De Slegte bookshop in Amsterdam. Photo by Kemal Y.

By Amy Goemans in Amsterdam—

For a lot of us, the appeal of Amsterdam lies in its diversity—be it food, culture, or the shopping experience. Tucked away from all major shopping spots, you are likely to find smaller, Dutch-specific stores that offer an interesting gift-hunting experience.

Try these shops for a unique souvenir from the Netherlands:

For Books: De Slegte
website
Kalverstraat 48-52
1012 PE Amsterdam

Those looking for a unique gift for a bookworm should check out this quaint second-hand bookshop. De Slegte bookshops, which are found all over the Benelux region, contain a wide range of Dutch and English books, some of which are older, hard-to-find novels. Gift buyers take note: They offer a number of antique books as well as comic books.

For something Dutch-specific, look for the local recipe books or ones about the country’s rich arts and history. Keep in mind that comic books (”stripboeken”) are extremely popular in Netherlands and thus, you can easily find popular European works in such shops. Think older strips such as Tintin (”Kuifje”), Willy and Wanda (”Suske en Wiske”) and Leonardo.

Where English books are concerned, you’re likely to come across well-loved books from previous decades like Alistair MacLean’s thriller novels. Books here have a starting price of €2.

For Music and Movies: Free Record Shop
website
One of the many locations in Amsterdam:
Ferdinand Bolstraat 79
1072 LC, Amsterdam

For the music lover or movie fan, these shops are the place to go. Free Record Shops are budget-friendly shops that sell a number of movies, music, and games at low prices. Not just that, they are also well-known for their marked-down deals and bargain-bin goodies.

Free Record Shops can be excellent places to find Dutch music and movies and other international items as well. Look for music by Dutch singers Anouk and local flicks that have made it big worldwide like Ciske de Rat. Keep an eye out for arthouse flicks. Goods usually have a starting price of €5.

For Vintage Fashion: Laura Dols
website
Wolvenstraat 6 en 7
1016 EM Amsterdam

Be it window shopping or hunting down the perfect gift for the fashion lover, Laura Dols is a definite must on a souvenir shopping trip. This classy little shop is renowned for its wide selection of vintage clothing, most of which is priced at affordable rates. From charming accessories like hats and pearl necklaces to sleek attire of the good old days, this vintage boutique has much to offer.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Cheap secondhand books at Gilbert Jeune. Photo by ShimShamB.

By Liz Webber—

There are plenty of things to bring back from Paris, whether lasting or fleeting, that won’t eat up all your euros. Here are five of our suggestions for souvenirs that will remind you of la vie Parisien—for €5 or less.

1. Livre d’occasion from Gilbert Jeune

With outlets on both sides of the St. Michel fountain, the Gilbert Jeune bookstore both buys and sells books. That’s good news for Cheapos, since the store often resells the livres d’occasion (used books) at 50 percent or more off the original price. Find an extensive selection of discounted books on the top floor of the shop (the one on the left side when facing the fountain), whether your French reading level is Le Compte de Monte Cristo, Le Petit Prince, or Les Couleurs.

2. Bottle of wine from Nicolas

In France, pretty much all wine is good wine, even the cheapest bottles. Nicolas, a chain of wine stores, sells bottles in every price range, with plenty of decent vintages for less than €5. The salespeople are also helpful in assisting customers in finding the type of wine they want. The main Paris store is located at the Place de la Madeleine, though there are numerous outlets throughout the city.

3. Notebook from the Louvre

A mustard lover's dream. Photo: RoryRory

The Louvre museum store sells a number of small items, like postcards and bookmarks, for only a couple of euros. Why not take home a souvenir and start recounting your travels at the same time with a notebook featuring the Mona Lisa on the cover?

4. Checkered scarf

No matter what the weather, a checkered scarf is part of the uniform of many Parisian boys (and girls!). The kitschy tourist shops you’ll find on virtually every corner in central Paris sell various scarves and pashminas, many of which are €5 or less. Check out the kids on the street for hints on how to wear your new scarf!

