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Shops open around 8am and close 7–8pm, with long afternoon breaks (see Opening Hours).

Bartering over price is the life-blood of markets, but isn’t the norm in the majority of shops. Many market stallholders now hail from Middle Eastern countries where bargaining is an art form, so be ready to go through the full ritual: you acting less and less interested, the stallholder acting more and more offended.

Italy’s Value Added Tax (IVA) is included in the price tag of every item. Non-EU visitors who spend more than €155 in one shop can get the tax refunded. Ask the store to help you fill in the forms; then bring them and the receipts to the customs office at the airport to complete the paperwork. Your refund will be mailed (though it may take some months). Stores marked “Tax Free Shopping for Tourists” speed up the process, giving you a cheque for the customs office to stamp, which can then be redeemed at the airport’s Tax Free Shopping desk.

UK and Irish citizens can bring home virtually anything duty free (though, in principle, limits such as no more than 90 litres of wine apply). US citizens are limited to $400 worth of goods duty-free, including 1 litre of alcohol, 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars. Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand limitations are roughly similar. Unless you are from the EU, you are not allowed to take home flowers, bulbs, fruits, vegetables, meats (unless tinned) and cheeses runnier than brie.

One of the world’s elite capitals of fashion, Milan is home to many top names in haute couture: Prada, Armani, Versace, Mila Schön, Krizia, Missoni and Ferré, to name but a few. In March and October, supermodels draped in next season’s fashions parade the runways in the MODIT fashion shows. Top couture isn’t likely to be any cheaper in Milan (unless you go to a discount outlet), but buying clothes here has a certain cachet.

Italians are masters of industrial design, from Ferraris to funky Alessi tea kettles. So if the Ferrari doesn’t fit your budget, consider some elegant or quirky kitchenware instead.

For craftware, such as ceramics, carved wood and even leather shoes, try to visit the workshops and buy at source. For everything else, use the Italian shopper’s three cardinal “S”s: sconti (reduced prices), saldi (sales), and spacci (discount outlets).

Rather than carry your perhaps bulky purchases all around Lombardy, see if the shop can ship them home for you on the spot. The fee is often worth the hassle saved. If you have a rental car big enough to store your goods, you could try the other tack: at the end of your trip post home your dirty laundry and anything you won’t miss for a while, then use the space saved to pack your souvenirs.

Italy’s best souvenir, though rather heavy (and US citizens can only take home one bottle without paying a duty). Shipping is expensive, so save it for when you discover a small vineyard whose wines aren’t exported and buy a whole case.

Italy is renowned for the quality of its hand-painted ceramics – souvenirs that have a practical use as well as an aesthetic appeal. Milan is also home to fine jewellers, from big names such as Bulgari to artisans labouring in small boutiques.