Shopping in Italy

[islandbreezes]

Can anyone, from experience, tell me the best place to shop in Venice, Florence or Rome, for Prada & Gucci handbags, and gold jewelry (Ponte Vecchio?) .... or the places to stay away from!

[cberge]

Can anyone, from experience, tell me the best place to shop in Venice, Florence or Rome, for Prada & Gucci handbags, and gold jewelry (Ponte Vecchio?) .... or the places to stay away from!

 

Just go to their stores...they are all over.As for PV jewelry...you will have to check out the shops to see if they have what you are looking for..know your prices on gold before you go,and look for pieces made in Florence that are unique as there is a lot of the "usual" that you can find much cheaper elsewhere.I am sure you will get other replies,but this is just MHO.

[Hlitner]

We just returned (last week) from a few weeks driving around Italy. I think you might be in for a shock regarding the prices in Italy. Keep in mind that the dollar is really awful, the price of Gold is at an all time high (over $600 per ounce) and the VAT (tax) is about 20% although its possible to get some of this back through the various refund schemes. After spending days shopping in Italy we thought most of the Italian goods cost more in Italy than in the states. The exception seemed to be leather products which are a pretty good value although they are much more expensive than in years past. My wife saw a pair of leather loafers in Positano (made there) that she had bought 4 years ago for $45. It was now $95....but still a good buy considering that the same type of shoe in the US would cost at least $150. Have fun shopping.. and take lots of money.

 

Hank

[Angie77]

There is a flea market type set up near the duomo in Florence that sells knock-off designer bags and other items. There are also gypsies around some of the major attractions like the various famous churches, Uffizi, and the Ponte Vecchio so be careful. One little gypsy girl flicked me off when I asked her to move out of a picture I was taking of my friends because I guess she asked them for money and they didn't give her any.

 

In Venice, the hockers are out near the rialto and St Marks square trying to sell knock off stuff and they are quite agressive. Someone said they are immigrants from Africa that have no other way to make a living there, but they are really pushy.

 

Off the topic - I have to confess that I preferred the smaller towns in Italy like Bellagio, Snta Margherita Ligure, and Siena. We got great deals on wool scarves in Bellagio. In the more touristy areas it felt very impersonal and everyone seemed to be trying to get in your money bag.

 

You may want to check out www.ricksteves.com message board for travel tips on shopping or travel in general on Italy as he specializes on European travel and the people on the message boards there are usually doing land trips there as well. We met 2 great couples in Italy that used Rick Steve's guidebooks and website to plan their land portion of their trip before they cruised out of Venice.

[Dorothy]

I have been reading about people catching people buying knock-offs and then fining them a large amount of money. I wouldn't buy them.

[Hlitner]

What you heard about knock-offs is too true. While in Italy 2 weeks ago, we witnessed the Municipale Police in Rome arrest several tourists who were carrying knock-off handbags. Its seem that Italy has a law that makes it illegal to buy knock-offs (they don't seem to do much to the seller). If you are crazy enough to buy one of these items.. I suggest you quickly hide it out of sight and get out of the area.

 

Hank

[Jane110]

There are plenty of Prada and Gucci stores in all the cities you'll visit and the prices will be the same in all the stores.

 

What I do for comparision shopping is to print up the pages of the designer items I like from stores like NeimanMarcus.com Saks.com etc. Get a full range of the shoes and handbags. Then, when I'm shopping in the European stores, I can compare apples to apples. Yes, prices aren't as good as they used to be, but designer items are still cheaper in Europe. I was in Paris last month and bought my Mother a Louis Vuitton handbag for $1200, that was $1500. + tax in the US. Once we get the VAT refund, the final cost will be about $1100., so a $400.+ savings is not a much as say 5 years ago, but still significant.

I also saved $175. by buying a Furla bag in Paris that I saw here in the US. US price was $350 + tax, Paris price is $225. after VAT refund.

 

For gold jewelery, we like Ugo Puccini in Florence. We don't like the Rialto Bridge scene - too much hustle and bustle for us. We found Ugo's prices to be excellent and his designs wonderful.

 

And as others have warned you, if you buy an illegal knock-off on the street, you'll probably get fined.

 

There are tons of legitimate, gorgeous leather fashions all over Italy.

[islandbreezes]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I can't wait to go shopping! Tow questions - How do you go about getting a refund on the VAT? Is LV in all the cities I mentioned in Italy?

[Jane110]

If you go to louisvuitton.com, you'll see that there are LV stores in all the cities. The addresses are listed on the site.

[skyboy]

I heard there was a prada outlet near Florence. Does anyone know where it is?

[cberge]

I heard there was a prada outlet near Florence. Does anyone know where it is?

 

It is about 40 mins outside Florence along with other outlets.there is a bus that rune there. I don't have the info anymore,but do a search on this boaord as there was a lot of info in a thread about this a few monts back.

[Angie77]

Regular retail LV stores seemed to be everywhere in Italy. Even in some of the smaller cities we were in. My sister-in-law was really into LV when we went there in Oct 2004 and she had us take a picture of here in front of at least one in each of the big cities. I know there was one just south of St Marks square in Venice and another in the Galleria in Milan. I think there was another near the Spanish Steps in Rome.

 

Regarding the knock off stuff. We really did not like the quality of the material however the prints seemed to be almost exactly like the LV with no obvious tells. I think she bought a knock off but it was Gucci (this was back in 2004), not LV. I did not because I found other things I liked better that were better quality although they were not your from the typical designer lines heavily marketed here in the US.

[smeyer418]

Regular retail LV stores seemed to be everywhere in Italy. Even in some of the smaller cities we were in. My sister-in-law was really into LV when we went there in Oct 2004 and she had us take a picture of here in front of at least one in each of the big cities. I know there was one just south of St Marks square in Venice and another in the Galleria in Milan. I think there was another near the Spanish Steps in Rome.

 

Regarding the knock off stuff. We really did not like the quality of the material however the prints seemed to be almost exactly like the LV with no obvious tells. I think she bought a knock off but it was Gucci (this was back in 2004), not LV. I did not because I found other things I liked better that were better quality although they were not your from the typical designer lines heavily marketed here in the US.

 

Just be careful buying knockoff in Italy, The reports are that the police are waiting to pounce on the tourist and fine them over $1000 for any knock off they buy(not the sellers). You can buy good non brand name goods much cheaper and no possibility of fines.

[TheMiz]

 

 

 

You may want to check out www.ricksteves.com message board for travel tips on shopping or travel in general on Italy as he specializes on European travel and the people on the message boards there are usually doing land trips there as well.

 

 

I know it must be there somewhere but I just can't find a message board on that site.