5. Mustard from Maille

The Maille store at 6 Place de la Madeleine in the 8th Arrondissement is a mustard-lover’s dream, with dozens of flavors you won’t find elsewhere, like cassis (black currant), basil or peach. There are a couple of different size jars that won’t empty your wallet, though you can splurge on a multi-pack gift set or one of the mustards “on tap” that come in refillable crocks.

Your Cheapo Paris souvenirs

Did you come home from your European vacation with a neat souvenir that cost less than €5? Tell us about it in the comments section!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Fine Austrian chocolates. Photo by ekai

Unfortunately for long-distance travelers, many of the delectable, tasty treats you’ll find in a Viennese coffee house don’t travel well. However there are some sweet exceptions: chocolates and candies. Not only do charming shops in Vienna sell a variety of bite-sized treats, but their affordable prices will hit the spot, too!

Home sweeeeeet home

Vienna’s confectioners have been pouring, filling, and forming small candies for hundreds of years. Empress Sissi, for example, was a fan of candied violets. Feline aficionados have their own “cat tongue” chocolates, while dog owners can find canine-shaped gummy candies. We won’t even mention what you can find made of marzipan!

Demel has been in the candy business for over 200 years. Located at Kohlmarkt 14, customers can watch craftsman create as they peruse delicately decorated boxes of sweet treats. Altmann and Kuhne, at Graben 30, is famous for selling tiny, hand-made chocolate horses and angels sold in beautifully designed boxes shaped like miniature chests of drawers.

Prices vary depending on chocolate type, quality, and size. Some pieces are sold 10 for €1.50, others 10 for €4. Marzipan is available for 10 pieces for €2.50. Some cookies and cake slices sell for €4 (but you’ll probably have to eat these before you get home!).

While you’re at it…

Why not commemorate Vienna’s Kaffeehaus kultur with a napkin or two? In between savoring slices of apfelstrudel, guglhupf, or sachertorte, keep your eyes peeled for napkins illustrating the names and exteriors of the cafe. Guten Appetite!

Popularity: 14% [?]

A matador and his bull in Seville, Spain: photo courtesy of bullcreek

Not for the faint of heart, a bullfight in Seville can mean edge-of-your-seat excitement and thrills. For Cheapos, the feeling is similar to finding an inexpensive - or free - European souvenir. So, once you’ve taken in some flamenco and eaten all the tapas you can handle for a day, we recommend you pick up a personalized poster commemorating the controversial Andalusian sport of bullfighting. That ain’t no bull!

Take home prize for bullies-

The violent dance between man and bull has been a custom since prehistoric times, when its beginnings were linked to bull worship and sacrifice. Spain put their footprint on the sport in 1726. Francisco Romero was the first matador (torero) to publicly fight a bull (toro) without riding an animal for assistance. Soon, fancy equestrians were replaced by commoners on foot.

The easiest and safest way to be a bullfighter, without exactly throwing yourself into the ring, is to purchase a personalized bullfighting poster, touting your own name. Stroll up and down Tetuan and Sierpes Streets for a picturesque walk, and to track down posters and flamenco trinkets. Look for the words, Tu Nombre Aqui, on sample posters and put ‘Your Name Here.’ Prices start at €7.

If it’s a real fight you’re after, check out Plaza de Toros’ web site for bullfight schedules.

While you’re at it…

Grab anything with a bull and go. Napkins, beer coasters, pamphlets, ticket stubs. Little items that seem trivial while on the road take on a whole new meaning miles from the bullring. Ole!

Popularity: 14% [?]

Munich is a festival of budget-friendly mementos. The capital of Bavaria is also the home of intricately-designed (and internationally celebrated) glass and porcelain beer steins. Drink up a round of cheapo possibilities.

