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Prada, Ferragamo, Fendi, Pucci… these brands are as synonymous with Italy as gelato and gnocchi. Fashion is a high priority for Italians, second only to food. Luckily a trip to Florence can satisfy both your need for fashion and food. Once you get your food fix covered head to the outlet malls.

Thirty minutes south of Florence on the A-1 in the beautiful hills of Tuscany you can find The Mall. The drive alone is worth the trip, the golden fields are peppered with century old stone castles: it’s truly postcard perfect. The Mall however is a relatively modern looking building in a nice park like setting. The parking is free and plentiful; there is an ATM machine and even a café. Walking through the mall is like thumbing through a Vogue magazine: Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCarthy, Marni, Burberry, Armani, Tod’s, Balenciaga. The storefronts all look similar, big glass doors with perfectly coifed, smiling sales people awaiting your arrival. The prices are as impressive as the fashion. Most items are roughly fifty to seventy percent off and if you walk to the back of many of the stores you will find further reduced items.

However, the selection is what impressed me most. I was expecting last fall’s discounted thigh-high black boots, but I found this summer’s must-have sandals, dresses and accessories. Again, all for fifty to seventy percent off retail prices.  You can take the bus, train or drive. If you take the train, head towards Rome stop at the Rignano and take a taxi to The Mall. If you take the bus, the SITA bus leaves directly from the main station in Florence and delivers you to The Mall doorstep, there are buses several times a day and the cost is roughly 5 euro round trip. If you drive, take the Incisa exit. The Mall is open Monday through Saturday all day, as well as Sunday afternoon. Via Europa 8, Leccio Reggello Tel 055.865.7775

Another twenty minutes down the A-1 outside the town of Montevarchi you will discover the Prada/Miu Miu outlet. It’s a little bit harder to find than The Mall, as it’s labeled ‘Space’, but you will know you have found it due to high number of black Alfa Romeos in the parking lot. Again, the building is modern and the sales people are coifed and friendly, there is also a café. As you enter, take a ticket, as there are only a certain amount of shoppers allowed in a time. Your number is also used to hold your items at the counter, so you don’t have to carry them while you browse. The prices can’t be beat, fifty percent off and the selection seems endless. The store is massive and the shoe salon alone is fit for a princess. Signature black Prada purses and bags for as low as 200 euro. You feel as though you have stumbled in from 5^th Avenue rather than a town outside of Tuscany. It’s truly an experience. If you drive, take the Valdarno exit from the A-1 and head through Montevarchi. If you take a train, stop at the Montevarchi station and take a taxi to the outlet. Open seven days a week. Loc. Levanella –S.S. 69, Montevarchi (AR). Tel 055.978.9481

Hotels in Italy

Hotel L’Orologio, Florence
Average Price of a Double Room: € 150
Guest Rating: 9.7

H2C Hotel Milanofiori – Assago, Milan
Average Price of a Double Room: € 99
Guest Rating: 9.6

Hotel Classic – Florence
Average Price of a Double Room: € 78
Guest Rating: 8

Hotel Miramare Continental Palace - Sanremo
Average Price of a Double Room: € 60
Guest Rating: 7

Guest House Town House Spagna - Rome
Average Price of a Double Room: € 140
Guest Rating: reviews on TripAdvisor

Adagio City Aparthotel Garden – Rome
Average Price of a Double Room: € 75
Guest Rating: 8.2

Hotel Val di Colle Dimora Storica – Bagnoro, Arezzo
Average Price of a Double Room: € 169
Guest Rating: 8.8

Photo by coolinsights