So, school is out and the darn mercury is rising.
While many usually head for the beach, Twitter and Facebook feeds are showing a good number of Filipinos jetting off to Europe to avoid the dreaded Manila heat.
Though you will be a few months too early for The Big Sale in July, you can bet your bottom peso that you can still find good shopping deals at the outlets.
As Filipinos, we are — by default — experts at hunting a bargain. That said, many of you will have heard of at least one of the shops listed below. In the off chance that you haven’t, well, you’re welcome.
Chic Outlet Shopping
Leave it to the Europeans to put the word “chic” in a company name and mean it.
US-based Premium Outlets has nothing on The Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in London (Bicester), Dublin (Kildare), Paris (La Vallée), Madrid (Las Rozas), Barcelona (La Roca), Milan/Bologna (Fidenza), Brussels/Antwerp/Cologne (Maasmechelen), Frankfurt (Wertheim) and Munich (Ingolstadt).
I haven’t been to all nine of them yet, but if the other six are just as good as the three that I’ve already been to (Paris, Barcelona and Frankfurt), then it’s safe to say that any of them are well worth the trek.
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http://www.chicoutletshopping.com.
Paris – La Vallée Village
The last time I was there, I only had one hour to shop. A good chunk of that solitary hour was wisely used combing through the racks at Staff International.
For the uninitiated, Staff International is the licensee of Maison Martin Margiela, Viktor & Rolf, and Vivienne Westwood.
A Margiela AIDS tee will set you back a mere +15. Last season’s shoes and clothes are priced as low as +70. If you’re big on Margiela and that doesn’t get you all excited to go there, I don’t know what else will.
Marni, Celine, Moncler, Givenchy, Comptoir des Cotonnieres, agnès b., Gerard Darel, Longchamp, Villeroy & Boch, and Bodum are among the 90 boutiques dotting the whole village.
La Vallée is a 35-minute drive from Paris’ city center. Disneyland Paris is five minutes away. Also a stone’s throw are the famous champagne cellars of Möet & Chandon and the trés elegant Château de Fontainbleau.
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http://www.lavalleevillage.com.
Barcelona – La Roca Village
Only 40 minutes outside the city and conveniently on the way to the breathtaking Costa Brava (e.g., Tossa de Mar, Girona, Cadaqués), La Roca Village needs to be in your itinerary if you are headed for Barcelona.
Loewe, Bimba & Lola, Hoss Intropia, Petit Bateau, Camper, La Perla and Le Creuset are but a few of the 100 outlet boutiques at La Roca. Reductions are at 60 percent off recommended retail prices.
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Frankfurt — Wertheim Village
Usually, if you find yourself in Frankfurt, it’s either because (A) you have a connecting flight, (B) you’re on a business trip or (C) you’re visiting family and friends. Let’s face it, you’re never really there for the shopping.
Now there’s reason for you to spend your hard-earned euros at an area close to this business hub. Fifty minutes away is Wertheim Village where you will find 110 outlet boutiques — including Puma, Strenesse, Furla, Lacoste, Mandarina Duck and WMF.
Belstaff jackets, which normally fetch upwards of +500, are sold at close to 70% off. Some Birkenstock styles are priced ridiculously low at +29. And those Falke invisible step socks (a.k.a. the best no-show socks ever) sold at Paris’ Galeries Lafayette for +12 are just +3 a pair at Wertheim.
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http://www.wertheimvillage.com.
Know before you go
All Villages are fairly easy to get to. My husband and I drove to the outlets and didn’t have any trouble finding them.
If you’re going to rent a car in Europe, I suggest you book with Sixt (http://www.sixt.com). They are very reliable and have the best partnerships with airlines, hotels, credit cards and the like.
Navigating the autoroute, autostrada or autobahn is pretty straightforward, especially with a GPS device. But if you must map out your route the semi-old school way, do it on ViaMichelin (http://www.viamichelin.com). It’s the most accurate one I’ve used, to date.
If driving isn’t your thing, you can opt to take The Shopping Express, which is their luxury coach service that takes you from the main city center locations directly to the Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages.
If not by car or bus, there’s always the train. Alternatively, if you’re feeling extra special, you can even hire yourself a chauffeur.
Before leaving for any of the Villages, try to spend some time going through the websites. They are all very comprehensive with a chock-full of information—from practical matters such as hours and days of operation, brand directories and maps, to travel partners, tax free shopping tips and places of interest that are close by.