Shop 'til you drop: three more top shopping cities

Christmas shopping with girlfriends is top of most of our wish lists – and if you combine it with a fun weekend in a fabulous city you could save the cost of your travel in bargain buys

Shop til you drop: New York

Shop til you drop: Copenhagen

Shop til you drop: Manchester 

 

For design lovers: Turin

Turin may be famous as the home of Fiat and as the backdrop to the 1969 film The Italian Job, but you don't have to be a petrolhead to enjoy a break there. As World Design Capital for 2008 (www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it), Turin is proving itself a worthy pitstop for style-savvy weekenders. Chocolate and fashion are conventional Turin must-buys, with Via Roma and Via Lagrange home to the biggest brands. Don't miss the Gran Balôn (www.balon.it) - one of Italy's best flea markets, this takes place on the second Sunday of every month.

Stylish doubles at the NH Santo Stefano hotel and spa start from around £95, room only (Via Porta Palatina 19 www.nh-hotels.com; 00 39 011 522 3311). Return fares from Stansted to Turin start from around £50 (www.ryanair.co.uk; 0871 246 0000).

 

 

For fashionistas: Boston

With over 2,000 shops in Boston's Main Streets district, it's easy to see why tourists flock in their thousands on a mission to spend, spend, spend. The Main Streets area was established by the city in 1995 to revitalise the local commercial businesses and offers a wealth of independent stores to delve into for one-off finds. But if you want to mix with the most elite shopaholics, you should head to Boston's Newbury Street, which encompasses eight blocks of smart salons, malls and boutique stores. This well-known shopping district is home to all the designer names, including Marc Jacobs and Chanel, and boasts a list of over 50 top eateries catering for every taste and cuisine.

Flights from Gatwick or Heathrow to Boston start from around £338 return (www.ba.com; 0844 493 0787). Doubles at the Radisson Hotel Boston start from around £140, B&B (200 Stuart Street, www.radisson.com; 00 1 888 201 1718).

 

For more great shopping: Glasgow

When Harvey Nichols opened a branch in Edinburgh a few years ago, it was soon reported that most of its storecard holders had Glasgow postcodes. This came as no surprise to citizens of Scotland's biggest city, who pride themselves on being the most sophisticated shoppers north of the border - and having the stores to suit. Glasgow is host to a thriving collection of independent home-grown boutiques. In Princes Square, a restored 19th-century shopping arcade (www.princessquare.co.uk), Fifi & Ally's glamorous lifestyle store (www.fifi-and-ally.com; 0141 229 0386) sits alongside wider-known brands such as Reiss and Jo Malone, while in the Merchant City area, you'll find stores like Ralph Lauren, the niche designer emporium Cruise (180 Ingram Street, www.cruiseclothing.co.uk) and vintage specialist Brigitte (41 King Street, www.brigittefashions.co.uk; 0141 552 9564).

 

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If you enjoyed that, try these...

Shop til you drop: New York

Shop til you drop: Copenhagen

Shop til you drop: Manchester 

 

Click here for more on European travel

Click here for more on North America

 

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