Souvenirs brewing

On September 27, 1589, Wilheim V, the Duke of Bavaria, decided to build a brewery instead of importing beer from Lower Saxony. He kindly asked the brewmaster from Geisenfeld Monastery to “hops” to it and the rest is brew-story. Hofbrauhaus Munchen is still owned by the state government today.

Not only have the glasses and steins from the city’s famous beer gardens become symbolic of Bavarian culture, but the cheap prices of these symbols are worth toasting.

Beer vessels blanket the Bavarian landscape. Seemingly every airport kiosk, gift shop, and street vendor features a stein or two (hundred). Prices usually start at about $10 USD and climb upward from there, depending on the size, design, and craftsmanship involved.

The question isn’t so much where to find steins as which one to purchase. Will it be the tall one with the metal top depicting a milk maid holding edelweiss? Or, will it be the glass Masskrug sporting the HB logo? To get a sneak peak of some of the steins awaiting you, check out Bavariashop.com’s impressive inventory of 62 steins for sale.

While you’re at it…

Pick up some local items with the ubiquitous Bavarian coat of arms. Napkins, flags, playing cards, and wind sticks can be found around town sporting the blue and white diamond pattern.

Also see: Check out the Hofbrauhaus’ website for information on tours of the brewery and for its exhaustive history of the brewery and explanation of the beer-making process. Also check out our recommended budget hotels in Munich.

Photo above: Beer stein shopping in Munich. Photo by thesheriff

Popularity: 16% [?]

An alley off Charing Cross Road. Photo by Andwar

In London, great writers from Dickens to Keats, Woolf to Orwell found a home and a literary community. Today, bookish visitors can find shelves filled with their works, often in charming, historically-significant bookstores. Cheapos on the hunt for souvenirs know that many of these shops hand out bookmarks for free.

Souvenirs to write home about

The proprietors of many of London’s famous bookstores promote themselves with free bookmarks. After perusing your favorite titles on the shelves at one of the shops, pick one up at the front counter. Not only will they keep your page, but the bookmark will be a pleasing reminder of your trip.

Charing Cross Road, a row famous for its many second-hand booksellers, runs between the Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square tube stations, and is an excellent place to hunt down bookmarks. Waterstone’s and Foyles, two of the biggest British houses of books, are found here as well. You can also stop in front of 84, Charing Cross Road, well-known by the book of the same name (c. 1970) and the film starring Anthony Hopkins (c. 1987).

Daunt bookstore has four locations. The main store is at 83 Marylebone High Street south of Regent’s Park. Branches are also in Belsize Park, Hampstead and Holland Park. Rumors purport that George Orwell often frequented the location in Hampstead, where he also kept house.

While you’re at it…

Why not also buy a book for you to mark? We’d suggest buying a novel by a British author in his or her old neighborhood. For instance, a trip to London doesn’t get more self-referential than buying “A Song About Myself,” by John Keats, from the Daunt branch near the poet’s old house.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Lisbon cockerels having a face-off. These two are for sale.

Throughout Portugal, the cockerel is a symbol of faith, justice and good luck. As far as we’re concerned, our fine-feathered friend is also a symbol of a bargain. In Lisbon, where folk art featuring the cockerel is available in every gift shop, the little guy is a souvenir worth crowing about.

Bring home some rooster

A Portuguese legend has it a pilgrim, passing through the small town of Barcelos, was accused of theft. The judge who would decide his fate was about to eat a roast dinner (naturally), when the pilgrim cried out, pointing to his meal, ”If I am innocent, may the cockerel get up and crow!” According to the legend, crow the cock did indeed. Case closed.

Today, the vocal rooster can be found all around Lisbon. Stop in any souvenir shop and you’ll find statuettes, wine stoppers (our favorite), table clothes, even beach towels emblazoned with his image. The list crows on and on. We suggest heading down the cobbled streets of Baixa, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755, to find shops and people watch.

