Looking for Armani? Go to Switzerland

I know this is supposed to be a blog about all things Italian, but it came to mind that I should de-bunk the myth that Milan is a great shopping destination.
Well, Milan may very well be a great shopping destination if you’re interested in cruising around great fashion boutiques and spending lots of money.

But many Italians from Lombardy actually pop across into Switzerland for their shopping sprees.
Not far from Lake Como and the town of Como is the border to Switzerland.
It’s only about 15min by car and people often go for petrol, as it’s cheaper, and chocolate.

In short, all the essential things in life.
On the way to Lugano, at the Mendrisio turn-off, is a shopping centre called Fox Town, known around these parts as an outlet centre given its lower prices.
The centre includes 200 top-name brands at factory prices in 130 stores including Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Prada, Versace and many more.

That’s pretty much all the big Italian brand names.
At the centre there is also a casino, to further gamble away money, seven bars and restaurants and free parking.

There are organised buses from Bergamo and Milan (where you can convert your ticket fee into tokens for the casino) and euro is accepted with prices displayed in both euro and Swiss francs.
Go to the Fox Town site for more information.