From Berlin bargain-hunting to a touch of decadence in Dubai, travel and shopping are a natural fit. And with this roundup of six cheap shopping break destinations you can still treat yourself on your travels...
Beijing
In just a short time, Beijing has changed almost beyond recognition. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the array of shops on offer. Where once it was all state-recognized shops like the Friendship Store, now there are more great places to shop than you could possibly visit in an average stay.
Markets obviously feature pretty highly: the Grand World Electrical Market is the place to head for cheap electrical goods; designer clothes – fake and otherwise – are the top draw at the Silk Market (Xiu Shui) and Yaxiu Market, while the Hong Qiao Market specializes in everything from pearls to fish.
Find out more about Beijing’s top ten markets and malls
Dubai
If the words ‘cheap’ and Dubai don’t seem to sit naturally together, it’s probably best to remember that everything’s relative. Cheap jewelry – and especially gold – can be picked up at the Gold souq; and if the quality can vary, it’s still as cheap as you’ll find almost anywhere in the world.
Away from the ‘bling’ of the other (extremely pricey) malls like the Mall of the Emirates and the Bur Juman Mall, the Karama souq is a lively warren of shops where the merchandise ranges from flawless ‘designer goods’ to shisha pipes. To get an even more local flavor, the Satwa souq is a more everyday affair.
See our top ten Dubai shopping malls and souqs
Berlin
A little surprisingly for a city that’s right up there with the continent’s very coolest, Berlin is one of Europe’s top destinations for a cheap shopping break. Even in the swanky stores of Charlottenburg, Mitte and the rest of West Berlin, the prices on offer can often put London or Paris to shame.
And if you swap the chi-chi stores of the West for the more down-at-heel charms of the East, then the picture becomes rosier still. One of the best spots for a bit of bargain browsing is Kreuzberg’s bustling heart, Oranienstraße, while nearby Bergmannstraße is packed with secondhand stores, junk shops and hours of cheap rummaging.
Have a browse in Berlin’s top ten shops and markets
Hong Kong
Hong Kong: a shimmering Shangri-La of shopping. For years, wealthy (and not so wealthy) businessmen have been justifying a cheap shopping break to the city on the grounds of getting a suit cut at Sam the Tailor or the Mandarin Hotel’s bespoke A-Man Hing Cheong.
For everyone else, if you can’t get something here, then it’s probably not worth having; if you can’t get it for the right price at Lai Chi Kok or Sham Shui Po – then look elsewhere. The sights, sounds, smells (and bargains) to be had at Temple Street Night Market are a good place to start – just be prepared to haggle!
Get the lowdown on the top ten places to shop around Kowloon
Orlando
Why Orlando? Two words: outlet store. Orlando is absolutely overflowing with them, and the sales on offer at the likes of the Belz Factory Outlet World, can be seriously tempting. Even at the more upmarket end of the outlet scale, in Orlando Premium Outlets, there can be bargains to be had on all sorts of designer labels.
But a cheap shopping break in Orlando doesn’t have to just be about glittering outlet stores. Renninger’s Antique & Flea Markets offers you a chance to rifle your way through a huge variety of bric-a-brac in the fresh air while in Flea World, Orlando even lays claim to the country’s largest flea market.
See more of our top ten Orlando I-Drive Stores & Outlet Centers
Marrakech
Marrakech doesn’t have shops; it is one big shop. From the moment you set foot in the place, no matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to shut out the deafening clamor of commerce that starts at Jemaa el Fna and ripples out through the souks.
And it’s the souks that make Marrakech one of the most exotic of all cheap shopping break destinations. There are silk scarves and textiles at the Souk des Teinturiers, cheap and cheerful slippers at the Souk des Babouches, and carpets at the Souk des Tapis – all of which you’ve got to barter like mad for... But that’s all part of the fun!
Read more about the souks of Marrakech
Looking for more rough and ready tips for a cheap shopping break? Then check out our pick of the best markets in the world.
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