the same in many towns in Spain & Italy - but it is the same in the northern countries? ie, Germany, Sweden, etc?
thanks....

This doesn't answer the question, just wanted to agree. Recently we were in a town in Northern Spain, Sant Sadurni d'anois, 45 minutes by train from Barcelona. After our cava tour at Codorniu we thought we might like to have a late lunch in town. Everything was closed from 2-5. The city was interesting and we would have really enjoyed staying there for the afternoon, but we ended up on the train back to Barcelona where pretty much everything remains open.

In Germany, afternoon closing is dying out, esp in towns and cities. In villages, you still find smaller shops closing at lunchtime.

I will be interested in the answers you receive.

Early closings one afternoon a week were universal in English towns when I was young and extremely common in the American South until the advent of Big Box stores along bypasses. Doctors and dentists traditionally took off Wednesday afternoons to play golf. Sadly, we are less civilized now.

Many shops in the Netherlands are still closed on a Monday morning, especially in smaller towns and villages. Cycle shops traditionally close on Wednesday afternoon.
Shops used to close for lunch, but it is less common now.
By law, away from the major tourist areas shops are still closed most Sundays, though that is due to change with the new government. It doesn't mean shops will open though - much of the Netherlands is very religious and respects Sunday as a day of rest.
Cities have a "koopavond" (late night opening) on Thursdays. Towns have one on Fridays. Shops sometimes close for an hour or so for dinner on those evenings.

Actually, the midday closings have shifted in provincial France in my experience (but it may just be a regional variation). I have found that most places (even things like Monoprix) tend to close from 1pm to 3pm rather than noon to 2pm.

A few years back, I was surprised to find restaurants and many shops closed in Oberammergau Germany from 2-5. It was not a Passion Play year, however. The weather was dismal and I hoped to spend time browsing.


I was also caught unawares in Oviedo (lovely city), northern Spain, one afternoon when everyone started departing from an internet café around 2. I finally got the picture, paid promptly, and was on my way.

It is no longer the case in the UK, the idiots who run the country think the longer a shop is open the more stuff they sell. Even Sunday is no longer safe, though shops over a certain physical size have to work to very limited opening hours.

I understand internet shops are open 24/7 and that they do not pay local rates or property rental. The logical affect of this is being seen all over the country

" the idiots who run the country think the longer a shop is open the more stuff they sell."

They don't - and don't purport to have a view on such things.

The idiots who ran the bigger shops <b> knew </b> they'd make more money from longer hours (because extra hours would force many of their smaller competitors out of business: no-one ever claimed with a straight face that sales would increase), then shouted and screamed and threw their toys out of the pram until the people who ran the country gave in.

"After our cava tour at Codorniu we thought we might like to have a late lunch in town. Everything was closed from 2-5." That's interesting. Sant Sadurni has a number of excellent restaurants, including Cal Blay Vinticinc, C. Josep Rovira 27 (www.cateringcalblay.com), which is open everyday from 1:00 to 4:00 for lunch.

There's also Restaurante Canals & Munne, Pl. Pau Casals, 6, and Sergi Torres' restaurant La Cava d'en Sergi, C/Valencia, 17.

Doesn't happen in the UK at all, but in southern Italy they close between 1 and 5 or even 6pm!

seems a good time to mention No Shopping Day in the UK on 24 November

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/index.html

Shop less, live More

If only such events had a slight degree of influence!

try checking out opening times of shops by looking at the websit for holidays travel monster who have information on all holiday topics

>>Shop less, live More<<

As someone with a partner who works for an independent retailer, that sounds like precisely what the economy doesn't need!

Early closings one afternoon a week were universal in English towns when I was young >>

contrary to a number of the posts above, one day afternoon closing is alive and well and living in Cornwall. for example our village butcher closes on wednesdays, and the one in the neighbouring village on Thursdays, so good meat is never far away.