SPAIN FRANCE ITALY August

LISBON, PORTUGAL.
After arrival check into your hotel. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions and have a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
2 LISBON.
Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide features a drive through the Baxia quarter's main squares, a walk through quaint ALFAMA, the seamen's quarter. Drive past the Bull Ring to Pombal Statue and along the grand Avenida da Liberdade. Stop at Belem Tower and visit JERONIMOS MONASTERY. An optional excursion to Sintra and a dinner with Fado-style entertainment are available. (B)
3 LISBON - SETUBAL - SEVILLE, SPAIN.
In Setubal, enjoy a WINE TASTING. Next, enter Spain and reach the vibrant capital of Andalusia, Seville. (B,D)

SEVILLE.
During your sightseeing tour with a Local Guide admire Maria Luisa Park, the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the university that used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Stroll through the charming SANTA CRUZ QUARTER, and visit the CATHEDRAL with Columbus's tomb. Tonight, maybe join an optional flamenco show. (B)
5 SEVILLE - RABAT, MOROCCO.
Travel through the sherry wine region of Jerez to Algeciras and enjoy a FERRY RIDE across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa. Along North Africa's infamous Barbary Coast to Rabat, once a lair of the corsairs and now the country's capital. (B,D)
6 RABAT - CASABLANCA - MARRAKESH.
Sightseeing with a Local Guide focuses on the massive medieval battlements, the Royal Palace, MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM, Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of Oudaias. Visit the fine ROMAN RELICS OF CHELLAH. Then, continue to Casablanca, Morocco's modern seaport. During your guided panoramic drive, see the Hassan II Mosque, a splendid monument designed to mark the end of the century. Evening arrival in Marrakesh, situated in an oasis. (B,D)

Although Lisbon is a small city, it offers variety of shopping. You will be both surprised and delighted by the number and the variety of shops and shopping malls to suit all tastes from the cheaper brands to top international fashion brands in this city. In fact, even if you don’t like shopping, it is very likely to find yourself buying a couple of items after seeing the cheap prices. Whether you are a shopping addict or not, you will.

Ready? Let’s start with some useful tips:

* If you're a Non-European Union resident you can enjoy Tax Free shopping (VAT or IVA in Lisbon) on goods purchased in Lisbon.
* Bargain-hunters should note that the winter sales officially start on or around 26 December and their summer equivalents on or around 1 July. The best time to shop in Lisbon is the end of June and the end of December when you can buy all goods with up to 50% discount.
* The big department stores (such as El Corte Ingles) and shopping malls (such as Colombo, Vasco de Gama,etc) open from 10am through to 11pm or midnight, Monday to Sunday. Smaller shops often close at 8pm.

Avenida da Liberdade

If you are looking for International brands then the best thing to do is walk down Avenidade da Liberdade. Here you will find brands such as Luis Vuitton, Emporio Armani as well as Trussardi, Burberry, Longchamp and Escada. It’s a lovely street to wander down, wide and occupied with cafes where you can take a break. However in the international stores be prepared to pay the same prices as you would in any of these shops in Paris or London.
Emporio Armani

Av. da Liberdade, 220
Metro: Avenida (Blue Line)
One of the most successful designers in the global fashion industry, created a niche for himself with his elegant designs. Here you can buy timeless, chic and elegant clothes. If you want to look like a super-star, this is the right address!
Luis Vuitton

Av. da Liberdade, 190
Metro: Avenida (Blue Line)
Every girl needs one of Luis Vuitton bag in life! However expensive, its design is stylish and will make you belle wherever you go. Don’t miss it!
Trussardi

Av. Miguel Bombarda, 83
Metro: Avenida (Blue Line)
Trussardi’s style is a mixture of naturalness and seductivity. You can buy magnificent leather goods and accessories as well as ready-to-wear lines.
Escada

Rua Manuel Jesus Coelho 4 B
Metro: Avenida (Blue Line)
Escada is appealing for women of any age. It is for glamourous, confident and feminine women who like bright colors and daring patterns.

Local handicrafts include baskets and other objects made of wicker, copper utensils, embroideries and lace, pottery and other ceramics.

Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/67/…

Lisbon's most famous market is the Feira da Ladra (Thieves' Market), which springs up Monday to Saturday 0900-1900 on the Campo de Santa Clara, packed with all sorts of bric-a-brac - yet another excuse for visitors to take tram 28.

Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/67/…

Seville offers a wide selection of shops for buying arts and crafts, clothing, leather goods, gifts, etc and its shopping districts are always full of people and activity.

* The Historic center, around La Campana and the pedestrian streets of Tetuán and Sierpes, which include traditional shops as ceramics, guitars, flamenco costumes, fans, embroidery, as well as modern shops of fashion, music, etc.
* Nervión, near the station of Santa Justa, contains several department stores.
* Los Remedios, on the other side of the river which skirts Triana, is the location of several boutiques.


The nearby town of Castilleja is famous for a wide range of desserts such as crumbles, tortes, sponge cake and home-made sweets such as Sweet Bread Fritters, Pestiños and Gañotes.

* The ceramics market based in Triana.
* The biggest open-air markets are those of the Plaza del Duque and the Plaza de La Magdalena, which sell leather work and costume jewelry. The most traditional event is held on Thursdays on Feria street.

Those keen on shopping should best brush up on their haggling skills as spirited negotiation over price is the norm in Casablanca.

Head to the old Medina for traditional Moroccan wares such as tagines, leather goods, hookahs and other souvenirs. Major fashion chain stores can be found in the Maarif neighbourhood where all the big names from Zara to Prada can be found as well as 'designer' accessories, which can be scooped up for a song. The Derb Ghraleef is also a must on any shopaholic's hit list, where a cluster of small stalls offer everything from cellphones to 'genuine' brand name clothing and everything in between.

The famous Marché Central (Central Market) is a great place to pick up fresh seafood such as oysters, or Moroccan style sausages and patés. Other handcrafts and souvenirs can be bought here too. The only department store in Casablanca is Alpha 55, on Avenue Mers-Sultan and stocks just about everything under the sun. Look out for authentic Moorish silver jewellery - a must have!

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/76/…
Leading off from the northern edge of Jemaa el Fna are the winding alleyways of the souks, the vast, crowded, chaotic central market of Marrakech. Browsers can pick up anything from jewellery, textiles or carpets, to herbs, love potions and donkeys. Visitors will find these souks are well worth exploring, regardless of whether they intend to buy anything. The area the souks cover may at first seem like a labyrinth but it is, in fact, deceptively compact. Each area specialises in certain products; many are still workshops, with ironworkers, carpenters, dyers and tailors plying their trade from tiny shop fronts. Loosely divided into sections according to the trade they conduct, they are best approached from Rue Souk Smarine. This busy thoroughfare, covered to provide protection from the sun, runs for half the length of the souks before forking into Souk el Attarine and Souk el Kebir. Leading off the Souk el Attarine are spice, pottery, textiles and metalwork souks. Wander around the Souk el Kebir area to find leather bags and poufs, carpets, lamps, and traditional Moroccan clothing.

Bargaining is essential - visitors should start at around one third of what they want to pay. A good idea of quality and prices can be found at the government-run Ensemble Artisanal, Avenue Mohammed V, near the Koutoubia Mosque. This is a small shopping mall and craft training centre, offering high-quality goods at reasonable, fixed prices.

Visitors do not have to walk far before the first offers on carpets are made and those with the time and patience can easily spend hours drinking mint tea, head shaking, sighing and smiling as rugs and carpets are unrolled. For those serious about purchasing a carpet, a good place to go is Bazaar Chichoua, 5 Souk des Ksous. Other things to look out for are handmade copper and silverware, silk or cotton garments, wooden articles and jewellery, which can be found in Ministero del Gusto, 22 Derb Azouz el Moussine, in the souks, or L'Orientaliste, 15 rue de la Libertie, Guéliz. Trésorie du Sud, Rue el Mouassine, is one of many small jewellers near the Mouassine Mosque.

For leather, Place Vendome, 141 Avenue Mohammed V, is a good bet if quality matters more than price. Chic boutiques cluster in Guéliz around Rue de la Liberté, while Rue Yogouslavie is dotted with hidden galleries and English-language bookshops can be found in the streets around place Abdel Moumen ben Ali.

http://www.visitmorocco.com/index.php/en…

Silk and jewellery

Luxury products, such as fabrics, elaborately decorated clothes and Berber silver or gold jewellery, can be found together in kissarias. There are other jewellery shops in the mellah since Jewish craftsmen are specialised in the goldsmith's trade. Weavers are based in the Jiaf souk.
Copperware

On Es-Seffarine Place, you can choose from a profusion of chiselled trays, jar, teapots and a myriad of other objects.

