Where to go for a shopping spree?

katie.

I've promised my daughter 3 years ago to take her on a shopping spree with a city break when she's 16 . Now that it's only a few months away and I need to start planning , but I've no idea where to go ! Have any one any ideas on where to take her . Would the US or somewhere in Europe be best for shopping ? I'll need to plan ahead with somewhere that won't completely break the bank. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated . Thanks in advance for any reply.

fits

London. Cheap flights. Reasonable accomodation can be got. And all kinds of shopping from flea markets to Harvey Nicks..

jadie

I'd go with Manchester or Glasgow.Cheaper and handier for getting around plus friendlier people

RachaelVO

I'm with the other posters, the UK. In the US and in continental Europe (I live in the Netherlands and I'm always buying off UK/Irish sites as I'm just not that into the Dutch fashions) the fashions are fairly different to the UK and Ireland, so at least you'll know what she'll end up wearing. London would get my vote

seachto7

Rome. Go to the clothes market in San Giovanni, or head down Viale Marconi for shop after shop. Viale Marconi is a suburb but has nicely priced clothes shops. Obviously the centre of Rome has an abundance of them too...
And you're in Rome.

dudara

If you can stretch to it, I'd recommend New York. You have the massive department stores in the city, plus the outlets which are a busride away. You could also enjoy a Broadway show. It's a big trip, but I can only imagine how amazing it would be at 16years old.

Pang

+1 on New York. It would be an unforgettable experience for a 16 year old.

catrionanic

nowhere is going to beat new york for the amazing experience

definitely not cheap though!

i know it's not really much of a city break as it's so close, but can I add just how awesome belfast is for shopping??

WhirlEsme

Yeah I'd be all for London or New York! NY for the sheer size and bargains on clothes; London for the proximity and experience. Both are fantastic cities! but London would be more expensive for shopping - cheaper for flights and accommodation; vice-versa for New York

For London, it would be definitely worthwhile to visit Harrods and shops on Oxford Steet.
For NY, make sure to drop by Macys, Barneys, shops on Fifth Avenue Stores (http://gonyc.about.com/od/shopping/ig/Fifth-Avenue-Shopping-Tour/) and Woodbury Common (on the outskirts, requires a bus ride).

seachto7

catrionanic wrote: »

nowhere is going to beat new york for the amazing experience

definitely not cheap though!

i know it's not really much of a city break as it's so close, but can I add just how awesome belfast is for shopping??

ha? I thought a city break was supposed to be close!:)

Agree on Belfast. Manchester is another good one, but if you're going to the UK, nearly best off heading to London altogether.

Froggy123

I'd recommend Birmingham bullring shopping centre!! It's really big, has all the big high street stores and isn't as busy as London or New York and you would be able to get accommodation right next to the shopping centre so you could drop off bags throughout the day!

whitewave

+1 on New York, but also Birmingham if you need to stay closer to home. No hassle getting there, train from airport is right next to massive shopping centre.

I'd also agree with whoever said Belfast, I enjoyed shopping there before, and it's close to home. Plus you could make a weekend of it, go to the Titanic Centre (really interesting!) and head up to the Giant's Causeway?

Lyaiera

Does anyone have a guide to the London markets?

Twee.

Belfast is a great city, Victoria Square SC has pretty much everything. Not sure what your daughter is into, but London has all the high street stuff as well as Abercrombie, Hollister, Victoria's Secret (for the Pink range) that teenage girls seem to love. Then Brick Lane and all around there with vintage shops and cool boutiques.

New York is of course fabulous, but if you're only going for a few days London is just so much closer. You won't lose any days from flying/being tired after flights.

Daisy78

I must be the only person in the world who doesn't think that New York is all that great for shopping. You have the really high end very expensive stores and a lot if sportswear outlets and little of anything in between.

My vote is definitely for London. The vareity of stores there is amazing with lots of quirky boutiques and markets. Plus you can fit in the odd show or museum trip as well as a break from the shopping! I also like Liverpool for shopping , good vareity and friendly shop assistants.

JustAThought

Not America - for her first trip - that would ruin her expectations for life ! For a 21st yes though but would have to be for a week I make the journey worthwhile .

