Souvenirs

Don't fall for the tourist traps!

Examples of tourist traps:

• Airport gift shops
• Boutiques at the exit or entrance of a museum or similar attraction
• Train station shop

Once in a blue moon, I have found a good deal at a tourist trap.  For example, a duty free gift shop in a Munich airport once had a sale on gifts from neighboring countries and parts of Germany not included in my trip.  Thus it was nice to be able to buy souvenirs I would not have otherwise encountered during my travel.

More often than not, though, I have had buyers' remorse after spending money at a tourist trap.

How much does a postcard cost?

If the cost of a postcard is a reliable metric of souvenir costs (I have yet to study this theory), the cheapest postcard I have ever bought was in 2005 in New York City.  I paid 5 US cents.  Granted, the printing qualitty was sub-par, and it was the standard small size.   The most expensive standard size and print postcard I have ever encountered was in Switzerland in 2016.  I paid 1.20 CHF and even saw some tourist traps selling the same ones for 1.50 CHF.   However, I found a couple gems in Zermatt and Geneve selling postcards for 0.50 CHF.  Yes, you can get cheap postcards in Switzerland!  You might have to search the racks in the back of the store (as was my experience in Zermatt; the storefront ones were already decently priced at 1 CHF), or you might have to walk a little further away from the main tourist drags (as in Geneve).  Do not be hoodwinked into paying 1.50 CHF!

Where have I found good deals for souvenirs?

• Grocery stores
• Discount stores (e.g. dollar store or equivalent)
• Specialty stores

Here are examples by location:

Florence, Italy

• Several "dollar" stores in the city that charge 1+ Euro per item.  I found:
• Lip gloss and nail polish made in Venice, Italy.  
• Household items (cheap imports from China)
• Some marzipan, chocolate, and goodies from Austria

Montreal, Canada

• Multiple chains of "dollar" stores, with Dollarama being the most ubiquitous.  They charge 1+ Canadian dollars.  I found:
• Canadian flags, keychains, hats, plastic sunglasses, etc.
• Excellent selection of greeting cards in French.  Beats paying $4 per card at the pharmacy.
• Sketchy selection of food.  The bread looked ok...I would stay away from the unrefrigerated hummus.
• Nail polish made in USA for a Revlon subsidiary
• Selection varies per location as some stores are larger.

Berlin, Germany

• Fassbender & Rausch chocolate store- example of 'specialty' store whereby going to the source and buying directly from the manufacturer is better for selection and perhaps price vs. going through a middleman.  I found: 
• Chocolate bars for under 3-4 Euros
• Sculpted chocolates- ladybugs, motorcycles, bears, and more!

Switzerland

• Coop and Migros grocery stores.  I found:
• Chocolate bars labeled 'budget' for as little as 0.50 CHF
• Nicer bars in the 2-5 CHF range
• Wine, liquers, pastries of wide variety
• The one Migros I visited did not sell alcohol
• Coop tended to be in more convenient locations to train stations
• Prices varied by location even within the same chain
• Cailler chocolate factory
• Huge selection, including customizable boxes if you want only certain kinds of chocolates in a box, sold by weight
• Discounts for large purchases of select chocolates
• Prices same or less than Coop or Migros prices for many bars, and much wider selection

Austria

• Interspar grocery stores.  I found:
• Same chocolates as at the tourist traps (Sisi, Mozart chocolates) for less! Alas, it was too late of a discovery for me as I had fallen for the tourist trap, but don't be like me!!!
• Wine, liquers, pastries