Shopping

Shops are usually open in the morning from 9am to 12:30pm, and from 4pm to 7:30pm. Some places may be closed on Wednesdays, so call before you go or ask your hotel concierge.

Venice:
The most famous shopping in Venice is the Mercerie, a set of narrow streets that links St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto. Here you can purchase anything from designed clothing, glass products, handbags, footwear, linens and books. For the greatest selection of traditional glass pieces and lace, take a boat to the islands of Murano and Burano.

Florence:
Most visitors interested in gold or silver jewelry head for the Ponte Vecchio and its tiny shops. If you're looking for a charm or souvenir, these shops are fine. But the heyday of finding gold jewelry bargains on the Ponte Vecchio is long gone. The street for antiques is Via Maggio: some of the furnishings and objects d'art here are from the 16th century.

Florence's Fifth Avenue is Via dei Tornabuoni, the place to head for the best quality leather goods, for the best clothing boutiques, and for stylish but costly shoes. Here you'll find everyone from Armani, Gucci and Versace to Ferragamo. Besides shops, Florence is rich in open-air markets. The Market of San Lorenzo, situated in the center of the city, is the preferred destination of tourists. At the Flea Market, near Piazza Santa Croce, one can make good deals on small antique items. The last Sunday of every month except July, the market expands into the adjacent streets

Rome:
Like the city, shopping in Rome is varied. For the most part though, Rome's shops seem to cater to a more egalitarian crowd than the other major cities. The city’s most exclusive and high-end boutiques reside within a stone's throw of the famous Spanish Steps. These shops, like the high percentage of those found in the famous shopping districts of Italy, are designed for the obscenely wealthy.

Rome is full of remnants of the past—from the ruins to the art to the ancient cathedrals and town squares—and the shopping is no different, with a vast accumulation of antiques awaiting your perusal. The interminable street of Via del Corso is a focal point of any Italy shopping tour, and contains a number of chic boutiques (and plenty of less-chic ones for the budget conscious) that cater mostly to the vibrant Roman youth. Rome also has the widest selection of neighborhood markets, where you can casually peruse everything from fresh fruit to handcrafted goods.