Uk sounds v good but Also take into account the rate of exchange; you'll be paying an extra 18% on everything as well as the trip costs.

If she's tiny - and I mean a size 8 how about Paris - but if she'sarger ie a 12 then not there nor Rome - its all small or , extra small sizes! Would set her up for life with a fabulous experience thou ( Paris) -language, culture, fashion!

Have fun!!!

fits

Daisy78 wrote: »

I must be the only person in the world who doesn't think that New York is all that great for shopping. You have the really high end very expensive stores and a lot if sportswear outlets and little of anything in between.

I agree. I really really love New York. But unless you're a gazillionaire or really in-the-know, its not a great place for shopping.

ElleEm

I would advise staying closer to home to allow more money for shopping! I am sure your daughter may choose this option if she is given the chance. Spending €1,000+ just getting to the place you want to shop would seriously dent the budget!

I have never been to the States, but many of my friends say that you can get cheaper bargains in Florida/ Boston than you can in New York. Accommodation and flights would be cheaper too.

I am recently back from a shopping trip to Belfast. Lovely city and great experience! Belfast can be really cheap to get to, and if you go to via the train you won't need to worry about baggage allowances.

meeeeh

JustAThought wrote: »

Not America - for her first trip - that would ruin her expectations for life ! For a 21st yes though but would have to be for a week I make the journey worthwhile .

Uk sounds v good but Also take into account the rate of exchange; you'll be paying an extra 18% on everything as well as the trip costs.

If she's tiny - and I mean a size 8 how about Paris - but if she'sarger ie a 12 then not there nor Rome - its all small or , extra small sizes! Would set her up for life with a fabulous experience thou ( Paris) -language, culture, fashion!

Have fun!!!

I absolutely love Rome (I'm a bit less enthusiastic about Paris) and prefer Italian and some French brands to UK ones. Still shopping spree in Italy or France can be very expensive so I would second London.

I really enjoyed shopping in Hannover. It's great student city with very good shopping for young people and everything is in the area around main train station. Germany would be worth considering if you are traveling around Christmas market period.

anamara86

katie. wrote: »

I've promised my daughter 3 years ago to take her on a shopping spree with a city break when she's 16 . Now that it's only a few months away and I need to start planning , but I've no idea where to go ! Have any one any ideas on where to take her . Would the US or somewhere in Europe be best for shopping ? I'll need to plan ahead with somewhere that won't completely break the bank. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated . Thanks in advance for any reply.

That's really nice of you, your daughter is very lucky :-)

+1 for London too - nice and close, lots of shopping plus lots to see and do while there

Lia_lia

Daisy78 wrote: »

I must be the only person in the world who doesn't think that New York is all that great for shopping. You have the really high end very expensive stores and a lot if sportswear outlets and little of anything in between.

Agreed!

I thought America was fairly sh*te for shopping.

My Mother took me to London shopping when I was 16..mainly to get my debs dress but got lots of other stuff too! Loved it. Luckily we had family to stay with over there, otherwise accommodation can be quite expensive. As can travel (tube). So Manchester/Liverpool could be cheaper and have most of the same shops!

Wouldn't go with Paris. Clothes are expensive over there. And not usually to the taste of Irish girls.

Barcelona would be another good one!

New York was amazing, but you need to know where to shop. The best shopping places I found we're 5th Avenue and SoHo. 5th Avenue has the luxury department stores like Barney's and Bergdorf Goodman (Neiman Marcus) and luxury designers like Louis Vuitton & Michael Kors. Then down in SoHo which is South Manhattan you get all your more accessible designer wear and then the killer part, THE BOUTIQUES! The Boutiques in SoHo are amazing as they are tons of tiny stores dedicated to every clothing Niche and since their a Boutique, their hand picked by the owner and not just ordering in stock.

I shop with the less is more scheme, like I'd rather own 1 designer article than 5 mid range articles which is why I sacrificed buying tons of shoes and went for a gorgeous pair of Giuseppe High tops in Barney's! Barney's and Bergdorf we're my favourite as they had items from Belstaff and Balmain! Of course they are so expensive it was a look and pout but I think when I win the lottery, another trip is in order.