While you’re at it…

If you are looking for another typical Portuguese gift, pick up a piece of lace or azulejo tile. The town is well known for both items, which can usually be found alongside rooster fare in souvenir shops.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Lisbon.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Krakow’s Market Square. Photo by Lars K. Jensen

People of Cheapo: low-priced communist-era souvenirs are legal for export from Krakow. After all, nothing will help you commemorate your trip to the city quite like a piece of Cold War nostalgia.

Collectables for comrades

Multiple open-air markets around the formerly-communist Krakow are a feast for bargain-hunters. Medals, pins, and statuettes featuring the many faces of Lenin can be found at affordable prices.

The Old Kleparz Market is nearest to the city center. On Tuesday and Friday, you’ll find interesting old trinkets for sale. (On other days, the market sells food, flowers and clothes.)

The vendor scene on Grzegorzecka Street near the Market Hall is the busiest in Krakow, and you’ll find books and unearthed antique treasures every Sunday. (On other days, you’ll find meat, fruits and vegetables for sale.)

More vendors sell their wares at the Tomex Market in Nowa Huta, while Krakow’s antique dealers are mainly located around the Platy gardens.

Note: Although we recommend picking up some cheapo communist bric-a-brac, especially valuable antique items predating 1945 are illegal for export without special permission. However, items of lesser value from this period are not only safe for export, but plentiful.

While you’re at it…

Hit the Propaganda Pub, located at 20 Miodowa, for a beer. The walls are covered and the tables are chock full of communist memories.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Krakow, along with our review of the Good Bye Lenin Hostel.

Popularity: 13% [?]

The San Lorenzo market in Florence. Photo by Madame’s Travels

Florence is a hot spot for fashion, but that doesn’t mean tourists have to pay high prices for ready-to-wear souvenirs. In fact, quality clothing and accessories can be found for only a few euros at a number of outdoor markets in Florence.

Fashion in the streets of Firenze

The outdoor Mercato Nuovo, the “Straw Market,” buzzes daily beneath a gorgeous multi-block loggia in central Florence. These vendors sell high-quality leather items, straw bags and hats, scarves, and wallets (not to mention those mini-David statuettes and cooking aprons!). We suggest smaller, cheaper, and easy-to-pack items. The Mercato Nuovo is located at the intersection of Via Calimala and Via Porta Rossa.

Less picturesque, the outdoor market at San Lorenzo is an easier place to haggle with sellers. Expect crowds, barking vendors, the smell of leather, and a mix of quality and shoddy goods. This market is popular with tourists, locals, and pickpockets, so keep a watchful eye.

While you’re at it…

Take home some Italian shopping bags. A regular old plastic bag transforms into a high-class fashion statement when “Firenze” is stamped across it.

Also see: Our guide to budget hotels in Florence.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Travel is all about new experiences, whether in a museum, a castle, or a restaurant. In Dublin’s pubs, fish and chips always please, although it’s nothing new. But, behold brown sauce! It’s tangy, very Irish, and can be found in little packets… for free!

Bring home a saucy surprise

The “Chef” brand of brown sauce hit the commercial Irish market in 1921 and has accompanied meat and potato dishes ever since. Much like Americans use ketchup, the Irish pair brown sauce with all kinds of dishes: baked ham, potato cakes, soda farl, and so forth. Brown sauce sports a unique and zesty flavor. Americans might describe it as a tangier A1 Steak Sauce, while Brits might find it similar to their HP Sauce.

Brown sauce is commonly found in single-use serving packets on the tables of restaurants and pubs. Dress up your meal with some special sauce at the bar, and then stash away a couple extra packets for the diners back home. 

While you’re at it…

As long as you’re grabbing things off the table, be on the lookout for sugar or vinegar packets sporting interesting quotes, illustrations, or depictions of local sights. After all, nothing is sweeter than a sugar packet stamped with a quote from Oscar Wilde or James Joyce. (For inspiration, check out this collection of Irish and British sugar packets.)

Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Dublin.

Popularity: 12% [?]