Negotiating Prices, Rome

It's the biggest market in Rome. It's 'open' on sunday mornings.

What to buy: EVERYTHING! Clothes, sunglasses, books, antiques, cds, dvds, home furnishing, toys, it has everything for everybody.

What to pay: Being a market, everything is quite cheap, and you can always negotiate the prices. For instance, I bought two shirts for 2€ and one for 1€... You just have to search in the middle of the piles of clothing.

It's a open air market, same style as Porta Portese, but here clothes and shoes are the main items sold on the banks. There is a wide variety of stalls sellings loads of new and second hand clothes, military and camping equipment. The market is open from monday to saturday 8.00-14.00.

What to buy: The biggest bargains are the leather goods and accessories which sel at much lower prices than in the department stores.

All the clothes, fruit, drinks, refreshments, knock offs you expect ata a market. This one is extremely busy - can take way more than an hour just to cover the length. Two - hookey obviously - CDs at for Eu5.00, new shirts Eu5 and Eu10. I got six of the former for Eu27 by calling the guy's bluff and walking away but it was hard work !

What to buy: Shirts and clothes, whatever takes your fancy. An iced beer ?

Piazza Navona is an awesome place to negotiate prices. There are many artists as well as "con-artists" in this area around Piazza Navona (known as the centro storico). I don't really think that there is another Piazza in Rome that can rival this one for atmosphere. For me, it was the social center of Rome because there is something going on day or night.

We visited here often. On one of our visits, our friend Huge, an American serviceman, came with us. He saw a "hawker" selling beaded jewelry and wanted to buy a necklace for his wife back in America. Thus began a "NEGOTIATION DANCE of sorts.

Hugh was very good. When he thought that the price was too high, he would just walk away. The young artist would run after him and, of course, lower the price.

What to buy: Hugh was able to purchase the beautiful beaded necklace for a much-adored wife, and the young artist probably got more than he had hoped for. Everyone was satisfied.

Allan and I purchased four water-color paintings in this same Piazza. These paintings hang in our Great Room as a reminder of all those joyful visits to the wonderful Piazza Navona.

What to pay: Depending on the item, the merchandise can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars.

There are many street vendors in Rome, especially near tourist areas. They expect you to haggle the price. So ask for the price, and make an offer that's much lower than the original. Then, the vendor will give you another price, and you keep haggling until you both agree on a price. It's very easy to do.

What to buy: Many vendors sell religious items, but also souvenirs, jewelry, and clothes.

What to pay: If you haggle the price, much cheaper than what you would pay in a store.

If you like street markets then Rome will not dissapoint you. I love visiting markets as you always find interesting little nicknaks there and sometimes the most wonderfull handcrafts.