Normally i only by trinkets,

However i bought a shirt in Florence at Lorenzo market. Only 15 dollars. I still wear it to this day.

My friend bought a sweater for 40 euro at the Monoprix in Paris and still wears it. She loves it when people ask her where she got it.
She can smile and say " Paris"

I also bought sandals in Italy. I had saved 50 dollars and it was fun searching. I found the best pair ever for 35 euros. I have worn them to Europe 3 times now.

I have little interest in shopping at high-end boutiques whether I'm in the USA or abroad. There are few things I dislike more than malls and outlets - I really have to be dragged to such a place and it's always a huge waste of my time.

On the other hand, I do love outdoor markets and food stores and never come home from Europe empty-handed. There are loads of food items you can buy there that you cannot in the USA or that are more expensive here.

I also love artists and artisans, and have over the years collected lots of little, unique things - handmade tiles, textiles, paintings, one-of-a-kind clothing items, kitchen ware, sculptures... My house is a museum of these things and it gives me great pleasure to see and use them.

I do like to buy something that reminds me of my trip each time I look at it or use it, but I don't shop for the kinds of things I would buy at home - clothes, for example. I like to browse housewares and home goods stores stores - and a lovely handmade ceramic plate or bowl (Antibes; Santa Fe) or a throw (Park City) -- that kind of thing --is what I buy. Generally only one thing per trip. I try not to buy things that I can get here (and yes, I do live in a big US city, so things are more available to me than they might be elsewhere in the US)

In my case, I live in a small town with no shopping. The closest to any shopping is 45 miles away. And the best department store is a Dillards. To do any serious shopping, I have to go to Dallas which is 3-4 hours away. I go to Europe three times a year. I might make it to Dallas once a year. I hate driving in Dallas. So it is fun for me to shop and shop in Paris. I can walk or take the metro, but I don't have to contend with the traffic.

One more thought:

My trips are always jam-packed with sightseeing activites. The more guidebooks and trip reports I read, the more sights I want to add into my already limited-time trip.

Therefore, the last thing I want is to spend precious sightseeing time shopping. I would rather go see another attraction (be it a garden, a historic house, a museum) than go shopping.

Of course, after museums and sites are closed in the late afternoon, I don't mind using that time of day to browse some shops. I also enjoy stopping at museum gift shops to get a postcard or guidebook to remind me of my visit (as many sites don't allow photography indoors).

But, spending a day shopping at Printemps or Galeries Lafeyette is something that does not appeal to me at all.

I guess I always thought the purpose of a holiday was to do what you enjoy. Some people like dining at fine restaurants, some like going to museums, some like drives through the countryside, and some like shopping. I don't really see what it matters to anyone as long as you are doing what makes you happy.

Do I shop while in Europe? Yes, absolutely. I like strolling through Printemps or Harrods to see what is on display and I love shopping at street markets in the towns of Provence. I've brought home some beautiful table linens that aren't available here. And on one trip we even bought not one but two pieces of art to have shipped home.

As to shopping for clothes, I don't usually but my husband sometimes does. Why? Well, he likes a particular designer and the clothes that are sent to the U.S. are cut differently than those sold in Europe. The items meant to stay in Europe have a slimmer cut and the U.S. clothes are roomier, particularly through the middle. The Euro cut fits him better without having major tailoring.

There was an interesting article in the Boston Globe a few years ago about Europeans coming to the U.S. on shopping trips. Tour operators were setting up trips specifically to outlet malls. The trip price included airfare, lodging next to the outlets, transportation to and from the airport to the outlets, and coupons to the outlet stores. These were typically 2 or 3 day trips. These trips were ONLY to shop. So Americans apparently aren't the only ones who like to shop in a foreign country.

<i>There was an interesting article in the Boston Globe a few years ago about Europeans coming to the U.S. on shopping trips. Tour operators were setting up trips specifically to outlet malls. The trip price included airfare, lodging next to the outlets, transportation to and from the airport to the outlets, and coupons to the outlet stores. These were typically 2 or 3 day trips. These trips were ONLY to shop. So Americans apparently aren't the only ones who like to shop in a foreign country.</i>


This was when the pound went so much further than it does today that the savings could make the whole trip worthwhile. I don't think it had anything to do with shopping in a foreign country vs. shopping at home, except that shopping in the that foreign country (in this case, the US) was much cheaper.

I don't &quot;shop&quot;, per se, in Europe because I don't enjoy shopping in general as an activity. It's no use looking at clothes; I'm too tall and a bit round and it's hard enough finding attractive clothes here, let alone somewhere where the average size is about a 2-1/2.

I do buy my version of souvenirs, which tend to be functional sorts of things such as Provencal fabrics. I collect bookmarks from my travels, and then I buy fairly inexpensive unique items I stumble across that I'd never see at home. For example, I bought three decoratively painted ceramic cigales in Aix-en-Provence that now hang over my stove at home (they're supposed to bring luck, so I'm hoping they will strew their magic over my cooking).

