Italy’s top 5 shopping outlets

Plan a holiday around outlet shopping and you might get a holiday plus designer souvenirs for the same cost as buying those must-have items full-price. And Italy is brimming with places where you’ll find discounted deals from world-class luxury brands.

Here are the top five Italian outlet shopping destinations to hunt down those designer bargains.

Just north of Genoa in the Piedmont region, the Serravalle Outlet Village is the biggest of its kind in Europe and was one of the first to open in Italy. Its popularity endures, drawing visitors to 225 designer stores with discounts ranging between 30 and 70%. Look out for savings on Fendi, Gucci, Moschino and Prada, while wandering paved streets lined with pastel-coloured houses that perfectly resemble a typical Ligurian-Piedmont village. Use some of the savings from your discount shopping spree to spend the night at Hotel Villa La Bollina, a splendid Art Nouveau-style villa just a 6-minute drive from the outlet.

Not far from Bari, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Puglia Outlet Village is a sunny complex of white, colonnaded buildings filled with 140 designer boutiques. The village is also pet-friendly and has play zones for children, making it suitable option for a relaxed, family day out, too. The discounted brands range from fine Italian footwear like Fratelli Rossetti, to a range of sportswear bargains from the likes of Nike, Reebok and Adidas. Stay just down the road in the seaside town of Molfetta, at Resort Bufi, a minimal, modern hotel clad in white with its own private beach.

A 42-minute drive from Florence or a slightly longer shuttle bus from Bologna, Outlet di Barberino is conveniently-located and well-connected; day trips from either of these Renaissance cities are super easy. 121 stores await, with considerable discounts on brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Cavalli – among others. Particularly savvy bargain-hunters can do a bit of window shopping research and street style observation in Florence before heading to Barberino to recreate catwalk looks for less. Retreat to a nearby, rural stone farmhouse, Agriturismo Massoserpente, with wood-beamed ceilings, terracotta floors and homemade Tuscan cuisine.

Milan is something of a pilgrimage for those with a penchant for the finer things in life – particularly fashion – but this outlet destination (just an hour outside the city) provides much the same experience as Italy’s couture capital. The outlet boutiques look and feel exactly like their high-end counterparts in the city centre, and many have stock that’s no less than one season old; brands showcased here include Missoni, Valentino and La Perla, to name a few. There’s a bus that runs daily from Milan each morning, costing only 20 Euros for the return journey and entitling passengers to a 10% additional discount on their purchases once they arrive. Stay at the contemporary, fashion-forward Hotel The Cube, just a 2-minute walk from Fidenza Outlet Village. Or at Milano Apartments Navigli, the most highly rated accommodation in Milan.

Combine a getaway to Venice with a designer shopping splurge at Noventa Di Piave Designer Village. Located on the Venetian Riviera, there are over 140 stores here housing international fashion brands like Paul Smith, Jil Sander, Prada and Gucci as well as lesser-known Italian labels including Boglioli and Isaia. Built around luxurious piazzas, the outlet stores are decorated with mosaics and frescoes inspired by Venice’s grand palazzos, and broken up by welcoming cafés and Italian restaurants. Check into Venice’s Hotel Moresco, with timeless terazzo flooring, brocade fabrics and glittering chandeliers.