Italian lesson: Shopping and Negotiating in Italy

Check out American prices

An Italian team soccer shirt (Forza Azzuri!) is a great non-tchockie souvenir—just don’t everyone in your group wear them on the same day. (Notice something weird: the men all have Totti shirts, the women Del Piero.)Make sure you know the local going rate on items you think you may want to buy before you leave home. This way, you’ll know whether you’re actually getting a bargain by buying it abroad.

Beware the main shopping drag

The famous shopping street or neighborhood in any city—Via dei Condotti in Rome , the Quadilatero d’Oro in Milan, Via de’ Tornabuoni in Florence—offers some of the best window shopping, but be prepared to drop a huge chunk of change if you want to purchase anything. You may find the same item in another shop on a lower-rent street for less.
Shop in street markets

Beware buying counterfeit wares
Not only is it morally wrong, but the cops may be watching. They are cracking down on knockoffs, and can fine you €1,000 for knowingly buying a fake, as happened to this Viennese tourist who thought she’d gotten a bargain €5 Vuitton bag at the beach. Buyer beware.Hit the markets for the best prices, most open haggling, and most fun. The quality of the merchandise is iffier than that of shops, but you can get great deals on everything from bootleg CDs to designer knockoffs.

Also, bring your camera; markets make for colorful visual memories.

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