Souvenirs
Does anyone know if you able to have the items purchased at the Christmas markets or any of the shops in the cities shipped home or do you need to carry them back to the ship and then fly home with those items? I'm trying to figure out if I should bring an extra bag or under pack to leave room for souvenirs and gifts. Also, do you need to carry Euros or do most places accept credit cards?
Thank you!
0
Comments
I didn’t spend too much time at the markets (different tour), but I would say the vendors within the plazas will not ship, nor will they accept credit cards. Some might. You will have better luck with credit cards at some shops. Save room for souvenirs; bring a tote bag or simply pack light.
Have a great tour.
The markets are mostly all cash. The only time I could use credit was on something that was over 70 euros. I don't remember any market vendors offering shipping. If you go into stores like Kathe Wohlfart you can pay with credit and likely get shipping. Of course that chain has a US website so you can shop there. I flew Premium class which gets you 2 free bags. I flew over with one bag as lightly packed as possible and brought bubble wrap and an empty duffle. Shopping went home in the main bag and dirty laundry in the duffle.
FWIW, unless it's a one of a kind, hand made item, you can find just about anything you see anywhere on Amazon or other online sites.
When in Xian, someone bought a replica terra cotta warrior (about half size) and arranged for shipping. Go to amazon and they are there. I saw a coffee table in a furniture store window in Oslo that I considered buying. After doing a bunch of research after getting home, I wound up buying it online from a store in Sicily (it was made in Italy) for about half the price.
Beth, Terrilynn is the one who hopefully will see this message and make suggestion for you.
I didn’t spend much time at the markets other than having regional food items and hot drinks. I am hoping the new holiday cruise in France will have handmade crafts by local artisans. If not, I will still be content just being in Europe during the holidays. I can always explore on my own on pre/post tour days in Paris.
BKMD - While on personal holiday in the late 1990s, we stumbled upon a shop in Oslo. The proprietor, a delightful Italian who moved to Norway, made beautiful leather products. My husband still has his belt and I still have the handbag made by the gentleman.
BethWentzel - we go over to the markets about every other yr - we will be on the Danube cruise Dec 7 this yr with 10 of our friends. Vendors on the actual markets don't ship. You will find specialty Xmas Stores that will ship - BUT, do know that European shipping is rapidly changing now due to tariffs & has been on the news a lot this week.
When we 1st started going over, we did ship things home a couple times, but I must say -- it was quite a hassle & we no longer do that. It took LOTS of time at the PostOffice (this was in Nuremberg twice), the postal workers were VERY busy & not helpful - and the way you have to pack everything and basically 'make' the box was very confusing and stressful. We now take a Rick Steves HideAway Tote (available on his website - makes a great market bag as it's light, a great size, packs into itself, & has a zipper) - we take it over empty and bring it back as our CarryOn full of our purchases. You can also fill it with clothes and pack your purchases in your suitcase. Just bring some sort of tote, duffle, backpack for your souvenirs.
It is a super casual cruise, so don't feel like you have to pack fancy clothes, etc = save luggage space for gifts. And layers. You will see lots of unique items - lots of wood, pewter, spinners, smokers, nativities. The vendors want Euros -- many will take a CC for the higher priced items >75Euros or so.
BethWentzel - I agree with terrilynn. We have been on 3 Christmas market cruises and are going again this year. The first time we went, we packed an empty suitcase around a medium suitcase so we would have extra space for our purchases. That was a bit much, but we were bringing back souvenirs for the entire family including the holiday mugs from each market. Now we do as terrilynn does and bring an empty duffle for our trinkets. We also bring a small amount of bubblewrap and tissue paper to wrap anything fragile. We bring Euros to spend at the markets for food and souvenirs. We usually plan 100 E per day for my husband and I. It may seem like more than you need, but I like to plan for the unique or unusual gift . For example, one year I found this cute hat that was made of alpaca fur and it was a bit more pricey. Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise! Which date are you going? We will be going this year in Dec.
Thank you everybody for the great information, tips and ideas, much appreciated and very helpful! My best friend and I are leaving from Nuremberg to Vienna on November 30th. It's our first river cruise and vacation through Tauck.