The Travel Strategy That Can Actually Save You Hundreds on Big-ticket Purchases

Not long ago, Jacquelyn Berney ran the numbers on her handbag habit. The Oklahoma City–based marketing executive, who loves browsing Dior, Gucci, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton boutiques, realized she could save upwards of four figures by shopping in Europe. What’s more, her purchases would earn her flexible credit-card points that she could redeem for her next shopping trip. Last fall, she came home from Spain with a new Gucci Jackie bag, having saved about $600 on the purchase. “Whenever I carry it, I remember being on the streets of Madrid,” Berney says.

If her strategy of finding better prices in Europe sounds familiar, it’s likely because so many fans of Taylor Swift embraced the same idea last year, jetting off to see the Eras Tour for a fraction of what U.S. concert tickets cost.

It’s a trend that T+L Travel Advisory Board member Jack Ezon calls “market hacking,” which he defines as “traveling across borders to take advantage of price disparities.”

Deals on concerts and big-ticket sporting events continue to be motivators, but Ezon says inquiries for shopping-specific trips to European cities such as Milan, Paris, and Rome are up 44 percent at his agency, Embark Beyond. “It’s a fusion of factors,” Ezon notes, citing exchange rates that favor the dollar; automatic refunds on VAT, which can be as high as 20 percent; and the looming impact of tariffs, which could dramatically inflate the cost of luxury goods coming into the U.S.

“If you plan to do a lot of shopping, it’s a good deal to come here,” says Paris-based Leah Walker, CEO and cofounder of Garnier Creations. Her firm specializes in arranging private shopping experiences at both boutiques and department stores such as Le Bon Marché and Samaritaine. “Since April, I’ve received multiple requests per week, mostly from Americans,” Walker says.

While the trend is most associated with Europe, market hacking can also be worthwhile farther afield. Consider Japan, where the yen is down nearly 30 percent against the dollar since mid 2020. Rather than pocket the savings, travelers are splashing out on their visits, spending more on things like watches and jewelry, according to research undertaken by the Japan Tourism Agency.

Skiers are also taking advantage of price differentials, particularly given the cost of lift tickets in the U.S. “High-end destination resorts can cost up to $329 per day, if you don’t purchase in advance,” says Dan Sherman, the chief marketing officer of Ski.com. By contrast, he says, skiers can buy even last-minute passes in Niseko, Japan, or Zermatt, Switzerland, for less than $100 a day.

Then there’s the cost of everything else, including slopeside lodging and meals. “People are just fed up with overall prices in the U.S.,” Sherman says, “and want to try somewhere else that offers a whole new experience.” Little wonder, then, that in 2025, bookings on Ski.com for European ski trips are up 33 percent year over year.

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Let’s Make a Deal.”