Tips to Making the Most of Your Bicester Village Shopping Spree

When you're a shopaholic travelling around Europe, you need to make Bicester Village a part of your travel itinerary. Bicester Village has become a go-to destination for anyone with a passion for fashion, a thirst for quality and a love for a bargain.

With its pretty and infinitely Instagrammable flower- and plant-lined paved avenues and white clapperboard stores, Bicester Village has become a top destination for seasonless, discounted quality from some of the biggest names in fashion, home and tech. From Barbour to Balmain, Gucci to Stella McCartney, the roster of brands on offer is both alluring and impressive.

Tip 1: Arrive early for easier parking and smaller crowds, or make the most of the 10pm closing time. Make an evening of it with supper and a visit to your favoured stores. There will be live music in the village square and the chance to unwind on the alfresco terraces with a cocktail or two.

Tip 2: Pre-plan and have an idea of your must-stop shops. There’s a lot at Bicester to side-track you and some stores require digital registration to gain entry, eg, Gucci.

Tip 3: To get even bigger discounts, make sure you pop into the Visitor Centre before you start shopping and pick yourself up a VIP card, if you can. Sometimes you will need an invitation for this (it helps if you are signed up to a Bicester membership) but sometimes they do give them out.

Tip 4: To make the most of shopping for a new look, why not sign up for a one-to-one with a personal shopping guru.

Tip 5: Opt for a weekday trip to Bicester Village to avoid the crowd as the weekends can get very full.

Tip 6: Tourists should bring their passports as you will need a tax-free receipt for claiming a VAT tax refund later.

Tip 7: Book with your shopping spree across Europe with Sedunia Travel as they have packages that include a trip to the local Bicester Village and a private driver cum tour guide. What a way to live out your tai tai dream.

Contact them at contact@seduniatravel.com or browse through their packages here under their Bicester collection packages.