Shopping - What to Buy & Where to Shop in Spain
Travel light - because you will be going home heavily laden. From the tackiest 'I Love Ibiza' t-shirt to the most expensive flamenco guitar, Spain has something for every shopaholic. Where to buy, how not to get ripped off, and what to do if you want to make a complaint.
Everyone loves a good rummage at a flea market. No matter where you are in the world, few places can give you a better flavor of a city than by visiting a market - and Madrid flea markets are no different.
Where to go shopping in Madrid, the capital of Spain. details of where to find the biggest markets (such as the Rastro).
The best books written by Spanish authors or written by foreign authors living in Spain.
When planning your journey to Spain, be sure to only partly fill your bags – because you will be coming back with a lot of souvenirs. Avoid the tackiness overload by selecting from my top ten best souvenirs from Spain
How to buy a stamp and send a postcard in Spain.
The best in Spanish products - where to buy your wine, leather, spices, etc.
Advice on one of the most popular questions about travel in Spain - should you tip?
Occasionally in Spain, as is the case everywhere, you don't get the best service - and often it is the tourist that gets the brunt of it, as assistants don't expect to ever see you again. Thankfully, Spain has one of the best systems in the world for making a complaint.
A list of Spanish national holidays so you know when to expect to find the stores shut. Don't forget about the siesta too - many stores will be closed between about 2pm and 5pm.
If you're an American planning to buy clothing in Europe, you'll need to know that the sizes are different from what you're used to.
Excellent resource explaining your rights in Spain. Has links to other European countries too.
A nice piece looking at shopping in days gone by, leading right up to present day.
