Livigno: A shopper's paradise

It is a well-known fact that Livigno is a paradise for those who love adventure tourism. A world class skiing resort in the winter, the valley offers incredible opportunities to explore the Alps on a hiking or a biking trail in summer. But Livigno is also quite popular as a shopping destination, thanks to the duty- free status that the place enjoys.  

The custom benefit has been awarded to Livigno since 1840 to help the economy of the place which, due to lack of connectivity, remained isolated and secluded from rest of Italy.  Now Milan being only a few hours away, the place is always bustling with people who enjoy shopping here at duty-free prices.

To the delight of the shoppers, the exemption is not simply restricted to tobacco and alcohol but is applicable to a wide range of commodities including designer clothes, leather goods, consumer durables, electronics, cosmetics etc. The place is awash with different kinds of shopping establishments, from supermarkets and designer labels to popular brands and cosy boutiques.

Travelling is also quite cheap because the prices of petrol and diesel are unimaginably low. Livigno makes for a great destination not only for shopping but also dining out. Prices per drink here is way cheaper than other destinations in Europe and it is not very difficult to find great places to eat and drink on a budget.

However, there are certain restrictions to the quantity of duty-free goods that can be taken out of the area. There are some customs checks before you enter Switzerland or make you way towards Italy. If any item exceeds these limits, they have to be declared at customs. Some of the restrictions are:

• Tobacco is restricted to 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of smoking tobacco per person and only people over the age of 17 can carry them.

• Alcohol is also restricted to people over 17, and those above the age of 17 are entitled to carry 1 litre of distilled spirit with an alcohol content higher than or equal to 22% or 2 litres of distilled spirit under 22% alcohol. The limit for wine is 4 litres and for beer, it is 16 litres.

• Other items considered to be of personal use and not for trade purposes are duty-free to the value of 300 Euros for people over the age of 15 and 150 Euros for people under the age of 15.

Please refer to the table released by Livigno Tourism for more information. Combine your love for shopping with a fun-filled vacation amidst the Alps at Livigno. With such a wide range of holiday homes to choose from, you can leave accommodation concerns on us.