| Shopping |
Paris Flea MarketsThis tour is designed to offer clients an insider's look at the world famous Puces (Flea Markets) where treasures abound--from Louis XIV furniture to early Vuitton travel accessories. From mirrors to art to vintage jewelry, silver, and more, the Puces is the perfect place to find something memorable. Let us help you get the best deal on that perfect Parisian treasure or collectable. (Please note: This tour is available Saturday & Sunday only. Chic Shopping Paris Chich Shopping Paris Travel Website 011.33.1.6.14.23.11 Chicago Designers TourWhen it comes to fashion, Chicago is no Second City. Urban Shop Guide will help you explore the blossoming fashion scene. The guided tours feature luxury transportation, knowledgeable guides and customized itineraries, taking visitors behind the scenes with Chicago’s up-and-coming talent. You’ll see a designer incubator housed in a Chicago legend, the beautiful Millenium Park Studio of Chicago’s next big jewelry designer, and two of the best boutiques in the city for discovering Chicago’s next big name. Itinerary that highlights boutiques, designers, hot restaurants and history of the neighborhood. Transportation in luxury vehicle Refreshments and snacks to fuel your shopping In-store stylists to educate and recommend unique fashion Special discounts, treats, and offers in many stores Urban Shop Guide Urban Shop Guide Travel Website (312) 533-1256 Sip and Shop in NapaSIPPING AND SHOPPING HOP Leave the driving to us and enjoy Sipping and Shopping in the Wine Country. Pickup from most San Francisco hotels. For the sipping portion, passengers receive four complimentary tastings of two red and two white wines at Viansa Winery. After sampling the wine, the tour travels to Napa Premium Outlets for three hours of shopping with a special VIP coupon book. The VIP coupon book has over $100 in savings with special offers and incentives. Departs Daily: 9:30-10:00 A.M. Tour Duration: Approximately 7 hours Outlethop.com Outlethop Travel Website (888) 483-5566 Shopping in ParisParis is one of the world's premier shopping cities. Even people who hate shopping enjoy shopping in Paris. Here, everyone can find something they like, whether it's haute couture, flea markets, perfume, comic books, outdoor markets, or whatever. In major cities, most stores are open from 10h to 19h Monday through Saturday. In the provinces stores are usually closed on Mondays and from noon to 14h or 13h to 15h daily. Some department stores remain open until 21h one evening each week. Hypermarkets can remain open until 21h or 22h. Many food shops are open at 08h, even on Sundays. On holidays most businesses in Paris and the provinces are closed, while bakeries are open only in the morning. The boutiques of the major designers are mainly located on avenue Montaigne (Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian Dior), Faubourg Saint-Honoré (Hermès and Gucci), la place de la Madeleine, Saint-Sulpice, or Sèvres-Babylone areas, the area surrounded by rue de Grenelle, rue du Cherche-Midi, and rue des Saints-Pères (Versace, Sonia Rykiel). Carrousel du Louvre, a pedestrian mall located under the Louvre museum, features stores such as André Courrèges and Lalique in addition to a variety of boutiques and a gigantic food court. For gastronomic products, the two great gourmet food shops of Paris, Hédiard and Fauchon, are located on place de la Madeleine. The Lafayette Gourmet is located above the Galeries Lafayette department store on boulevard Haussmann. La Conciergerie http://www.conciergerie.com/main.htm?O=CC&P=paris_information/shop.shtml Shopping in New YorkShopping is one of the main attractions of New York City. Garment District: 25th Street to 40th, Fifth Avenue to Ninth Avenue. Filled with small shops specializing in all areas of clothing needs buttons, zippers, and trimming to finished pieces of clothing to fur. Diamond and Jewelry Districts: West 47th between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue is the worlds largest market for diamonds. A second, smaller and older jewelry district focused more on jewelry in general is located at the northwest corner of Bowery and Canal Street. The Flower District: This small stretch from 26th to 29th, along and off Sixth Avenue, is home to a large concentration of NYCs wholesale and retail florists. A virtual oasis of beauty in the middle of Manhattan, this is a wonderful area to stroll of a warm spring morning. Virtually any plant can be found at or ordered through these vendors. Book Row: Fourth Avenue between 9th and 14th Streets. Once home to as many as 25 bookstores, this area now contains only two but they are good ones. The famous Strand Book Store, boasting eight miles of books, and Alabaster Used Books. There are many, many independent and specialty bookstores throughout the city in