Shopping
No holiday is complete without a souvenir or two and whether you shop ’til you drop or bag the first bargain you see, shops and markets away from home always seem more colourful and interesting than your own jaded-looking high street.Most trips to Paris turn out to be an overload of style and glamour – even if you’re only window shopping. Designer shops and boutique chic, or the quirky bohemian appeal of the city’s flea and fruit markets – there’s colour and interest at every turn. Beyond the capital, every French town has its share of classy department stores and regular local markets are always worth a visit. Look out for the locally brewed beers and ciders in Brest’s markets or regional olives and olive oils in Perpignan. In Limoges porcelain is the speciality, but the annual chestnut festival, cheese and wine fair and apple fetes are well worth a look. Rennes has the largest market in France, staged every Saturday. The most desirable buy for ski fans is something a tad more grandiose: a bargain ski pad in Chambery!
Hit the Austrian ski slopes in close proximity to Salzburg and apres ski can include shopping for leather goods, lace, jewellery, ceramics, traditional crafts and accessories from shoes and gloves to handmade umbrellas. The shops in the Altstadt are brimming with character and incredibly old, or travel at Christmas time and Salzburg’s festive markets transform the city into a magical fairytale place full of seasonal cheer.
Berne also has Christmas markets, which draw big crowds, and has what is believed to be the longest (six kilometres) shopping arcade in Europe. There are also plenty of colourful year-round markets dotted around town.
Hit the stores of Forum Algarve in Faro and you’ll be in Europe’s largest shopping mall; venture to the city’s ‘gypsy market’ and you’ll find pottery, wicker work, wood carving and copperware galore.
Retail therapy in Spain has come a long way from sombreros and donkeys, whether enticing fashions and home interiors in affluent Murcia, or chic up-market boutiques and designer stores in Palma. Traditional bargains on Mallorca also include artificial pearls, wall hangings and hand-blown glass. Alicante is known for its rugs, toys, baskets and leather goods; Almeria for ceramics, metalwork, jewellery and embroidery.
In Scotland, jewellery and crafts made using Scottish gems are popular, as are the speciality lambswools, cashmere and tartans. Get measured for a kilt, grab some shortbread and tuck a bottle of whisky in your sporran and you’ll be set to recreate a little bit of the Highlands wherever you roam. Aberdeen is the prime shopping centre for much of the Grampian region, Edinburgh has the best selection of speciality shops and Glasgow is famed for its ‘’Golden Z’ of shops.
Those searching out best buys have the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man high on their shopping trip lists – both have tax and duty-free policies which make everything just that little bit better value.
Within the UK, a trip to the capital (via Gatwick) takes you to the colour and kudos of Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Oxford Street and the West End; or try regional cities Birmingham and Manchester: both have cutting-edge shopping centres perfect for those seeking a little retail pick-me-up. All have great markets full of interest and excitement. If it’s quirkier independent retailing you prefer, Norwich has a big percentage – mingled with the usual chains – and a massive traditional market currently under renovation.