The Amalfi Coast has plenty of interesting shops to satisfy the cravings of the shopaholics out there! Hopefully our guide will help you find the best outlet malls, designer boutiques and local markets.

Naples is well worth a trip if you fancy an afternoon browsing around the shops. Shops tend to be open from 9 in the morning until 1 o’clock, and then re-open again from 4 in the afternoon until 8 in the evening. Sales tend to follow the timings of those in the UK, with sales held in January and in mid July through to the middle of August. The main shopping street in the city is the Via Toledo. Here you will find plenty of well known stores and a department store. However there are plenty of smaller streets to explore which arguably offer a more fascinating look into Italian life. Make sure you do take the time to explore the old city and take a stroll along the Via San Gregorio Armeno, where craftsmen spend hours carving nativity figurines. This area is particularly popular in the run up to Christmas but my favourite time is in the months before this when the craftsmen are busy preparing their wares for the festive season. The city also has a number of markets. An antiques market is held twice a month in the city, whilst there is also a flower market at Maschio Angioino. The Mercato di Antignano (held daily with the exception of Saturdays) and the Mercato di Posillipo (Thursday mornings) are both great places to head if you’re looking to find a bargain handbag, leather goods or textiles.

In fact, there are several markets in the many towns and villages in this area. Some of the main market days include:

The markets will give you a chance to to spend a few hours shopping for food and bargains galore.

The smaller towns in the area also offer plenty to tempt the holidaymaker to part with their spending money. Many have their own unique character. Sorrento is a bustling town with lots of interesting shops and is well known for its wood products. Positano also offers lots of small independent boutiques, but this time tends to have more of a focus on fashion. Amalfi likewise has it’s own unique feel and tends to be dominated by elegant stationers whilst Vietri is famous for its stunning ceramics. Holidaymakers arriving in Vietri sul Mare will certainly know they have arrived in a town famous for its colourful ceramics… the bright yellow and blue tiled dome and bell tower of the church of San Giovanni Battista dominates the town centre, whilst the same colour pleasantly washes over all the aspects of the town, with ceramic murals decorating house walls and street signs cleverly constructed using the same colourful ceramics. If you’re wanting to take home some ceramics as a momento of your stay, this is certainly the place to come.

Capri has a mix of both designer brands and independent stores. Head to Via Camerelle where you will find a plethora of designer boutiques offering the most fashionable and upscale brands. Or pop into one of the stores offering bespoke sandals. Simply pop in, select your shoe size, choose your choice of straps and you will have a pair of bespoke sandals ready for you in less than an hour! But, one word of caution, prices on the island do tend to be high so make sure you come with plenty in your wallet!

For those looking for bargains, it’s also worth heading to the McArthur Glen outlet mall – La Reggia – just north of Naples. Opened in 2010, the mall has over 120 brands on offer shoppers, from Armani to Cerruti and from Ralph Lauren to Valentino, all at significant discounts. It’s easy to reach by car from the main A1 road leading from Naples to Rome. However, for those without transport, it’s also easily accessible by public transport. Regular buses leave from the railway station at Caserta to the mall, or you can even catch a bus from the centre of Naples itself.