I don't shop high end at home, so certainly don't bother with it while traveling (and I live in Atlanta, so I can get anything).

I do buy perfumes that I can't find at home, as they're sometimes still available in Europe. I often buy a dish towel/tea towel, as it's cheap and a nice daily reminder of recent travel; and scarves and earrings fall into the same category. I tend to look for shoes, as my feet are hard to fit, and some European shoes are well-suited to women who walk lots, like me. My kids sometimes get T-shirts if I find something cool (especially if there's a double entendre in another language, as they can wear them to school and feel like they're being outrageous when they're not).

I like going to local low-end places. Hema in the Netherlands is a good example of the sort of place I'll stop in and check out.

My daughter and I just returned from the January Sales in Paris a week ago. We bought all kinds of stuff but didn't spend beyond our budget. There are some styles and labels available that differ from those offered in CA - but not a great many of them. I have no idea if we saved any money but we sure had a great time!!! I think we enjoyed the experience more than the actual purchases. I think someone earlier in the email chain said she &quot;bought memories&quot; and I concur. We had a fabulous time and a few price trinkets to remind us of the time.

Things I have bought in Europe recently are art calendars in Paris, herring in Amsterdam (the vendor will vaccum pack it for return to the USA), and cigars in Amsterdam. In the past I have bought crystal in Czech Republic, blown glass in Sweden, Army knives and watches in Switzerland, plus treasures and odd stuff at flea markets. All were bargains or just not available in the USA. Next time I'm in Germany I'll get my next pair of Birkenstocks at half the USA price.

@Therese
&quot;I like going to local low-end places. Hema in the Netherlands is a good example of the sort of place I'll stop in and check out.&quot;

Exactly my strategie. Local low- and middle-end chains are great places to shop.

The Hema is a great tip for visitors to the Netherlands (and some shops in Belgium and Germany). Recently the first shops also opened in Paris (suburbs).

It is a (small) department store, with only their own brands. Great for kitchen-ware, basic clothing, food, and especially kids-clothing.

TK wrote:
&quot;My trips are always jam-packed with sightseeing activites . . . .
Therefore, the last thing I want is to spend precious sightseeing time shopping. I would rather go see another attraction (be it a garden, a historic house, a museum) than go shopping.&quot;

For some of us, the pleasure of seeing how people live today by visiting a Monoprix, a Sainsburys, a street market, is as great as the pleasure of seeing how they _used_ to live. Visit the snack sections of a UK supermarket or a French supermarket and see what I mean.

My wife and I both detest shopping at home, especially in malls and the horrible new &quot;lifestyle centers&quot; like Short Pump in Richmond, but we do enjoy browsing abroad, where everything is cut from a different cookie cutter if you avoid the high street shops.

We also buy certain things that are expensive here like Mephisto shoes and Floris shaving soap or simply not available, like Maclean's Fresh Mint toothpaste, which unlike American toothpaste, is not sweet.

We avoid shopping (in terms of actually buying &quot;stuff&quot;) both at home and abroad whenever possible. However, we do enjoy checking out shops and stores and outdoor markets just to see what is there--what's different, what's the same, what the way stores are set up and what they carry and emphasize might say about the culture.

I shop in Europe, but only for crafts/souvenirs for my home. I like buying pottery in Umbria or paintings from the street vendors in Rome or Dubrovnik. I do not go out of my way to go shopping. Instead, we just kind of duck into stores as we are out sightseeing.

Tracy

I love poking in shops and markets and it is fun to wear and use things bought on a trip, triggering the memory. I agree about the pottery though! i collect Italian pottery but it would be way too difficult to get back from Italy - I find it at TJ MAxx and Marshalls!!

I just looked at a picture of a HEMA store interior. I really don't understand why anyone would go to Europe and then spend time shopping there (and I am NOT a high-end shopper, but it looks worse than the worst K-Mart).

HEMA's more like Target (where I do shop) than K-Mart where I don't. Low end, but a lot of it's pretty stylish, and it does give you a lot of insight into what many people use and wear everyday. What I particularly like about HEMA is that everything's (or pretty much everything) made in the immediate region, so even if it looks like it's from China it's not.

At least that's what my Dutch friends tell me.

Decent bake shop, and a good place to find old school Dutch candies as well.

Therese, I also DO shop Target and DON'T shop K-Mart. Interesting, because it looks so un-stylish in the picture. Here's what I was looking at:

http://tinyurl.com/bfsj3o

The store is not upmarket, true, but I find it reasonably cheerful.

Here's a link to HEMA's Dutch site.

http://www.hema.nl/

You can browse around to get an idea of what the merchandise looks like. Lots of cute stuff for kids, for example:

http://www.hema.nl/nl-nl/winkel/tafe...erservies.aspx

My daughter found cute, practical gifts for her teenage girlfriends while we were in Amsterdam for spring break last year.

