brussels Archives | Trip Experiences

European Shopping Destinations

This post is expected to raise interest to shopping lovers. Below you’ll find my favourite five European shopping destinations. The following cities offer you the ability to make purchases ranging from cheap buys up to expensive designers – the choices are endless. London Oxford Street 1. London, UK London is one of the best places for shopping, specially during its big sales during the Christmas period. The best places are the famous Oxford Street, Carnaby Street and Covent Garden. Other areas which are enjoyable for shopping include Russells Square (Brunswick) or Enfield Town (Palace Gardens). There are also many shopping malls e.g. Westfield and Hammersmith Broadway. Here you’ll find all the high-street shops with the best prices. Brent Cross shopping centre is another place you can go shopping in North West London. For more luxury purchases visit Knightsbridge and step into Harrods. Don't forget Selfridge & Co in Oxford Street. For a more characteristic shopping taste visit Camden Markets in Camden Town. Sales Period: The big sales start on Boxing Day (26/12) and end around mid January. Summer sales start around min June and end around mid July. If you’re in London beginning the sales period make sure to go shopping early in the morning. 2. Athens, Greece McArthurGlen Athens Outlet I love shopping here. You can find anything from leather goods around Monastiraki area and its surrounding small markets - called Monastiraki Flea Area. You will find chic stores in Kolonaki and Tsakalof Street or by visiting Attica. For more down to the earth shopping try Ermou Street and the Mall of Athens. If you wish to purchase branded clothing visit the McArthurGlen Athens outlet or the Factory Outlet. I prefer McArthurGlen since it's big with many brands and it's surrounded by cafes and restaurants. Sales Period: Summer sales start mid-July and run throughout the end of August whilst winter sales begin mid-January and run throughout the end of February. 3. Brussels, Belgium Avenue Louise in Brussels In Brussels you can find all sorts of shops in Rue Neuve and Avenue Louise. In the lower part you’ll find exclusive designer shops (Avenue Louise) and in Rue Neuve you’ll find [...]

Brussels, the place for beers, waffles and chocolate

When I hear Brussels, all that comes to my mind is beers, waffles and chocolates. I've been in Brussels seven times (all of them for business) most of the times visiting the European Commission. The first time I visited Brussels was in 201,0 and since then I go there every year. It’s the capital of the European Union which hosts the European Commission (my previous job was related to the EC), Council and Union. Getting to Brussels The city has two airports, Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport (flights at this airport tend to be cheaper since it’s not in the centre of Brussels). From Brussels Airport, you can take the train to the city centre; the journey takes about 30 minutes and costs 8.50. If you get off at Charleroi, there’s a shuttle bus (10 euros) that takes about an hour to the Midi station. From there, you can get the metro to anywhere you wish within the city. Please don’t get a taxi from Charleroi to the Brussels city centre, it will cost you around 150 Euros. If you are reading this and you are from Cyprus, then you might know that Ryanair has cheap and direct flights to Brussels from Larnaca airport. I’ve stayed at five hotel,s including: HOTEL Bloom Pantone Chelton Alma Theatre My top choice is, of course, Hotel Bloom! Excellent rooms, very near the shops, and they provide you with a coffee machine in the room. Loved it and stayed there twice. Pantone and Chelton are my next two top choices compared to Alma (centrally located, but you cannot control the central heating yourself, you have to call reception all the time) and Theatre (in a rough area near the Red Light District, so avoid it, although it’s relatively cheap and friendly). Beers, Chocolates and Waffles Brussels is about beers, chocolates and waffles. Many stores sell a variety of chocolates, each with its own distinctive taste. Marcolini is renowned for its chocolates and is located at the Grand Place. Delirium is my favourite bar, offering more than 2,000 beers from around the world. They even have beer from Cyprus. Here, you can enjoy [...]