Tangier has become a hip shopping destination of the European residentials in southern Spain. Bored of shopping centres that are the same from Oslo to Marbella, the different products and the exotic quality of the products in the souk of Tangier have become very popular.

The increase goes very slowly though. It is amazing how afraid people are made of crossing the Gibraltar Strait, as if it would be no less than a shocking adventure. That may be so ... but only for the very unadventurous.

Most shoppers do not have a problem with crossing once a month, to buy in Tangier what is becoming very popular in Spain : Moroccan decoration. Also perfume, soap, and berber health products are on top of the shopping list.
http://www.travel-library.com/africa/mor…

Tangier Shopping
add a shopping activity

Parfumerie Madini Located in the Medina, Tangier. Parfumerie Madini is a perfumery, which is famous throughout the Muslim world. They sell all types of essential oils. The fragrances that come out of this little shop are out of this world.

Ensemble Artisanal Located between Casbah and rue de Belgique, in the Medina, Tangier. The Ensemble Artisanal sells all types of leather goods, shoes, carpets and various textiles. This store is interesting, weather you buy anything or not.

Marche des Pauvres Located in the Paupers Market, in the Medina, Tangier. This colourful market sells all sorts of things and you are bound to find something of interest here.

The introduction of late night shopping on Thursday nights, means extra time for some retail therapy!
Main Street, Gibraltar's principal shopping thoroughfare, runs almost the length of town and most shops have windows packed with goods of all kinds at attractive prices. The range, originating from all over world, is tremendous. Items to look out for include jewellery, fine glassware, leather goods, watches, eyewear and the latest in hi-fi technology and TV's.
BUT beware, some shops may apply prices that are higher than in the rest of Europe so you may not benefit from ‘no VAT’ and ‘competitive prices’ and pay much more than expected.

If you're visiting the Costa del Sol and hoping to shop for interesting things to take home with you, you'll probably want to take excursions just inland from the Coast in order to find traditional souvenirs. For example, in the mountain village of Tolox, just an hour from the eastern end of the coast, local men carve kitchen utensils during the summer months when the regional government pays them to sit at lonely outposts throughout the mountains watching for signs of forest fires. In Ronda, just inland from the western side of the coast, locals are known for the fine furnishings they produce.

If you decide to stay on the coast then you will mostly find the typical trinkets and ceramic wares sold throughout this region. It's also easy to find African imports, especially from nearby Morocco. The prices are much higher than they would be in Morocco, but usually still quite reasonable.

The Costa del Sol can also be a great place to shop for great fashion, especially in Marbella. And all along the coast you'll find shops full of locally fashioned leather goods, from purses to shoes to coats. Also, there is a thriving local lingerie business with many items sold in small shops in the centre of Málaga produced by women living in the surrounding countryside and pueblos.

Shopping


HANDICRAFTS

The important handicraft traditions in Granada include ceramics, wrought iron, cloth, leather, and musical instruments. Moorish influence can be found in many of them, such as marquetry, decorating of furniture and wooden objects with precious inlaid woods; metalworking, such as wrought iron or repoussé designs in copper; wrought iron lanterns, lamps, metal grating, and grille work.
The glazed ceramic from Granada is called Fajalauza. The name is derived the Place where the potters settled near the gateway of the same name in the Albaicín.
Master guitar-makers of Granada have received international acclaim. The making of castanets has also become an important tradition. Leather craftsman continue working with embossed or polychrome leathers to make decorative objects, purses, etc. In the Alcaicería, as well as on the Calle of Zacatín (near the Cathedral), ceramics, copper, embossed leather, wrought iron and other souvenirs can be purchased. The Community Activities Center (Ccentro de Actividades Comunitarias) of Albaicín also has handicrafts for sale.

http://www.travelinginspain.com/granada_…

Just southeast of the cathedral near the Plaza Bib-Ramblla is a catacomb of touristware shops. Here is the place to buy inlaid chess boards and chess pieces of every imaginable style. You will also find fans, clothing, jewelry and other decorative items aplenty.

he most convenient area for tourists is around Calle de Preciados, between Sol and Gran Vía, home to El Corte Inglés department store, and high-street names like Zara, Gran Vía 32, and Casa Jiménez, Calle de Preciados 42, famed throughout Spain for its mantones and mantillas (lace and embroidered shawls).

