Anybody recommend good shopping holiday?

B

Bobbyg

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My girlfriend and I had recently planned a big trip to New York and Vegas and had planned to go on a big shopping spree while there. Our circumstances have now changed and we can no longer afford the big trip but we were wondering if anybody could recommend somewhere else that would have good clothes shopping and would not be as expensive to get to as the states?
 
You could go to a big Spanish city for the cheaper local brands (Madrid or Barcelona for example) - mango, zara, massimo dutti, pull and bear, etc, much cheaper, partly due to lower vat, and better selection than you would get here. You also get great shoes in Spain.
Someone i know went to Milan also for the designer factory/outlet sales, they are meant to be great.
 
I know you are not up for the states but i'm just back from Chicage - Got flights for under €300 - booked the Lakeshore W hotel and got it for $128 for the room per night - Excellent shopping and much cheaper than expected. I flew on to New York and found it to be Hugely Expensive in comparison to Chicago! Euro is going a long way in comparison to the dollar!

Baralona is excellent too
 
Andorra is cheaper again - 3hr drive/bus journey from barcelona. Perfume/electrical goods/designer gear.
 
MADRID..is great,i went with my girlfriend and i thought it was like a spanish version of NY,plenty of shops at great prices! the resteraunts are very good also....
 

Sorry to point out the obvious (to me) but if you can't afford to go to the States, can you afford Spain? Difference is only a couple of hundred, therefore how much are you planning on spending on clothes in Spain...is it worth it? How about saving for a month or so to come up with the difference and making the big trip?
 
Big trip was costing us a total of €8000 for flights, accom, and spending money. We recently bought an apartment so have decided to put this money towards decorating it. We have priced flights to Spain and we can get them for €260 total and we should be able to get accommodation cheap enough too so the total holiday may only cost €2000 - €3000 (including our shopping).
 
We went to NY last year. Flights, accommodation & spending money came to about E5,000 (for 2) & we did loads of shopping! And I spent E400 on an unexpected medical expense while we were there which is included in that figure. So maybe NY is within your budget??
 
For the money you are talking about you would also get to Dubai. Aer Lingus fly direct and even a 3 star over there looks and feels like a 5 star. They are so big into shopping that they have shopping festivals and you'll just never get around to all the shopping outlets. But for a bit of real bargain hunting try The Karama. You'll come back dripping of watches and herself of handbags. Just don't go this time of year though or you'll melt!!!!
 
It might not seem loke a lot but the extra €2000 would go a long way in the apartment. The biggest problem we have with New York is the price of the accommodation.
 
For New York we always use Priceline and get 4* hotels well under $200 a night, sometimes as little as $120.

However I do NOT recommend New York for a shopping holiday. The shops are very spread out and I don't think either Jersey Gardens or Woodbury Common are worth the time it takes to get there. I don't rate Vegas as a shopping destination either, partly because of the heat and partly because it's so vast. Almost every hotel has a huge shopping mall.

As someone has already posted, Chicago is waay better for shopping and a trip to the amazing outlet Gurnee Mills will leave you laden down with bags. Again, priceline will save you a fortune on hotels.

The absolute best outlet I've ever been to was just outside Palm Springs in California. Desert Hills is fantastic for bargains. Flights to the West Coast can be pricey though as can accommodation. We're lucky enough to have friends who live within an hours drive.
 
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Try www.radiocityapartments.com. They're reasonably priced, & less than 5min walk from times square. They had just been refurbished when we were there so were really lovely. If planning to go Oct onwards then may be a bit late booking now but worth a try.
 

I would completely disagree with this post.
Woodbury Common is fantastic for shopping. Jersey Gardens is a bit more middle of the road but still better than Ireland. I found Las Vegas great value.
For me it's the range and choice of products as much as the potential savings (which are huge anyways)
To be honest shopping on 5th Avenue in New York is cheaper than Dublin so if you plan to make some significant purchases you'll save money.
 
We'll have to agree to disagree then!

Woodbury Common is good but you lose a whole day going and coming and I can think of many many better ways to spend a precious day in NYC rather than trekking out there.

I thought Jersey Gardens was a kip - I couldn't wait to get out of there, thought the bus would never arrive.

Have had the NYC v Chicago shopping discussion with many people who've done both and Chicago seems to win with most people. I think it's because it's so compact. If you head out to Gurnee it does take a couple of hours but it's a great way to spend a winter day.

Vegas, have never bought much when we've been there. Went out to the Outlet once but wasn't impressed.

Heading to the US myself later in the year and it's Desert Springs for my shopping, no question.
 
Glad you said Jersey Gardens is a kip...I agree, was just trying to be diplomatic!

We got a limo to Woodbury Common last time which eliminated the travel pain and kept us fresh for that night...wasn't even that expensive and gave us somewhere to dump stuff as we went. You're right though, a full day is required...awesome stuff though!
Personally I prefer shopping in Manhattan for the experience. I just find the choice so much better over there...the savings are just a bonus.
It's scary the amount of money leaving the country on these trips though.
Roll on November for the next one!
 
Gurnee is 42 miles from Chicago, about an hours drive from the city. Woodbury Common takes closer to 2 hours in my experience, maybe it was just busy that day.

I liked Woodbury Common, don't get me wrong, but it took a precious NY day. Gurnee took half a Chicago day.

KalEl - glad I'm not alone on that one
 
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