The Great Hunt: What bargains have you picked up on holiday?

Former_MSE_Darryl
Former_MSE_Darryl Posts: 210 Forumite
in Overseas holidays & travel planning
The pound's currently strong against the dollar and euro - giving Brits bigger purchasing power when abroad. So whether it's electrical goods in the US or cut-price Zara clothes in Spain, we want to know what you've bought for less this summer by picking it up on holiday.

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Comments

  • janiebquick
    janiebquick Posts: 432 Forumite
    Mortgage-free Glee!
    A friend once asked us to bring back a whole load of window envelopes from France for him. He claimed they were a lot cheaper than in the UK, but I've no idea if this is true or not.
    'Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.' George Carlin
  • pedro3gb
    pedro3gb Posts: 68 Forumite
    Myself and my wife bought lots of clothes on a recent trip to USA. We managed to buy things for the same amount of dollars as we would pay on £ here. Good shops to try are Levi's which had also a 25% offer if you bought jeans as well, Macy's - ask at the till if they have any voucher deals. We got an additional 25% off an already le price, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters (same company as Anthropologie) etc. also outlets such as J Crew and Nike at very good value.
    For food and drink offers register for a Travelzoo US app. We got an excellent deal at Fairmont, which is best hotel in San Francisco.
  • bluecanoe
    bluecanoe Posts: 23 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    Beware......Although they are cheaper, US electrical goods run on a different voltage and frequency and also have different plugs so many don't work or work only with a transformer, which is not always recommended. Televisions are completely different too (unless you can get a multisystem one). The UK system is PAL and the USA is NTSC so video games and DVD's generally don't work either.
  • gloriouslyhappy
    gloriouslyhappy Posts: 595 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    Posh wine - don't waste your time bringing back the cheap stuff (unless you're driving a vehicle and have lots of space of course), but search out the high end special occasion stuff because you'll find it a lot cheaper overseas due to the amount of tax we pay in the UK. If you don't have a special occasion (wedding present, 50th birthday etc) coming up soon, expensive wines improve with age so can be put away in a cool dark place like the understairs cupboard and stored until needed. They also go up in value... Make sure you lie the bottle on its side, and try not to disturb it.
  • Saint_Chris
    Saint_Chris Posts: 3,876 Forumite
    stock cubes from turkey.....pack of 24 knor stock cubes, about 15p
  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279 Forumite
    Xmas Saver!
    I brought a ring from Goa, paid £170 had it valued and came in at £1,500.


    Goa - our best buys was chocolate - Cadburys and milky bar brands starting at 5p - 25p. Spices - all so cheap, Vodka - got some 250ml of smiroff flavoured variety - £1.50


    dom Rep - pure extract of vanilla - about 60p for 200ml bottle, brown sugar 20p bag, coffee,
    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,580 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Saint_Chris wrote: »
    stock cubes from turkey.....pack of 24 knor stock cubes, about 15p


    I saw those too!! Bargain!


    Probably my favourite is champagne from a family owned champagne house


    http://champagne-prevoteau-perrier.fr/histoire.html
  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,316 Forumite
    First Post Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary
    My daughter always buys her Converse when we're in the states. She pays in $ what they'd cost in £ here and always gets either bogof or 2nd pair half price. Came back with 4 pairs last trip at less than half the price they would cost here. (Although she wouldn't buy them here as they're too expensive)
    2.22kWp Solar PV system installed Oct 2010, Fronius IG20 Inverter, south facing (-5 deg), 30 degree pitch, no shading
    Everything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the end
    MFW #4 OPs (offset): 2018 £866.89, 2019 £1322.33, 2020 £1337.07,
    2021 £1250.00, 2022 £1500.00, 2023 £1500
    Target for 2024 (offset) = £1200, YTD £345
    Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
  • lesbro
    lesbro Posts: 59 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I had forgotten my Omeprazole and Levothyroxine and after a quick phone call to my surgery was told to go to a pharmacy in Spain.
    I don't pay prescription charges at home so expected a high charge. No problems after showing the assistant the ones I had with me she brought a month's supply out for each. The Charge just 3.50 Euros in total. Compare that with the prescription charges back here.:)
  • malc_b
    malc_b Posts: 1,081 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary
    Just come back from USA and bargains are rather thin on the ground IMO. Maybe clothes and trainers I didn't look at those. Electronics is cheaper on Amazon as a rule. I considered getting memory cards etc. from Walmart (you can pre-order to collect with pay-pal, credit card needs USA address) but Amazon beat their price.
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