addition to the monsters like Barnes and Noble and Borders. This is all-in-all one of the best resources for shopping in New York City. CitiDex.com http://www.citidex.com/840.htm The Galleria/HoustonWith its stunning architecture, exceptional store mix and distinctive style of entertainment, The Galleria has established itself as the #1 shopping and tourist destination in Houston with over 24 million annual visitors. Set beneath spectacular glass atriums, The Galleria features more than 375 fine stores and restaurants, an impressive ice rink and two Westin hotels. This world-class shopping complex showcases the best names in retailing including Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, The Sharper Image, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Houston's only Nordstrom. Set in the center of Uptown Houston, The Galleria is located at the intersection of Westheimer Rd. and Post Oak Boulevard just off Loop 610. Mall Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00AM-9:00PM Sunday 11:00AM-7:00PM http://www.simon.com/mall/mall_info.aspx?ID=805 713-622-0663 Bargain Shopping in ItalyItaly is full of culture, history, fabulous architecture, and artisans of every sort. Tourists flock to Italy for romance, the delicious cuisine, and to experience the wonders of this lush country. But did you know that Italy is also a shopper's haven? For ceramics and pottery, you can find many great deals throughout Italy. The Lake District boasts many fine manufacturers with discount shops, especially around Lake Maggiore. Or, if you're in the south of Italy, you can find a large selection of vendors throughout Sicily, where artisans have been fine tuning their craft for hundreds of years. the best deals are howver in Vietri sul mare on the Amalfi coast and Deruta in Umbria. Deruta is a small town with only 500 inhabitants and 200 pottery business so you will have plenty of choices. The tip: Buy directly from the large manufacturers to have the best prices. Avoid ceramiche Funny ( you can find many complaints about them on the web ) and avoid ceramiche Ficola ( they sell Deruta-style ceramics that are actually low end goods mostlly made in China etc). Outlet stores are another way to go when scouting out bargains in Italy. They are literally everywhere, but can sometimes be tricky to find. If you remember the famous teapot with the little bird in the spout, then you already know about Alessi. They are known throughout the world for their innovative and functional kitchenware, and the Alessi outlet can be found in Piedmont. Ginori china is known worldwide, and you can get factory seconds and discontinued pieces at the Richard Ginori Botteguccia outlet in Sesto Fiorentino (just outside of Florence). They also carry glassware, crystal, and silverware. The shop is across from the Richard Ginori Museum. In Rome, you'll find the Fabris Leather Outlet, and at Fucecchio you can discover Marianelli. Both stores carry a wide variety of wonderful leather and leather products. Fine crystal can be found at the Cristalleria Laica, at Colle Val d'Elsa. This well known line of crystal can be had for 50% off regular prices, so don't miss this one! Life in Italy.com http://www.lifeinitaly.com/shopping/bargains.asp 301-738-6827 Shopping in TokyoDotted around train stations and in some shopping areas you can find 100 yen shops. They are similar to $1 shops found in some other countries. In 100 yen shops, you can find chopsticks, tableware, fans, kites, origami paper, calligraphy sets, "Hello Kitty" and much, much more! A great place for buying cheap souvenirs. There's no shortage of department stores in central Tokyo. The best shopping locations are Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukero (JR Yamanote Line), Ginza and Nihombashi (Ginza Subway Line). Isetan prices are mid to high; one of the biggest branches is on the east side of Shinjuku Station. There's a food hall in the basement. Established in the 1930's, the flagship Mitsukoshi store is in Nihombashi (Ginza Subway Line). Two lions (modeled after the lions in Trafalgar's Square, London) guard the front entrance and once inside, another statue - Magokoro, the Goddess of Sincerity - reaches from floor to ceiling. There's also a 1930's Wurlitzer pipe organ and a theatre! tokyoessentials.com http://www.tokyoessentials.com/shopping.html Shopping in St. Thomas, USVISt. Thomas is home to world renowned shopping! Hundreds of duty free shops line the streets and alleys of the capital, Charlotte Amalie. The best buys on St. Thomas include jewelry, alcohol, china, crystal, perfumes, art, clothing, watches and cameras. If you are in the market for something in particular, primarily jewelry and cameras, it is a good idea to know what the going price is in your home town; some items are better deals than others so it pays to know what items cost