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Travellers with refined tastes do not feel the need to visit the local souvenir shop for snow globes and key chains to bring home after a luxurious vacation. These items are not made to last and have no real connection to the destination beyond the words printed on them. Rather than coming home with a cotton blend t-shirt that will never be worn, angle for a fine good that will bring beauty, joy, and a lasting memory of your trip of a lifetime home with you.

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Make Room in the Budget

Whether you’ve been saving for this once in a lifetime trip for years, financed the trip especially, or have the luxury of travelling this way as part of your annual expenditure, ensure you have room in the budget for at least one meaningful item from your destination. A range of financing options are popular choices with travelers who want to ensure they can make the most out of every trip. The amount you need to earmark for this expense depends on the type of good you have in mind. Jewelry, fine art, fashion, local handiworks, or home goods all come with their own price bracket. Plan for an appropriate amount of spending money to get the goods you desire.

Do Some Online and Window Shopping

Before you embark on your journey, take a look around online to see what goods define the destination. Is the area filled with resident artists that offer breathtaking oil paintings of the landscape? Perhaps you are heading to Peru and want to indulge in an alpaca wool blanket of your dreams. Turkish rugs made of the finest silk are available in Istanbul for a fraction of the cost elsewhere in the world. If fashion is your thing and you are headed to London, Paris, or NY dare to spring for a high end piece from an established design house. Do some digging to determine what is on offer and what speaks to you.

Once you arrive, be on the lookout for goods you have in mind. As you stroll around see what is on display. Pop in to touch the fabrics, gaze at the artwork, and admire the fashion. Don’t buy the first thing you see. You want to get some experience with the variety of quality and costs that are available. Take your time and enjoy the process rather than snatching up the first beautiful item you find.

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Shop with a Reputable Vendor

Once you have a feel for the desired quality and price point you are after find an established, trustworthy vendor for your fine goods. Ask the concierge at your hotel, the waiter at dinner, and the locals you met over a glass of wine. These people will have advice on who to shop with and who to avoid. The last thing you want is to spend good money on bad merchandise. If you are buying art, textiles, or other large household goods do not be afraid to negotiate on the price and ask for the item to be shipped home to you as part of the negotiated price. It never hurts to ask and in many countries, this exchange is the expected way to conduct business.

Luxury travel improves our lives in numerous and immeasurable ways. Enhance your travel experience by bringing home a fine item that will equal the opulence of the vacation.

Tracy

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