I guess my wife and I are unusual since we both love to shop in Europe. By shopping in small satores ytou get a better feel for the country and interect with many more people than otherwise.

We alos buy. However, only items that we canot get in the US. An antique, a painting, a unique home accessory. My wife also buys clothing that is not availble in the US and there are many in the smaller stores.

I also buy toy metal soldiers thta I cannot get here and have a sizable collection of those that are made in various nations.

David J

Again, the issue isn't ALL kinds of shopping, it's shopping at department stores and boutiques which sell internationally-distributed brands and products.

Sure I go to grocery markets all the time, because you can get good produce and other picnic items for cheaper than buying meals all the time.

Even browse the wine collection. A market like Inno in Montparnasse has a collection of wines which cost several thousand dollars in a locked case.

It's shopping for Ferragamo in Paris or Gucci in London. Is it really going to be that different than looking for those items in LA?

Anyone who believes HEMA gets its products made locally is so gullible they really ought to have their Dutch passport taken away.

They use the same Bangladeshi suppliers everyone else does - and don't claim any different. They don't even always go straight to far eastern factories: they use the same middlemen as everyone else too.

All they claim is that their products are mostly private label. Which differntiates them from people like Carrefour or Primark not one jot or tittle.

Ah, well, then my Dutch friends are ill-informed.

Still, cute stuff that's reasonably priced, and it does reflect the some of the local taste.

I remember reading a French book on wines.

Some of the top choices were Carrefour-branded private label vintages.

Ok, I don't go in department stores here, there or anywhere. But if people do, so what?

I am in love with French pharmacies. I go in one everyday that I am in Paris. I love French over the counter medicines. I also love Italian pharmacies and almost as much, the Para Farmacia(s). Don't know the plural.

I have stopped in many many boutiques and galleries and little shops around the world, while I am out sightseeing. And I am the person that is taking a museum spreadsheet to Paris.

I always end up needing something on vacation, so we shop in various places. In Munich during a heat wave we decided we wanted to spend an afternoon swimming in the river in the Englischer garten, so we went to a department store to buy beach towels and flip flops. Then later during that same trip, we went to a department store in Nuremberg to buy some better warm weather clothing. Now whenever I wear the skirt and top that I bought, I feel like it is vacation :)

While in Rome in 2001 my 16 year old daughter purchased her first and only black leather coat. I wanted her to get it in a larger size so she could grow into it. She didn't and wouldn't you know -- she still wears it. The sales clerk was very nice and explained to her how to care for it. I think it was 300,000 lira -- she got her money's worth.

Tonight, I wore a pair of leather shoes I bought in Venice in 2001 -- I think I paid 244,000 lira but the shoes were well made and have held up well to our salted winter sidewalks. I guess the point is, shop if you enjoy it. If you think you would like to purchase it -- do it, cause chances are you are not going to be coming back. Really, the only bad purchase I have had was the cheap umbrellas in Rhodes (Greece) and knockoff watch -- Samos. Other than that ....

No Regrets.

Rented an apt. in Venice for a week and they had only one bath towel, very small too.

Called and they said extra towels would be 15-20 Euro.

So I figured for that price, I'll just pick one up and take it home after I'm done.

Didn't go out of the way looking for a department store but stopped at the one between the Rialto and Cannaregio (the colorful one).

Couldn't find anything under 30 Euro.

I like to buy useful things while I'm on vacation for the home. I would never buy shoes far from home because I have to wear them around the house for a while before I commit to them.

I live in Ireland but love to buy clothes in other countries as shops differ. I dont go mad unless its good value or say like a few years ago we were in Paris at the gap we bought loads aa we did not have gap in Ireland then (barely do now!)

Shopping in the U.S. I feel is better for men. My husband gets great clothes but he is a big guy and more American in sizes. I find the womens clothes too conservative or dull unless you pay a lot. I am not saying that we dress like mutton dressed as Lambs here but there is a bit more of stylish peices that I do not see in the U.S. and each European country differs slightly. I love wraps, ponchos etc and always buy when I see an unusual one.

I don't shop for shopping's sake, but I have picked up things like a coffee filter holder that can sit on top of a mug (&euro;2 in Monoprix, haven't seen any in London since Muji stopped doing them), a huge bulldog clip (labelled in Dutch) to hold a packet of coffee firmly closed (&euro;1 in Amsterdam), a little kitchen knife that I bought for next to nothing in Spain for picnics that I'm still using 20 years later, and books and records that catch my eye but that I wouldn't see in London without a special effort.

Somebody mentioned Swiss Army knives. I did buy a few of those in Interlaken because they were much less expensive than at home and, more importantly, they engraved your name on it for free! When I think about it more, I do shop, but for small items (like the knives), unique items (hand-made ceramics or housewares I can't get at home). I just don't shop for clothes.