So many tourists are eager to spend their holidays in Italy. What draws them here? Amazing culture? Certainly! Gourmet cuisine? Translate english to italian? Naturally. Extraordinary nature? And there is! But it also attracts tourists here and the opportunity to combine all these types of entertainment with one more, with pleasant and useful entertainment at the same time – with shopping – because Italy is famous for its developed fashion industry and competes for the title of trendsetter with France.

So where, if not in Italy, to combine swimming in the sea, going to museums and visiting the best boutiques in the world? And if you know the places, then your vacation in Italy will also help you save a lot of money – shopping in Italy (especially if you come here during the winter or summer sales season) will cost you several times cheaper than in Russia. Tourists come to Italy not only for clothes or shoes, but also for cheese, wine, Parma ham and other delicacies. We advise you to stock up on them for future use.

The mecca of shopaholics is, of course, Milan. Here are the most famous fashion houses: Versace, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana. And here you will find the most luxurious ones in the so-called “fashion triangle” – at the intersection of Via Montenapoleone, Via Borgospesso, Via Andrea, Via della Spiga and Via Gesu. Like 5th Avenue in New York, Champs Elysees in the French capital, Montenapolione Street in Milan is recognized as one of the most prestigious shopping streets.

In Rome, Piazza di Spagna is considered the place where the most fashionable boutiques are concentrated.

Italian shopping centers are also widely known among shopaholics: Coin, La Rinascente, Oviesse and others – there are branches of these stores in every major Italian city.

Shops in Italy are open from 8-9 to 7-9 o’clock with a break from 13 to 15. It is important to know that in late August and early September in Italy – the off season – the shelves are empty, the streets too, there are no sales, so some shopping centers even closed for this period of time. It is better not to plan a shopping tour to Italy for this period.

Sales in Italy are called “Sconti” and “Saldi”. In a special favor among both locals and visitors – seasonal sales – Christmas and summer. During this period, discounts sometimes reach 70-80%.

Do not forget about the possibility of returning part of the money spent, issue a Tax free return check when buying. Then, after crossing the border, you will be refunded VAT, a value-added tax that does not apply to countries that are not part of the EU. Just remember that along with the Tax free receipt, you will have to present an unpacked purchase at the border – the border guards must check that you have not used this product in the Eurozone.

Another important feature of Italy, which should be warned those who are going shopping in Italy, is the fact that Italians have a rather poor command of foreign languages. Even in English, the average Italians speak with great difficulty, so without knowing Italian in shops and on the streets, you will most likely have to communicate with gestures. It is a good idea to take a small tourist Italian course with a native speaker well in advance of your trip. In addition to Italian grammar, a native speaker will be able to tell you about the most popular boutiques among Italians, about the nuances and tricks unknown to the tourist.

If you don’t have time in class with a native speaker, then make yourself a small dictionary of basic terms. Learn that “Aperto” is open and “Chiuso” is closed, that “I will buy this” in Italian is “Va bene, lo compro”, and the question “How much does it cost?” translates as “Quanto costa?” Of course, in Italy, one of the most popular countries among tourists, you will not be lost even if you cannot speak a word of Italian, but you will certainly feel freer and more confident if you master the basic communication skills in Italian.

Anyway, have a good rest.