Traveling, while exhilarating, can be a challenge. As a tourist, you don't know exactly where you're going. You may or may not know the language. The food can look and taste kind of weird. It's almost enough to make you want to stay home -- but not quite.

For me, one of the best parts of traveling is the shopping. I don't even have to spend money -- there's just something thrilling about meandering around an unknown store in a foreign city. Of course, most of the time, I manage to find something that absolutely cannot live without -- a pair of shoes, usually. Sure, it might not be a visit to the Uffizi, but there is one thing that always feels familiar no matter what city or what time zone I'm in, and that's shopping.

After all, what would a vacation be without a couple of very special souvenirs to remind you of your adventures (and purchases) in a foreign land?

Of all of the cities in the world, London has to be my favorite. While you're there, you can see the British Museum and the Thames, but you can also check out the "less culturally signficant" department store, Harrods. And just down the street, there is celebrity favorite Top Shop with three levels of merchandise and shoes gorgeous enough to make even the stingiest person want to drop next month's rent on a pair of leather boots. For great home decor and lovely blouses cut from amazing cloth, you should check out Liberty of London on nearby Regent Street.


Milan might be the fashion capital of Italy, but the city is much better for window shopping than for actual shopping. It's common knowledge among Italians that Milan's designer shops have higher prices than the same stores outside of the city. So, unless Milan is your only stop and you absolutely *must* buy a Blumarine dress, you're better off just strolling through the Via Montenapoleone.








Sydney might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of fashion capitals. But the Australian city has made considerable progress on the sartorial front in recent years. Like Paris, Milan or New York, anything that you would want to buy, you can get in Sydney. The shops are somewhat scattered, so don't plan on visiting the Queen Victoria Building with its 400 shops or Castlereagh Street with its pricey, designer boutiques on the very same day.



As the real and spiritual homeland for some of the 20th-century's best designers, Paris has much to offer the eager shopper. One of my favorite places to browse in Paris is La Samaritaine -- a wonderful, old department store with an amazing rooftop view. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for renovations. But don't be too disappointed, world travelers. After all, there is nothing shabby about being forced to look through the shops of tony French labels Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Yves St. Laurent. If you're looking for something younger, I highly recommend checking out one of the Kookai ready-to-wear stores.


Last but not least, there is there Japanese fashion metropolis, Tokyo. While living in Tokyo is "very, very* expensive, shopping in Tokyo is only *very* expensive. (cold comfort, I know.) But if money is no object, then Tokyo is the city to find some of the world's most exquisite and well-designed clothes, shoes and jewelry. Make sure that you factor in plenty of time for exploring the hip shops in the Shibuya and Harajuku neighborhoods. However, word of warning to any tall gals out there -- don't plan on finding a great pair of pants unless you like high-waters. Stores in Tokyo almost exclusively sell clothes cut for the petite frame.