at home. The greatest density of stores is in Charlotte Amalie. The principal street there is Dronningens Gade, better known as Main Street. Parallel to Main Street is Back Street and Waterfront. In Charlotte Amalie there is an area called Vendors Plaza where vendors set up small booths, tables and tents from which they sell an assortment of souvenirs. Vendors Plaza is located across from the Emancipation Park and Fort Christian. There you will find silver jewelry, t-shirts, tropical print wrap skirts, shirts and dresses, imitation bags and watches, trinkets and more. Smaller shopping areas include; American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, Lockhart Gardens, Tutu Park Mall and Nisky Center. These areas cater primarily to residents; you will find pharmacies, clothing stores, grocery stores, unique shops, art shops and music stores at these locations. Mountain Top and Paradise Point are both attractions, primarily known for offering extraordinary views but they both offer shopping as well. Tillett Gardens, is an oasis of arts and crafts; pottery, silk-screened fabrics, candles, paintings, jewelry, and more. Virgin Islands Now http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/shopping/ 340-774-1181 World's Largest MallIt's the world's largest entertainment and shopping centre and Alberta's number one tourist attraction, featuring over 800 stores and services, over 100 eating establishments, plus nine world class attractions. It's the only mall of its kind - both a shopper's dream and a world of excitement and adventure. This amazing structure - often called the "8th Wonder of the World" - spans the equivalent of 48 city blocks in the prestigious west end of the City of Edmonton (metro population over 995,000), in the Province of Alberta. They have it all: a world class hotel, the widest variety of one-of-a-kind stores, fantastic attractions, spectacular games, restaurants to suit all tastes and great entertainment. It's all under one roof, ensuring you and your family have a fun and relaxing experience. Mall Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM-9:00PM Sunday 11:00AM-5:00PM West Edmonton Mall www.westedmontonmall.com 780-444-5200 Mall of AmericaSit-down restaurants - 20 Fast food restaurants - 30 Specialty food stores - 36 Movie screens - 14 Number of stores - More than 520 258 Statues of Liberty could lie inside the Mall Mall of America is big enough to hold 32 Boeing 747s If a shopper spent 10 minutes browsing at every store, it would take them more than 86 hours to complete their visit to Mall of America There is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota Mall Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM - 9:30PM Sunday - 11:00AM-7:00PM Mall of America www.mallofamerica.com 952-883-8800 Shopping in Hong KongHong Kong's Central district houses many shimmering skyscrapers and marbled shopping atriums and malls. The contrast between the old world markets and designer boutiques provides variety and excitement to any shopping day. Scattered among the government headquarters and financial and banking houses are a wealth of opportunities for any shopper. The Landmark, The Galleria, Prince's Building, Alexandra House and the ifc mall are the main shopping centres, with designer shops and exclusive brand names in abundance. Western Market in Sheung Wan is a handsomely renovated Edwardian building filled with Chinese handicraft stores and fabric shops. It is situated at the corner of Connaught Road and Morrison Street, Sheung Wan. The Admiralty too is famous for its brand-name luxury goods. Pacific Place, one of Hong Kong's most popular malls, is the ideal place to go in this area. You'll find perfect gift ideas within its 130-plus outlets, including the Lane Crawford and Seibu department stores and top designer labels. Pacific Place is connected to the Admiralty MTR Station. Hong Kong Tourism Board http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/shop/index.jhtml 212-421-3382 Shopping in LondonAlong with Paris and New York, London offers probably the best shopping experience of any city in the world. Indeed, visitors to the capital are often overwhelmed by the sheer range of goods available. For major international and British Brands, London's main shopping areas tend to centre around Oxford Street and Regent Street, while Knightsbridge is home to stores stocking even more upmarket goods. Anyone looking for specialist items should head to Covent Garden, whilst those with serious money to spend gravitate towards New Bond Street (home to some of Britain's most exclusive shops). If you're after bargain electrical goods Tottenham Court Road is a must, while Hatton Garden is the place to go for watches and jewelry. Talking Cities http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/london_pages/shopping_main.htm |