Shopping in Tuscany
Love shopping? Then you’ve chosen a great place to book your holiday villa. In Tuscany, you’ll find a mix of shopping experiences, whether you want to buy the latest designer clothes or a chunk of tasty local cheese.
Tuscany is well known for its wine, olive oil, and fresh local produce. It’s also a good place to pick up leather goods, lace and terracotta. Visit a local market early in the morning to purchase the freshest produce. And check out the markets across the region that specialise in artisanal crafts and antiques. The quaint traditional shops found in smaller villages are also a good place to seek out lovely hand-crafted products for a fabulous souvenir to take home.
There are fantastic factory outlets here, too, with many of the top Italian design houses selling luxury items at bargain prices, including Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci. While Tuscany’s cities – Siena, Arezzo, Florence and Pisa among them – have some great high-street shopping, too.
Check out our suggestions below on where to enjoy a shopping trip during your villa holiday in Tuscany.
Shopping in Tuscany
Outlet shopping Tuscany
Will they have the particular things I am looking for? Outlet shopping is hit and miss. You could be unlucky big time, you might not find a thing to buy,you might find something you'd never thought of. Nothing is certain. Even the staff at the outlet cannot be sure from day to day what stock they will have.
Can certain things be sent to me? Sending this type of merchandise abroad would breach all trade agreements and undercut the flagship stores. If you want outlet prices, you must make the effort to go to the outlet.
Will the staff at the outlets speak English ? Yes, they will also know all international sizing.
For outlet shopping, which is the most convenient airport to fly into ? The closest airports to the Prada and Gucci out lets are, in order; Florence, Pisa, Rome.
Can I get there by public transport ? Getting around by public transport is possible but not optimum. Take a train from Florence or Arezzo to Montevarchi. From there take a taxi to the outlets. You may want to ask it to wait for you whilst you shop or arrange for the same taxi to return for you at a fixed time as the outlets are all in quite remote areas.
Is a decent hotel near by to stay in and for a reasonable price?
We do not have hotels in area of the outlets on our books and so cannot personally recommend anything. If your goal is to outlet shop you could just arrive in the area and ask the locals where to stay - as it is not a tourist area you should find something. The outlets are about 30 minutes from Florence by car.
When is the best time to arrive ? It is best to arrive at Prada before it opens at about 9.00. At the door you take a ticket and then retire to the very chic bar/café next door, which has an electronic number counter to let you know when it's your turn. The choicest items are always there first thing and go quickly. Keep your ticket. Anything you think you might want to buy you can give to a sales assistant who will store it for you whilst you rampage on to the next discovery, at the end you have a second chance to re look at everything calmly and make your final selection. Do not bother going on weekends, public holidays or during the peak sale periods (when the best old stock is sent to the stores). As with all outlets, it can be hit or miss, some times you will be lucky and other times you will not find anything worth buying. At Prada 9 times out of 10 you will be stuck for choice 1 time you won't find a thing to buy, it depends on luck. At Gucci it is the reverse but that one time you are unlucky you will be so big time. Gucci never has lines/queues for this reason and so visit Prada first and then Gucci.
What about the sales in regular stores ? During sale periods (Early January and early July onwards) the bargains in the stores are almost as good as in the outlets. The outlets never have sales.
What about outlets in other parts of Italy ? We have visited very good outlets near to lake Como (Armani, Fendi, Iceburg) and Lago Maggiore (mainly pottery, china and kitchen ware)and in Legnano (mainly shoes, Fratelli Rosetti etc.) as it is far from us, we cannot give first hand information. The best idea is to check on before you leave or while at your To Tuscany villa.
Markets in Tuscany
The cheapest and most authentic way to go shopping during your villa holiday is to visit one of the weekly markets that take place in Tuscany’s towns and villages. Some have just a few stalls, others are huge and extremely.
It’s a lovely way to shop for local goods – cheese, wine and oil, salamis and hams, fish and meat, fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ll also find stalls selling clothes and shoes, and it’s not unusual to find branded products and quality items at a reduced price.
These markets usually only open in the morning, from 7.30am to 1pm, but even if they last all day, go early if you want to bag a bargain or buy the freshest produce.
Here’s a list of the most popular markets in Tuscany and Umbria, many of which will be located near your To Tuscany villa. As well as the street or square where they take place, we’ve noted on which day of the week they take place, but days may vary depending on festivals and bank holidays.
Art and Antique markets in Tuscany
Mercato delle Pulci
Piazza de' Ciompi.
Open daily
This flea market sells furniture, antiques, prints, coins, jewellery, bric-a-brac and antiquarian books. It has extra stands on the last Sunday of every month, except in August.