Shops down in SoHo include Armani Exchange, American Eagle, ZARA, Bloomingdales, Scoop and tons more I just can't recall.

Other than that there's also WoodBury Common which is an hour away and you can either get a bus to it, or get a bus to pick you up from your hotel and TBH It was like Ok.... I think it suited a lot of people but I have this biker, edgy but stylish niche so it wasn't the best for me but I got a really awesome biker style hoody from Armani Exchange there that was $120 but got it for $50, WoodBury Common is really known for it's discounts and you can buy the discount book which is full of coupons however I really only got good use of that in Calvin Klein because if the store already offers a big discount, they wont allow the coupons to be used.

If you don't want to do NY, either do London or Manchester. Manchester has that really big shopping center with 300 shops or so I believe and then London just has Oxford Street and all those shopping streets which are delightful.

I wouldn't recommend Paris unless you really have a big budget because that's where all the fashion houses like Balmain are and while it's definitely without a doubt the best place to pick up clothes straight from the designer and it's amazing made to measure, it will be extremely expensive.

NOTE: Make sure you know your designers, I purchased a leather jacket from AllSaints down in Soho for like $650 or something and I could have got it for the exact same price in Arnotts and because you pay taxes in America on everything, I ended up spending more. So be careful with the British designers!

How about Milan. Was there last year and there is the extreme high end fashion stores as well as the low end like Primark plus lots in between.
Flights and Hotel are reasonable and its definitely cheaper than London. Plus you get to visit a really nice city which is manageable for a long weekend trip.

silvervixen84

London is brilliant for shopping (I'm biased though )

You have Oxford Street, Bond Street and Carnaby Street all in close proximity to each other, offering all the regular high street shops as well as the upmarket department stores like Selfridges, House of Frasier and Liberty.

Hop on the Tube and you can head out to either of the massive Westfields shopping centres if you prefer strolling around shopping centres.

The markets in Camden are vast and cater to all tastes (and there's such a fun vibe there) and you can haggle with the vendors to get a good price.

Spitalfields and Brick Lane markets are also massive, offer a wide variety of stalls, and are very easy to get to. There are also posh shops around here like All Saints.

Portobello Market is great for vintage lovers, and the Boxpark in Shoreditch for is fun and has lots of trendy stuff.

You can then head to the West End for dinner and a show

cjmcork

I'd second whomever said Manchester - it's the business, you've a hotel right across the road from the Trafford Centre - I went over back in the Celtic tiger days for just 24 hours, and just spent the day in the Trafford Centre, the city centre shopping is great also.

newcastle is fab also - the Metrocentre is huge aswell

I think Meadowhall is close to the East Midlands airport also - but defo you can't go wrong with the UK

SarahBeep!

Froggy123 wrote: »

I'd recommend Birmingham bullring shopping centre!! It's really big, has all the big high street stores and isn't as busy as London or New York and you would be able to get accommodation right next to the shopping centre so you could drop off bags throughout the day!

Big +1 to this!! Was here when I was 16, the bullring and the surrounding shops (which includes a 4 storey Primark!!!) are amazing. I shopped my little 16 year old heart out!!

Rosy Posy

Daisy78 wrote: »

I must be the only person in the world who doesn't think that New York is all that great for shopping. You have the really high end very expensive stores and a lot if sportswear outlets and little of anything in between.

I have to disagree with you here- if you stick to the big name department stores and 5th ave boutiques you're going to have this problem but once you get out of midtown you're laughing. Amazing vintage stores and funky independent boutiques all over the east villiage, SoHo and Tribeca, great markets, and an unforgettable experience. My parents brought me to the sales in NY at this age (Celtic tiger cub ) and it was amazing. I fully intend to do the same with my daughter when she's of an age. Just don't go in high summer!

Ms.Sunshine

Accommodation in London can be pricey enough at this time of the year. Manchester could be good & go shopping in the Trafford Centre, It is HUGE !! Your daughter would love it.

Berlin is another option.

BECKSG

there is nowhere to match London for shopping!