Cheap romantic gift idea

Strategies for the souvenir hunter

Gift shopping in Europe is getting very expensive. I remember buying a cuckoo clock 15 years ago for $5. Now a "Happy Meal" at the Munich McDonald's costs that much.

Here are some shopping tips.

* Shop in countries where your dollar stretches farthest, such as Turkey, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Greece. For the price of a 4-inch pewter Viking ship in Norway, you can buy a real boat in Turkey.

* Shop at flea markets. Among the best are Amsterdam's Waterlooplein (Saturdays); London's Bermondsey (early Fridays) and Portobello Market (Saturdays); Madrid's El Rastro (Sundays), and Paris' Porte de Clignancourt (best on Sundays).

Flea markets anywhere have soft prices. Bargain like mad.

Tourists and pickpockets alike love flea markets -- wear your money belt and watch your day bag.

* Check out large department stores. These often have a souvenir section with local knickknacks and postcards at prices way below those of the cute, little tourist shops.

* Stay in control. Shopping is an important part of the average person's trip, but all too often slick marketing and cutesy, romantic window displays can succeed in shifting the entire focus of your vacation toward things in the tourist shops. (It's a lucrative business. Many souvenir merchants in-Italy work through the tourist season, then retire for the rest of the year.)

This sort of tourist brainwashing can turn you into one of the many people. who set out to see and experience Europe but find themselves wandering in a trancelike search for signs announcing "Duty-Free Shopping." I've. seen half the members of a British Halls of Parliament guided tour skip out to survey an enticing display of plastic "bobby" hats and Union Jack panties.

* Ask yourself if your enthusiasm is merited. Often you can pick up a similar item of better quality for a cheaper price at home.

Unless you're a romantic, the thrill of where you bought an item fades long. Before the item's usefulness. My life has more room for a functional souvenir than for a useless symbol of a place. Even thoughtful shoppers go overboard. I have several large boxes labeled "great' souvenirs" stored permanently in my attic.

* Try to restrict your shopping to stipulated time. Most people have an idea of what they want to buy in each country. Set aside one day to shop in each country, and stick to it. This way you avoid drifting through our trip thinking only of souvenirs.

* Get a Value-Added Tax refund. Local European sales taxes vary from 15 to 25 percent. Tourists who buy something new (and expensive) and carry it with them out of the country can often get this tax refunded.

If you shop at a store that participates in the Tax-free Program (look for the sticker in the window or ask a clerk), you'll get a Tax-free Shopping Cheque after you make a major purchase. Save up your cheques from various European countries and get them validated at Customs in the airport (when you leave Europe), and then claim your refund at the nearby "Tax-free Refund" booth.

* To pack light, shop at the end of your trip. Ideally, end your trip in a cheap country, do all of your shopping, then fly home. One summer I had a 16-pound rucksack until the last week of my trip when, in Spain and Morocco, I managed to accumulate two medieval chairs, two sets of bongos, a camel-hair coat, swords, a mace and a lace tablecloth.

* My favorite souvenirs are books (a great value, with editions often unavailable in the U.S.), local crafts (such as lace in Belgium, glass in Sweden and hand-knit sweaters in Portugal or Ireland), cassettes of music I heard live, posters (rolled safely into one sturdy tube), clothing, photographs I've taken, and memories whittled carefully into my journal.

Successful bargaining

In Europe, bargaining is common only in the south, but you can fight prices at flea markets and with street vendors anywhere.

Before you set out to haggle, consider the following:

* Determine if bargaining is appropriate. It's bad etiquette to "make an offer" for a tweed hat in a London department store. It's foolish not to at a Greek outdoor market. To learn if a price is fixed, show some interest in an item but say, "It's just too much money."' If the merchant offers a lower price, haggle away.

* Shop around. Prices can vary drastically among vendors at the same flea market. If prices aren't posted, assume there's a double price-standard: one for locals and one for you.

* Determine what the item is worth to you. Many tourists think that if they can cut the price by 50% they are doing great. So the merchant quadruples his prices and the tourist happily pays double the fair value. Before you even see the price tag, determine the item's value to you, considering the hassles involved in packing or shipping it home.

* Determine the merchant's lowest price. Promise yourself that no matter how exciting the price becomes, you won't buy. When it seems to have fallen to a record low, walk away. That last price the merchant hollers out as you leave is the best price you'll get. If the price is right, go back and buy.

* Look indifferent, As soon as the merchant perceives the "I gotta have that!" in you, you'll never get the best price. He knows Americans have the money to buy what they really want.

* Employ a third person. Use your friend who is worried about the ever-dwindling budget or who wants to return to the hotel. This can help bring the price down faster.

* Show the merchant your money. Physically hold out your money and offer him "all you have" to pay for whatever you are bickering over. He'll be tempted to just grab your money and say, "Oh, okay."

* Obey the rules and bid carefully. If a merchant accepts your price (or vice versa), you must buy the item.

* If the price is too much, leave. Never worry about having taken too much of the merchant's time and tea. They are experts at making tourists feel guilty for not buying. It's all part of the game. By local standards, most merchants are financially well-off.

Remember, you can generally find the same souvenirs in large department stores at fair and firm prices. Department store shopping is quicker, easier and often cheaper -- but not nearly as much fun.

Editor's note: For other travel tips, see Rick Steves' "Europe Through the Back Door 2000." Rick Steves is the host of the public television series "Travels in Europe" and the author of 22 European travel guide books. His company offers Europe tours, railpasses and travel information. Contact Europe Through the Back Door, P.O. Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020; phone 425/771-8303 or visit www.ricksteves.com.