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Simon
Last Updated: 31 Aug 2026
Once you're home after a trip and your suitcase is back under the bed, the memories start to fade unless you've brought something back with you: trinkets, textiles, that perfect linen shirt, a rug you'll always fight over. Just something that takes you back.
Each destination has its own specialities; things you'll only find if you know where (and how) to look. Being armed with a bit of research can help you avoid the overpriced knock-offs and point you instead toward the pieces truly worth packing an extra bag for.
So, from souks and side streets to some of the world's best department stores, here's your guide to shopping well abroad and flying home with something far better than fridge magnets.
Bring an extra suitcase and a sense of humour. Malls here are stacked twelve floors high, markets sprawl for blocks, and there’s always something you didn’t know you needed until it’s in your bag. It’s chaotic, addictive, and weirdly efficient.
Here's where to start digging:
Off-peak return reward seats from London to Bangkok cost 100,000 Avios plus £405 in Premium Economy, and 200,000 Avios plus £575 in Business Class.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
Hong Kong has more than its fair share of skyscrapers, but tucked away in between the concrete jungle are hidden alleys and nooks where you’ll find pop-up shops, artisan stalls, and one-off pieces you won’t get anywhere else..
Here's what’s worth your time (and baht):
Off-peak return reward seats from London to Hong Kong cost 100,000 Avios plus £405 in Premium Economy and 200,000 Avios plus £575 in Business Class.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
Did you know Sex and the City 2 was filmed in Marrakech? If that alone doesn't make you want to strap on your Manolos and head to the Red City, maybe this will. The Medina is packed with brass lanterns, hand-embroidered kaftans, and hidden stalls down winding alleys, Gueliz brings clean lines and cool concept stores, while over in Sidi Ghanem, you’ll find artists and designers actually making the stuff you'd buy.
When it comes to the question of things to do in Marrakech, the answer is only limited by your stamina and the number of days you have left.
Here's what we recommend:
Excited about things to do in Marrakech? Off-peak return Economy reward seats from London to Marrakech are 27,500 Avios plus £1. In Business Class, it's 48,500 Avios plus £25.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
This isn’t the Italy of postcards and pasta. Milan is sharp, stylish, and always moving. High fashion sets the pace, but it’s not all polished windows and runway gloss. There are the headline acts, of course: flagships, fashion houses, galleries that double as stores, but the city’s edge is in its details.
There's plenty to choose from at places such as the Milan shopping centre and more.
Here's what we recommend:
You can book an off-peak return reward seat from London to Milan for 18,500 Avios plus £1 in Economy and 30,000 Avios plus £25 in Business Class.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
You've heard it all before: it’s the city that never sleeps, the Big Apple, the concrete jungle where dreams are made. And it's all true. Sure, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Central Park are on every postcard, but the real draw is New York's energy: bold and always one step ahead.
And then there's the shopping. The kind that starts with “just looking” and ends with an extra suitcase. It’s easy to lose track of time (and budget) when the options are this good.
Here's how to do it right:
Off-peak return flights from London start at 85,000 Avios plus £305 in Premium Economy, or 160,000 Avios plus £375 in Business Class.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
There’s no single way to do this city, and that’s what makes it work. But one thing's for sure: you'll never run out of things to do in Palma. One moment, you're sipping a cortado under a Belle Époque balcony; the next, you're bargaining for handwoven baskets in a medieval alleyway.
When it comes to things to do in Palma and the best shopping experiences, here's what we recommend:
Off-peak return Economy reward seats from London to Palma cost just 23,500 Avios plus £1, while Business Class seats cost 40,000 Avios plus £25.
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
If Paris doesn’t tempt you, we want to know what kind of inner peace you’ve found. For the rest of us, Paris is a dream worth chasing. It's a place of beauty and romance, where you can sip coffee on a terrace, shop like a local, and feel like the star of your own French film. And when it comes to shopping, few places can compete with this city.
If you’re wondering where to begin, here's what we recommend:
Find available reward seats with British Airways and Iberia.
Off-peak return flights from London to Paris start at just 18,500 Avios plus £1 in Economy, or 30,000 Avios plus £25 in Business Class.
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