Shop till you drop

Want to shop your way through Europe? Sue Hayward picks 10 of the best shopping destinations across the Ryanair network

Holiday shopping once consisted of buying a few tatty souvenirs at duty-free that probably hit the bin the minute you got home, and dashing around the booze and fags section at the last minute, as your flight was being called.

Duty-free sections at airports may be bigger these days – take London Heathrow or Dubai International, which feel like malls – but it still ain’t no way to shop! Forget airports, and forget going to the high street at the weekend with the hordes of manic materialists. Today, you can combine your shopping with the local culture and, who knows, even a bit of snow or sun thrown in. Thanks to cheap airfares, you can spend the weekend away on the hunt for bargains. Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue or Hong Kong’s mega malls may be a bit far, but if you fancy combining le shopping and le culture without the jet lag, here’s our 10 best shopping destinations de jour and where to go and what to buy when you get there.

1 Stockholm, Sweden
Top-notch Swedish service and over 4,000 individual boutiques, along with home-grown staples like Ikea and H&M to choose from.

Start in Stockholm’s old town Gamla Stan and wander through the labyrinth of cobbled streets and alleys packed full of shops and restaurants. Want it all under one roof ? Head for Nordiska Kompaniet (18-20 Hamngatan), Sweden’s top department store for more than a century. There’s also Stockholm’s largest mall, Gallerian (www.gallerian.se). For crafts, vintage and local products, bargain-huntersshould head to the gigantic Skärholmen flea market. Grab a coffee and crispbread to keep you going or, if you’re feeling adventurous,some smoked reindeer meat!

BEST BUYS Swedish glass, such as schnapps drinking glasses, traditional wooden children’s toys, and Oriflame cosmetics – Stockholm has the only retail outlet in the world, visit www.oriflame.com for more information.
SHOPPERS’ TIP If you’re tight for time,book a personalised shopping trip of your must -see stores at www.smartcityshopping.se

2 Bologna, Italy
Think Versace in this city of style, but make sure to shop without going for broke.

Best to explore the town on foot, as the main shopping area is centred around the Piazza Maggiore, which is full to bursting with renaissance monuments, buskers and mime artists. Give your credit card a break by soaking up the sights in the main square with an espresso or bowl of pasta.

BEST BUYS For leather, including bags and belts, the weekend market La Piazzola – held in Bologna since 1219 – is a great place to start hunting, with good-quality stuff at low prices. Bologna’s considered the culinary capital of Italy, so stock up on locally produced olive oil in fabulous-looking bottles at Mercato Centrale – culinary fans come from Florence to restock their kitchens here. Tamburini has been selling pasta, salami and cheese since 1932, and it’s worth a visit to buy its famous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Glassware and ceramics are also great buys in the city.
SHOPPERS’ TIP Nearly all stores are shut Thursday afternoons.

3 Paris, France
The city to suit all pockets, from Cartier diamond bracelets to the cheaper pastime of being a leche-vitrine, quite literally a “window licker”!

For fashion and gifts, Galeries Lafayette not only has a catwalk show every Friday, but it has also added a huge dedicated souvenir shop on the 6th floor. For cutting-edge clothes and accessories, check out trendsetters Surface to Air (129 Rue de Turenne) and Colette (213 Rue Saint- Honoré). And for stylish fashion and homewares, head to the Marais quarter, also the start of Paris’s finest foodie market Marché Richard- Lenoir (Thu/Sun). For antique shopping at its most vibrant, don’t miss flea market Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (Sat-Mon).

BEST BUYS Food, fashion and antiques.
SHOPPERS’ TIP To find the bargains, get to the flea market early in the morning, or on a Monday when dealers want to shift their stock.

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