Shopping

Where to buy souvenirs to take home

There's plenty of choice when it comes to finding a keepsake from your Italian adventure.

Popular Italian souvenirs

Each region has its own traditions and its own unique selection of souvenirs, including items of clothing, food and drinks. Here are some suggestions of what you might find:

Food and drink:

Heads up: Check the rules for your home country before attempting to bring food and drink through customs.

• Limoncello (especially from the Naples region)
• Wine and prosecco
• Panettone and pandoro (around Christmastime)
• Colomba (around Easter)
• Hard cheeses like parmigiano or pecorino (Double check the customs rules of your home country before attempting to bring food through the airport)
• Local olive oil
• Locally produced amaretti and amari
   

Goods:

• Handmade leather goods, like bags, hats, belts and shoes, e.g., from Florence and around Lake Como.
• Silk garments (Bellagio, Lake Como).
• Cashmere goods like scarves and jumpers.
• Handmade wooden children's toys, for example from the Alpine regions.
• Traditional Christmas nativity-scene decorations from Naples.
• Football merchandise from the local, official Serie A club stores, like AC Milan or SC Napoli.
• Italian moka pot

Tax-free shopping

A refund of local VAT is available to all non-residents of the EU who are departing from the EU/EEA with purchased goods within 3 months of the purchase date.

Many shops across Italy offer tax-free shopping. You can identify participating stores by the TAX FREE logo. This is usually displayed near the store entrance or the register.

The minimum purchase amount per receipt eligible for a refund is €70.01 in Italy.

Keep all your receipts and have them, along with the goods purchased, ready to present at the tax refund counter at your departing airport, harbour or border crossing. Goods must be presented and receipts must be stamped and verified before you check your luggage and pass through customs.

Please bear in mind that certain goods purchased, like fuel, vehicles and services, are not refundable for tax purposes. You must also present your passport, or a scanned copy of it, when you are purchasing the goods you intend to seek a tax refund for.

When are shops open?

Most shops in major cities and towns are open Monday–Saturday, from (roughly) 9 AM – 7:30 PM, with many staying open until as late as 8 or 9 PM. Some shops may close for a couple of hours in the afternoon for lunch, and most tend to close on Sundays across the country. 

Opening hours tend to be reduced in rural areas. You should also check the area you are in for local holidays, as most shops will likely be closed during this time too.

If you forget something

Major cities and towns are packed with shops that supply cosmetics, clothing and other general items. If you've forgotten anything for your trip before your arrival, or if you lose something in Italy, these shops will make it easy to restock your supply.