Shopping

Rome offers temptations of every kind. You might find hidden oases of charm and value in lesser-known neighborhoods, but in our limited space here, we've summarized certain streets known throughout Italy for their shops. Keep in mind that the monthly rent on these places is very high, and those costs will be passed on to you. Nonetheless, a stroll down some of these streets presents a cross section of the most desirable wares found in Italy.

Although Rome has many wonderful boutiques, you'll find better shopping in Florence and Venice. If you're continuing on to either of these cities, hold off a bit.

Shopping hours are generally Monday from 3:30 to 7:30pm, and Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 or 10am to 1pm and 3:30 to 7 or 7:30pm. Some shops are open on Monday mornings, however, and some shops don't close for the afternoon break.

The Shopping Scene

Shipping -- Shipping can be a problem, but -- for a price -- any object can be packed, shipped, and insured. For major purchases, you should buy an all-risks insurance policy to cover damage or loss in transit. Because these policies can be expensive, check into whether using a credit card to make your purchase will provide automatic free insurance.

Tax Rebates on Purchase In Italy -- Visitors are sometimes appalled at the high taxes and add-ons that seem to make so many things expensive in Italy. Those taxes, totaling as much as 19% to 35% for certain goods, apply to big-ticket purchases of more than 155€ but can be refunded if you plan ahead and perform a bit of sometimes tiresome paperwork. When you make your purchase, get a receipt from the vendor. When you leave Italy, find an Italian Customs agent at the point of your exit from the country. The agent will want to see the item you've bought, confirm that it's physically leaving Italy, and stamp the vendor's receipt.

You should then mail the stamped receipt (keeping a photocopy for your records) back to the original vendor. The vendor will, sooner or later, send you a check representing a refund of the tax you paid. Reputable stores view this as a matter of ordinary paperwork and are very businesslike about it. Less honorable stores might lose your receipts. It pays to deal with established vendors on purchases of this size.

Major Shopping Streets

Via Borgognona -- This street begins near Piazza di Spagna, and both the rents and the merchandise are chic and ultra-expensive. Like its neighbor, Via Condotti, Via Borgognona is a mecca for wealthy, well-dressed men and women from around the world. Its storefronts have retained their baroque or neoclassical facades.

Via Cola Di Rienzo -- Bordering the Vatican, this long, straight street runs from the Tiber to Piazza Risorgimento. Since the street is wide and clogged with traffic, it's best to walk down one side and then up the other. Via Cola di Rienzi is known for stores selling a wide variety of merchandise at reasonable prices -- from jewelry to fashionable clothes and shoes.

Via Condotti -- Easy to find because it begins at the base of the Spanish Steps, this is Rome's poshest and most prominent shopping street -- the Madison Avenue of Rome. Even the recent incursion of some less elegant stores hasn't diminished the allure of Via Condotti as a consumer's playground for the rich and super-rich. For us mere mortals, it's a great place for window-shopping and people-watching.

Via Del Corso -- Not attempting the stratospheric image or prices of Via Condotti or Via Borgognona, Via del Corso boasts styles aimed at younger consumers. There are some gems scattered amid the shops selling jeans and sporting equipment. The most interesting stores are nearest the fashionable cafes of Piazza del Popolo.

Via Francesco Crispi -- Most shoppers reach this street by following Via Sistina 1 long block from the top of the Spanish Steps. Near the intersection of these streets are several shops for unusual and less expensive gifts.

Via Frattina -- Running parallel to Via Condotti, it begins, like its more famous sibling, at Piazza di Spagna. Part of its length is closed to traffic. Here the concentration of shops is denser, although some aficionados claim that its image is slightly less chic and prices are slightly lower than at its counterparts on Via Condotti. It's usually thronged with shoppers who appreciate the lack of motor traffic.

Via Nazionale -- The layout recalls 19th-century grandeur, but the traffic is horrendous; crossing Via Nazionale requires a good sense of timing and a strong understanding of Italian driving patterns. It begins at Piazza della Repubblica and runs down almost to the 19th-century monuments of Piazza Venezia. You'll find an abundance of leather stores (more reasonable in price than those in many other parts of Rome) and a handful of stylish boutiques.

Via Sistina -- Beginning at the top of the Spanish Steps, Via Sistina runs to Piazza Barberini. The shops are small and stylish, and pedestrian traffic is less dense than on other major streets.

Via Vittorio Veneto -- Via Veneto is filled with expensive hotels and cafes and relatively expensive stores selling shoes, gloves, and leather goods.