The smartest shopping district is Salamanca northeast of the centre, around Calle Serrano. Top designer names like Armani, Chanel, Versace, Hermès and Hugo Boss, including the fluid fabrics and elegant cuts of Spanish designer Adolfo Domínguez, are located on Calle Ortega y Gasset.

Head for Calle Serrano for Purificación García, Roberto Verino, Ermenegildo Zegna and Yves Saint Laurent. Another trendy area is Chueca, especially Calles Almirante and Conde de Xiquena, while the place for youth fashions is Calle Fuencarral. You can find bargains during the sales, which take place in January and July.

Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/73/…

As in any foreign city, you should be especially aware of pickpocket. So always have your hand on your bags, and don’t allow yourself to be too distracted by fantastic selections in the gorgeous settings in Barcelona.

This article outlines the variety of Shopping in Barcelona for girls and includes clothing, swimwear, shoes, and cosmetics, as well as a section on plus sized clothing.

Cosmetics counter in Corte ingles in BarcelonaI came to Barcelona excited about the prospect of shopping, having been familiar with the recently internationalized Mango and Zara. However even I was surprised and delighted at the variety and number of shops in this fair city, in fact to the dismay of my bank balance I managed to buy a new item every single day in my first week.

http://www.all-barcelona-guide.com/en/sh…

http://www.world66.com/europe/spain/cata…

If you are looking for the trendiest area in Barcelona, then head to the Borne to enjoy its bohemian chic atmosphere, and its many restaurants, bars, cafes and terrazzas. There are many fantastic finds along the narrow medieval streets. The best boutiques can be found on the Paseo del Borne and calle Rec. The most impressive are Lobby, Hugo Boss, Coquette (women) and Hamptons (men), but you should also try other well known shops such as Como Agua de Mayo, La Commercial, Custo, Marithe and François Girbaud, the outlet Betty B, and so on. If you are looking for home decoration check out Ivo & Co. The Borne is the perfect shopping experience: you'll be able to enjoy a drink while sitting at a table in one of the many squares and look at the fashionable young set walking by, nibble some tapas or have a good meal at one of the many trendy restaurants in the area. To finish off the day there are numerous bars and clubs in the Borne area to choose from.

Clothes and complements shopping is also a real pleasure in El Raval thanks to all the little one-off boutiques you can find in this unique area on the left side of Las Ramblas. In Elisabets/carrer dels Angels, very near the MACBA Museum, a very special group of shops with Camper, Vialis, Twiggy and Juan-Jo Gallery. Take a tour in this emerging fashion area with bohemian and stylish mood.

If you are more interested in markets, you shouldn't miss out on the Boqueria at the Ramblas which starts early in the morning.

RABAT - CASABLANCA - MARRAKESH.
Sightseeing with a Local Guide focuses on the massive medieval battlements, the Royal Palace, MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM, Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of Oudaias. Visit the fine ROMAN RELICS OF CHELLAH. Then, continue to Casablanca, Morocco's modern seaport. During your guided panoramic drive, see the Hassan II Mosque, a splendid monument designed to mark the end of the century. Evening arrival in Marrakesh, situated in an oasis. (B,D)
7 MARRAKESH.
Follow your Local Guide to visit BAHIA PALACE, the 16th-century SAADIAN TOMBS (if closed, visit the BADIA PALACE instead), and to Djemaa El-Fna, the vibrant town centre dominated by the 222-foot-high Koutoubia Minaret. Afternoon at leisure. An exciting optional evening excursion is available. (B)
8 MARRAKESH - FEZ.
Journey to Fez today. Blessed with an ample supply of water and strategically situated, Fez became the capital of Morocco when the country shook off foreign rule under the Berber King Idris in the 8th century. To this day, Fez has remained Morocco's spiritual and artistic centre. (B,D)