These are my favourite street names

When in Rome...

When in Madrid...

When in Barcelona...

When in Paris...

Image from Google search

Image from Google search

Those are the streets where premium branded boutiques are located in the respected cities. Here we are talking about Gucci, Prada, LV, Hermes, Salvatore Ferragamo and many more.

When in Rome...
Via dei Condotti and Piaza di Spagna are closely located. In fact, we can access Via dei Condotti from Piazza di Spagna. I visited this shopping zone on Saturday afternoon and it was over crowded by tourists who wanted to take pictures on the Spanish Step or with the 'boat' fountain on Piazza di Spagna. But I still can enjoy the strolling (window shopping) on the narrow street of Via dei Condotti where I can find my favourite brands like Celine and Prada. At that time I was trying to find a Bottega Veneta store, but then I didn't succeed. I further found out that Bottega Veneta store (the one and only in Rome) was located in Piazza di San Lorenzo. By the time I got the full address, our schedule was too tight to have another stop at BV store. It seems that I hadn't made a thorough research on BV in Rome before I came to Rome :p


When in Madrid...
I was told by a friend that Gran Via is Madrid's shopping mecca. It is so true when it comes to 'high-street' brands like Zara, MNG, H&M, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, etc. But to get those premium brands, we had to go to Calle de Jose Ortega Y Gasset. Unfortunately, I went there on Sunday and ALL shops were closed  :(  Sad and disappointed I was. But, I still enjoyed the nice strolling and window shopping along the wide street as it was a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon in Madrid.

And because of our full schedule, I didn't have time to revisit this street on the following day:( 


When in Barcelona...
I simply love Passeig de Gracia. Most boutiques are all line up on the street. A wide street with wide pedestrian area covered by trees. And there are 2 famous Antoni Gaudi houses located on Passeig de Gracia (Casa Mila and Casa Batllo). Hence, strolling along this street had the bonus of having a great view of beautiful Gaudi's buildings.

I visited 2 mixed-brands stores on Passeig de Gracia, i.e. Santa Eulalia and Jofre, which carry brands like Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Celine. But I could not find the item (ehm, bag) that I was looking for;)


When in Paris...
I have to honestly say that Paris is still my favourite destination for shopping (other than London and New York). And autumn in Paris is just stunning and beautiful where trees have changed colour to yellow/red/orange.

I initially put down the name of Champs Elysees on my list of favourite street names for shopping (it shouldn't be a surprise if I did so, as most people like Champs Elysees very much). But during my recent visit to Paris, I felt uncomfortable on how crowded and very touristy the street was. And I felt unsafe for the threat of pickpocket in Champs Elysees (I was warned many times on this issue every time I visited Paris). Hence the name is off from my list.

Then I headed to Rue du Faubourg St Honore, Avenue Montaigne (these 2 street names are already well known among tourists) and for the first time I went to Rue de Sevres which is located on Rive Gauche (southern bank of the river Seine in Paris). And I had a blast for doing shopping in those areas. To my surprise, Rue de Sevres has many nice shops (yup, those premium brands are there) and a premium department store of Le Bon Marche. This is a department store where a true chic French lady comes for shopping as I witnessed that most visitors to this department store were French (and some were toting Hermes bags or wearing Hemes shawl ellegantly). This place is not too famous for tourists considering the location is not close to tourist attraction. I will make a separate post of Le Bon Marche as I love doing shopping in this department store.

And by the way, a new Hermes store was recently opened in Rue de Sevres which is worth a visit to admire its stunning interior design. So, having a Hermes store in this area is like a good sign that Rue de Sevres can be as famous as Avenue Montaigne for shopping destination.



So now, if I have to rank those street names for a TOP 3, then my list will be as follows:

1. Rue du Faubourg St Honore -- Hermes and Chanel flagship stores are there!
2. Rue du Sevres -- love doing shopping at Le Bon Marche
3. Passeig de Gracia -- shopping with a bonus of great view from Gaudi's magnificent buildings