Shopping in Rome: Via Condotti, Via del Corso, sales and tax-free

Updated on October 1, 2026

Rome's shopping district forms a triangle between the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia. Via dei Condotti, which runs down from the Spanish Steps, lines up the big luxury houses; Via del Corso, about 1.5 km long, gathers mid-priced ready-to-wear brands. Around them, Via del Babuino and Via Margutta add antique dealers and art galleries, and the Rinascente department store on Via del Tritone brings many brands together under one roof. The streets are freely accessible; only the shops' opening hours matter.

Highlights

Via dei Condotti

Named after the conduits of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct that ran beneath the street, it links Piazza di Spagna to Largo Goldoni. Here you will find Bulgari, whose historic shop is at number 10, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior; at the end of the street, on Largo Goldoni, Palazzo Fendi houses the brand's flagship store. The shop windows can also be admired from the top of the Spanish Steps, from where the street runs in a straight line.

Galleria Alberto Sordi

A covered shopping arcade with an Art Nouveau glass roof, opened in 1922 as the Galleria Colonna, on Piazza Colonna. Reopened in 2003 after restoration, it bears the name of the Roman actor Alberto Sordi. It offers a break from the heat or the rain halfway along Via del Corso.

Via del Corso

The ancient Via Lata, running in a straight line from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venezia, owes its name to the carnival horse races. International fashion chains, shoe shops and sports stores follow one another between palaces and churches. On Saturday afternoons and Sundays the crowds are very dense: keep an eye on bags and phones.

Via del Babuino and Via Margutta

Via del Babuino, between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, mixes fashion boutiques and antique dealers; it takes its name from the statue of the "Baboon", one of Rome's talking statues, near the church of Sant'Atanasio dei Greci. Running parallel, quiet Via Margutta is the street of artists and galleries: the film Roman Holiday was shot at number 51, and Federico Fellini lived at number 110.

Rinascente on Via del Tritone

This department store, open every day from 10am to 9pm, brings together fashion, beauty, homeware and a food hall, with rooftop terraces. In the basement, remains of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct are on view. A tax-free service is available to non-EU customers.

Sales and tax-free

In Lazio, the winter sales start on the working day before Epiphany (in 2026, Saturday 3 January) and the summer sales in early July (Saturday 4 July in 2026), for six weeks at most; promotional sales are banned in the 30 days before. Travellers living outside the European Union can reclaim VAT on purchases over €70 including VAT per invoice, by showing their passport when buying and having the electronic invoice validated by customs on leaving the EU, no later than the end of the third month after the purchase.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Never buy fake bags or sunglasses from street vendors: in Italy, the buyer of a counterfeit product faces an administrative fine of €100 to €7,000. For tax-free, keep your purchases unused and within reach at the airport, as customs may ask to see them. On weekday late mornings, Via del Corso is much calmer than at the weekend.

How to get there

Via dei Condotti, 00187 Rome: metro line A, Spagna station. Via del Corso, 00186 and 00187 Rome: metro line A, Flaminio station for the northern end (Piazza del Popolo), or Spagna station then a 5-minute walk along Via dei Condotti. Buses 62, 63, 85, 160 and 492 along Via del Corso (Largo Chigi and Corso/Minghetti stops). Rinascente: Via del Tritone 61, 00187 Rome.